UNT’s Higher Education program is one of the most established in the Southwest. We have graduated more than 1,000 doctoral and master’s alumni; many holding leadership positions in universities and colleges around the country as well as overseas.
The master’s degree in higher education prepares students for entry-level and mid-management positions in higher education administration in areas such as student life, student housing, career centers, multicultural centers, student unions, advancement offices, alumni offices, academic advising centers, international student offices, financial aid offices, dean of student’s offices, institutional research offices, and business affairs offices. The student affairs track meets the requirements of the Council for the Advancement of Standards (CAS) for graduate programs in student affairs.
The Master of Education in Higher Education is offered in three formats:
The Standard Master’s Degree in Higher Education allows the student to specialize in one of three tracks: student affairs, community college leadership, or general administration.
The Online option allows students to complete their degree fully online.
The Master’s Cohort Program in college student personnel focuses on student affairs and includes immediate consideration for a graduate assistant position in student affairs or a related area.
The Master’s Cohort in Student Affairs is a two-year program that requires full-time enrollment. Cohort students are given consideration for one of 50+ graduate assistant positions in student affairs or a related area working 20 hours per week. Graduate Assistants receive a monthly stipend for a 9 to 12-month contract.
Applications for the Master's Cohort in Student Affairs are accepted in the spring for fall admission only. An on-campus interview is required with both the Higher Education Program and the Graduate Assistant Program within the Division of Student Affairs. Applicants will receive individual notifications regarding Interview Day.
Admission to the master's program in Higher Education is a two-step process.
**Fall 2024 Cohort deadline is May 1, 2024**
1. Apply to Toulouse Graduate School
University of North Texas
Toulouse Graduate School
1155 Union Circle #305459 (USPS)
1147 Union Circle, ESSC Room 354 (UPS/FedEx)
Denton, TX 76203
Email: GradAdmission@unt.edu
Phone: 940.565.2383
Fax: 940.565.2414
Submit your application at applytexas.org and choose the “Master of Education in Higher Education” in the degree plan list.
Submit $75 application fee submitted through applytexas.org
Submit official transcripts from each college or university you have attended to the Toulouse Graduate School.
Complete the online application for admission to the Online Master’s Program in Higher Education. Before you begin this application, you will need:
To provide the name, title and email addresses of three references.
To upload a writing sample, not to exceed two pages, addressing:
Your goals and aspirations related to the field of higher education.
One or more significant life events that contributed to the development of these aspirations
The single greatest personal asset that will serve you in realizing your goals.
The one personal characteristic or quality that you most need to modify, improve or change in order to realize your aspirations.
Any other information you think would be helpful in evaluating your application.
To upload a resume or curriculum vitae.
Required Classes for MEd Cohort in Student Affairs
EDHE 5110 Foundations of Student Development
EDHE 5120 Student Development Programming Administration
EDHE 5210 Student Demographics
EDHE 5220 Cultural Pluralism
EDHE 5620 Student Risk Management in Higher Education
EDHE 6030 Practicum, Field Problem, or Internship in Higher Education (6 hours)
EDHE 6510 History and Philosophy of Higher Education
EDHE 6660 Seminar: Student Affairs Assessment
EDHE 6710 Organization and Administration of Higher Education
EDHE 6760 Higher Education Finance
EPSY 5210 Educational Statistics
Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 overall GPA to earn the degree. The student affairs track meets the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education’s requirements for graduate programs in student affairs.
The student must meet the requirements of the Toulouse Graduate School and a specific set of department requirements when applying to the master's program. To view the graduate school requirements, go to the Admission section of this catalog or visit the Toulouse Graduate School website at graduateschool.unt.edu.
Degree requirements
Master of Education degree
15 credit hours of higher education core courses
12 credit hours of higher education specialization courses
6 credit hours of an internship or 3 credit hours of a field problem
3 credit hours of a statistics course
The standard master’s degree in higher education allows the student to specialize in one of three tracks: student affairs, community college leadership, or general administration.
Admission to the master's program in Higher Education is a two-step process.
1. Apply to Toulouse Graduate School
University of North Texas
Toulouse Graduate School
1155 Union Circle #305459 (USPS)
1147 Union Circle, ESSC Room 354 (UPS/FedEx)
Denton, TX 76203
Email: GradAdmission@unt.edu
Phone: 940.565.2383
Fax: 940.565.2414
Submit your application at applytexas.org and choose the “Master of Education in Higher Education” in the degree plan list.
Submit $75 application fee submitted through applytexas.org
Submit official transcripts from each college or university you have attended to the Toulouse Graduate School.
The student must meet the requirements of the Toulouse Graduate School and a specific set of department requirements when applying to the master's program. To view the graduate school requirements, go to the Admission section of this catalog or visit the Toulouse Graduate School website at graduateschool.unt.edu.
Degree requirements
Master of Education degree
15 credit hours of higher education core courses
12 credit hours of higher education specialization courses
6 credit hours of an internship or 3 credit hours of a field problem
3 credit hours of a statistics course
Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 overall GPA to earn the degree. The student affairs track meets the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education’s requirements for graduate programs in student affairs.
The Higher Education Program offers a 36-credit hour online Master of Education in Higher Education with an emphasis in General Administration, designed to meet the educational needs of those looking to advance within or enter careers in higher education. Our outstanding faculty provide high quality historical, theoretical and philosophical content mastery and skills development in our online course options so that you can earn a Master of Education degree from a distance and with greater flexibility.
Admission to the master's program in Higher Education is a two-step process.
1. Apply to Toulouse Graduate School
University of North Texas
Toulouse Graduate School
1155 Union Circle #305459 (USPS)
1147 Union Circle, ESSC Room 354 (UPS/FedEx)
Denton, TX 76203
Email: GradAdmission@unt.edu
Phone: 940.565.2383
Fax: 940.565.2414
Submit your application at applytexas.org and choose the “Master of Education in Higher Education” in the degree plan list.
