M.S. Application Checklist
The following is a step-by-step guide to applying for admission to the SAHE M.S. Program. Applications for fall 2023/24 enrollment are now available via the Graduate School.
Note: SAHE no longer requires GRE scores for application to our M.S. Program.
Step 1: Complete your Online Application
Create an online application as a part of this application the Graduate School requires the following materials:
- Unofficial Undergraduate Transcript(s) (send transcripts to Graduate School)
- $50 online application fee
Additionally, in your online application, the SAHE Program requires the following: (also submitted through the graduate school online application)
- Resume
- Essay Response (to one of the two prompts listed below). This essay serves as your personal statement.
- Contact Information for four Letters of Recommendation (sent electronically via CollegeNet through the online application; 2 academic letters and 2 professional letters)
To clarify, an academic reference should speak to your ability in the classroom. Ideally, these letters of recommendation will come from faculty with whom you have worked in an academic context, such as, in the classroom or through an independent research experience. Please note that recommenders cannot submit their recommendation letters until you have submitted all of your materials through the graduate school application. We advise that you notify recommenders of this timeline in advance so they can prepare your letters and upload them quickly, once you have submitted your application. This will help ensure you get all materials - including letters of recommendation - submitted by the January 3rd deadline.
Step 2: Complete Assistantship Rank Order Form
All M.S. applicants with completed applications will receive an email (to the email address listed in your online application) with a link to the online SAHE M.S. Assistantship Rank Order Form. Sending the form at this time ensures that it reflects all available assistantships, as assistantships are confirmed on a rolling basis.
Essay Prompts
Please type and double-space your essay response, which should not exceed five pages in length. Note: all assistantship offices which you list in your Rank Order Form will receive your essay.
Option A
In our work with collegians, student affairs educators focus on the whole student (e.g., academics, social relationships, intellectual capacities, vocational aspirations, values, emotions, physical well-being). The Miami University Student Affairs in Higher Education (SAHE) program not only focuses on the whole student as it relates to undergraduates, we also seek to understand holistically the candidates who apply to the program.
To achieve this aim--understanding the complexities of the candidates who apply to the program SAHE faculty members seek diverse data from candidates, such as resumes, transcripts, letters of recommendation, and an application essay.
The purpose of the essay is to augment other application materials (i.e., resumes, transcripts, and letters of recommendation) because there are (for example) unique life experiences or personal insights that are neither evident on one's transcript or resume, nor explicitly discussed by individuals writing your letters of recommendation. To address these possible voids and to strive to understand the wholeness of candidates, this is an opportunity for you to reveal important life experiences and personal insights that are neither obvious nor explicit in the other application materials. Reflect, analyze, and interpret the meaning of these experiences, instead of merely describing the experiences. For example, if you noted on your resume that you studied abroad, you might include what you learned as a result of that educational experience that would benefit you and your peers during your graduate studies. Likewise, if you struggled academically one semester, which resulted in a temporary drop in your GPA, you might analyze the situation and make explicit what you learned to ensure academic success in graduate school and in student affairs.
Option B
One core value of the Student Affairs in Higher Education (SAHE) program is creative controversy. Potent learning occurs as we explore divergent perspectives about complex and contested issues. To achieve this aim, we listen to the views of others engage in respectful dialogue, and evaluate and learn from multiple perspectives, while recognizing that disagreement is inevitable and a powerful way to learn. Out of disagreements come new information, diverse perspectives, and more complex understanding.
Effective participation in this type of learning involves analyzing various perspectives about an issue, weighing ideas in the context of one's own beliefs and values, choosing and supporting a position, and understanding the implications of one's choice. This essay is an opportunity for you to identify and express your perspective on an issue you view as important in student affairs.
Write in the first person. First, introduce the issue, then reflect on and analyze the various and diverse perspectives about this issue (resist the urge to merely describe the perspectives). Compare these perspectives with your beliefs and values, explain why you have adopted your particular position on the issue, and comment on the implications of your perspective on your graduate studies.