Note: We admit students on a rolling basis. The preferred deadlines help you complete the application process on time, be notified of acceptance and enroll before the term begins. We review applications as they become complete, and admit students for a specific term up to the day classes start. We recommend you work on and submit your complete application well in advance of the preferred deadline, as obtaining transcripts and other materials may take more time.

Steps to Apply

1. Complete online graduate application
2. Submit $65 non-refundable application fee
3. Submit official transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate work (have them sent directly to UofL)

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent from a regionally-accredited institution
• Minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.5 for unconditional admission (applicants with a lower GPA may obtain conditional admission)
• Two letters of recommendation from individuals who can speak to the applicant's academic and/or professional capabilities and potential (not friends or family members)
• GRE scores not required
• Professional goals statement
  • The Admissions Committee evaluates applications based on how an applicant’s goals, professional experiences, and commitment to education are an appropriate fit with this program
  • This document is also a writing sample and will be used to assess your writing skills
• Current Resume

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.

International Students

• If you live outside of the United States and intend to complete an online academic program from your home country, be sure to view special requirements for international students.
• International applicants must take the TOEFL exam if applying from countries where English is not the native language. Applicants holding a baccalaureate or advanced degree from an accredited institution in the United States are exempt from this requirement.
• Bachelor's degrees earned internationally must be assessed to ensure that entrance requirements are met.
• International students will not be issued a U.S. visa if admitted to the online structural transportation certificate program, since there are no campus attendance requirements.

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.

Start Your Application

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:

1. Practice core courses
2. Advanced core courses
3. Concentration courses
   • Administration
   • Teaching and Learning
   • Policy and Equity
   • Sports Administration
4. Exit requirement (dependent on concentration)

For more information about specialized concentrations please contact our enrollment counselors at 800.871.8635 or online@louisville.edu.

Course Descriptions

LEAD 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.

LEAD 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.

LEAD 680 Legal Issues in Higher Education
Examines constitutional and statutory provisions and court decisions affecting educational leadership in postsecondary education.

LEAD 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.

LEAD 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.

LEAD 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.

LEAD 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.

LEAD 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.

Featured Faculty

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. 

• I have some credit hours from another program/university. Can the credit be transferred?

  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.

• Are GRE scores required for admission?

  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.

• Can I be admitted provisionally, until I take the GRE?

  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.

• I applied and was admitted to another program in the College of Education and Human Development but have changed my mind and want to apply for the MA in Higher Education. Do I have to complete a new application packet?

  Yes, you will need to complete a new application packet for the MA in Higher Education Administration program.

• I have a Bachelor's degree in another content area and want to teach that area in a university or college. Will this degree give me the credential to do so?

  No. This degree prepares people who want to work in university administration and does not satisfy any P-12 or postsecondary teaching certification requirement.

• Tell me about the internship 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.

  
  

  • What is the purpose of the internship class?

    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.

  • When can I register for the internship class and do my internship?

    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.

  • What if I work full-time and cannot take time off to do the internship?

    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.

  • I already work at a university. Can I do my internship at my institution?

    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.

  • When should I start planning for my internship?

    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.

  • What are the requirements of internship site supervisors?

    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.

  • What are the requirements of the internship course?

    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.

  • How do I find an internship site?

    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!

  • What are some ideas of internship projects that have been completed in the past?
    • Learning to do student financial aid advising and creating a training manual for new financial aid advisors at a community college
    • Conducting a study on solid waste management plans at universities to develop a proposal for a zero-waste university for a research university
    • Creating a resource library on a website on Transformative Education for faculty professional development at a regional university
    • Conducting a study to evaluate current and prospective benchmarks for an Institutional Research office using IPEDS and NCES data at a research university
    • Reviewing best practices in leadership academies and creating a student leadership academy for student athletes at a Division I institution
    • Conducting a program review for an African American Male Initiative program at a research university
    • Developing a procedures manual by reviewing “best practices” and the policies and practices of a Finance and Administration department at a liberal arts institution

For answers to any other questions you might have, please submit an Information Request Form.