Once you are admitted to the program, you may request to transfer up to 6 credit hours if your UofL adviser approves the request. Transfer requests are then submitted to the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies.
The online Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration (MAHEA) is the perfect degree for current university or college employees, as well as for those seeking employment in the higher ed industry.
Offered by the College of Education & Human Development at the University of Louisville, the online master’s in higher education provides students with deep knowledge and skills related to the practice of higher education administration. Eliminate the space between your career goals and the education needed to achieve them with a higher ed degree that helps you learn to navigate and conquer administrative challenges and prepare for leadership roles in a university setting.
Complete your degree on your own time through fully online coursework and learning tools.
Learn MoreComplete 12 courses consisting of 9 core courses and 3 classes within a specialization.
Learn MoreTake accelerated courses, with intensive weekend course options available.
$764 per credit hour
$250 active duty military rate per credit hour
Are you a university employee? Ask us about tuition remission options!
Tuition rate does not include costs associated with a specific course or program, such as textbooks. Tuition and fees are subject to change at any time without prior notice.
Graduates with a master’s degree in higher education can work in a wide variety of administrative positions in virtually all departments at both public and private colleges and universities.
Across the industry, higher ed jobs are expected to grow 10% from 2016-2026, faster than the average across all industries. Furthermore, the median pay is projected at $92,360 annually (bls.gov).
Application Deadline | Term | Start Date |
---|---|---|
July 1 | Fall | August |
December 1 | Spring | January |
April 1 | Summer | May/June |
Send all materials to:
Graduate Admissions
University of Louisville
2211 S. Brook Street
Louisville, KY 40292
gradadm@louisville.edu
All credentials are considered. Please know that satisfying the minimum GPA or GRE requirements does not guarantee admission into the program.
For more information on the admission and application process, please contact our Online Learning Enrollment Counselor at 800.871.8635 or by email at online@louisville.edu.
The higher education administration online master’s degree at the University of Louisville is a 36 credit hour program that requires 27 credit hours in core (practice and advanced) courses and 9 credit hours in a specialized area.
The typical degree path includes:
Courses | Hours |
---|---|
Practice Core | Hours |
ELFH 600 Introduction to Research Methods and Statistics OR ELFH 666 Program Development and Assessment in Higher Education |
3 |
ELFH 682 The Organization and Administration of Higher Educational Institutions | 3 |
ELFH 693 College Students in the United States | 3 |
ELFH 690 Professional Project in Higher Education | 3 |
Advanced Core | |
ELFH 607 Principles of Educational Leadership | 3 |
ELFH 678 American College and University | 3 |
ELFH 680 Legal Issues in Postsecondary Education | 3 |
ELFH 684 Educational Resource Management in Postsecondary Education | 3 |
ELFH 694 Diversity in Higher Education | 3 |
Concentration Options [choose 1] (approved by advisor)
|
6 |
Exit Requirement: ELFH 697 (dependent on concentration) | 6 |
Total | 36 |
For more information about specialized concentrations please contact our enrollment counselors at 800.871.8635 or online@louisville.edu.
ELFH 600 Introduction to Research Methods and Statistics
Emphasis given to historical, empirical, and experimental methods of research; to techniques of research design and statistical analysis; and to skills in writing reviews and critiques of research literature.
ELFH 607 Principles of Educational Leadership
Examines concepts, analytical tools, case material, and organizational theories from the public, business, and educational administration sectors.
ELFH 666 Program Development & Assessment in Higher Education
Guides students in the design and implementation of a program in higher education based on organizational and situational analyses, and measures performance through student learning assessment and program evaluation data.
ELFH 680 Legal Issues in Higher Education
Examines constitutional and statutory provisions and court decisions affecting educational leadership in postsecondary education.
ELFH 682 Organization and Administration of Higher Education Institutions
Explores organizational and administrative theory as related to colleges and universities and assessment of the roles of major administrative units of the institution.
ELFH 684 Educational Resource Management in Postsecondary Education
Study of resources, practices and procedures of finance and economics as related to postsecondary education. Provides investigation of specific and current educational finance issues affecting educational institutions.
ELFH 690 Professional Project in Higher Education
Integrates theory and practice as a culminating experience for students learning about postsecondary education and gaining professional experiences under the supervision of higher education professionals; provides professionals an opportunity to apply course content to address topics and issues in higher education in a setting different from their current employment; serves as a vehicle to provide oversight for students’ internship experiences.
