Graduate Studies

Course Preview
Methods of Research
This course is designed to examine comprehensive methodological approaches to qualitative and quantitative research and the basic research process. Skills in critiquing research, evaluating the research outcomes as valid, reliable, and useful and the application of this knowledge and skill in the creating of a literature review are included.
Diversity and Multiculturalism in Higher Education
This course emphasizes development of the awareness, knowledge, and skills necessary to be an inclusive higher education administrator or faculty member through the lens of structural inequality and diversity. It emphasizes the practitioner’s responsibilities, challenges, and opportunities for creating and sustaining affirming, pluralistic, and inclusive campus communities for all students.
Higher Education Administration and Leadership
This course provides an overview of the basic organizational structure of higher education and how leadership at every level may use the structure to facilitate change and innovation. In this light, the role of each leadership unit (academic affairs, student affairs, enrollment management, finance, institutional advancement, and others) is examined.
Professional Seminar Parts I & II
The Seminar consists of a capstone project with an experiential component of 15 hours of immersion in practice. The project employs an action research process that applies learning directly to a higher education setting. The project serves as the master’s comprehensive evaluation incorporating concepts from all parts of the curriculum. Formal presentation of the project is the final requirement for the program.
Curriculum (30 credits)
- Core courses in educational leadership (asynchronous online classes)
- GEN 501 Human Development
- GEN 502 Methods of Research
- GEN 503 Interpersonal Relations
- EDL 615 Contemporary Professional Ethics
- Concentration courses in higher education (synchronous online classes)
- HED 605 Foundations of American Higher Education
- HED 612 Higher Education Administration and Leadership
- HED 621 Diversity and Multiculturalism in Higher Education
- HED 632 Assessment of Student Learning
- Applied capstone courses (synchronous online sessions coupled with field experience and independent research)
- HED 637 Professional Seminar, Part I
- HED 638 Professional Seminar, Part II
Program Mission, Goals and Learning Outcomes
Three Pillars
- Serve as leaders and change agents who think critically and sensitively in the context of a diverse and evolving society
- Respond reflectively to emerging trends in light of the purposes, ideals and operation of the higher education community
- Apply skills, knowledge and attitudes effectively and ethically in the spectrum of higher education administrative roles
Student Learning Outcomes
Students who complete the program will be able to:
- Understand factors influencing and supporting higher education, its purpose and its practices
- Evaluate and respond to current administrative issues and trends in higher education
- Recognize social and cultural systems in the context of the environment and through an historical lens
- Articulate leadership values and styles in the context of ethical decision making
- Use research, knowledge of human dimensions, and interpersonal dynamics to inform practice
Admission Requirements
To apply, you must:
- Hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
- Complete the application
- Provide official undergraduate transcripts demonstrating a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale
- Submit a current resume (work experience in the higher education setting is not required)
- Submit a one-page essay discussing professional goals connected to a career in higher education
- Provide two professional/academic letters of recommendation
- Complete a successful interview demonstrating capacity to undertake an advanced master’s program
Where Can I Work?
Graduates of the master’s program may serve in roles across the spectrum of institutional types (community colleges, private institutions, and public regional universities). Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate a master’s degree as the preferred entry level education for these types of positions.
Just the facts
4+1
Four semesters plus one summer
$15,000
Program offered at a discounted rate of $500 per credit
2
Professional Seminars with applied experiences
30
Credits required for graduation
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