The Department of Educational Administration offers two graduate degree programs in higher education that are administered on campus or online.

Description

Faculty members are experienced scholars and college administrators who are dedicated to preparing students for rewarding and fulfilling careers in educational administration.

The M.A. program offers applicants the opportunity to select among three specialization options. The online degree program allows applicants to select among the study of Community Colleges or Higher Education (Option B only). Alternatively, the specialization in Student Affairs Administration is offered for on-campus study (Option A or B).

Applicants admitted to the program with a specialization in student affairs have the opportunity to apply for assistantships through various offices on campus.

For more information, visit https://cehs.unl.edu/edad/masters-programs/.

Career Pathways

• Student affairs professionals
• Admissions counselors
• Residence life coordinators
• Academic advisors
• Directors
• Athletics staff

Specializations

1. Community Colleges

   • Online

   Coursework for this program is delivered primarily online, so international students should be aware that admission to this program is ineligible for immigration forms for an F-1 student visa.

   Admission Requirements

   Contact department for approval if applying after March 15.

   • Resume/CV
   • Personal Statement: Describe what brought you to apply to this program, including your personal and professional goals. State an issue in higher education administration that is a concern of yours, and briefly discuss your knowledge of the issue.
   • Essay: The Department of Educational Administration has committed to addressing access and equity in higher education. What does access and equity mean to you and how does that inform your current and/or future work in higher education? How do you believe this program will contribute to your understanding of access and equity in higher education?
   • Three recommendation letters

   Courses

   The M.A. degree in Educational Administration with a specialization in Community Colleges offers students who are interested in this area of higher education options to personalize their specialization by selecting from 5 electives.

   Course List

   Course Number	Course Name	Credits
   Choose 3 of the following
   EDAD 934	Teaching and Learning in the Community College (summer)	3
   EDAD 923	The Community/Junior College (fall)	3
   EDAD 935	Workforce, Economic, and Community Development (fall)	3
   EDAD 912B	Emerging Issues in Community College Leadership (spring)	3
   EDAD 936	Higher Education Planning (spring)	3
   Total		9

   Department

   Educational Administration

2. Higher Education

   • Online

   The M.A. degree in Educational Administration with a specialization in Higher Education offers students who are currently employed at a college or university-specific knowledge related to institutions of higher education.

   Coursework for this program is delivered primarily online, so international students should be aware that admission to this program is ineligible for immigration forms for an F-1 student visa.

   Admission Requirements

   Contact department for approval if applying after March 15.

   • Resume/CV
   • Personal Statement: Describe what brought you to apply to this program, including your personal and professional goals. State an issue in higher education administration that is a concern of yours, and briefly discuss your knowledge of the issue
   • Essay: The Department of Educational Administration has committed to addressing access and equity in higher education. What does access and equity mean to you and how does that inform your current and/or future work in higher education? How do you believe this program will contribute to your understanding of access and equity in higher education?
   • Three recommendation letters

   Courses

   If you specialize in Higher Education you must choose three of the following courses, including up to one community college-focused course.

   Course Number	Course Name
   EDAD 966	Seminar in Educational Administration (summer)
   EDAD 905	Issues in Governance of Educational Institutions (fall)
   EDAD 879	Introduction to Student Affairs (fall, generally only offered face-to-face)
   EDAD 920	Diversity and Equity in Educational Organizations (fall)
   EDAD 838	Program Evaluation and Assessment of Student Affairs (spring, generally only offered face-to-face)
   EDAD 843	Counseling Principles for Educational Administration (spring, generally only offered face-to-face)
   EDAD 936	Higher Education Planning (spring)

   Department

   Educational Administration

3. Student Affairs Administration

   • On Campus

   Admission Requirements

   NOTE: For the personal statement, essay, and additional questions, a written statement, video, or image can be provided as the method of response. If you chose to provide an image, you may want to include a 1- page statement or a 1-minute video explaining what it means to you.

   • Resume/CV
   • Personal Statement: Address why you are applying to this program, explicitly state three things you hope to gain from the program. (max 500 words or 3 minutes)
   • Essay: Discuss how your experiences, social identities, and/or beliefs will contribute to a diverse cohort. (max 500 words or 3 minutes)
   • Other Upload: Respond to one of the following questions (max 500 words or 3 minutes): A) One purpose of the program is to prepare educators to support a wide variety of students. What are some specific things you have done to create a positive and equitable environment among people you work with or in your community? B) Describe one meaningful experience where what you knew previously was challenged. Share what you learned about yourself and others from that experience.
   • Faculty: Review current faculty and their research areas.

   For priority consideration, apply by January 15. Applicants to this program will be given information about a process to apply for on-campus assistantships.

   Department

   Educational Administration

Graduate Admission Requirements

• Application for Admission with $50 non-refundable application fee.
• Transcripts (unofficial): Uploaded as part of application form.

  If International: Uploads must include all college- or university-level transcripts or mark sheets (records of courses and marks earned), with certificates, diplomas, and degrees plus certified English translations.

  After admission: Official documents are required from all students who are admitted and enroll. Photocopies of certified records are not acceptable. International students enrolled in other U.S. institutions may have certified copies of all foreign records sent directly to the Office of Graduate Studies by their current school’s registrar office.

• If applicant’s native language is not English, verification of English proficiency is required.

  When sending TOEFL scores, our institution code is 6877 and a department code is not needed.

• If applicant is not a US citizen and expects an F or J visa: financial information.
• Applicants must also fulfill any additional requirements the department specifies at the time of application.

Program-Specific Admission Requirements

See Specializations for details.

Admission Application Deadlines

• M.A. with student affairs specialization (on-campus only): For priority consideration, apply by January 15. (For 2023, this deadline has been extended to February 10.)
• M.A. with higher education or community college specializations (online only): March 15 for Fall.