MBA/Master's in Higher Education Administration
The field of higher education administration demands further training in business administration, and vice versa. It is well established that higher education institutions are under pressure to respond to rising challenges due to diminished funding, economic pressures, access for low income and under-resourced students, and demands for accountability at all levels. At the same time demands to optimize limited resources and provide stakeholders responsive digital and online services are increasing.
To respond to current challenges for higher education administrators, policy makers, and consultants, GW has established dual degrees between business administration and social sciences in which MBA students are able to hone analytical skills that examine the intersection between business, technology, social, political, economic, and institutional factors that shape higher education administration and policies and their underlying conditions.
Curriculum
Students will complete the dual degree of MBA/Master of Arts in Education and Human Development in the field of Higher Education Administration degree simultaneously. The School of Business would accept 15 credits of Higher Education Administration courses toward the 55.5 credit requirement for the MBA degree. Similarly, GSEHD would accept 6 credits in the School of Business towards the 30 credit master degree in Higher Education Administration. The dual MBA/HEA degree would be 64.5 total credits.
Students must complete the 55.5-credit program plan of study for the MBA degree. The dual degree in MBA and Higher Education Administration will substitute 15 School of Business elective credits for courses completed in GSEHD.
Students must complete the 30 credit program plan of study for the master’s degree in higher education administration with concentration in either (a) student affairs administration, (b) higher education policy and finance, (c) college and university administration, and (d) international higher education. The dual degree in Business Administration and Higher Education Administration will substitute 6 GSEHD credits for courses completed in the GWSB.
- Higher Education Administration Core Classes (12 credits)
-
EDUC 6500: Introduction to Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration
EDUC 6510: Administration of Higher Education
EDUC 6112: Foundations of Assessment, Testing, and Measurement
EDUC 6585: Internship in Higher Education Administration
Capstone Portfolio (0 credit): Completed in the final semester, the capstone demonstrates mastery of the inter-relatedness among higher education administration theories, issues, and problems that persist in higher education practice, and professional preparation experiences. - College and University Administration Concentration Classes (18 credits)
-
EDUC 6540: Group and Organizational Theories
EDUC 6560: Legal Issues in Higher Education
EDUC 6555: Policy in Higher Education
OR EDUC 6565: Financing Higher Education
EDUC 8560 Case Studies in Higher Education
2 elective classes in consultation with advisor [Substituted with GWSB Credits] - Student Affairs Administration Concentration Classes (18 credits)
- EDUC 6520: Foundations of College Student Development
EDUC 6525: Managing College Student Services
EDUC 6540: Group and Organizational Theories
EDUC 6530: Intercultural Campus Leadership
EDUC 6585: Internship in Higher Education Administration [Substituted with GWSB Credits]
1 elective class in consultation with advisor [Substituted with GWSB Credits] - Higher Education Policy and Finance Concentration Classes (18 credits)
- EDUC 6560: Legal Issues in Higher Education
EDUC 6555: Policy in Higher Education
EDUC 6565: Financing Higher Education
EDUC 8540: History of Higher Education
2 elective classes in consultation with advisor [Substituted with GWSB Credits] - International Higher Education Administration Concentration Classes (18 credits)
- EDUC 8560 Case Studies in Higher Education
EDUC 6610 International Higher Education
EDUC 6620 Managing International Students & International Study Programs
EDUC 6602 Regional Studies in Int’l Education
OR EDUC 6615 Internationalizing US Schools
OR EDUC 6630 International Study Abroad Experience
2 elective classes in consultation with advisor [Substituted with GWSB Credits]
Admissions
Program Entry: Summer, Fall
Prerequisites: Bachelors Degree
Campus: Main Campus
Students must be admitted to both the School of Business and, separately, to the Masters of Arts in Education & Human Development/Higher Education Administration program in GSEHD. The GWSB and the HEA program in GSEHD must separately approve a student's application to pursue a joint degree program. Only students admitted by both programs will be admitted to the joint MBA/MAEd&HD. degree program in Higher Education Administration. Once a student has been admitted to both schools as a joint degree candidate, the first year of study must be devoted exclusively to the core MBA courses .
GSEHD Application Requirements
- Online Application
- Resume
- Statement of Purpose
- 2 Letters of Recommendation
- GRE Not Required
- Transcripts (unofficial)
*Additional application requirements may exist for international applicants
For more information on any of these requirements, please visit our Admissions FAQ page.
Apply Now
Applications are now being accepted for Fall 2023. We encourage you to apply as early as possible.
| Priority Deadline | Nov 1 |
| Round 1 Deadline | Dec 15 |
| Round 2 Deadline | Jan 16 |
| Round 3 Deadline | March 1 |
| Round 4 Deadline | May 1 |
| Round 5 Deadline | June 15 |
Newly admitted students to the Summer or Fall 2023 semesters and who are eligible for scholarships will receive a $6,000 grant -- and may receive additional funding through merit scholarships. Learn more about this grant >
For more information, contact the GSEHD Admissions Team at education@gwu.edu or 202-994-9283.
Attend an Upcoming Program Info Session
Transformation Begins Here
Learn more about the MBA/Higher Education Administration program.