Higher Education (MA)
The HIED program differs from traditional Student Affairs/Counseling in Higher Education programs as our program focuses on administration and leadership broadly and not solely on student services. The program also emphasizes an organizational and social science level approach, and is organized around administrative and programmatic issues and interventions.
The program and its faculty are committed to building on students' prior knowledge of higher education, provide a solid background of higher education theories and practices to expand their knowledge, and teach them how to apply it to their professions so that they may contribute to the needs and advancement of their postsecondary institutions and our society. This program is intended for students wishing to enter a master's degree program that will provide them with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to take on leadership and administrative positions within higher education organizations, including four year colleges and universities, community colleges, and technical schools.
The content of the program is based on professional competencies and program standards and guidelines developed by the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), American College Personnel Association (ACPA), and National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA).
Issues of diversity, equity, minority-serving institutions, college access, etc., are explicitly built into the curriculum. In addition, the attention to issues of higher education globally, and the potential placement of graduates within institutions of higher education internationally.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Employment of postsecondary education administrators is projected to grow 7 percent from 2018 to 2028, faster than the average for all occupations. Growth is expected because of increasing student enrollment in colleges and universities." In New Jersey, growth in employment is expected to be slightly higher than the national average (7.7%). The median annual wage in 2018 for postsecondary education administrators was $94,340 nationally and $153,800 in the state of New Jersey. In 2018, there were 998 unique job postings in the category (based on EMSI Postings Data) in New Jersey, but only a small number (10) of Master's Degrees specifically in Higher Education/Higher Education Administration conferred in New Jersey in 2017.
Along with the Higher Education (MA) degree, the department also offers the following options for graduate study: Educational Leadership (MA), Educational Leadership (MA – Online), Educational Leadership (MA – Fast Track), and an Educational Assessment certificate.
Hear from current students and alumni on their experiences in the Higher Education (MA) program at Montclair State:
"The professors were not just knowledgeable about the material, but they presented it in a real-world context that helped me relate it to myself and the students I work with every day. The information I learned at MSU, accompanied by my wherewithal and dedication to the education industry, were all greatly enhanced by the MSU Higher Education program; the program gave me knowledge and confidence."
Ledawn Hall, May 2019

