Cultivate a vision for higher education that is rooted in a Christian view of life.
Centered on the integration of faith and learning, the Master of Arts (MA) in Higher Education degree at Geneva offers students a comprehensive framework for their work in higher education. Through our flexible and affordable Master’s in Higher Education, students learn how to improve the field of higher education by studying its philosophical, historical, and sociological foundations.
Through an interdisciplinary graduate curriculum and field experiences led by supportive faculty and staff, you will learn the fundamentals of how to be a successful professional in the field of higher education.
Prepare for a lifetime of service with a Master's in Higher Education at Geneva
Master's in Higher Education Program Information
Our 36-credit program can be pursued in two different formats:
Cohort Model
The Cohort Model enables students to complete the program in a continuous 20-month period. Classes meet once a week in the fall and spring. This model includes paid graduate assistantships available with a tuition discount.
Institute Model
The Institute Model offers great flexibility for working professionals. Students who enroll in the Institute Model can complete their degree by taking classes for two years and registering for six courses (18 credits) each year. This is accomplished by attending two on-site courses each week and one online course each semester.
Program Overview for the Master's Degree in Higher Education
Obtaining your Master’s Degree in Higher Education means you earn the tools needed to teach, lead, consult, or create valuable information in the field of higher education. With curriculum grounded in the Reformed tradition of the Christian faith, a M.A. in Higher Education allows you to explore new heights of success under the guidance of faculty who consider the implications of this perspective on work in colleges and universities.
Throughout our 36-credit master's program, you’ll discover how to:
- Develop beliefs, attitudes, and skills that reflect a professional identity rooted in Christian vocation, with a particular emphasis on student affairs and administration, educational leadership, college teaching, and/or campus ministry
- Articulate the relevance and application of a Christian view of life to the study and practice of higher education
- Understand the contours of contemporary higher education within the contexts of its theological, philosophical, historical, and sociological foundations
- Advocate and model a holistic approach to the person within higher education settings
- Utilize research, writing, and presentation skills in the investigation of a specific topic within the field of higher education
Visit Delivery & Curriculum for more information about the M.A. in Higher Education.
Upcoming Start Dates
| Online Term | Start Date | Application Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Spring B | March 13, 2023 | February 13, 2023 |
| Fall A | August 21, 2023 | July 27, 2023 |
| Fall B | October 16, 2023 | September 21, 2023 |
| Spring A | January 2, 2024 | December 1, 2023 |
| Spring B | March 12, 2024 | February 15, 2024 |
Program Length
To meet the M.A. in Higher Education’s requirement of 600 hours of related field experience, students can pick which learning format works best for them by enrolling in the Cohort or Institute Model. Enrolling in the Cohort Model means students graduate within two years, while students enrolled in the Institute Model — made for working professionals — may graduate at or after two years.
Self-Directed Option
For students that expect to complete their graduate degree after the two-year time frame, the Master’s in Higher Education program offers a self-directed option that ensures students can fulfill all program requirements.
Contact the higher education department for more information.
Graduate Assistantships
The Master’s in Higher Education requires students who enroll in the Cohort Model to engage in a graduate assistantship or through practicum experience. Graduate assistantships are normally nine-month positions requiring a minimum of 20 hours a week and are generally renewable for a second year.
Students with graduate assistantships are paid a monthly stipend and receive one-third reduction in program tuition while they are employed as a graduate assistant.
Only students who have completed applications for the MA in Higher Education Program will be considered for these positions. While there is no application deadline, students are encouraged to apply by March 15th to be considered for all GA positions. Later applicants may have fewer graduate assistantship opportunities.
On campus interviews will be held March - May. For more info email hed@geneva.edu
Students may apply for multiple positions.
Apply for a Graduate Assistantship
Practicum
The second way to meet the requirement of the Cohort Model is through a 150-hour practicum experience. While the practicum is an unpaid position, students will still receive a reduction in tuition. The practicum is an excellent opportunity for M.A. in Higher Education students who have outside employment, as this model only requires four units of practicum (each lasting one semester). Each practicum experience is equivalent to 150 hours and students are only required to work a minimum of 10 hours per week.
Both the assistantship and practicum programs occur in a variety of professional settings: campus ministry, career services, student activities and programming, residence life, assessment, learning support, teaching assistant, coaching, etc.
Your Career Possibilities
Earning your Master’s in Higher Education opens up new doors of possibilities within the workplace. Whether you decide to pursue higher education teaching, other student-facing roles, or want to expand into administrative positions, a graduate degree in higher education allows you to take on leadership, research, or consulting roles in the world of education within the following work settings:
- Academic Advising
- Academic Affairs
- Administrative Leadership
- Admissions
- Alumni Relations
- Assessment
- Athletics
- Campus Ministry
- Career Services
- Coaching
- College Teaching
- Distance Education
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Enrollment Management
- Financial Aid
- Institutional Advancement
- Institutional Affairs
- International Student Affairs
- Leadership Development
- Marketing
- Policy Planning
- Program Management
- Residence Life
- Service Learning
- Student Affairs
- Student Activities
- Study Abroad
- Student Government
For students with unique scheduling needs, we work with you to ensure that you can fulfill all program requirements through both models with an extended timeframe. Please feel free to discuss your situation with us.
Test Drive MAHE with a 4+1.5 Program
Undergraduate students in their junior and senior years at Geneva can take up to three courses within our Master’s in Higher Education program. This 4+1.5 Program allows prospective Master’s in Higher Education students currently enrolled in an undergraduate program at Geneva to see if the program is a solid fit for them. Undergraduate students that enroll in these higher education graduate courses earn credit for both their undergraduate and graduate degree, allowing them to save up to a quarter of the cost of tuition.