Higher Education (MA)

Higher Education (MA)

The Master’s in Higher Education (HIED) is a two (2) year hybrid graduate program that equips current and future college and university leaders with relevant knowledge and practitioner-based skills to problem solve through an equity and social justice lens. The HIED program in the Department of Educational Leadership focuses on administration and leadership broadly and not solely on student services. The program also emphasizes an organizational and social science level approach, and is organized around administrative and programmatic issues and interventions.

The HIED faculty are committed to building on students’ prior knowledge of higher education; provide a solid background of higher education theories and practices to expand their knowledge; and teach students how to apply theories to their practice. By applying theory to practice, higher education and student affairs professionals (HESA) may contribute to the needs of postsecondary institutions and advancement of society. The HIED program is intended for students wishing to engage in a curriculum that will provide them with the knowledge, skills, and experiences needed to take on leadership and administrative positions within higher education organizations, including four year colleges and universities, community colleges, and technical schools.

The content of the program is based on professional competencies and program standards and guidelines developed by the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), American College Personnel Association (ACPA), and National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). As such, issues of racial equity, justice, and organizational transformation are explicitly built into the curriculum. Additionally, our faculty recognize the importance of providing attention to issues of higher education globally to provide graduates with a background that will prepare them to enter institutions of higher education internationally. Utilizing recommendations from these professional organizations, the MA in HIED program commits to the following student outcomes:

1. Graduates will enact administrative knowledge, skills and dispositions with explicit consideration of social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion in their practice.

2. Graduates will gather and use data to support programmatic and individual goals with explicit consideration of social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion in their practice.

3. Graduates will demonstrate foundational knowledge of the field of Higher Education with explicit consideration of issues of social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of higher education administrators is projected to grow 4 percent from 2022 to 2033. About 15,300 openings for higher education administrators are projected each year, on average, over the decade.

Along with the Higher Education (MA) degree, the department also offers the following options for graduate study: Educational Leadership (MA), Educational Leadership (MA – Online), and Educational Leadership (MA – Fast Track).

Hear from current students and alumni on their experiences in the Higher Education (MA) program at Montclair State University:

“The faculty are fabulous and are willing to mentor students on their specific areas of interest. For example, Dr. Liera invited myself and two other students to present at a conference together, and even mentored us on writing a journal article which has been accepted for publication!”

Stephanie Spitz, Current Student

Please refer to our programs of study page for a comprehensive list of all of the graduate programs offered within the university.