Master of Science in Education in Higher Education Administration

The MSEd-HEA program prepares the talented leaders and managers who will effectively chart the futures of institutions of higher education. We emphasize the values of access, equity, excellence, diversity and transparency; and we ensure graduates understand their responsibility to incorporate these values in their professional practice.

The MSEd-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 MSEd-HEA program’s organizational location and its position in the heart of New York City make it an unparalleled opportunity for students interested in graduate study in higher education leadership.

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

• The History and Structure of Higher Education
• Fundamental Skills for Higher Education Leaders
• Leadership in Higher Education
• Advancing the Academic Mission and Student Success
• Planning and Assessment in Higher Education

Within – or across – these areas, students are asked to develop a “Personal Program Plan” that is suited to their interests in higher education and to their aspirations for their future careers. 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 MSEd-HEA.

Degree Requirements

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

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. 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.

Elective courses may be selected from among those listed in the section on the MSEd-HEA 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, in order to take a class that is not listed in the MSEd-HEA. 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.

The MSEd-HEA program at the Marxe School has established competencies and learning goals that all graduates are expected to achieve.

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 to advance higher education in a manner that recognizes historical context, organizational mission, accreditation standards, and/or strategic plans.

Program Learning Goal 3: Communicate and interact effectively with a highly diverse set of constituencies—including students, faculty, administrators, alumni, and/or community members—within and related to 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, management, and/or student development theories to analyze the design, operation, and governance of higher education institutions.

2022-2023

View the 2022-2023 MSEd-HEA Employment Outcomes [PDF]