Northeastern’s Master of Education in Higher Education Administration degree is designed to provide working professionals with the foundation to understand the structure, governance, and operation of various higher education organizations, while integrating opportunities to develop solutions to real world problems that can be readily deployed at work. 

As shifts in demographics, politics, and technology bring rapid change to the world of education, successful administrators need a broad range of skills to both achieve and excel in leadership roles. 

In the MEd in Higher Education Administration program, students hone their critical thinking abilities and develop the skills needed to be competitive in higher education, including: 

• cultural competence  

• knowledge of college/university laws and regulations 

• data driven decision making 

• strategic thinking 

• practical skills such as budgeting, critical thinking, and supervision 

And you’ll apply your learning immediately, identifying real-world problems in your current work environment and developing solutions as part of your course of study. 

Our program is flexible—100% online—and the interactive learning and group project-based work format allows students to network with diverse professionals and build global connections as they collaborate to solve common challenges.  

• Through the required capstone course, students work with a “problem” within higher education for six weeks. Throughout this time, students conduct in-depth research on the topic of interest and present their findings to two to three mid- and senior-level practitioners who then provide insight on the issue. Students also have the opportunity to perform a mock interview with a practitioner in the field and are given guidance—and sometimes land jobs right on the spot. Students are then prompted to write a reflection piece at the end of the course and are encouraged to map out a life-long learning plan. 

• The program's curriculum is intentionally designed to include DEI coursework in subject matter areas such as social justice and demographics of the new college student. Throughout the program, students have the opportunity to learn about Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s), Tribal Colleges, and the pressing need for all-women colleges. 

Program objectives 

• Analyze law and policy regulations within a higher education context 

• Analyze, generate, and propose innovative solutions to contemporary issues in higher education, driven by data and applied theory 

• Integrate principles of social justice and inclusion for concrete actions in higher education 

• Articulate methods to continuously hone and upgrade professional skills in key higher education competencies 

• Effectively present ideas through multiple mediums for targeted audiences in higher education administration 

Unique Features 

• Master’s program can be completed 100% online, and in as little as two years 

• Students and alumni of the program are invited to participate in the in-person Graduate School of Education residency in Boston, a networking opportunity where attendees exchange ideas on innovation and change work in the field 

• All MEd students create ePortfolios, an example of their mastery in new topics and fields through documentation, assessment, and integration of coursework with their workplace experience. Students leverage this body of work throughout the program and after, as a key piece of their personal brand.