Submit $75 application fee submitted through applytexas.org
Submit official transcripts from each college or university you have attended to the Toulouse Graduate School.
The student must meet the requirements of the Toulouse Graduate School and a specific set of department requirements when applying to the master's program. To view the graduate school requirements, go to the Admission section of this catalog or visit the Toulouse Graduate School website at graduateschool.unt.edu.
Online courses
EDHE 5110 Foundations for Student Development Admin
EDHE 5120 Student Development Programming Admin
EDHE 5210 Student Demographics
EPSY 5210 Educational Statistics
EDHE 5220 Cultural Pluralism in Higher Education
EDHE 5610 Finance and Budgeting in Higher Education
EDHE 5620 Student Risk Management in Higher Education
EDHE 6030 Practicum, Field Problem or Internship
EDHE 6060 History & Philosophy of the Community College
EDHE 6510 History and Philosophy of Higher Education
EDHE 6710 Organization & Administration of Higher Ed
Dr. Stephanie Aguilar-Smith is an Assistant Professor of Counseling and Higher Education at the University of North Texas. She earned her Ph.D. in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Administration and certificate in Chicano and Latino Studies from Michigan State University. She holds a Master’s in Public Administration, a B.A. in Journalism (Public Relations), and a B.A. in International Affairs from the University of Georgia.
Across her research, she broadly pursues the question: How might educational policies and practices be more equitable across the stratified and hierarchical system of U.S. higher education? A few of her specific research interests include Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Latinxs in higher education, and grant seeking and implementation in the collegiate context.
Before joining UNT, she worked at several research universities in a variety of areas including enrollment management, academic counseling, program development and evaluation, and writing center administration.
Dr. Veronica Baldwin (still publishing under Jones) earned her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Texas A&M University in 2014. Before starting her career in higher education, she taught in various Texas K-12 school districts for more than 10 years as an English as a Second Language teacher.
In 2014, Baldwin served as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Texas at Austin and was a research team member for the Texas Education Consortium for Male Students of Color. She currently is faculty affiliate for Project M.A.L.E.S. — Mentoring to Achieve Latino Success — a research collaborative group dedicated to research on male students of color. In 2020, Dr. Baldwin received the award for Outstanding Junior Faculty Researcher for UNT’s College of Education
In the UNT higher education program, Jones teaches courses for masters and doctoral students, including risk management, proseminar and research seminar. Through her research, Dr. Baldwin explores topics such as male students of color, student engagement and activism, and rhetoric around equity and diversity issues. Her main research methodology is qualitative, and she utilizes frameworks such as critical discourse analysis and critical race theory to explore structures, policies and practices that influence underrepresented and marginalized student communities.
Mayra Olivares-Urueta, Ph.D.works to remove institutional barriers and ensure the success of all students, especially historically marginalized and excluded populations. She comes to UNT after serving as associate professor of professional practice in the graduate Higher Education Leadership Program at Texas Christian University. Prior to that, Mayra worked as vice president for student development services at Tarrant County College-Northeast Campus. Dr. OU’s research and writing focus on removing barriers to executive leadership for Latina mothers in higher education, making college a family affair, and increasing access and success of Latinx students in higher education. In 2018 she was named an American Association of Women in Community Colleges 40 under 40 and in 2020 she became a fellow of the Aspen Institute’s Presidential Fellows program. She is immediate past-president of the Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education, member of the NASPA Latinx Task Force within the Community Colleges Division and a member of the Board of Directors for Camp Fire Texas. Dr. OU enjoys spending time with her family, running, and reading.
Dr. Hyun Kyoung (Hyunny) Ro is Associate Professor of Counseling and Higher Education at the University of North Texas. She earned a Ph.D. In Higher Education from The Pennsylvania State University with a minor in Educational Psychology—Applied Measurement. Prior to that, she earned a master’s and baccalaureate degree at Korea University. Prior to UNT, Dr. Ro and worked as a faculty member in the Department of Higher Education and Student Affairs at Bowling Green State University and worked as a Research Designer and Analyst in the Office of Institutional Research and Analysis at Carnegie Mellon University. Her research expertise includes Gender and Racial Equity in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education; Learning Experiences and Outcomes among Marginalized Students; and Critical Quantitative Research and Assessment. She received multiple external grants with a total amount of $1.1 million from the National Science Foundation (ADVANCE Adaptation Track grant for gender equity on campus) and AccessLex Institute/Association for Institutional Research (law school access and enrollment among women of color). She has been the leading author on articles that were published peer-reviewed journals, such as Journal of Engineering Education, Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, International Journal of Gender, Science and Technology, Educational Policy, The Review of Higher Education, and Research in Higher Education.
Barrett Taylor earned his PhD from the Institute of Higher Education at the University of Georgia. He teaches a number of courses at UNT, including "General Administration of Higher Education" (EDHI 6710) and "Higher Education Finance" (EDHI 6760). His research emphasizes the ways in which colleges and universities interact with their environments.
Uyen Tran-Parsons is a Principal Lecturer for the Higher Education Program. She earned a B.S. in Health Studies from Texas Woman's University, M.Ed. in Higher Education from University of North Texas, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Texas Tech University. Tran-Parsons teaches a variety of courses for the Higher Education Program including "Student Demographics," "Cultural Pluralism," and "Foundations of Student Development Administration." Her research interests are related to faculty-led study abroad, service learning, and the college experience of minoritized populations. Prior to teaching, she worked as a student affairs professional for 12 years in the functional areas of Academic Advising, Student Activities, Fraternity and Sorority Life, Women Student Services, and Multicultural Affairs at a variety of public Texas institutions.