Pursue a higher calling in higher education: promoting whole-person formation in Christ's image through spiritual formation, discipleship, and communal learning. This robust graduate program is geared toward anyone dedicated to developing young adults and cultivating transformative environments in college and ministry settings.
Special Note
Our compensation packages help students earn extra income during graduate school.
Gain valuable higher education admin experience while saving on tuition.
Our strong relationships with institutions help you find internship and career opportunities.
Or reach out to us anytime at graduate.admissions@wheaton.edu.
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This brief video gives you a glimpse into the rewarding and sacred career of student development in higher education.
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Matthew, a Navajo from Flagstaff, Arizona, is the son of the Native American Assemblies of God pastors Jackie and Lenora Holgate, who lead Mountaintop Church in Flagstaff and engage in compassion relief efforts. While Matthew knew at a younger age that he was called to address the hardships in his native community, as a student leader and eventually the student body president at Vanguard, he found a new way of advocating for the change – through holistic support of Native American college students.
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Abram Erickson first arrived on Wheaton's campus as a freshman in 2017. His four years as an undergraduate were impactful, exposing him to numerous leadership opportunities and formative experiences; and instilling in him a desire to work in Higher Education, paying it forward by supporting college students as he had been supported. This led him to apply and enroll in Wheaton's graduate Higher Education and Student Development program, where he is completing his final semester and conducting thesis research.
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Esther prioritized learning about international higher education. After meeting with the HESD Program Director, Dr. Olga Dietlin, she learned of an opportunity to serve as a Summer Residence Director at LCC International University.
With Wheaton’s M.A. in Higher Education and Student Development, you’ll find mission-focused educators, gratefully co-laboring in redemptive work.
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Dr. Dietlin and her co-authors discuss recent discoveries that underscore the power of encouragement and positive engagement. This chapter will increase your awareness of and sensitivity to the neurobiological processes typical in the development of students.
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Dr. David Setran bridges the gap between academic and popular literature on emerging adulthood and offers concrete ways to facilitate spiritual formation among emerging adults.
In this program, you will engage in coursework related to higher education and student affairs, organization and administration of student affairs, discipleship and spiritual formation, characteristics and development of emerging adults, kingdom diversity and justice, student and staff wellbeing, legal issues in higher education, and program evaluation and research.
Please see the graduate course catalog for current requirements as well as the most up-to-date course numbers, titles, and descriptions.
Higher Education and Student Development core and elective courses include:
Our alumni are highly sought-after, with a 100% job placement rate in recent years, especially with faith-based schools. Beyond these opportunities, our Center for Vocation and Career helps students discover opportunities in student development, church and parachurch ministries, and more.
A master's degree in higher education and student development could lead to a range of professional roles within colleges, universities, and related organizations in residence life, student engagement, orientation, academic advising, discipleship ministries, and many other areas.
Our alumni are leading students at institutions and educational and ministry organizations in the United States and around the world, including the leading institutions within the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), churches, and non-profit organizations.
"God used this program to provide me with a foundation for how to do ministry with this particular age group. More importantly, God used the community to help me to realize my gifts and talents and encourage me to be the person that God created me to be."
- Kristal Dove M.A. '12, Professor, Milligan College in Johnson City, TN
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The Wheaton College Student Financial Services team can help you understand how much your graduate studies will cost and what scholarships, loans, and other financial assistance may be available to you.
Residential student in the M.A. in Higher Education and Student Development program are invited to apply for a graduate assistantship position, a role which not only offers professional experience, but also assistance toward tuition, housing, meals, and other related expenses.
Learn About Graduate Financial Aid
Interested in working with emerging adults? The M.A. in Higher Education and Student Development at Wheaton might be right for you. Request more information or start your application today.