Higher Education, M.S.

Shape the Future of College Student Success

The M.S. in Higher Education at Syracuse University prepares graduates to lead, advocate, and drive meaningful change in the academic, student affairs, and administrative settings where college students learn, develop, and thrive.

Whether you are launching your career in student affairs or continuing to grow as a working professional in higher education, Syracuse’s master’s degree program combines rigorous academic preparation with intensive hands-on experience, delivered by faculty who have worked in the field they now teach.

Why Higher Education at Syracuse?

Syracuse University has been training student affairs professionals for nearly a century, and our graduates enter the field carrying a credential that hiring committees across the country recognize and respect.

  • Flexibility built around your life. Complete the degree in two years of full-time study, or part-time while continuing to work in higher education. Close to all graduates are employed in the field soon after—or even before—they complete their degree.
  • A commitment to equity and inclusion. The program centers equity and inclusion in the theory and practice of student success in higher education. Students analyze higher education at multiple levels with a sustained focus on the policies and practices that allow all college students to thrive.
  • Internship experiences that build real breadth. Students complete intensive practicum placements across diverse functional areas at Syracuse University and partner institutions. Placements are supervised by professionals in the field, many of them program alumni.
  • A cohort that becomes a professional community. Community and collaboration are hallmarks of this program. Many courses require group work; new students are paired with mentor students; and faculty, students, and administrators work together on research and administrative projects.
  • Faculty at the forefront of education research. Syracuse is an R1 research institution, and our faculty have received recognition for teaching excellence and are leaders in national and international professional organizations.

shane helson headshot“Syracuse’s Higher Education master’s degree program is going to help elevate you in student affairs. They are going to challenge you. They are going to push you to grow, and you are going to enjoy it.”
—Shane Nelson, G’19

Who Should Apply?

The Higher Education program welcomes applicants at two distinct career stages, and it is designed to serve both well. What both groups share is a commitment to building higher education systems that are welcoming to all and a belief that higher education can transform lives. If that describes you, this is your program.

  • Recent graduates who are ready to launch careers in student affairs will find a full-time pathway built around intensive internship experiences, a close-knit peer cohort, and faculty mentorship that begins before the first day of class.
  • Working professionals already employed in higher education will find a part-time structure that respects their professional commitments while deepening their theoretical grounding and broadening their practical skills.

Program at a Glance

The master’s degree in Higher Education is a 36-credit program offered in person on the Syracuse campus, with pathways designed to fit different professional circumstances:

  • Flexible completion timelines: Full-time students typically complete the degree in two years; students who are currently working in higher education can pursue the degree part time, typically finishing in three to four years, with course sequencing designed around professional schedules.
  • A structured curriculum with room for personalization: Required courses cover college student development theory, research methods, student affairs administration, higher education administration, legal issues, and learning communities. Students collaborate with faculty and advisors to choose electives that align coursework with their personal and professional interests.
  • Built to the highest standards: The foundation of our curriculum are the CAS Standards for Master’s-Level Student Affairs Professional Preparation Programs and the ACPA/NASPA Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs Educators, the same frameworks that guide hiring, evaluation, and professional development across the field.
  • Intensive, supervised practicum experiences: Students complete practicum placements in student affairs and academic affairs offices at Syracuse University and partner institutions, including SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Upstate Medical University, Le Moyne College, and Onondaga Community College.
  • A distinctive capstone in learning communities—Students complete a capstone project that intentionally connects curricular and co-curricular learning across the campus environment.

More information on academic requirements available in the Syracuse University Course Catalog.

What Our Graduates Do

Our graduates go on to enhance student learning at postsecondary institutions of all sizes and types: public and private, two-year and four-year. Across all of these settings and roles, Syracuse graduates carry a credential and demonstrated competency base that hiring committees recognize as meeting the field’s highest professional standards.

  • Academic advising and student support services
  • Admissions, orientation, and first-year programs
  • Residence life and student activities
  • Multicultural affairs, identity centers, and equity and inclusion initiatives
  • Disability services and accessibility support
  • Career services and experiential learning
  • Alumni relations and programs
  • College access and nonprofit collegiate preparation work

Many students also choose to take SOE’s Certificate of Advanced Study in Intercollegiate Athletic Advising and Support either concurrently or after graduation.

Request more information
Apply now