Master's in Higher Education Online
Arkansas State University's M.S. in Higher Education is a 100% online graduate degree for educators and staff advancing into university leadership, student affairs or enrollment management roles. Completed in as few as 12 months (33 credit hours), the program has one of the most accessible admissions profiles in graduate education: a 2.75 GPA, no teaching license, no GRE and no thesis or capstone required.
Program Overview
What will you learn in the online M.S. in Higher Education?
Acquire the advanced knowledge and expertise needed to be an effective higher education instructor or educational leader with an online Master of Science in Higher Education. Gain an understanding of collegiate systems, faculty culture, and the encouragement of student learning and development while increasing your marketability to serve in an administrative leadership role.
In this 100% online program you will explore the legal and financial aspects of higher education; increase your competence to advise and support college students from diverse backgrounds and positively affect their development; and examine and evaluate current policies in accreditation, performance-based funding, best practices in student assessment and learning in higher education.
Build on your professional development and help to create an impact in modern-day advanced learning environments with this online master's in higher education. You do not need a teaching license to be admitted into the program. Neither a capstone project nor a thesis is required for graduation.
For state program approvals, please refer to our State Authorization & Licensure Disclosures page.
Additional documents
In this online M.S. in Higher Education degree program, you will:
- Prepare for a variety of leadership positions within a higher education institution
- Understand the major components of a higher education institution and the relationships between those components
- Apply best practices for creating positive student experiences at a higher education institution
- Grasp enrollment management systems
- Learn to advise college students
- Comprehend assessments and accreditation processes for a college or university
- Prepare for a variety of leadership positions within a higher education institution
- Understand the major components of a higher education institution and the relationships between those components
- Apply best practices for creating positive student experiences at a higher education institution
- Grasp enrollment management systems
- Learn to advise college students
- Comprehend assessments and accreditation processes for a college or university
Career opportunities include:
- Assistant Dean for Graduate Students
- Director of Student Housing
- Assistant Vice-Chancellor of Career Learning
- Associate Dean of E-Learning
- Director, Enrollment Management
- Registrar
- Director of Financial Aid
- Dean, Student Advising
- Assistant Dean for Graduate Students
- Director of Student Housing
- Assistant Vice-Chancellor of Career Learning
- Associate Dean of E-Learning
- Director, Enrollment Management
- Registrar
- Director of Financial Aid
- Dean, Student Advising
Also available:
A-State offers a variety of graduate programs in a convenient online format. Explore our full range of online graduate programs.
Tuition
How much does the M.S. in Higher Education cost?
Our online M.S. in Higher Education offers the same affordable tuition to all U.S. residents. All fees are included. Tuition may be subject to change on a yearly basis.
Tuition breakdown:
Calendar
When can you start the program?
Our M.S. in Higher Education online program is designed to be flexible and convenient for working professionals, with accelerated coursework and multiple start dates a year.
Please note: Summer 1 and Summer 2 terms are 5 weeks in duration for this program.
| Term | Program Start Date | Application Deadline | Document Deadline | Registration Deadline | Payment Due | Last Class Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 1 | 8/19/26 | 8/5/26 | 8/5/26 | 8/17/26 | 8/17/26 | 10/2/26 |
| Fall 2 | 10/12/26 | 9/28/26 | 9/28/26 | 10/8/26 | 10/9/26 | 12/4/26 |
| Spring 1 | 1/11/27 | 12/28/26 | 12/28/26 | 1/7/27 | 1/8/27 | 2/26/27 |
| Spring 2 | 3/8/27 | 3/4/27 | 2/22/27 | 3/4/27 | 3/5/27 | 4/30/27 |
Now enrolling:
Have questions or need more information about A‑State online programs?
Ready to take the next step toward earning your degree online from A-State?
Admissions
What are the admission requirements for the M.S. in Higher Education degree?
A-State Online offers a streamlined admission process for both new students and transfers. Students who are interested in the M.S. in Higher Education online program must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution. Make sure to review full admission requirements below. Applicants to the program who do not qualify for unconditional admission may qualify for conditional admission.
Admission Requirements:
- Minimum 2.75 GPA
- Official transcripts
- Bachelor's degree
- A baccalaureate degree with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least a 2.75 (or 3.0 in the last 60 hours) on a 4.0 scale from an accredited institution. For conditional admission, students are required to have a baccalaureate degree with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least a 2.50 (or a 2.75-2.99 cumulative GPA during the last 60 credit hours of university work.)
Note: If you have a 2.75-2.99 GPA, you must make a grade of “B” or better during the first 9 hours of graduate work at Arkansas State University.
Application Submission Requirements
- Complete online application
- Pay the nonrefundable $30 fee
- Send official transcript(s) from the college/university attended. Official transcripts are sealed transcripts sent from the sending institution.
Submit all documents to:
A-State Online
P.O. Box 2520
State University, AR 72467
Fax: 870-972-3548
Email: [email protected]
Additional information
For more information on state eligibility, please visit
our State
Authorization and Licensure Disclosures page.
Transfer credits
Up to 9 graduate hours from A-State or other higher education institutions may be credited toward a program. No course can be older than six years by graduation time. Transfer credit will be evaluated by the Director of the Program. To request prior credit be evaluated, please complete the Graduate Transfer Credit Evaluation Form.
Courses
What are the courses in the program curriculum?
Students in this program must complete the following courses.
You can view your schedule of courses for this degree through the Course Smartsheet:
View the AOS Course Smartsheet
How to Use the Course Smartsheet
Students in this program must complete the following courses.
Built for Arkansas Educators
Arkansas State University built this M.S. in Higher Education for the people already doing the work: the admissions counselors, student affairs staff and campus administrators who can't step away from a full-time job to earn a graduate degree. Every course is delivered 100% online with no required campus visits, designed from the start around the schedules of working educators rather than repackaged from an on-campus format.
Because the coursework centers on the governance, finance, law and enrollment strategy that shape institutions everywhere, the degree holds value well beyond Arkansas. Whether you advance at your current campus or take your career to another state, you won't have to explain what it prepared you to do. Pair that with one of the most accessible admissions profiles in graduate education and a flat per-credit tuition rate that's the same for every U.S. resident, and you have a combination of academic depth, real flexibility and affordability that makes A-State a strong choice for educators pursuing an online higher education degree in Arkansas and across the South.
FAQ
M.S. in Higher Education Online FAQs
Intro copy