Higher Education, M.A. Advising Resources
Higher Education, M.A. Overview
The Educational Leadership and Higher Education (ELHE) department offers a 30 credit master's degree in Higher Education.
Students typically complete the program in two years, taking classes in the fall and spring semesters. A limited number of elective courses are offered during the summer semester.
For more information on each of the aspects of the degree program, please see below or select the appropriate link.
If you continue to have questions, please contact the Graduate Student Services team (gadofc@bc.edu).
Your Support Team
Program Director and Faculty Advisors
The Program Director oversees the M.A. in Higher Education. Prior to being assigned a faculty advisor, you can reach out to your Program Director with any questions related to your program. They are a great resource as you move through your program.
Each student is assigned a Faculty Advisor. Your advisor will help you choose your courses and plan your Program of Study. They are a great resource to discuss your career and long-term plans as well as your goals for the program and should be your main point of contact once assigned.
Not sure who your Faculty Advisor is?
Email the Graduate Office (gadofc@bc.edu) and our team is happy to connect you with your advisor.
Dr. Heather Rowan-Kenyon
Program Director and Faculty Advisor
Dr. Gerardo Blanco
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Angela Boatman
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Andrés Castro Samayoa
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Laura DeVeau
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Michael James
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Rebecca Schendel
Faculty Advisor
Graduate Student Services
The Graduate Student Services team supports students with everything from course registration to financial aid, and general student support. Please contact us with any questions.
Bridget Clark
Graduate Student Services
Carolyn Looker
Graduate Financial Aid
Kaitlyn Solano
Graduate Student Services
Sara Wong
Graduate Student Support
Not sure who to reach out to?
Our team manages different inboxes that are the fastest way to get in touch.
Course Registration: lynchgradcourseregistration@bc.edu
Financial Aid: gsoe@bc.edu
General Questions: gradoffice@bc.edu
Student Support: gsehdstudentsupport@bc.edu
Academic Planning & Advising
Students should reach out to their advisor or the Graduate Student Services team to begin planning their program as soon as possible. We highly recommend meeting with a member of our team prior to registering for your first semester. The following information should guide your academic planning, but each student's experience is unique and it is important to review your plan with your advisor prior to making any final decisions.
Program of Study
Please review the appropriate Program of Study for your program. You will find all of the requirements for your degree listed.
Please see Programs of Study for more information on how to complete and submit your final Program of Study.
Depending on your graduate program, you may plan to complete your degree in as few as three semesters, however, most students complete their secondary degree in two years (four to five semesters).
Concentrations
Each student must select one of four concentrations within the Higher Education, M.A. Each concentration has different requirements and its own Program of Study.
Administration Concentration: This concentration prepares you to work as a professional within college and university offices, policy organizations, and advocacy organizations. You will gain an understanding of the foundations of higher education with a focus on law, policy, and administration, and you will link theory and practice through your field experience.
Student Affairs Concentration: This concentration prepares you to work as a professional in functional areas of student affairs such as student activities, residence life, admissions, service learning, orientation, career services, and academic advising. You will gain an understanding of the foundations of higher education and student affairs and learn to link theory and practice through class projects and field experience.
International Perspectives Concentration: This concentration prepares you to work in internationally-focused positions within U.S. institutions or around the world. You will gain an in-depth understanding of internationalization and other impacts of globalization on higher education, as well an appreciation of the diverse ways that higher education is understood and organized around the world.
Spirituality, Faith, and Formation Concentration: This concentration integrates theories of student development with the sociology of religion, institutional culture, leadership formation, policy development, and theology within a Catholic higher education setting.
Electives
Each concentration allows for students to take two elective courses during their time in the program. The Higher Education department offers electives each semester but students may explore graduate electives from other departments within the Lynch School and within other schools across Boston College with the approval of their Faculty Advisor. In order to register for a course outside of the Lynch School students must forward the permission of their Faculty Advisor, along with the permission of the course instructor, to the Registration Team at lynchgradcourseregistration@bc.edu.
Program Completion
In addition to coursework, students must complete Field Experience, the Master's Comprehensive Exam, and a Portfolio to graduate from the Higher Education program.
Field Experience
Field Experience is a year long experience where students take 2 credits in the fall semester, and one credit in the spring semester. The field experience requires supervised work (graduate assistantship or internship) in a higher education institution or agency and participation in an internship seminar. Field work is overseen by program faculty and supervised by a professional administrator at the graduate assistantship or internship site. The Field Work in Higher Education seminar requires demonstrated knowledge of the Higher Education program core competencies as they are practiced in a particular area of administrative expertise and demonstrated knowledge of professional skills development related to theory and research in higher education. The spring semester experience is taken under Advanced Field Experience.
Field Experience is a core requirement and cannot be waived or replaced by another course. Dual-degree students should consult their Faculty Advisor regarding field experience requirements.
Master's Comprehensive Exam
In order to ensure that all students graduating from the master's program have a fundamental understanding of the field which they are about to enter, they are required to take a written comprehensive examination covering the broad areas of the core courses. The goal of the exam is for the student to demonstrate their substantive and integrative knowledge of higher education and its professional literature in coherent essays. The exam is held in the fall and spring semesters and students should register for ELHE8100 in the semester they plan to take the exam.
Portfolio
All students must complete a Competency Portfolio that includes a resume, professional philosophy statement, a collection of narrative competency assessments and accompanying artifacts demonstrating your knowledge base and accomplishments reflecting the Higher Education program core professional competency requirements, as well as, a one professional competency of your choice from among those associated with your program track or concentration. Students will work with their Faculty Advisor to construct the Portfolio throughout their time in the program and typically submit their Portfolio for review in the semester they plan to graduate.