The Higher Education and Student Affairs Leadership program offers an M.A. and a Ph.D. program for individuals preparing for leadership or faculty positions in higher education and student affairs who value social justice. The graduate program also offers coursework for students in other graduate programs, including a doctoral minor. An array of undergraduate courses are offered in support of several campus student services programs.
Higher Education and Student Affairs Leadership M.A.
The HESAL M.A. program prepares effective student affairs professionals who value a social justice perspective toward their work in higher education and student affairs leadership. Students take a wide array of courses (for example, from culture and law to policy and pedagogy to finance and development) in consultation with an assigned advisor which can assist you in preparing for a vocation in higher education’s diverse environments. Opportunities are encouraged and provided for practical experiences under the mentorship of experienced higher education and student affairs leaders.
Admission. Students must hold a bachelor’s degree in any major from an accredited institution. There are two parts in the process of admission to the HESAL Master’s Program at the University of Northern Colorado, including the Graduate School application process and the HESAL Program application process.
To download the application packet from the HESAL Program, please visit our forms page, www.unco.edu/cebs/hesal/apply.htm.
To receive information from the Graduate School, contact:
Graduate School
Campus Box 135, Carter Hall Room 2007
University of Northern Colorado
Greeley, CO 80639
(970) 351-2831
These two parts must be pursued simultaneously. It takes up to 20 working days for the Graduate School to set up a student record, evaluate eligibility for admission, and prepare a screening packet for our HESAL Selection Committee. Once the Committee has reviewed your full application, they make a recommendation regarding your admission. If accepted to the program, you will be assigned an advisor and the recommendation will be forwarded on to the Graduate School. The Graduate Dean then communicates the official admission decision to you in writing, and the Graduate School staff record the decision on your student record.
Commitment to Diversity. The Higher Education and Student Affairs Leadership program recognizes the importance of addressing the needs of an increasingly diverse society. To that end, the program strives to increase the educational opportunities of diverse student populations, as well as create an atmosphere where the values and concerns of diverse populations receive attention and respect. The program strives to enroll a diverse population of students. Issues of diversity are integrated into all course offerings.
For degree and program requirements, see:
Higher Education and Student Affairs Leadership M.A.
Higher Education and Student Affairs Leadership Ph.D.
The HESAL program integrates a focus on social justice and empirical research throughout the curriculum. The inquiry-based program offers students the opportunity to focus studies on leadership, college student development, higher education culture and diversity, and organizations and policy in both student affairs and broader higher education contexts. Students may focus on studies related to community colleges, four-year colleges, universities, and higher education agencies. Opportunities are provided for practical experiences under the mentorship of experienced higher education leaders. The Ph.D. program is based upon a community of scholars model, in which students are viewed as colleagues with progressively higher levels of responsibility and expertise. Students are admitted as a cohort group, with expectations that students will engage in collaborative research and other scholarly endeavors early in the doctoral program.
Admission. Students must hold a masters degree in higher education, college student affairs, or a related field from an accredited institution and have two years of successful work experience in an institution of higher education. SRM 600 or an equivalent introduction to graduate research course, is required for admission. The program may waive that requirement for admission, in which case the student must make up the deficiency. Coursework to make up the deficiency will not count toward the Ph.D. requirements. Additional details regarding admissions criteria and the application process may be seen on the program’s web site, at www.unco.edu/cebs/hesal. Financial assistance and additional professional experiences are available through an extensive network of graduate assistant opportunities, both within the program and in a number of UNC offices.
Commitment to Diversity . The Higher Education and Student Affairs Leadership program recognizes the importance of addressing the needs of an increasingly diverse society. To that end, the program strives to increase the educational opportunities of diverse student populations, as well as create an atmosphere where the values and concerns of diverse populations receive attention and respect. The program strives to enroll a diverse population of doctoral students. Issues of diversity are integrated into core courses and are explored more fully through special topics courses.
Residency. While the Ph.D. program has a residency requirement (see Graduate School information), courses are scheduled such that students may complete the UNC residency requirement without leaving their employment. The program enrolls a combination of individuals who are employed full-time and others who are employed in part-time graduate assistantships.
For degree and program requirements, see:
Higher Education and Student Affairs Leadership Ph.D.