Higher Education & Student Affairs at SIUE
The higher education and student affairs (HESA) program prepares its graduates for entry and mid-level professional positions in higher education administration in student affairs.
At program completion, HESA students are expected to have the knowledge, skills and perspectives to serve college students and foster their learning and development in a wide variety of student affairs areas. These areas include, but are not limited to:
- Student life
- Residence life
- Career development
- Advising
- Financial aid
- Athletic programs
This program follows the standards set by the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education. The program curriculum is centered around four core components adapted from ACPA/NASPA professional competencies:
- Student development
- Social justice and inclusion
- Advising and support
- Assessment, evaluation and research with an emphasis on critical social justice
The mission of the HESA program is to develop a strong academic community of critical scholar-practitioners to advance social justice in their practice of higher education and student affairs. We seek to develop socially just scholar-practitioners who are highly engaged in the field of higher education and student affairs. Diversity and critical social justice concepts are addressed across the curriculum, specifically in the college student development and diversity in higher education courses. We are dedicated to addressing issues of social injustice intersectionally and examining how race, gender, class, sexual orientation, religion and other forms of oppression overlap fortifying a matrix of domination.
Degrees Available at SIUE
- Master of Science in Education in Higher Education and Student Affairs
Specialization
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
Program Format
- Evening classes are offered for both full-time and part-time students.
- A mix of traditional, hybrid and online courses are offered.
- The athletics specialization and the post-baccalaureate certificate in athletic leadership are offered fully online.
Program Learning Outcomes
The HESA program features a distinctive graduate experience, which requires core coursework, a professional portfolio and a final capstone project.
Students develop an individualized final capstone project focused on contemporary or historical issues in higher education. The final capstone project is supervised by a faculty member.
What can I do with a degree in higher education and student affairs?
Jobs included in this category are entry-level professional positions in multiple areas in colleges and universities, such as:
- Financial Aid
- Housing
- Career Services
- Intercollegiate Athletics
- Advising
- Fraternity and Sorority Life
- International Programs
Recent graduates have found employment as academic advisors; residence hall directors; first-year experience coordinators; and student activities coordinators at both private and public postsecondary institutions.
Why Choose SIUE
- Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
- The HESA program fosters a strong commitment to increasing awareness of the diversity of student populations and to social justice. The SIUE campus has been recognized regularly for its commitment to diversity. The University received the 2021 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. SIUE joins a select group of 11 institutions that have earned the distinction for at least eight consecutive years.
- The non-profit group Campus Pride ranked SIUE in the top 100 among the 2021 Most Affordable LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges and Universities. SIUE’s LGBTQ-Friendly Campus Climate index and Sexual Orientation scores are 4.5 out of 5 stars. SIUE's Gender Identity/Expression score is 4 out of 5 stars.
- Location and Affordability
- SIUE is located 25 minutes from downtown St. Louis, allowing graduate students to benefit from the boundless opportunities St. Louis offers. In-state tuition is available for all U.S. graduate students.
