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FALL 2023 BULLETIN

Higher Education Administration

MA in Higher Education Administration and Advanced Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Administration

The Higher Education Administration program is designed to provide the academic preparation and credentials necessary for college and university professionals to enhance their expertise and advance their careers. The curriculum combines aspects of theory and practice within the changing landscape of American higher education. It is suitable for individuals working in community colleges, 4-year colleges and universities—both public and private—as well as government agencies that address higher education planning and regulation.

Interim Director

Richard Gatteau,  PhD
Richard.Gatteau@stonybrook.edu

Director, Admissions and Student Engagement

Andy Fong
Andrew.Fong@stonybrook.edu
(631) 632-7759

Graduate Degree Awarded

Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration

Certificate Awarded

Advanced Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Administration

Microcredentials – Updated January 2024

Effective January 2024,  this program will no longer offer microcredentials. Current HEA students who matriculated before Spring 2024 are still eligible to apply for them (restrictions apply). Please contact the program director for details.

Website

www.stonybrook.edu/hea

Application

professionaldevelopment.stonybrook.edu/apply/

 

 

Program Admissions

The following materials are required of master's and certificate candidates:

  • Personal statement.
  • Resume that includes degree(s) awarded, employment history, and past/current leadership, volunteer, or other relevant involvement and experience. The program accepts students who do not have professional experience in higher education, though the Admissions Committee gives preference to applicants who have some work experience and/or student leadership experience in a higher education setting.
  • A bachelor’s degree, applicants with at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA are preferred. Applicants who have less than a 3.0 GPA are considered, in part, on the basis of their years and depth of professional experience in higher education.
  • Applicants are required to submit a 750-1000-word essay that addresses the following question: What are three critical issues facing colleges and universities today?
  • Two letters of recommendation. Recommendation letters should be written by individuals who can speak about your academic ability, commitment to the higher education field, and attributes and experiences that will make you a successful student in this program. Recommendations from current or former employers and/or faculty members are strongly encouraged.
  • In those cases where the departmental admissions committee deems it desirable, personal interviews with departmental representatives may be necessary.
Application

professionaldevelopment.stonybrook.edu/apply/

Program Requirements

Master’s Program Requirements

The Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration is a 36-credit program that can be taken after completing a bachelor’s, master’s, or other advanced degree. It is the appropriate degree for someone who wishes to work in the higher education field in a student affairs or administration capacity—either working directly with students or in a service-related or administrative department.

Current and upcoming course offerings are updated for every semester and can be found on the HEA Course Schedule webpage. For details on course descriptions and other important information, please review the Higher Education Course Descriptions.

All Master of Arts requirements must be completed within five years from the student’s first semester of matriculation. A minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA is required to earn the MA.

Core Courses - 18 credits. The following 6 courses are required.
  • HEA 501 Foundations of Higher Education Administration
  • HEA 502 Survey of College Student Development Theory
  • HEA 503 Leadership in Higher Education
  • HEA 504 Research and Assessment in Higher Education
  • HEA 521 Diversity and Higher Education
  • HEA 595 Project Seminar (Grade of "B" or better is required in HEA 595 for degree clearance.)
Electives - 18 credits. Select 6 courses from the list below.
  • HEA 510  Technology in Higher Education
  • HEA 520 Advising and Counseling in Higher Education
  • HEA 522 Crisis Management and Prevention in Higher Education
  • HEA 523 Student Affairs Administration
  • HEA 524 Enrollment Management
  • HEA 525 The Contemporary Undergraduate
  • HEA 526 Career Counseling and the Psychology of Work
  • HEA 527 Community College Administration
  • HEA 528 External Relations in Higher Education
  • HEA 530 Legal Issues in Higher Education
  • HEA 531 Finance Issues in Higher Education
  • HEA 532 Facilities Management in Higher Education
  • HEA 533  Intercollegiate Athletics in Higher Education
  • HEA 534 Philanthropy in American Higher Education
  • HEA 535  International Higher Education
  • HEA 540 Critical Issues in Higher Education (Special Topics class; up to 6 credits can be applied toward the degree.)
  • HEA 560 Comparative University Systems
  • HEA 586 Practicum in Higher Education (Required for students who do not have at least 1 year of professional higher education experience or are currently not employed in a higher education setting. See below.)
  • HEA 587 Advanced Practicum in Higher Education Administration
  • HEA 599  MA/HEA Independent Study Course

NOTE: The course descriptions for this program can be found on the program’s website

 

Practicum

Required for Students With Less Than One Year of Full-Time Experience

Students who do not have one year of full-time professional work experience in higher education or are not currently employed in higher education are required to complete a 150-hour (10 hours per week for 15 weeks) unpaid internship with an approved supervisor working in the higher education field to gain practical experience. Students will earn three credits and can choose to do their internship in the fall or spring.  The three credits earned will count as one of the six required electives for the program.

Practicum sites can be at Stony Brook or at another college or university. Students can find current listings of available Stony Brook opportunities in Handshake (the database supported by the Career Center) and the HEA Brightspace community. Students who are looking outside of Stony Brook must find a department and supervisor who is willing to work with them. Supervisors will be required to have an earned master's degree and at least 5 years of professional higher education experience.

In addition to their field hours, students will also complete a 14-week online course, HEA 586 Practicum in Higher Education, to build a strong theory-to-practice connection, and to reflect on and discuss the practicum experience.  Once they have found a location, HEA program advisors will work with the supervisor to make sure the experience meets program requirements.  

