Master of Arts in Higher Education and Student Affairs

The master of arts in higher education and student affairs (M.A. H.E.S.A.) program provides professionals an opportunity to advance their career goals as an effective administrator, educator, and leader in higher education. The courses are designed to prepare candidates to be impactful higher education practitioners through professional skill development, practical experiences, program development, evaluation, and assessment based on best practices. M.A. H.E.S.A. candidates complete 24 semester hours of administration-leadership, student affairs, and program evaluation coursework plus a 6- semester hour culminating project or practicum for a total of 30 semester hours. 

M.A. H.E.S.A. Learning Outcomes

1. The H.E.S.A. professional has knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to providing counseling and advising support, direction, feedback, critique, referral, and guidance to individuals and groups.
2. The H.E.S.A. professional has the ability to use, design, conduct, and critique qualitative and quantitative Assessment, Evaluation and Research (AER) analyses; to manage organizations using AER processes and the results obtained from them; and to shape the political and ethical climate surrounding AER processes and uses on campus.
3. The H.E.S.A. professional has the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to create learning environments that are enriched with diverse views and people and to create an institutional ethos that accepts and celebrates differences among people, helping to free them of any misconceptions and prejudices.
4. The H.E.S.A. professional has the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to understand and apply ethical standards to one’s work, specifically the integration of ethics into all aspects of self and professional practice.
5. The H.E.S.A. professional has the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to connect the history, philosophy, and values of the profession to one’s current professional practice.
6. The H.E.S.A. professional has the knowledge, skills, and attitudes used in the selection, supervision, motivation, and formal evaluation of staff; conflict resolution; management of the politics of organizational discourse; and  the effective application of strategies and techniques associated with financial resources, facilities management, fundraising, technology use, crisis management, risk management, and sustainable resources.
7. The H.E.S.A. professional has knowledge, skills, and attitudes relating to policy development processes used in various contexts, the application of legal constructs, and the understanding of governance structures and their elect on one’s professional practice.
8. The H.E.S.A. professional has the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required of a leader, whether it be a positional leader or a member of the staff, in both an individual capacity and within a process of how individuals work together effectively to envision, plan, effect change in organizations, and respond to internal and external constituencies and issues.
9. The H.E.S.A. professional has the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to maintain emotional, physical, social, environmental, relational, spiritual, and intellectual wellness; be self-directed and self-reflective; maintain excellence and integrity in work; be comfortable with ambiguity; be aware of one’s own areas of strength and growth; have a passion for work; and remain curious.
10. The H.E.S.A. professional has the ability to apply theory to improve and inform student affairs practice, as well as understanding teaching and training theory and practice.

Source: American College Personnel Association/National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Professional Competencies.

M.A. H.E.S.A. Admission Requirements

1. H.E.S.A Statement of Goals 
2. Current resume  
3. Official transcripts (from all previously attended academic institutions)
4. A bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university recognized by the University of Portland
5. International Applicants: All foreign degrees will be evaluated by International Student Services prior to an admission decision
6. An undergraduate G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale)
7. International Applicants: An official TOEFL (minimum score of 88) or IELTS (minimum score of 7.0) exam score is required
8. International Applicants: Proof of financial support will be required to attend the University of Portland, but is not required for application review