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Higher Education Administration and Policy

Equipping leaders with the vision and skills to transform higher education

Our Academic Programs

Chart your Higher Education future with Northwestern University’s #3 ranked School of Education and Social Policy.

Northwestern University’s nationally respected Higher Education Administration and Policy program prepares both new and current higher education professionals to be leaders who transform the lives of individuals, the trajectory of organizations, and the impact of institutions – all within the higher education landscape.

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MS in Higher Education Administration and Policy

Northwestern’s Master of Science in Higher Education Administration and Policy degree is a 12-course professional master's program that prepares graduates to work throughout the higher education landscape at colleges and universities, government agencies, and higher education consulting firms and non-profits. 

Program Details
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Higher Education Foundations Certificate

The Higher Education Foundations Certificate (HEFC) introduces students to a broad range of current topics in higher education. Students are introduced to the concept of institutional heterogeneity, core concepts in student development theory and budget philosophies, strategies, and structures.

Program Details
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Higher Education Student Access and Success Certificate

The Higher Education Student Access and Success Certificate (HESASC) provides an understanding of myriad factors that influence students - from beginning in high school (with the process of considering and applying to college) to completing post-undergraduate education - and their ability to access, persist, and succeed in higher education.

Program Details
students in lecture room

Higher Education Organization Management Certificate

The Higher Education Organization Management Certificate (HEOMC) exposes students to the complex dynamics of heterogeneous higher education organizations and how they are managed to achieve their missions of teaching, research, and service.

Program Details

Our Executive Education Certificates

The Executive Education Certificates are designed for higher education professionals looking to take their assessment, evaluation or research knowledge and skills to the next level.

  • Have you been asked to conduct an assessment project and need guidance on how to start?
  • Do you need to evaluate a program that is under scrutiny?
  • Do you want to pursue being a practitioner scholar and need to build or hone your research skills?

Explore Executive Education Certificates

Why Higher Education at Northwestern?

Ezra Sergent-Leventhal

One interesting thing about this program is that everyone is or was a practitioner in the field they're teaching. So, like, it's extremely applicable in that sense. In my experience they all have been really accessible, which I appreciate. ”

Ezra Sergent-Leventhal
MS’23
Vanessa Magallanes

All the staff I interacted with, and almost every event there were previous students, just hearing from their experiences, the community aspect really stuck out to me. But also two things that really stuck out were research aspect and then the internship aspect too. Not all the programs have both of those. ”

Vanessa Magallanes
MS’23
three students standing together and holding a willie wildcat picture

Why Higher Education is important

Completing a Higher Education Certificate or the Master’s Degree prepares students for meaningful career fields such as academic advising and administration, alumni relations and development, athletics, career services, central administration, institutional research, enrollment management, international and global education, non-profit, policy and government relations, and student affairs.

AG Gomez-Shah

The community that is fostered here, and the connections I am able to make with people who have such a wide variety of experiences in higher education. You’re able to collaborate with these people and learn about other people’s experiences and kind of values they have as well. That’s what really bolsters this community and bolsters this program. ”

— AG Gomez-Shah, MS’20