All practicum experiences must be approved by the program director prior to enrollment in HEA 586 or 587.

Note:  The practicum opportunity is for students in the Master of Arts program only. Students in the Advanced Graduate Certificate program are not eligible to earn credit for a practicum experience.

 

Advanced Graduate Certificate Requirements

The Advanced Graduate Certificate (AGC) is an 18-credit program that can be taken after completing a bachelor’s, master’s, or other advanced degree. It is a good option for someone who may not want to complete the full 36-credit master’s degree, but would like to develop a solid background and skills in the higher education and student affairs field.

All advanced graduate certificate requirements must be completed within three years from the student’s first semester of matriculation. If the certificate program is taken in collaboration with a graduate degree program, then the student has five years for completion of the certificate. A minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA is required to earn the AGC.

Required Core Courses - 12 credits
  • HEA 501 Foundations of Higher Education Administration
  • HEA 502 Survey of College Student Development Theory
  • HEA 503 - Leadership in Higher Education
  • HEA 504 Research and Assessment in Higher Education
Electives - 6 credits. Select two courses from the list below.
  • HEA 510  Technology in Higher Education
  • HEA 520 Advising and Counseling in Higher Education
  • HEA 521  Diversity and Higher Education
  • HEA 522 Crisis Management and Prevention in Higher Education
  • HEA 523  Student Affairs Administration
  • HEA 524 Enrollment Management
  • HEA 525 The Contemporary Undergraduate
  • HEA 526 Career Counseling and the Psychology of Work
  • HEA 527  Community College Administration
  • HEA 528 External Relations in Higher Education
  • HEA 530 Legal Issues in Higher Education
  • HEA 531 Finance Issues in Higher Education
  • HEA 532 Facilities Management in Higher Education
  • HEA 533  Intercollegiate Athletics
  • HEA 534 Philanthropy in American Higher Education
  • HEA 535  International Higher Education
  • HEA 540 Critical Issues in Higher Education (Special Topics class; up to 6 credits can be applied toward the certificate.)
  • HEA 560 Comparative University Systems
  • HEA 599 MA/HEA Independent Study Course

 

Microcredentials

The HEA program offers six microcredentials to demonstrate mastery of a particular skill or set of skills. They may be displayed in online platforms, including LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and any digital badge backpack, such as Mozilla Open Source. They may also be listed on resumes and CVs.

Microcredentials can also serve as a stepping stone for more advanced credentials. Because our microcredentials are stackable, if you decide to pursue the graduate certificate or master’s degree in the future, you apply all of the courses you have taken (time restrictions may apply).

These microcredentials are available to non-matriculated students as well. Contact an HEA advisor at hea@stonybrook.edu for more information.

Leadership in Higher Education Management and Operations

To earn this microcredential, students must take this course:

  • HEA 503 Leadership in Higher Education

plus two of the following courses:

  • HEA 524 Enrollment Management
  • HEA 531 Finance Issues in Higher Education
  • HEA 532 Facilities Management in Higher Education
Student Affairs Administration

To earn this microcredential, students must take these courses:

  • HEA 523 Student Affairs Administration
  • HEA 530 Legal Issues in Higher Education

plus one of the following courses:

  • HEA 522 Crisis Management and Prevention in Higher Education
  • HEA 531 Finance Issues in Higher Education
  • HEA 540 Critical Issues in Higher Education: First Year Focus
Student Development, Technology and Distance Learning in Higher Education

To earn this microcredential, students must take all of these courses:

  • HEA 502 Survey of Student Development Theory
  • HEA 510 Technology in Higher Education
  • HEA 540 Critical Issues: Foundations of Online Education
Athletics Administration in Higher Education

To earn this microcredential, students must take these courses:

  • HEA 533 Inter-Collegiate Athletics
  • CEP 507 Philosophy, Principles, and Organization of Athletics in Education

plus one of the following courses:

  • HEA 532 Facilities Management in Higher Education
  • HEA 540 Critical Issues: College Student Wellness
Coaching in Athletics in Higher Education

To earn this microcredential, students must take all of these courses:

  • HEA 533 Inter-Collegiate Athletics
  • CEP 502 Principles of Coaching
  • CEP 520 Theory and Techniques of Coaching: Sport-Specific Practicum
Student Advising and Counseling in Higher Education

To earn this microcredential, students must take this course:

  • HEA 520 Advising and Counseling

plus two of the following courses:

  • HEA 521 Diversity in Higher Education
  • HEA 525 The Contemporary Undergraduate
  • HEA 526 Career Counseling and the Psychology of Work
  • HEA 586 Practicum in Higher Education*

* Required in place of an elective for enrollees with less than one year of work experience in advising and/or counseling.

 

 

Time to Completion

All certificate requirements must be completed within three (3) years from the semester date of admission as a matriculated student unless the student is also matriculated in a master’s degree program. Master’s students have five (5) years to complete the certificate requirements.

 

Faculty

The Higher Education Administration faculty is composed of practitioners and researchers who are leaders in the field—including deans, provosts, and directors—who represent a range of colleges and universities. While they may present at national conferences and publish in respected journals, most also retain their full-time administrative positions. Their experience informs their instruction, allowing them to connect the theories that they are teaching to the real-world situations that face higher education professionals. This applied approach benefits students who are currently working in the field. From their very first course, students can start using what they have learned to improve their professional practice.

» Read All Faculty Biographies

 

Course Descriptions

The course descriptions for this program can be found in this Bulletin.

 

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