The Master of Arts in Higher Education and Student Affairs (MA HESA) program offers a professional pathway to advance your career goals as an effective administrator, educator, and leader in higher education. Whether currently employed in higher education, or seeking a new career, the MA HESA provides professional faculty experts, real-world experiences, and opportunities to explore career options.
Designed for working students and professionals, evening programming options include full-time (two-year completion) or part-time study options, rolling admissions to meet your start-date needs, and courses in three semester terms: fall, spring, and the summer session.
Meeting face-to-face with faculty, you will be mentored and advised according to your individualized study plan. The MA HESA program is aligned with the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) and American College Personnel Association (ACPA) professional competencies.
Meet Carly Halverson, MA HESA alumnus. Carly has been working in the higher education and student affairs field for several years. She is currently working for a university in the state of Washington.
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Credits and Length: The 30-credit master’s program is designed to be completed in 2 years. Students generally enroll in 6 semester hours of credit in three contiguous semesters (fall, spring, and summer) during consecutive years of study. Part-time options may be planned individually based on consultation.
MA HESA Curriculum: All students in our program experience a learning model that bridges theory, best practices, and applied research for immediate impact on the profession.
Accessible and Affordable: Courses are delivered on the UP campus one evening a week. The School of Education offers programs at some of the lowest tuition rates in the Portland Metropolitan Area; all programs are eligible for federal financial aid and no application fee is required. Current graduate program tuition rates may be found here.
Doctor of Education (EdD) Option: If you have already earned a master's degree, and your goal is to become a HESA professional, you may apply to the EdD program and, if accepted, select HESA as your area of concentration. The EdD program offers an innovative program for advanced leadership with area-of-concentration options based on applicant career goals. For more information about doctoral studies with a HESA concentration, consult the EdD program page.
Post-Master's Certificate Option: If you have already earned a master's degree, and your goal is to become a HESA professional but you do not wish to pursue an EdD degree, you may apply to the Post-Master's HESA Certificate Program.
Dedicated Faculty and Professional Network: Program faculty hold advanced degrees and have executive work experience in higher education. In addition to the courses offered through the graduate programs in the School of Education, the MA HESA program also has strong connections and programming with the UP Pamplin School of Business and the Department of Communications graduate program. Students in the MA HESA program are introduced to a broad professional network of higher education and student affairs personnel across a variety of units at UP and beyond. Local, regional, and national partnerships and networks are an essential component of the graduate school experience for student in the MA HESA program.
Eric Anctil, PhD, Associate Professor
"Eric Anctil is the program director and graduate advisor for the MA HESA program. Dr. Anctil teaches a variety of courses in the MA HESA program as well as in other programs across the University. Dr. Anctil received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Master’s degree from Portland State University, and a dual-Bachelor of Arts from the University of Oregon. He has taught in higher education since 1999 and has been at the University of Portland since 2008. "
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The MA HESA program includes coursework in each of the following four strands:
The MA HESA program is designed to prepare students to be impactful higher education practitioners through professional skill development, practical experiences, practica, program development, evaluation, and assessment based on best practices. Forming the next generation of visionary leaders for postsecondary education, the program educates the mind and heart in service to the world.
The courses listed below are required to complete the MA HESA degree requirements.
Administration-Leadership Strand (12 semester hours)
BUS 512 Leadership and Higher Level Management (3 sem hrs)
ED 520 History, Organization, and Student Personnel in Higher Education (3 sem hrs)
ED 522 Legal Issues in Higher Education (3 sem hrs)
Choose One:
BUS 511 Cross-Cultural Management and Ethics (3 sem hrs)
BUS 512 Leadership and Higher Level Management (3 sem hrs)
BUS 513 Social Responsibility in Organizations (3 sem hrs)
BUS 515 Social Venture Management (3 sem hrs)
BUS 517 Marketing for the Nonprofit Organization (3 sem hrs)
BUS 541 Human Resources Management (3 sem hrs)
BUS 571 New Venture Management (3 sem hrs)
Student Affairs Strand (9 semester hours)
ED 521 Student Career Development and Planning (3 sem hrs)
ED 523 Developmental Theory, Identity, and College Populations (3 sem hrs)
ED 528 Foundations of Counseling and Student Affairs (3 sem hrs)
Program Evaluation Strand (3 semester hours)
ED 539 Institutional Research
Integration Strand (6 semester hours)
ED 527 Applied Studies in Higher Education and Student Affairs (6 sem hrs)
Option 1:
ED 527 Applied Studies in Higher Education and Student Affairs (3 sem hrs); may be taken 2 semesters for a total of 6 semester credits hours
Option 2:
Required:
ED 527 Applied Studies in Higher Education and Student Affairs (3 sem hrs)
Choose One:
CST 511 Communication Across Barriers (3 sem hrs)
CST 516 Negotiation and Conflict Management (3 sem hrs)
CST 531 Intercultural Communication and Identity (3 sem hrs)
BUS 511 Cross-Cultural Management and Ethics (3 sem hrs)
BUS 512 Leadership and Higher Level Management (3 sem hrs)
BUS 513 Social Responsibility in Organizations (3 sem hrs)
BUS 515 Social Venture Management (3 sem hrs)
BUS 517 Marketing for the Nonprofit Organization (3 sem hrs)
BUS 541 Human Resources Management (3 sem hrs)
BUS 571 New Venture Management (3 sem hrs)
Course descriptions are available in the University of Portland Bulletin.
Applications are reviewed throughout the year, as this program has a rolling admissions process. Applications deadlines by term are August 1 (Fall entry), December 1 (Spring entry), and June 1 (Summer entry).
University of Portland
5000 N. Willamette Blvd.,
Portland, Oregon 97203-5798
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