Julia Varela
Assistant Director of Enrollment, Graduate & Professional Studies
Advance your career goals with Messiah University's graduate program in higher education leadership.
We are committed to guiding you through the admissions process every step of the way.
Messiah University offers a Master of Arts in Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership and a Master of Arts in Higher Education Leadership with concentrations in college athletics leadership, strategic leadership and student success, or the unique opportunity to create your own individualized concentration, tailored to your professional aspirations. Courses are also offered for non-degree seeking students.
There are no prerequisite requirements in the graduate program in Higher Education Leadership.
Admissions requirements for all higher education leadership degrees:
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Submitted Messiah University application
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Official transcript(s) indicating completion (or anticipated completion) of a bachelor's or master's degree. In order to be considered "official", transcript(s) must be requested and sent directly from institution(s) attended to gradprograms@messiah.edu.
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Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher; cumulative GPAs < 3.0 will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis
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Statement of Purpose: a 500-1000 word statement describing your reasons for applying for the graduate program in higher education leadership at Messiah University, how this graduate program will help you meet your professional and educational goals, and identify an issue in higher education that you will be better equipped to address as a result of your participation in this program.
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Contact information for one reference: please select a reference who is currently working in higher education and is able to address your professional experience and/or academic performance (excluding relatives)
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Resume or CV (curriculum vitae)
The graduate program in higher education leadership is completed primarily online. Because of this, the U.S. government does not allow Messiah University to offer an F-1 student visa for entry to the United States in order to study in this program, unless a student applies for (and is granted) a graduate assistantship (GA) position. GA's are eligible to obtain an F-1 student visa for full-time study.
While international students may complete this degree remotely from outside the U.S., they will need to attend a one week intensive course on the Messiah University campus. Messiah may be able to issue the required paperwork to obtain a visa for the intensive portion of the coursework only.
If applying for a graduate assistantship, or as a remote student, in addition to the admissions requirements above, international students must submit:
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a course-by-course evaluation of all international transcripts
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English proficiency exam: only TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo are accepted
Further information about these requirements is available on the graduate international student page. Please contact the enrollment counselor for higher education leadership to determine eligibility.*
*If admitted to Messiah University, information on how to apply for the F-1 visa may be found on the graduate international student page.