Program History

The graduate program in higher education at Syracuse University is one of the oldest in the country. The program began in 1931, as the Student Dean Program with the mission to train women to be deans of women at colleges and universities or to be high school and college counselors and placement officers.

In 1935, M. Eunice Hilton, who was the first woman to receive a doctorate from the School of Education (1934), became Director of the Student Dean Program, a position she held until 1959. Under Dr. Hilton's leadership, the program became known in the field as the program for women in higher education. Beginning in the 1960's, the Student Dean Program gradually expanded to include higher education administration.

At about the same time, the program became co-educational and shifted its emphasis towards scholarly research. The Student Dean Program, no longer an appropriate description of an ever expanding department, was changed to the Higher Education Program to reflect an ever-expanding range of study. The important work of the Student Dean Program continues through the higher education/student affairs masters program.