The 9-credit-hour hour certificate in Higher Education Administration is a generalist certificate that builds on existing courses and affords students an opportunity to be introduced to the academic scholarship on higher education. It is intended for administrators who find that some formal exposure to academic literature topics related to colleges and universities would help them in their administrative positions and current administrators who may wish to update their knowledge of the theory and research on higher education. With careful planning and in consultation with an advisor, prospective students could use certain courses toward the master’s, EdD (or PhD) in higher education.
Students will select ELPS 780 Introduction to Higher Education as a core course. The student would take 2 additional courses selected from among master's courses. These could be counted towards a master's degree.
NOTE: Admission to the Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Administration is paused for the 2026-2027 academic year.
Graduate Admissions Requirements
Applicants must meet both the University and departmental admission requirements to be considered for the program.
University of Kansas Graduate Admission Requirements
Certificate in Higher Education Administration Application Requirements
- A completed graduate application.
- Application fee.
- Official transcripts of all degree-granting post-secondary institutions you have attended and an official transcript for each degree earned.
- Personal statement declaring your interest in the program and its relationship to your graduate course or study and/or career objectives.
NOTE: These are the admission requirements in place at the time this catalog content was published.
NOTE: Admission to the Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Administration is paused for the 2026-2027 academic year.
While completing the following degree requirements, graduate students are expected to understand and follow Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Affairs policies relevant to their student status and academic standing.
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| Introduction to Higher Education Administration (Students with a bachelor's degree take this course.) | |
| Higher Education and Society | |
| Introduction to College Leadership | |
| Higher Education in the United States | |
| The College Student | |
| College Student Access, Persistence, and Success | |
| Assessment and Program Evaluation in Higher Education | |
| Total Hours | 9 |
At least 50% of coursework in the certificate degree must be at the 700 level or above.
NOTE: Admission to the Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Administration is paused for the 2026-2027 academic year.
At the completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Identify and explain the interrelated institution, policies, and practices that comprise the system of higher education.
- Identify and explain systems of education in social and historical context.
- Identify, evaluate, and respond to various constituencies in higher education with a goal towards supporting them.
- Demonstrate and apply concepts to present-day problems and practice.
