M.A. in Higher Education Admissions Requirements and Procedures
The M.A. in Higher Education is a cohort program with a new cohort beginning each fall. Acceptance into the MHE program is a two-part process. First, applicants submit all required application materials and the MHE Admissions Committee conducts an initial review. Applicants who submit their materials by the January priority deadline are notified of their initial review status by the end of January. Applicants who are conditionally admitted are invited to interview for apprenticeships during Preview Weekend, a two-day event typically scheduled in February. During the second phase of the admissions process, conditionally admitted applicants attend Preview Weekend to interview for apprenticeships available in a variety of Elon departments. Conditionally admitted students are notified of apprenticeship selection decisions within ten days of Preview Weekend. Once a student is offered and accepts an apprenticeship, the applicant is granted final admittance into the MHE program. Note that the selection of apprenticeships is a “mutual selection process” – both the student and the apprenticeship host must select each other; thus, participation in Preview Weekend does not guarantee an apprenticeship or final admittance into the M.A. in Higher Education program. Applications completed after the deadline will be considered based on space availability.
Completed applications must be submitted directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions and include:
• Evidence of an earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
• Official transcripts of all undergraduate and any graduate studies completed or taken, and sent to Elon’s Office of Graduate Admissions from the institution; transcripts may be emailed to gradadm@elon.edu or mailed to:
Elon University
Office of Graduate Admissions
2750 Campus Box
Elon, NC 27244
• Recommended GPA of 3.0 or higher for undergraduate work
• If you have less than a 3.0 cumulative GPA, you must take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT); have your official GRE or MAT scores sent to the Office of Graduate Admissions using Elon’s GRE code of 5183 or MAT code of 1355
• Personal Statement – The statement should be no more than 1,500 words and should address the following:
1. Why do you want to study at Elon and describe the impact you want to make in higher education?
2. What experience, skills and characteristics do you possess that make you a strong candidate for the higher education program and profession?
3. Describe one issue or challenge facing higher education that you hope to address as a professional.
• Two letters of recommendation – one from a faculty member who can speak to the quality of your academic skills and writing, and one from a supervisor or mentor associated with a recent work or leadership role
• Resume
• A completed application with a $50 nonrefundable fee
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required unless English is the student’s native language or the language of instruction; a minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based) or 213 (computer-based) or 79 (Internet-based) is required; English translations of transcripts and explanations of grading systems are required; exceptions to these requirements may be considered under special circumstances.
Transcript Requests
Contact the registrar of each college or university attended to have an official copy of all transcripts sent to Elon University. Transcripts may be emailed to gradadm@elon.edu or mailed directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions, 2750 Campus Box, Elon, NC 27244. Applicants currently enrolled should request a transcript showing completed academic work through the most recent semester of enrollment; a final transcript will also be required and must be submitted prior to the first day of class.
International Students
Because several months may be required to receive and process forms from international applicants, applications and complete documentation should be submitted as early as possible. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required unless English is the student’s native language or the language of instruction. A minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based) or 213 (computer-based) or 79 (Internet-based) is required for admission to any graduate program at Elon. Exceptions to this requirement may be considered under special circumstances.
Requirements for International Students on F-1 Visas
In addition to M. A. in Higher Education Admissions Requirements, F-1 student applications must include:
• The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required unless English is the student’s native language or the language of instruction. A minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based) or 213 (computer-based) or 79 (Internet-based) is required.
• An original bank statement or letter issued within the last six months.
• English translations of transcripts and explanations of grading systems are required if the transcripts are from institution(s) outside the United States.
• A completed Certificate of Financial Responsibility (CFR) is necessary prior to approval of application for admission.
• Medical insurance and immunization records. (Elon requires students to maintain health insurance during the entire period of enrollment.)
To maintain F-1 status, students must:
• Enroll in the program on a full-time basis. F-1 students are required to complete the program in 21 months.
• Maintain continuous enrollment with a minimum of 9 credit hours per semester (fall and spring).
• Report to the Isabella Cannon Global Education Center at the beginning of each academic term and at any time that changes in academic or financial status occur.
Transfer Credits
A student enrolled in the M.A. in Higher Education program may be permitted to transfer 3 semester hours of appropriate graduate credit from a graduate program in a fully accredited institution. For transfer credits, grades earned at another graduate school must be at least a “B,” and the credit must not be more than five calendar years old at the time of degree completion at Elon. Only a course that has not been used to fulfill degree requirements can be proposed for transfer credit. No graduate credit will be allowed for excess credits completed in an undergraduate classification in any institution. No graduate credit will be allowed for correspondence courses, field-based work, or non-accredited institutions. Students seeking to transfer credits to the M.A. in Higher Education program should consult the MHE Graduate Director for guidance on the transfer credit approval process. Requests to transfer credits must be made prior to the first semester of enrollment. Students will not receive a refund for the course requirement fulfilled with transfer credits.
Enrollment Status
Master of Arts in Higher Education students must enroll in the program full time and complete the courses in sequence as outlined in the curriculum. Non-degree-seeking individuals (including Elon University faculty and staff) are not permitted to enroll in MHE courses.
Continuation Standards
Master of Arts in Higher Education students are expected to complete the program during two years of full-time study. Continued enrollment in the MHE program is dependent upon: 1) maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.0, 2) receiving satisfactory professional dispositional assessments at specified transition points, and 3) maintaining a Graduate Apprenticeship. Students who do not maintain a satisfactory cumulative GPA, receive unsatisfactory professional disposition assessments, and/or receive unsatisfactory performance evaluations in their Graduate Apprenticeship are subject to probation or dismissal from the program. Please see the MHE Student Handbook for more information on each continuation standard.