Higher Education, M.Ed.

Program Description

The M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration focuses on the critical knowledge and skills necessary to lead or serve in academic organizations in an ever-changing global, economic, and technological environment. Focused on evidence-based practice, the courses establish foundational frameworks in finance, legal, and governmental constraints; management of operations, academics, student affairs, and human resources; assessment and evaluation, and other areas essential to higher education. The program guides students in using data to inform and drive quality decisions regarding academic engagement, which support student-centric policies and processes. Designed to complement professional agendas, an integration of concepts prepares higher education professionals to navigate the complexity of systems influenced by modern societal issues.

Program Outcomes

1. Establish a solid knowledge of the role, scope and trends within the field of higher education and the dynamics of functions within colleges and universities. 
2. Recognize the scope of diversity in higher education and the goals and intended outcomes for academic achievement. 
3. Coordinate roles of faculty, administrators, students, and external constituents in higher education. 
4. Synthesize and validate the importance of information, knowledge, and points of view established in theories, standards, principles, and evidence-based research to make data-informed decisions and select resources.
5. Adapt intellectual processes to a range of circumstantial settings including ethical dilemmas, self-assessment, and cultural awareness impacting issues, concepts, and critical and creative endeavors. 
6. Employ strategies which effectively articulate the complexity of a situation to enhance understanding and meaning as a way to build relationships and resolve problems. 
7. Critically analyze perceptions, compare cultural distinctions, and identify critical components of systems influencing civic and global responsibilities within a higher education setting. 
8. Formulate performance expectations to foster continued personal and professional growth required to support principles of academic learning. 
9. Demonstrate habits of the mind leading to tangible changes and solutions to critical problems, enhance experience for self and others, and empower collective decisions while practicing ethical choices necessary for leadership in higher education. 
10. Measure the critical components of essential frameworks established to manage policies, utilize resources, and evaluate decisions to establish and maintain organizational culture. 

Mission Statement

The M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration program prepares innovative and ethical leaders to further increase access to education. Through evidence-based research and critical analysis, students address issues in postsecondary education, manage positive change, and explore policymaking.