https://eps.edu.miami.edu/graduate/masters/hea-msed/index.html

Overview

The Higher Education Administration Program, which offers a Master of Science in Education with concentrations in Enrollment Management, Student Life and Development, and Institutional Research and Policy Analysis, is designed to produce skilled and versatile higher education administrators who understand all aspects of their professional environment. 

Our graduates enter a variety of roles in college and university administration with the ability to consider today’s challenges from a broad-based, highly informed perspective.

Application Requirements

Admission to all graduate-degree concentrations in the School of Education and Human Development is based on the recommendation of the faculty. Admissions decisions are based on faculty review of the following general requirements that apply to all Graduate Programs in the School as well as specific documents listed under each concentration.

Applicants must:

  • Be aware that Graduate Record Exam (GRE) requirements are waived for applications, to this program. International applicants whose native language is not English or applicants whose degrees are from a non-U.S. university must pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing Systems (IELTS).
  • Provide official transcripts showing completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and an acceptable undergraduate grade point average. A minimum of 3.0 undergraduate GPA is required. Official transcripts from every institution attended by an applicant, whether or not the applicant completed a degree program at the institution, are required;
  • Provide three letters of recommendation that address the issues and meet the criteria established by the program being applied to;
  • Provide a personal statement that addresses the mission and purpose of the program being applied to;
  • Provide a current resume;
  • Take part in an admissions interview (required by some programs); and
  • Exhibit personal and professional experiences and characteristics that are relevant to the profession and/or field and/or degree program for which the application is being submitted.

International Applications

All international applications must provide additional information and meet additional requirements as required by the UM Graduate School and the Office of International Student and Scholar Services. For an appropriate link to these requirements, please visit the Graduate School website.

Admission Decision

Once an applicant has been admitted to graduate study, that individual should meet with the faculty advisor who was appointed to serve in that capacity and whose name appears in the admissions letter. This advisor will help the student enroll in courses that are appropriate to the program and develop and refine a Course Sequence Plan that must be on file in the Office of Graduate Studies by the end of the first semester of enrollment.

Honor Code/Handbook of Policies and Procedures

The School of Education and Human Development follows the Graduate School’s Honor Code. All students are required to review the Graduate Student Honor Code and the School of Education and Human Development’s Handbook of Policies and Procedures for Graduate Students and to submit the signed Acknowledgement of Receipt located on Page 3 by the end of their first semester of enrollment.

Curriculum Requirements

Enrollment Management Concentration

The Enrollment Management concentration (33 credit hours), based in data-driven decision-making to foster student and institutional success, integrates theory, research, teamwork, and effective communication. It is an interdisciplinary program, with courses also required in the Miami Business School. Opportunities abound for integrating research and theory in daily practice.

Core Courses9
Enrollment Management: Theory and Practice
Advanced Seminar in Enrollment Management
Practicum: Administration of Higher Education
Higher Education Foundations12
Organization and Administration of Higher Education I
Higher Education in the United States: From Harvard to Present
Student Diversity in American Higher Education
Seminar in Higher Education Administration: Contemporary Issues
Business3
May select 1 graduate business course from the following or as approved by an advisor:
Leading Teams
Foundations of Marketing Management
Budget and Financial Management and Administration
Research6
Quantitative Methods I (Required)
Select 3 credit hours from the following or as otherwise approved:
Essentials of Research in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Program Evaluation
Qualitative Methods I
Survey Research Methods
Electives3
Select 3 credit hours from the following or as otherwise approved:
Managerial Economics
The Community College
Administration of Student Affairs
Basic Skills in Counseling and Interviewing
Psychological Bases of Education
Organization Administration of Higher Ed II: Governance, Leadership and Finance
College Student Development: Theory, Research and Practice
Critical Issues in Student Affairs: The Law and Higher Education
Practicum: Administration of Higher Education
Group Dynamics and Communication Skills
Workshop in Education: Selected Topics
Workshop in Education: Selected Topics in Higher Education
KIN 615
Creative Approaches to Problem Solving and Conflict Management
Total Credit Hours33

Curriculum Requirements

Institutional Research and Policy Analysis Concentration

The Institutional Research and Policy Analysis concentration (33 credits) focuses on the skills necessary to conduct applied research that supports the effective functioning of post-secondary institutions. Areas of study extend beyond integrating research into effective administrative and policy initiatives to understanding state and federal policies, higher education foundations, statistics, and data analytics.

Core Courses in Higher Education (or as otherwise approved from electives below)
EPS 737Organization and Administration of Higher Education I3
EPS 744Student Diversity in American Higher Education3
EPS 748Enrollment Management: Theory and Practice3
EPS 766Workshop in Education: Institutional Research Higher Ed Policy Analysis3
Core Courses in Research12
Select 12 credit hours from the following or as otherwise approved from electives:
Essentials of Research in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Quantitative Methods I
Quantitative Methods II
Applied Multivariate Statistics
Computer Applications in Educational and Behavioral Science Research
Electives6
Select 6 credit hours from the following or as otherwise advised:
Program Evaluation
Measurement and Psychometric Theory
Categorical Data Analysis
Item Response Theory
An Introduction to Structural Equation Modeling for Multivariable Data
Introduction to Multilevel Modeling
Meta-Analytic Methods for Research Synthesis
Basic Skills in Counseling and Interviewing
Higher Education in the United States: From Harvard to Present
Organization Administration of Higher Ed II: Governance, Leadership and Finance
College Student Development: Theory, Research and Practice
Critical Issues in Student Affairs: The Law and Higher Education
Advanced Seminar in Enrollment Management
Seminar in Higher Education Administration: Contemporary Issues
Practicum: Administration of Higher Education
Workshop in Education: Selected Topics
Practicum3
Select 3 credit hours from the following; advisor approval required:
Field Experience in Educational Research
Practicum: Administration of Higher Education
Total Credit Hours33

Curriculum Requirements

Student Life and Development Concentration

The Student Life and Development concentration (36 credit hours) provides knowledge and skills necessary to support undergraduate students’ transition, adjustment, and involvement in college in ways that enhance their academic achievement and lead to persistence and graduation.

