Online Master's in Higher Education and Student Affairs
Become a Leader Who Helps Students Thrive
100% online courses
Free to apply
Hands-on practicum
No GRE/GMAT required
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- Duration 2-3 Years
- Cost per Credit $590
- Credit Hours 36
Program Benefits
- Full- or part-time scheduling available
- Transfer credits accepted
- Curriculum aligned with professional organizations
- Applicable in a range of student affairs positions
- Practitioner-scholar faculty
Gain a Specialized Skillset for the Future of Higher Education
The online Master of Science in Higher Education and Student Affairs program, developed in partnership with Butler’s Division of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Student Affairs (DEISA), is uniquely designed for professionals who are passionate about working with college students and want to make a difference outside of the classroom. You will be empowered to understand the past, engage in the present, and define the future.
Butler’s online student affairs master’s program combines theoretical and practice-based learning to explore the diverse experiences and identities of modern college student populations. Upon graduation, you will be prepared to advise, lead, and create student-centered, responsive policies and programs that promote well-being in higher education.
More Information About This Program
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Curriculum
Higher Education Courses Online
12 total courses
14-16 weeks per course
The master’s in higher education and student affairs features 36 credits, including supervised practicum experiences and elective options. Coursework is grounded in competencies from ACPA—College Student Educators International and NASPA—Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, as well as recommendations from the Council for the Advancement of Standards and the Association for the Study of Higher Education.
The forward-thinking curriculum focuses on student well-being while exploring topics relevant to the challenges of today’s higher education landscape, including college student identities and populations, campus support practices, leadership principles, and more.
Focus on Student Well-being and Holistic Support
Dedicated coursework in mental health promotion and college student development delivers the theory and practical tools you need to make an impact.
Hands-On Learning Opportunities
Throughout your program, you will complete applied research projects and 150-165 supervised practicum hours to gain real-world experience you can apply in the workplace.
Admission Requirements
Start Your Application Today
Butler has designed our application process to be streamlined, and it’s free to apply. To be accepted to the online student affairs and higher education MS, you will need:
| Online Application Form | Apply Now (No application fee required) |
|---|---|
| Degree and Minimum GPA |
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| Transcripts | Submit transcripts from all colleges and universities attended and official transcripts or copies of official transcripts from all colleges and universities where candidates:
Copies of official transcripts may be uploaded in the online application for application review only. Applicants who receive an offer of admission will be required at that time to submit official final transcripts issued directly from the institution(s) for verification prior to enrollment. More information is available in the application for admission. |
| Transfer Credits | Up to 12 |
| Official GRE/GMAT Scores | Not required |
| Additional Requirements |
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Note: This program is not visa eligible.
Admissions DetailsTuition & Aid
Invest in Your Future with Accessible Tuition
$590 per Credit Hour
$21,240 Total Tuition
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Tuition Details
Grow Your Career with a Master’s in Higher Ed
With the interdisciplinary expertise you gain in Butler’s higher education master’s program, you will graduate ready to advance professionally in a wide range of outreach-driven, student-centered positions at colleges and universities. Possible roles include those in residential life, campus safety, support services, admissions, and more. You will also have the foundational knowledge needed to pursue further education at the doctoral level.
Explore CareersWhat You’ll Learn
The online master’s degree in higher education and student affairs is an engaging, inclusive experience that trains higher education leaders to create student-centered experiences and influence the future of the field. You will graduate with the specialized expertise required to meet the unique needs of college students as an evidence-based leader, researcher, advocate, or policymaker.
Program Outcomes
- Values, Philosophy, & History: HESA graduates articulate and demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to connect the context of the history, philosophy, and values of the profession to practice.
- Technology: HESA graduates use digital tools, resources, and technologies to advance student learning, development, and success, and to improve their performance as student affairs professionals.
- Assessment: HESA graduates design, conduct, critique, and use various AER methodologies and the results obtained from them to inform, practice, and shape the political and ethical climate surrounding evidence-based decision-making processes in higher education settings.
