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Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs

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    Master of Science in Education in Higher Education Administration

    The Master of Science in Education in Higher Education Administration (MSEd-HEA) at the Marxe School seeks to produce leaders and managers who are well-equipped to take on the challenges of the unique world of higher education.  The program is ideally structured to meet the needs of people currently working in higher education who seek to advance their role and responsibilities. The HEA program welcomes full-time students and those new to higher education. Whether you are currently in the field or looking to change careers, the program offers the framework needed to succeed in today’s ever-changing higher education domain. Graduates pursue careers as executives, directors, coordinators, and analysts of programs and services on college campuses and beyond.

    View full tuition and fee schedules by program

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    The HEA In-Depth

    The Marxe Higher Education Administration (HEA) program aspires not only to produce the talented leaders and managers who will effectively chart the futures of institutions of higher education, but also to produce leaders who will change public policy writ large; who will help develop educational systems and policies that promote equity in access to higher education and who will continue and enhance higher education’s demonstrable successes in student learning and inquiry. Values of access, equity, excellence, diversity, and transparency infuse programs and the work of graduates. The School finds special value in helping students gain a deeper understanding of the role of higher education both in society and in their own lives.

    The HEA takes full advantage of its location within one of the largest schools of public and international affairs and the largest urban higher education system in the United States. Program offerings expose students not only to the more focused world of higher education administration, but also the much broader and more comprehensive worlds of public and international affairs, and to the richness and complexity of the City University of New York. Students are encouraged to study with faculty from throughout the Marxe School, throughout Baruch College, and throughout CUNY. The HEA program’s organizational location and its location in the heart of New York City make it an unparalleled opportunity for students interested in graduate study in higher education leadership.

    The HEA focuses on the following distinct substantive areas within higher education:

    The History and Structure of Higher Education

    • The History of U.S. Higher Education
    • Organizational Behavior in Colleges and Universities
    • Community Colleges
    • Global Higher Education (in development)

    Fundamental Skills for Higher Education Leaders

    • Oral and Written Communication
    • Research for Educational Administrators
    • Research and Analysis

    Leadership in Higher Education

    • Overview of Higher Education Leadership (in development)
    • Administrative Services in Higher Education
    • Public and Nonprofit Management
    • Higher Education Finance
    • Budgeting and Financial Analysis
    • Legal Issues in Higher Education
    • Collective Bargaining
    • Fundraising
    • Diversity in Higher Education
    • Higher Education, Politics and Public Policy

    Advancing the Academic Mission and Student Success

    • Enrollment Management: Admissions and Retention
    • Student Affairs in Higher Education
    • Student Development
    • Curriculum and Instruction in Higher Education

    Planning and Assessment in Higher Education

    • Planning, Accreditation, and Assessment in Higher Education (in development)

    Looking Ahead

    • The Capstone, and The Future of Higher Education

    Within – or across – these areas, students are asked to develop a “Personal Program Plan” that is particularly suited to their interests in higher education and to their aspirations for their future careers in higher education. The program requires that students, early in their time at Baruch, prepare a formal statement of their personal goals for their program, and to specify the curricular path they plan to follow to achieve those goals. These statements can be revised as students progress through the HEA. Students can also be guided through the development of this personal program plan by consulting the formal set of “Expected Competencies and Learning Objectives” developed by the HEA Program (and described in more detail below).

    Students are also required to develop and maintain a portfolio of their activities and accomplishments that demonstrates their progress toward – and ultimately, completion of – both their personal program plan and the formal competencies and learning objectives established by the program.  The HEA makes specific portfolio software available to students to assist them in organizing and preserving examples of their work in the programs. The completion of this portfolio is a critical element of the program’s required Capstone course.

    Degree Requirements

    Each student must complete 36 credits (12 courses) to receive the MSEd degree.  These include 8 required courses and 4 elective courses.

    Elective courses may be selected from among those listed above in the section on the MSEd Curriculum, or from other relevant courses offered throughout the Marxe School, Baruch College or CUNY.  Prior approval must be received from a student’s advisor before any course not on the above lists can be approved as an elective. Proposed elective courses should be an integral part of each student’s Personal Program Plan.

    All students are required to develop a Personal Program Plan before the end of their first year of enrollment, and to update that plan as needed throughout their enrollment.  Students are also required to maintain a portfolio that contains examples of all their accomplishments while enrolled. Both this plan and the portfolio will form the foundation on which each student’s Capstone course will be built.

    Required Courses 
    • The History of U.S. Higher Education (PAF 9330)
    • Public and Nonprofit Management (PAF 9120)
    • Student Affairs in Higher Education (PAF 9336)
    • The Financing of Higher Education (PAF 9339)
    • Research for the Educational Administrator (PAF 9317) (or Data Collection and Description (PAF 9270)
    • Administrative Services in Colleges and Universities (PAF 9308)
    • Diversity in Higher Education (PAF 9344 )
    • Capstone Seminar and the Future of Higher Education (PAF 9390)

    Students without at least one year of full-time administrative work experience in higher education are also required to complete an additional 3-credit internship for a total of 39 credits.

    HEA Learning Goals

    The Higher Education Administration program at the Marxe School has established sets of competencies and learning goals that all graduates are expected to achieve. The HEA is dedicated to the overarching value of transparency in higher education. Toward that end, students are taught about accountability while accountability is woven into the fabric of the program, itself. The following sets of competencies and learning goals not only serve to guide students, they also serve as benchmarks against which the program judges the effectiveness of the School’s work.

    (revised program learning goals pending approval from full faculty in Spring 2023)

    Program Learning Goal 1: Identify and navigate the complex structures of higher education to inform effective change.

    Program Learning Goal 2: Analyze, think critically, and make evidence-based recommendations that recognize historical context and/or incorporate organizational mission and/or strategic planning to advance higher education.

    Program Learning Goal 3: Communicate and interact effectively with a highly diverse set of constituencies within the field of higher education.

    Program Learning Goal 4: Articulate and apply a set of values for cultivating an equitable, inclusive, and just higher education environment.

    Program Learning Goal 5: Use leadership and management theories to analyze the design, operation, and governance of higher education institutions.

     

    Contact Us and Learn More

    Attend one of the School’s monthly information sessions and meet HEA faculty representatives.

    For more information on applying visit the Admissions Requirements and Process page.

    The best and most current information on the entire graduate admissions process can be found at Admissions Requirements and Process page. It provides information on the MSEd program in Higher Education Administration, as well as on Master of Public Administration and the Masters of International Affairs programs.

    Please note that the program does not require applicants to submit GRE scores. Applicants do, however, have the option of submitting GRE scores with their application material.

    If you have questions, please contact the Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs’ Office of Graduate Admissions and Enrollment Services at mspia.admissions@baruch.cuny.edu or call (646) 660-6750.

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