Why is HEA Unique?

The HEA Program is an innovative program that is designed to meet the needs of tomorrow's professionals! Take a look at some of the ways that the GW HEA Program is unique!

The Institution

Located just four blocks from the White House, GW is the largest institution of higher education, and the only one to offer graduate degrees in higher education administration, in the Nation's Capital.

The GW Graduate School of Education and Human Development is ranked 11th among private schools and 35th overall by U.S. News and World Report among graduate schools of education.

GW is located in one of the most dynamic regions of the country! Our geographic location provides access to experts in professional associations, governmental agencies and different institutional types unparalleled in other graduate preparation programs.

As a nationally ranked Graduate School, GSEHD has a strong tradition of preparing leaders and scholars to improve educational institutions and settings in government, private, non-profit and military sectors.

The HEA Program

The GW Higher Education Program has a history of assisting students in their professional and scholarly endeavors.

Regularly offered, HEA's Meet-the-Leader's Series provides out-of-class learning experiences in which students can access and engage with leaders of the field from professional associations, governmental agencies, and leading national foundations and non-profit organizations.

HEA offers the Educational Symposium for Research and Innovation each year to provide students the opportunity to immerse themselves in current research and innovation in education.

As the only higher education administration program in the Nation's Capital, GW's HEA Program takes advantage of its unique location by attracting higher education leaders from associations, federal and international government agencies, and think tanks to participate in or students' learnng experiences.

The HEA Program builds community among its students and enriches the academic experience through a variety of student development activities which range from informal dinners at a professor's houses, to hosting nationally recognized scholars and leaders, to informal coffees.

The HEA Program provides a diverse educational experience, and involves students with varied backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. The Graduate School of Education and Human Development has been named by Diverse Issues in Higher Education as one of the top 40 providers of graduate degrees to students of color, and the HEA Program reflects the School's commitment to issues of difference. In 2011, 36% of the students in the HEA Program were studetns of color.  62% of the students were woman. HEA also  involves a number of international students, non-heterosexual students, traditional and older studetns, and students from diverse relisiou backgrounds.

The Higher Education Student Association (HESA) is actively involved in expanding the academic and social experiences of our students, and is known as the strongest student organization in the Graduate School.

HEA Master's Program

The HEA Master's Program is a practice-based program in which students apply the research and theoretical foundations of the field in a meaningful way, with innovative and engaging teaching methods, diverse fellowship experiences, and a focus on developing future scholar-practitioners.

Students currently in the program are preparing for professional positions in Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, Public/University Relations, non-profit associations, the federal government, and more!  A third of courses in the program are designed to be uniquely  tailored to meet the specific needs of students' areas of interest.

Courses related to the Principals of Practice, Theoretical Foundations and Individual Inquiry Theme ensure that students have the breadth and depth of experiences to be successful in the job-market and profession.

Each student develops a Personal Development Plan with the assistance of program faculty to ensure that graduate work at GW is a unique, personalized, and effective professional preparation experience.

Graduate Fellowships allow students to apply classroom content to real world work experiences. Graduate Felloships can range from working in a prestigious private institution, a premier historically black college and university, to one of the many national professional associations, to Federal Government programs and services.

Students directly apply classroom content to real-world settings in higher education. For example, in EDUC 6100, students participate in an Assessment Consultant Group (ACG) to directly apply classroom learning on outcomes and assessment procedures in a student and academic affairs unit. In EDUC 6540, students shadow an undergraduate student organization to better understand student development, leadership, and group dynamics. In HEA, innovative and engaging student learning experiences are prioritized!

To be successful in the job market, each student works with Program Faculty to develop a Job Market Strategy. Developing this strategy early will help you be the strongest candidate possible while you explore the next step in your career!

HEA Doctoral Program

Working professionals take advantage of a variety of course scheduling options within the HEA doctoral program.  Core courses (a select group of HEA-specific courses) are offered one weekend per month, while electives and research methods courses are offered both monthly on the weekend format and weekly on weeknight evenings.  The program is dedicated to providing flexible class times and options to meet the demands of higher education leaders.

Students are able to develop their reserach interests with program dissertation support mechanisms that are integrated directly in course content. It's the program's belief that the dissertation process should start soon after a student matriculates into the program and continue through graduation. The sequence of courses provides specific experiences to assist students in the development of their proposals and dissertations.

The pinnacle of the dissertation support sequence includes a year-long pre-dissertation seminar and ongoing dissertation support group. The pre-dissertation seminar is a faculty-guided experience that ensures student progress with their dissertation  Designed from student feedback, faculty and student teams work together to complete a viable dissertation study proposal.  After an approved dissertation proposal, students engage in the dissertation support group which meets monthly to provide support, assistance, and community to students who are in the dissertation phase of their programs.

Students actively engage with faculty members and each other to complete research projects in a variety of content areas, including:

• Faculty role in managing the acutely distressed college student. Impact of values on the work of mid-level student affairs practitioners.
• Community college online course retention and grade predictors.
• How department chairs learn from experience in the academic workplace.
• Comparing distance higher education in the United States and China.
• Prevalence of mentoring relationships among senior military officers.
• Ethical leadership traits in the United States intelligence community.
• The relationship between gender and career progression variables and service factors for deans of U.S. Medical Schools.
• And many others

Learn more about how GW's HEA Program is unique
by joining our community of scholars and practitioners!