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Apply to Higher Education & Student Affairs MA

The Higher Education and Student Affairs MA program is focused on developing reflective scholar-practitioners in the higher education settings. The courses and experiences are diverse and reflect the best of contemporary student affairs practice. Applications open each September and are due each year by December 1 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Requirements

Applicants to the Higher Education and Student Affairs MA program must have:

  • Students must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university
  • Students must have one of the following to be considered:
    • A cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.2 for the entire undergraduate record, or
    • A G.P.A. of at least 3.2 for the last two undergraduate years, or
    • Excellent work in the entire final undergraduate year (3.5 or better), or
    • Graduate work with a minimum GPA of 3.0 or better (minimum of 9 graduate credits required)

In rare circumstances, the Program may appeal to the Graduate School to consider applicants who do not meet the criteria above.

Please note the Department of Educational Leadership does not require GRE scores for any of its graduate programs. As a result, GRE scores are not required for admission to the Higher Education and Student Affairs MA program. If they are submitted, they will not be reviewed as part of your application.

Begin Your Application

Admission Timeline

  • Mid-September: Application Opens
  • Dec. 1: Application Deadline
  • Dec. 8: Recommendations Deadline
  • By mid-January: Admissions Decisions Sent and Assistantship Applications Open
  • Early February: Admitted Students Weekend (virtual) and Graduate Assistantship Interviews (optional, but encouraged for students who plan to pursue a full-time, two-year plan of study)

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Application Instructions

To be considered for admission to the Higher Education and Student Affairs MA program, the applicant must submit the materials listed below, along with a completed UConn Graduate School online application, by December 1:

  • Resumé
  • Essays - Each of the essays addresses a core tenet of the Higher Education and Student Affairs MA program. Please be sure to specifically address each question in each prompt.
    • Essay Prompt 1: Reflect on your motivations to join the UConn Higher Education and Student Affairs MA program:
      • What key experience(s) led you to apply to the UConn Higher Education and Student Affairs MA program?
      • Considering our Core Competencies and Outcomes and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement, how do your interests and goals align with the experiences the UConn Higher Education and Student Affairs MA program is designed to offer?
      • Grounded in your experiences, how do you anticipate that you will contribute to our community of learners during your time in the UConn Higher Education and Student Affairs MA program?
    • Essay Prompt 2: Discuss your professional goals related to diversity, equity, and inclusion:
      • What are your professional goals related to diversity, equity, and inclusion?
      • How do you envision the UConn Higher Education and Student Affairs MA program helping you meet your goals?
      • How do you hope the attainment of these goals will inform your practice in higher education and student affairs?
  • Two letters of recommendation (Due by December 8 at 11:59 p.m. ET)
  • English Proficiency: Regardless of visa status, students whose primary language is not English, must show evidence of proficiency in the English Language by submitting either TOEFL, IELTS, PTE or Duolingo scores
  • Unofficial transcript from each college or university attended (upload a PDF version within the online application)
  • GRE scores and additional writing samples or other materials are not required and will not be considered.

When completing the online application form, under Intended Program, please select:

  • Levels of Study: Masters
  • Academic Areas: Education 
  • Program: Higher Education Student Affairs MA
  • Campus: Storrs 
  • Entry Term: Appropriate fall semester

    Undocumented Students

    The University of Connecticut’s Higher Education and Student Affairs MA program encourages all students who meet the above requirements for admission to apply for admission, regardless of citizenship or immigration status. Admission to the HESA Program is based on a holistic approach, which includes undergraduate studies, required essays, curricular and co-curricular experiences, and letters of recommendation; this approach does not take into consideration an applicant’s citizenship or immigration status. If you have questions about how your citizenship or immigration status will affect your experience in our program, please contact us at hesa@uconn.edu.

    HESA Fall 2024 Application Fee Waiver Requests

    Shaped by our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, the University of Connecticut (UConn) Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA) master's program faculty strive to encourage participation from students from differing backgrounds and experiences. We recognize that the application fee may serve as a barrier for some prospective students for admission into our program.

    The HESA faculty are able to offer a small number of application fee waivers to prospective applicants who intend to apply to our program by the December 1, 2024 deadline. To be eligible for a fee waiver, individuals must attend a HESA virtual information session in September or October 2024 and submit this form by Friday, November 1, 2024. Requests will be evaluated based on a prospective applicant's financial barriers and their commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education.

    Fee waiver recipients will be notified by November 20, 2024.

    Submit a Fee Waiver Request