Application Process

UConn Higher Education and Student Affairs logo.

The application for entrance into the HESA program for the 2024-25 academic year is now closed. The application for the 2025-26 academic year will open in Fall 2024.

Applications are due each year by Dec. 1 at 11:59 p.m. (EST).

Admissions Timeline

  • Monday, Sept. 11, 2023 — Application Opens
  • Friday, Dec. 1 — Application Deadline
  • Friday, Dec. 8  Recommendation Deadline
  • Mid-Jan. — Admissions Decisions Sent and Assistantship Applications Open
  • Feb. 11-12, 2024 — Admitted Students Weekend and Assistantship Interviews

Prospective Student Information Sessions

Learn more about the HESA program during one of our Info Sessions, featuring a panel of HESA students, faculty, and assistantship supervisors.

Application Materials

Applicants will need to provide the program with the following items:

  • Application for Admission ($75 online application fee)
    • Application fee waivers are available on a limited basis to candidates who demonstrate financial need.  The Graduate School at UConn waives the application fee for prospective students associated with various organizations; to find out if you are eligible for an application fee waiver through the Graduate School, please see the Fee Waiver Policy.  If you are not eligible for an application fee waiver through the Graduate School, but would like to request that your application fee be waived due to financial need, please fill out our fee waiver consideration form. Note that these fee waivers offered by the HESA program are offered on a limited basis. To be considered for an application fee waiver, please submit the fee waiver submission form no later than November 3, 2023, by 11:59 PM EST. Requests submitted after this deadline will not be reviewed. 
  • Resumé
  • Essays
  • Two letters of recommendation
    • Recommendations are due December 8th at 11:59 PM (EST)
  • Official TOEFL score (for international students)
  • Unofficial transcript from each college or university attended (upload a PDF version within the online application)
  • GRE scores and additional writing samples are not required
    • The Graduate School application is used for a variety of programs, some of which require additional documents. Please only submit the aforementioned documents on this page. Writing samples, GRE scores, and additional materials beyond what is listed on this page will not be reviewed or considered.

More detailed information about the application process can be found at the Graduate School website

Requirements for Admission

  • Students must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university
  • Students must have one of the following to be considered:
    • A cumulative G.P.A. of 3.2 for the entire undergraduate record, or
    • A G.P.A. of at least 3.2 for the last two undergraduate years, or
    • Excellent work in the entire final undergraduate year (3.5 or better), or
    • Graduate work with a minimum G.P.A. of 3.0 or better (minimum of 9 Graduate credits required)

Unfortunately the Graduate School and therefore the HESA Program are unable to consider applicants who do not meet the criteria above.

  • HESA applicants are not required to take or submit test scores for the General Test of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE).

Undocumented Students

The University of Connecticut’s Higher Education and Student Affairs program encourages all students who meet the above requirements for admission to apply for admission, regardless of citizenship or immigration status.  Admission to the HESA Program is based on a holistic approach, which includes grade point average, required essays, curricular and co-curricular experiences, and letters of recommendation; this approach does not take into consideration an applicant’s citizenship or immigration status.  If you have questions about how your citizenship or immigration status will affect your experience in our program (e.g., ability to hold a graduate assistantship), please contact us at hesa@uconn.edu.

Part-Time Students

Serving the needs of full-time working professionals who want to pursue their master’s degree is a priority for the UConn HESA program. We know that full-time working professionals bring valuable and important experiences to our program, and we welcome applications from those who want to pursue further education with a UConn HESA degree. To meet the needs of full-time working professionals who are enrolled in our program, we have developed a part-time course of study that may better serve those who are working full-time. If you have questions about how your full-time employment may affect your experience in our program, please contact us at hesa@uconn.edu



Admission Offers

Offers for admission to the HESA program will be extended by late January. Admitted students will be invited to participate in our Admitted Students Weekend on February 11-12, 2024, which will include a virtual and in-person option. We will communicate with applicants ahead of time about these options, so they may choose which is best for them. The Admitted Students Weekend will give admitted students the opportunity to learn more about our program, interact with our current students, faculty, and staff, and participate in interviews for available Graduate Assistantships, if desired. 

Assistantship Interviews

Admitted students who seek a  Graduate Assistantship will be invited to interview for available graduate assistantship positions with HESA campus partners during the Admitted Students Weekend. Upon the conclusion of the interviews, candidates and graduate assistantship sites will submit their respective preferences and assistantships will subsequently be offered on the basis of the best matches. Graduate Assistantship interviews are optional, but strongly encouraged. Admitted students must participate in interviews to be eligible to receive an assistantship offer.

Getting Acquainted with Campus & Additional Information

We encourage prospective students and their families who are interested in learning more about UConn to participate in the virtual tours and other resources available through our Admissions program. Click here to learn more. If you have HESA-specific questions about campus facilities and campus life, please reach out to us at hesa@uconn.edu.

You may also want to check our HESA Frequently Asked Questions page for admissions information. For additional updates like our Facebook Page, follow us on Twitter @UConnHESA, or on Instagram at @UConnHESA. Please feel free to ask questions on our social media or by email at hesa@uconn.edu.

HESA Life

Wondering what the HESA experience is like on a day-to-day basis? Watch this video featuring the HESA Class of 2018 and Class of 2019 to find out! Each student in the video was asked to share a bit more detail about one specific element of their HESA experience to give you, prospective students, a deeper glimpse into what life is like as a HESA student. Topics covered include day-to-day assistantship and practicum work, classes and homework, favorite spots on campus, living situations, extracurricular and co-curricular involvement, social opportunities, and more. This video was initially shown as part of Interview Days for the HESA Class of 2020.