Higher Education Administration (M.Ed.)

Colleges and universities are growing in key areas that support their missions and students. Prepare yourself for professional roles in higher education administration, consulting firms, state education agencies, or related nonprofits.

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What Can I Do With a Master’s in Higher Education Administration?

For aspiring professionals in search of education careers that matter, a Higher Education Administration (M.Ed.) degree is designed to produce leaders. The Higher Education Administration program is for students who plan to enter administrative roles at colleges and universities, state education agencies, or postsecondary-related nonprofits.

Through integrated coursework and practicum experiences, students in the Higher Education Administration program will have the opportunity to explore areas such as student affairs and enrollment management and examine local, state, and national policies that impact higher education.

Careers in Higher Education Administration

Of job-seeking graduates, 93% were employed or attending graduate school within 4 months of graduation. Explore a handful of our graduate’s higher education administration jobs:

  • Senior Assistant Director of Admissions, Northwestern University
  • Research Fellow, Kentucky Council on Secondary Education
  • Recruiting Coordinator, Office of Career and Professional Development, Belmont University, Nashville, Tennessee
  • Assistant Director of College Counseling, The Bolles School, Jacksonville, Florida
  • Associate Director of College Counseling, Chadwick School, Los Angeles, California
  • Assistant Director of Law Admissions, Chapman University, Orange, California
  • Student Experience Program Coordinator, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
  • Higher Education Strategy & Operations Consulting Analyst, Huron Consulting Group, New York, New York
  • Academic Advisor, UNC Charlotte
  • Program Coordinator, What Works Cities, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
  • Assistant Director, Law School Alumni Relations, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
  • Coordinator, Student Accountability and Academic Integrity, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

Higher Education Administration Program Overview

As a student in the Higher Education Administration program, you will engage in a slate of required courses which explore key issues in higher education. In addition, you will have the opportunity to customize your field of study through elective course offerings. All students complete an immersive practicum within a college, university, government agency, or non-profit organization.

Karla Coleman García, M.Ed.

"I rely on the data analysis and data research skills I learned through the HEA program in using data to drive actionable change in local and state education policy."

Karla Coleman-Castillo, M.Ed., Senior Policy Analyst, National Women's Law Center

Explore education policy, leadership and administration, and the right path for you.

M.Ed. Program Facts

Program Director: Emily House
Admission Term: Fall
Credit Hours: 36

Application Dates

  • Application Deadline 1

    January 3

  • Application Deadline 2

    February 3

  • Rolling Admissions

    After February 3

    *We will continue to accept applications after this date, but applications will be evaluated for admission and scholarships as space and funds are available.

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M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration Program Curriculum

The Master’s in Higher Education Administration is a 2-year, full-time program that requires you to complete a minimum of 36 credit hours of coursework. The courses are firmly grounded in the bodies of theory, research, and conceptual understandings that scholars of higher education and other academic disciplines have produced.

These courses also stress the application of theory, conceptual understandings, and research to issues of policy and practice embedded in both the external and internal environments of higher education.

You can accelerate and complete the program within one year by enrolling in online and summer course offerings. 

Coursework

  • Core Courses

    Core Courses

    You will be required to complete 24 credit hours composed of the following courses:

    • HEA 6010 - College & University Governance
    • HEA 6110 - Introduction to Enrollment Management
    • HEA 6520 - Theories of Student Affairs
    • HEA 6030 - Postsecondary Access
    • HEA 6040 - State & Federal Government in Higher Education
    • HEA 6020 - Nature & Function of Higher Education
    • LPO 7860, LPO 7870 - Research Design & Data Analysis I and II 

    Practicum

    You will be required to complete a three-hour practicum:

    • HEA 7950 Practicum in Higher Education Administration

    Elective Courses

    You will be required to complete twelve hours of elective courses. These courses may be taken across Peabody College, as well as in other disciplines offered across Vanderbilt University upon consultation with your faculty advisor. Below are some elective options you might choose; note this is not an exhaustive list.

    • College and University Finance
    • Education Law
    • Grants Policy and Administration
    • Ed Policy and Program Evaluation
    • Comparative Issues in Higher Education
    • Executive Coaching
    • Learning Organizations
  • Elective Courses

    Elective Courses

    You will be required to complete twelve hours of elective courses. These courses may be taken across Peabody College, as well as in other disciplines offered across Vanderbilt University upon consultation with your faculty advisor. Below are some elective options you might choose; note this is not an exhaustive list.

    • College and University Finance
    • Education Law
    • Grants Policy and Administration
    • Ed Policy and Program Evaluation
    • Comparative Issues in Higher Education
    • Executive Coaching
    • Learning Organizations

Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Courses across the curriculum address issues of equity, inclusion, and access by examining research, policy, and campus practice. The program includes, but is not limited to, discussion of social identity, enrollment and financial aid policy influence on access, the role of historical events and legislation on equity in higher education, and critical examination of research and use of data in equity and inclusion efforts.

Selected Faculty Research

Brenda McKenzie, associate professor of the practice of leadership, policy, and organizations

Brenda McKenzie, associate professor of the practice of leadership, policy, and organizations

Professor McKenzie has more than 20 years of professional experience in higher education and student affairs in areas including leadership development, orientation and new student programs, and residential life. Her research examines the experiences of female-identified higher education leaders in leading during crisis.

Kelly Slay, assistant professor of higher education and public policy

Kelly Slay, assistant professor of higher education and public policy

Professor Slay examines issues of race, diversity, and equity in higher education and is primarily focused on three areas: the factors shaping Black students' college choice, completion, and career trajectories; the use and implications of enrollment management policies (admissions, recruitment and financial aid) aimed at improving campus diversity, particularly in post-affirmative action contexts; and racial and gender inequities in STEM in undergraduate and graduate education.

Faculty

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