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The Higher Education Master's Degree program is a 36-hour program designed to be completed in 2 years of full-time enrollment or 3-5 years of part-time enrollment. 

A master’s degree with a focus in higher education gives students insight into how a university works on all levels. Similar to a Master of Business Administration that prepares students to join a broad array of business environments, an M.Ed. with a focus in higher education offers a breadth of knowledge that enables students to provide strategic direction within colleges and universities. Our curriculum prepares our program alumni to work in a wide range of roles, including student affairs, academic affairs, university administration, higher education systems offices, professional associations, and more.

Courses for this degree cover a full range of higher education content, including student affairs administration, college student development, interpreting educational research, faculty and academic governance, equity and access, public policy, higher education finance. In addition, students take special topic/elective courses during their time in the program, such as the opportunity to study higher education institutions abroad.

Course Descriptions

EPL 6343 Internship. Practicum or internship aligned with the student’s program of study. (previously known as Field Studies)

EPL 6356 Legal Issues in Higher Education. This course addresses the legal process as well as the legal rights, duties, and limitations of persons in the higher education community. (special topics/elective course)

EPL 6358 Equity and Access in Higher Education. Explores strategies for restructuring institutions of higher education with the goal of improving student support and achievement among diverse and historically marginalized groups.

EPL 6360 The College Student. Offers a contemporary overview and understanding of college students through analysis of current scholarship on American postsecondary students.

EPL 6363 Faculty and Academic Governance. This course provides an overview of the academic and faculty governance of colleges and universities in the United States with an emphasis on the roles and responsibilities of institutional stakeholders.

EPL 6373 Special Topics. Includes elective courses that address a current topic or specialized content in higher education. 

EPL 6379 Student Affairs Administration. This course examines the development of student personnel services, the role and function of the student affairs administrator in the educational institution, and contemporary issues and problems.

EPL 6374 Interpreting Educational Research. Focuses on basic quantitative research methods used in higher education administration and research. Students become familiar with a variety of statistical techniques and learn to apply them to real-world problems.

EPL 6376 Public Policy and Higher Education. Focuses on the antecedents and consequences of public policy for higher education at both the state and federal levels of American government.

EPL 6392 Foundations and History of Higher Education Administration. An examination of the purposes of higher education based on the historical influences on the development of colleges and universities.

EPL 6394 Emerging Issues in Higher Education. This course addresses emerging issues, trends, and debates in higher education.

EPL 6396 Higher Education Finance. This course considers the critical components of higher education finance and economics, including the key theories, issues, challenges, and structures of financing colleges and universities.