ELFH 693 College Students in the United States
Provides a comprehensive examination of the changing demographics of undergraduate students, the issues undergraduate students bring to institutions of higher education, as well as the educational outcomes of college attendance as it relates to educational policy.
ELFH 694 Diversity and Higher Education
Explores relationships between forms of diversity (e.g., religion, class, race, ethnicity, gender, ability, age, sexual orientation, nationality, nativism) and higher education; analyzes how diversity shapes higher education and how leaders within higher education institutions can be positive change agents regarding the diversity agenda.
Jessica Buckley, Ph.D., Clinical Assistant Professor
Kerry Charron, Ed.D., Clinical Assistant Professor
Casey George, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Jacob Gross, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Meghan Pifer, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Sr. Assistant Director of the Cadre & Faculty Development Course
Ishwanzya Rivers, Ph.D., Clinical Assistant Professor
Jeffrey Sun, Ph.D., Professor, Department Chair
Learn more about the faculty of the Department of Leadership, Foundations and Human Resource Education.
The set of questions and answers outlined below can help you learn more about our program, delivery method, application and admission process, financial aid options and how to succeed as an online student at UofL.
Once you are admitted to the program, you may request to transfer up to 6 credit hours if your UofL adviser approves the request. Transfer requests are then submitted to the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies.
Not if your cumulative undergraduate GPA is a 3.0 or higher; or if your cumulative graduate GPA is a 3.5 or higher. If you do not meet this criteria, then, yes GRE scores are required. GMAT and MAT scores can be converted to GRE equivalencies.
For GRE scores prior to August 1, 2011, a minimum combined (verbal and quantitative) score of an 800 is required for unconditional admission. For GRE scores taken August 1, 2011 and after, a score at the 36th percentile or higher in Verbal Reasoning and the 22nd percentile or higher in Quantitative Reasoning is required.
In typical cases if your GPA is below the threshold mentioned above, no, however, the committee may look at each situation on a case by case basis.
Yes, you will need to complete a new application packet for the MA in Higher Education Administration program.
No. This degree prepares people who want to work in university administration and does not satisfy any P-12 or postsecondary teaching certification requirement.
The internship provides you with the opportunity to work in a different setting related to higher education. You will complete, under the supervision of the course instructor and a site supervisor, a significant project or projects that allow you to apply what you learned from your program of study. The internship activities cannot include projects within your current scope of responsibilities. It is taken within the last 9 hours of the program and requires a minimum of 105 contact hours. You should contact your adviser one semester before you plan to take the internship course to discuss what you are considering.
The purpose of an internship is to provide you with on-site work experience in an area of college and university administration. The internship should allow you to gain new knowledge and apply program coursework to a work setting relevant to your academic and professional goals. The experience can also be helpful to the goal of gaining a new position, advancing in a career, or as professional development at your current work site.
The internship is an exit requirement for the program. You may enroll for the class as one of your last nine hours, but no sooner.
Ideally, you would do some of the work within the office where your internship is located. If you do not currently work in a higher education setting, you should make every effort to spend a significant amount of time at the site. However, all internships are project oriented, therefore, if the instructor of the internship course approves your internship site and activities, you may do most of the work off-site. You must communicate regularly with your site supervisor regardless of where you do the work.
Yes, you can but you may NOT do your internship within your department or within the scope of your current responsibilities. Your work supervisor may not be your internship site supervisor.
Start planning your internship during the semester before you plan to take it. You should also contact the internship course instructor (currently Dr. Pregliasco) at about the same time to review the requirements which will assist you in making arrangements.
Internship site supervisors must have at least a Master’s degree, be willing to supervise you, evaluate you and participate in a meeting (in person or by phone for distance education students) early in the semester.
You must complete a minimum of 105 hours, be responsible for a significant project(s), write a learning summary paper, provide reflection journal entries and respond to discussion board prompts on Blackboard. You must also receive a satisfactory evaluation by your site supervisor.
By this time in your Master’s program, you should have a sense of a department or function in which you want to learn more. Once you have done so, start talking to prospective departments/institutions about your interests and ask if there are projects in that area that are important to them but perhaps have been on the back burner because of lack of time or staff to complete them. If there is a fit between their needs and your interests, you may have found an internship site!
For answers to any other questions you might have, please submit an Information Request Form.