Core Courses9
Administration of Student Affairs
Student Diversity in American Higher Education
College Student Development: Theory, Research and Practice
Higher Education Foundations12
Organization and Administration of Higher Education I
Higher Education in the United States: From Harvard to Present
Enrollment Management: Theory and Practice
Seminar in Higher Education Administration: Contemporary Issues
Counseling and Advising3
Select 3 credit hours from the following or as otherwise advised:
Counseling Process and Practice
Basic Skills in Counseling and Interviewing
Group Dynamics and Communication Skills
Research3
Select 3 credit hours from the following or as otherwise advised:
Essentials of Research in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Program Evaluation
Quantitative Methods I
Qualitative Methods I
Survey Research Methods
Electives3
The Community College
Psychological Bases of Education
Organization Administration of Higher Ed II: Governance, Leadership and Finance
Critical Issues in Student Affairs: The Law and Higher Education
Advanced Seminar in Enrollment Management
Workshop in Education: Selected Topics
Workshop in Education: Selected Topics in Higher Education
KIN 615
Creative Approaches to Problem Solving and Conflict Management
Practicum6
Practicum: Administration of Higher Education
Total Credit Hours36

Sample Plans of Study

These are sample Plans of Study. Your actual course sequence may vary depending on your previous academic experience as well as current course offerings. Students should meet with their academic advisor each semester to determine the appropriate course selection.

Enrollment Management Concentration

Plan of Study Grid
Year One
FallCredit Hours
EPS 700 Quantitative Methods I 3
EPS 737 Organization and Administration of Higher Education I 3
EPS 748 Enrollment Management: Theory and Practice 3
 Credit Hours9
Spring
EPS 624 Essentials of Research in Social and Behavioral Sciences 3
EPS 751 Seminar in Higher Education Administration: Contemporary Issues 3
MKT 660 Foundations of Marketing Management 3
 Credit Hours9
Year Two
Fall
EPS 742 Higher Education in the United States: From Harvard to Present 3
EPS 744 Student Diversity in American Higher Education 3
EPS 745 Organization Administration of Higher Ed II: Governance, Leadership and Finance 3
 Credit Hours9
Spring
EPS 749 Advanced Seminar in Enrollment Management 3
EPS 754 Practicum: Administration of Higher Education 3
 Credit Hours6
 Total Credit Hours33

Sample Plan of Study

Institutional Research and Policy Analysis Concentration

Plan of Study Grid
Year One
FallCredit Hours
EPS 700 Quantitative Methods I 3
EPS 737 Organization and Administration of Higher Education I 3
EPS 748 Enrollment Management: Theory and Practice 3
 Credit Hours9
Spring
EPS 624 Essentials of Research in Social and Behavioral Sciences 3
EPS 702 Quantitative Methods II 3
EPS 766 Workshop in Education: Institutional Research Higher Ed Policy Analysis 3
 Credit Hours9
Year Two
Fall
EPS 703 Applied Multivariate Statistics 3
EPS 712 Field Experience in Educational Research 3
EPS 744 Student Diversity in American Higher Education 3
 Credit Hours9
Spring
EPS 704 Computer Applications in Educational and Behavioral Science Research 3
EPS 749 Advanced Seminar in Enrollment Management 3
 Credit Hours6
 Total Credit Hours33

Sample Plan of Study

Student Life and Development Concentration

Plan of Study Grid
Year One
FallCredit Hours
EPS 737 Organization and Administration of Higher Education I 3
EPS 742 Higher Education in the United States: From Harvard to Present 3
EPS 748 Enrollment Management: Theory and Practice 3
 Credit Hours9
Spring
EPS 624 Essentials of Research in Social and Behavioral Sciences 3
EPS 740 Administration of Student Affairs 3
EPS 746 College Student Development: Theory, Research and Practice 3
 Credit Hours9
Year Two
Fall
EPS 676 Counseling Process and Practice 3
EPS 743 Psychological Bases of Education 3
EPS 744 Student Diversity in American Higher Education 3
 Credit Hours9
Spring
EPS 751 Seminar in Higher Education Administration: Contemporary Issues 3
EPS 754 Practicum: Administration of Higher Education 6
 Credit Hours9
 Total Credit Hours36

Mission

The Higher Education Administration Program leading to a Master of Science in Education prepares students to begin careers at colleges and universities, and working professionals to acquire career-advancing knowledge and skills. The program’s three tracks are taught from an enrollment management perspective, which promotes the use theory, research, collaboration across office lines and data-based decision-making to effect student success. In emphasizing hands-on experiences, the tracks – Enrollment Management, Student Life & Development, and Institutional Research & Policy Analysis – instill comprehensive understanding of today’s higher education.

Goals

Our program works to impart the ability to apply theory and research to practice in complex, multicultural environments; to make sound decisions; and to obtain, at minimum, middle management positions in the field.