- Law: HESA graduates articulate and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions relating to policy development processes used in various contexts, the application of legal constructs, compliance/policy issues, and the understanding of governance structures and their impact on one’s professional practice. Graduates are mindful of the regional, national, and international contexts.
- Student Learning & Development: HESA graduates demonstrate a critical understanding of learning and development theories along with an ability to apply theory to improve and inform student affairs and teaching practice.
- Personal & Ethical Foundations: HESA graduates articulate and implement the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to develop and maintain integrity in their life and work, including an awareness and understanding of their own values and beliefs, especially as related to professional codes of ethics and principles for personal wellness.
- Organizational and Human Resources: HESA graduates demonstrate an understanding of the guidance of human resources, financial, and physical resources. Graduates possess new skills in the selection, supervision, motivation, and formal evaluation of staff; resolution of conflict; management of the politics of organizational discourse.
- Leadership: HESA graduates value positional and non-positional leadership and demonstrate an understanding of the individual role of a leader and the leadership process of students, student affairs colleagues, faculty, and community members working together to envision, plan, and affect change in organizations. HESA graduates foster the development of leadership within and among others.
- SJI: HESA graduates recognize the role of oppression, privilege, and power in limiting equitable access to education; respond collaboratively and with intentionality and urgency to inequitable conditions, processes, systems, and outcomes; and create spaces that raise the social consciousness of community members.
- Advising & Supporting: HESA graduates apply the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to provide effective advising and support to individuals and groups through active listening, feedback, critique, referral, and guidance.
Learn from Experts
Our online classes are taught by experienced faculty members who understand what it takes to succeed in the field. They are leading experts in the subject matter, well-known nationally for their work in the field, and ready to help you on your educational journey.
James Thomas, Lecturer – Higher Education & Student Affairs
Faculty Spotlight: James Thomas
Dr. Thomas focuses on being a teacher-scholar who brings the past and present of higher education to life. His work sits at the intersection of the history of higher education, student affairs, and the lived experiences of historically underserved populations, aiming to create a learning space that is equal parts rigorous, relevant, and rooted in real-world change.
By tracing how legal and historical movements shape today’s campus issues, Dr. Thomas’s work is centered on considering elements of how and why history matters for every policy debate and program design that will prove relevant in the future. Further, with a baccalaureate degree in Secondary Education and hands-on experience across the student affairs landscape, he digs into student culture, the ways diversity reshapes individual expectations of college, and practical strategies for outreach and engagement with a focus on helping others find ways to become future leaders and policy shapers in higher education.
He also knows the student-worker side of campus life personally: he was a student staff member throughout his degrees and is especially interested in the experiences of undergraduate and graduate student employees, having worked in various positions in student housing and academic advising. He aims to be a mentor who understands both the research and the day-to-day of campus life.
He has engaged in various forms of research and study, having completed his Ph.D. in Higher Education and his Master of Science in Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation. Further, to provide additional skillsets to aid his own research and serve students, he has taken additional coursework in Library and Information Sciences with a focus on archival research, oral histories, and more.
Quality Online Education from a Top-Ranked University
Our online programs are designed to provide the flexibility you need along with the in-depth instruction that prepares you to positively impact communities and individuals. You’ll study with expert-level faculty with years of experience in their fields who bring their real-world understanding into the virtual classroom.
Discover OnlineFrequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about Butler University’s online programs. For information not covered here, our expert admission team is available to provide additional details and guidance.
The first step is to start your application.
Those who hold a master’s in Higher Education and Student affairs often pursue careers within Division of Student Affairs, Museum, Camp or Park Education offices, within the educational technology space, offering academic and college coaching services, and nonprofit organizations. Learn more about your career options by visiting our careers page.
The MS in Higher Education and Student Affairs program is 36 credits.
The MS in Higher Education and Student Affairs program can be completed in as few as two years.
The total tuition for the 36 credit MS in Higher Education and Student Affairs program is $21,240.