The MA Higher Education program is currently not accepting applications. If you have any questions please email solesadmissions@sandiego.edu
Students in the Master's of Higher Education Leadership (MAHE) program prepare to face the world's greatest challenges through the lenses of equity and inclusivity for all.
Students have opportunities to practice equity-driven leadership, inside and outside the classroom. In partnership with the SOLES Global Center, The Nonprofit Institute, the Center for Women's Leadership, and the Division of Student Affairs, students can select from a diverse set of elective courses that focus on social justice and complete an international experience designed to support the growth of cultural competency.
Fall Start Term
Application Deadlines
$45 Application Fee
*Applicants interested in pursuing a SASC Assistantship must submit an application by the priority deadline. Review the Practice Pathways to understand your options.
Graduate Application Process
All applicants are considered utilizing a holistic review process, including the following factors:
- Strength of academic history
- Professional and/or extracurricular experiences relevant to the program
- Content of personal statement and its connection to learning outcomes; and
- Letters of recommendation with specific examples of your competencies and aptitudes relevant to the program
Admission decisions are made approximately 30 to 60 days after each deadline.
Application Checklist
The Master of Arts in Higher Education Leadership program does not require the GRE or specific coursework for admission. Professional experience is recommended, but not required to gain admission.
Official (Degree-Granting) Transcripts
Must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admission. Official E-Transcripts are acceptable only if emailed to grads@sandiego.edu.
Office of Graduate Admission
University of San Diego
5998 Alcalá Park
San Diego, CA 92110-2492
grads@sandiego.edu
Official transcripts from the university where you earned your bachelor's degree are required at the time of application. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in all undergraduate coursework.
Applicants must complete a bachelor's degree prior to beginning the program.
Applicants may apply prior to completing their bachelor's degree. In this case, please submit your most up-to-date transcripts, and if admitted, submit a second set of official transcripts after your degree is conferred.
If you earned a degree from an institution outside the United States, you are required to submit an official international transcript evaluation (also called a foreign credential evaluation) as part of your application. Please note that the evaluation must be a course-by-course evaluation. You must order your official course-by-course evaluation from one of the following evaluation services.
- World Education Services, Inc. (WES)
- Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE)
- International Education Research Foundation, Inc. (IERF)
- Josef Silny & Associates, Inc. (JSA)
- SpanTran: The Evaluation Company (SpanTran)
- Foreign Academic Credential Service (FACS)
Please be sure to carefully read the application checklist for international students found on the University of San Diego's Graduate Admission website.
Current Resume OR Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Include all relevant education and employment information to help the Admissions team make an informed decision.
Two Letters of Recommendation
Two professional letters of recommendation from professors and/or employers.
Statement of Purpose
A 500-word maximum statement of purpose:
- Include a brief narrative describing yourself, your career goals, and the importance of graduate study at this point in your life.
- Address how diversity, inclusion, and social justice influence who you are today and how you would approach your work in higher education. You may discuss influences on your intellectual development, education and cultural opportunities (or lack thereof), and the ways in which these experiences have affected you.
This should not be a recording of facts already listed on the application; it should give the Admissions Committee a better sense of who you are and why you are applying to graduate school at the University of San Diego. If you are in a graduate program at another university, please explain why you wish to leave.
English Proficiency Exam (EPEX) score for International Applicants
An official score report for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is required of all international applicants. Official score reports must be two years old or less from the time you submit your online application in order to be considered.
Official scores can be sent to the Office of Graduate Admission, school code: 4849.
TOEFL minimum scores:- Internet-based test: 83
- Computer-based test: 237
- Paper-based test: 580
OR
IELTS minimum score:
- Band score 7
OR
An official score report from the Duolingo English Test:
- the traditional online test
- minimum total score of 120
Note: The University of San Diego does not accept scores from the TOEFL Essentials or the IELTS Indicator exams for graduate admission.
The English Language Exam requirement may only be waived if you have earned a 4-year bachelor's degree or 2-year master's degree, with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, from an institution where English is the official language of instruction. Waiver requests based on living or working in an English-language context, or based on educational pursuits that resulted in less than the conferral of a 4-year bachelor's or 2-year master's degree, will not be accepted.
Waivers are not automatically applied; all waivers must be requested. Waivers are granted on a one-by-one basis for a specific program and term. Obtaining a waiver is not guaranteed under any circumstances.
To request a waiver of the English Language Exam requirement:
- Submit the Online Application (see Step 1 above); your waiver request will not be considered until we receive your Online Application.
- Submit your official transcript or official course-by-course international transcript evaluation showing proof of your bachelor's and/or master's degree having been earned at an institution where English is the language of instruction. Please be aware that if you attended a foreign institution, that institution must clearly state on their website that English is the language of instruction. If no such statement is posted, you will need to obtain an official verification letter from that institution confirming English as the language of instruction, and submit it as part of your application for admission.
- Once you have submitted both your Online Application and your official transcript(s)/evidence of degree earned at an institution where English is the language of instruction, please email the program you are applying to in order to request the waiver. Your waiver request must be supported by the program you are applying to before it can be reviewed.
Contact the SOLES Admissions and Outreach Office to learn if you are eligible for an EPEX waiver. Each request will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Questions?
Connect with the Office of Admissions and Outreach team to learn more information about SOLES master's and doctoral programs. Additional information for international applicants is also available.