Higher Education
Admissions & Financial Aid
In accordance with the policies and procedures of the School of Education, a submitted application must include:
- A completed graduate application form including personal statement and resume
- Non-refundable application fee of $75
- Two copies of Academic credentials
- Three letters of recommendation
- TOEFL-if applicable
- Required for Ph.D applicants only: official GRE exam scores and an additional writing sample
Application Procedure
The Higher Education program has a rolling admissions policy, but students are strongly advised to submit application materials for Fall 2009 no later than February 1, 2009. Because of high numbers of applications, admissions have been closed by the end of the Spring semester, and applicants applying later are added to waiting lists.
Master's level students are permitted to take up to 6 credit hours of Higher Education courses as non-matriculated students. Doctoral level students are permitted to take up to 9 credit hours of Higher Education courses as non-matriculated students. After this point students must be admitted and matriculate into the program before continuing with courses.
Applicants for the Master's Degree program in Higher Education must have:
- A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
- An overall undergraduate grade point average of B (3.0) or better.
- A record of significant involvement and/or work in student affairs or higher education.
- An ability to write well as demonstrated in the personal statement and grades of B (3.0) or better in undergraduate English (writing) courses.
Applications for the Master's program are accepted for the Fall semester only (depending on available space) so that our new Master's students enter the program as a cohort to become members in the nation's first ever graduate higher education learning community.
Students may take up to 6 credits of coursework in higher education on a non-matriculated basis. Performance in these courses can be submitted as part of the application. If admitted, the course credits may be counted toward the Master's degree.
In some cases, we may require the applicant to take courses on a non-matriculated basis as part of the admission process. Performance in these courses is then used, together with other evidence, in our decision. But note that performance in such coursework does not, in itself, guarantee admission as we take into account a variety of admissions factors. If admitted the course credits may be counted toward the Master's degree.
If an applicant is denied admission to our program, she/he may not reapply to the program but is more than welcome to apply to other graduate programs at Syracuse University and in the School of Education . For applicants who are denied, the 6 credit limit on higher education classes stands: they may not take more than a total of 6 credits of higher education classes beyond their previous degree and so will be denied the ability to register in and attend classes above and beyond that limit
Applicants for the Doctoral (Ph.D.) program in Higher Education must have:
- A master's degree in higher education, student affairs, or related area.
- An overall graduate grade point average of B+ (3.5) or better in master's degree program (Note: Only courses with grades of B or better are eligible for transfer).
- A combined GRE score (analytic and verbal) of 1100.
- Three years of work experience in higher education, student affairs, or related area.
- An ability to write well as demonstrated in a significant writing sample submitted with your application (e.g. master's thesis, scholarly paper).
Applications for the Doctoral program are accepted for the Fall and Spring semesters only (depending on available space).
An interview with program faculty is required of all applicants who pass the first stage of application review.
Students may take up to 9 credits of coursework in higher education on a non-matriculated basis. Performance in these courses can be submitted as part of the application. If admitted, the course credits may be counted toward the Ph.D. degree.
In some cases, we may require the applicant to take courses on a non-matriculated basis as part of the admission process. Performance in these courses is then used, together with other evidence, in our decision. But note that performance in such coursework does not, in itself, guarantee admission as we take into account a variety of admissions factors. If admitted the course credits may be counted toward the Ph.D. degree.
If an applicant is denied admission to our program, she/he may not reapply to the program but is more than welcome to apply to other graduate programs at Syracuse University and in the School of Education . For applicants who are denied, the 9 credit limit on higher education classes stands: they may not take more than a total of 9 credits of higher education classes beyond their previous degree and so will be denied the ability to register in and attend classes above and beyond that limit.
Financial Aid
The Graduate School and School of Education at Syracuse University grant merit-based awards to outstanding students. These awards include fellowships, scholarships, and assistantships and are highly competitive. Students wishing to be considered for merit-based financial aid or School of Education Scholarships should consult the School of Education Graduate Study Bulletin for deadlines and eligibility information. Need-based aid at Syracuse University is primarily in the form of loan programs and college-work study. Graduate students who are U.S. Citizens may apply for need-based financial aid through the Office of Financial Aid. http://financialaid.syr.edu/
Graduate Assistant Opportunities
If you are interested in an assistantship for the 2009-10 academic year, please review the following information carefully. Please make sure to read through the position description(s) and send all appropriate information to the address listed. The deadlines to apply vary, although most interviews will take place in mid-March. Some phone interviews and alternative dates for interviews may be arranged through the office offering the position.
There are many assistantship positions offered through the Division of Student Affairs at SU. Position listings for next year were posted on the Human Resource website starting on December 15, 2008. If you are interested in an assistantship offered through the Division of Student Affairs, please go to http://www.sujobopps.com and search for positions by job category "Graduate/Research/Teaching Assistant." The deadline to apply for GA positions through the Division of Student Affairs is February 1, 2009 and interviews will take place in the beginning of March. Prospective applicants are encouraged to visit http://students.syr.edu for more information on the Division of Student Affairs and the application process for graduate student positions within various units in the Division.
The Higher Education Program will maintain a listing of various other positions available on campus and at neighboring institutions. We will send you this information over email via our Assistantship Listserv (which you will be added to once we receive your application).
Doctoral applicants should contact Professor Vincent Tinto to discuss departmental GA opportunities that are only available to doctoral students for the 2009-10 academic year. He may be contacted at 315-443-4763.
Should you have any questions about the assistantship process, feel free to contact the Higher Education Program at (315) 443-4763 or Rachel Smith at (315) 443-9456. You may also send an e-mail message to hied@syr.edu and include the word Assistantship in the subject line.