Higher Education: Master of Arts (MA)

Application Deadlines

Fall Admission
April 1, priority deadline is Feb. 1
(CCUL concentration only; applications for the ADE and College Teaching concentrations are not being accepted at this time.)

Application Requirements

Entrance exam: Not required

Application requirements vary by program. Learn more

Location

On campus and online

Completion Time

2 years (full time)

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Costs and Aid

Excel as a higher education leader.

Earning your Master of Arts in Higher Education at App State will provide you with the most up-to-date postsecondary knowledge, enabling you to create a better future for students. This program is designed to springboard you into opportunities to expand your career in education, create innovative solutions, qualify for a promotion or move into a leadership role.

Focus is placed on the issues facing modern college students and how higher education professionals can support them. Coursework will synthesize the complexities of the higher education landscape by engaging in topics that include diversity, student development, organization, governance, advising and leadership.

App State’s Higher Education program is also offered fully online — learn more by visiting App State Online.

Visit the Reich College of Education website for more information about the Higher Education program.

Department of Counseling, Family Therapy and Higher Education

Reich College of Education

A 2025 Best

The Princeton Review named App State among the best schools in the U.S. and the Southeast for 2025.

Top 3

U.S. News & World Report has recognized App State as a top 3 university for innovation for 8 consecutive years.

Top School for 2024–25

Forbes magazine ranked App State among “America’s Top Colleges” for 2024–25.

Learn more about App State’s accolades

Concentrations and Courses

- Community College and University Leadership
  
  Gain broad, holistic understanding of university structures and operational areas, as well as the ability to identify and analyze problems, craft data-driven solutions and cast vision for future practice.
  
  Graduate Bulletin & Course Catalog

Careers and Mountaineers

Where can an App State degree take you? Anywhere you want to go!

Careers

For CCUL concentration:
Graduates typically advance to mid- and upper-level management and administrative positions in colleges and universities in areas such as:

Academic administration
Admissions
Advising
Athletics
Career development
Distance education
Financial aid
Institutional research
Marketing and advancement
Multicultural student development
Student success programs

Employers

Adult Basic Skills/Adult Literacy
Two-year and four-year institutions across the Southeast and U.S.

Career information resource

App State’s Career Development Center
Services provided by the Career Development Center include resume reviews, career coaching, job and internship search assistance, and other tools for you to achieve life and professional success.

Faculty Profile: Dr. Andrew Koricich

Exploring and explaining rural-serving higher education institutions and the roles they play regionally across the U.S. is the focus of the Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges (ARRC), co-directed and co-founded by App State’s Dr. Andrew Koricich.