Students

All Higher Education Administration and Policy students share two traits. They have earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution, and they have achieved the academic excellence required for admittance into Northwestern University.
Beyond those similarities, however, the program's students are best described by their differences. With its flexible schedule and emphasis on integrating inquiry, theory and practice, the Higher Education Administration and Policy Program attracts students with diverse backgrounds and interests. The program welcomes everyone from recent college graduates to seasoned professionals with a wealth of experience. Some students work full-time, some go to school full-time and others do both on a part-time basis. The wide range in their years of work experience, interest areas, skill sets and career plans exposes students to all operational aspects of higher education institutions and broadens the perspectives on the primary issues and challenges within the field. Despite their varied backgrounds and interests, students generally fall into one of the following four categories: Advancement Seekers Career Changers Career Launchers Lifelong Learners Class of 2007 Photo by Andrew Campbell		Classmates Are Colleagues and Friends "One of the best aspects of the program is the social structure the majority of the courses operate under—the professors really allow the students to express their ideas and opinions and a large part of the learning takes place because there are so many different experiences and opinions being expressed." ~Jamey Becker "In the classes, you not only gain from the instructor's perspective, but from your fellow classmates." ~Joan Trimuel (MS04) Associate Director, Auditing, Northwestern University "It's important to think of the other students in the program not just as your classmates, but as your colleagues as well. [They] … are a great source of information on their respective fields and potential job openings. They also form a great network of colleagues once you [graduate] and are working full-time." ~Nicole Vilches (MS03), Assistant Dean for Admissions, Chicago-Kent Law School "I still maintain a very strong relationship with the people who were in my research group." ~Tia Kofahl (MS03), Assistant Dean, Graduate School of Business, Loyola University Chicago