Graduate School - Higher Education

Introduction

The Department of Graduate Studies in Education offers the Master of Education in Higher Education, with an emphasis in College Student Affairs. This 36-hour program is designed to prepare students for professional careers in a broad range of higher education settings. Graduates will be prepared for roles such as residence life director, academic advisor, international student coordinator, financial aid counselor, intramural director, career services advisor, and many others. The degree will also provide a solid foundation for future doctoral work in higher education.

This program is designed to provide learning that is both classroom-based and experiential and that is intentional in its consideration and integration of the role of Christian faith in the work of a higher education professional. This program is distinguished from other graduate programs in higher education by its emphasis on preparing graduates to deal with issues and concerns in higher education from a Christian perspective. Upon completion of this program, students will be knowledgeable about and competent in:

          • Budgeting and finance in higher education

          • Group, individual and organizational interventions in higher education

          • Diversity and intercultural issues

          • Conflict resolution

          • Assessment and evaluation

          • Student development

          • Legal and ethical issues in higher education

          • Student spiritual formation

Students will complete 300 hours of supervised experience as reflective practitioners. Students will choose from many practicum opportunities available at ACU and other local colleges and universities that may include the following areas: recruiting and admissions, judicial affairs, career planning and placement, intercollegiate athletics, federal TRIO programs, student multicultural affairs, registrar, residence life, financial aid, first-year program, international education, intramurals, student activities, student leadership, spiritual life, and volunteer and service learning. Each student will complete a capstone course that requires the integration of foundational program concepts. The capstone course culminates in a project that the student uses to illustrate competencies mastered throughout the program. Students present their final capstone project to a panel of three higher education professionals for evaluation.

International learning opportunities will be made available on a regular basis in an effort to prepare future educators to engage in a global society. Students will be encouraged to attend discipline-related conferences for learning and professional networking opportunities.

Admission Requirements
Although a bachelor’s degree is required for admission, no specific undergraduate major is required. For admission criteria, please refer to the Graduate School Admission Requirements section of this catalog. In addition to the general Graduate School requirements, additional admission requirements are as follows:

          1. A satisfactory GRE score;

          2. A written purpose statement describing the applicant’s reasons for wishing to enter the
              higher education program and future career plans; and

          3. A personal interview with the program director. Contact Jason Morris to arrange the
             interview.

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HIGHER EDUCATION (MED)

Major Code: HIGH

Requirements for the MEd in higher education are:

Qualifying Exam
*Denotes a core course. Students must pass qualifying exams over core courses following the end of their first spring term.

**Project
At the conclusion of the program students must complete a capstone project and successfully defend the project in the form of a capstone presentation as a requirement for graduation.

Recommended Electives
CONR 601 Conflict Theory and Communication
CONR 603 Negotiation: Principles and Practice
ENGL 526 Business and Professional Writing
MGMT 636 Organizational Behavior
MGMT 532 Human Resource Management
PSYC 657 Intermediate Statistic
SOCI 542 Cultural Diversity

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