M.S. in Higher Education

Historical perspectives on the development of higher education are useful in understanding the characteristics of our current system and future trends. The social, political, and economic context in which four-year colleges, community colleges, and universities operate is introduced in this course. Education professionals explore how institutions of higher education apply business principles to renew their commitment to student learning and achieve their mission and goals effectively. They also become familiar with the philosophy, requirements, and community of Walden University, The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership, and the M.S. in Higher Education program.

The success of any business is tied directly to its ability to serve its customers effectively. In higher education, those customers are students. In this course, education professionals examine fundamental principles of student learning and development as well as the implications of these principles for adult learners from a variety of backgrounds who have diverse needs and are in different stages of the educational process. They investigate and discuss factors affecting students’ educational goals and aspirations, their ability to stay in college, and the impact of their educational experiences on their learning and development; through this exploration and discussion, education professionals gain a better understanding of the ways leaders can improve these outcomes.

Effective leadership within colleges and universities depends on the ability to identify important aspects of an organization’s structure and culture as well as to adapt one’s behavior to that culture. In this course, education professionals examine patterns of organization, governance, and culture in higher education, and they assess strategies for working effectively within governance structures and organizational cultures to achieve desired goals. They engage in readings and assignments that emphasize the organization’s ability to learn and change in response to internal and external factors, including the ever-changing use of technology in academic programs and services.

Making good decisions in higher education requires the effective use of an array of information sources. In this course, education professionals investigate strategies for implementing data-informed, decision-making processes, including critiquing and evaluating research findings, locating and interpreting appropriate data sources and making credible arguments based on current industry trends and institutional data. They also complete learning activities through which they focus on determining the implications of research and data for key institutional issues and using this knowledge to drive quality improvement.

Student success depends not only on the quality of the institution’s academic programs but also on the quality and availability of student services. In particular, the growing need to help increasingly diverse student populations succeed in college requires innovative approaches to retention and support initiatives. In this course, education professionals explore strategies to plan, organize, and manage student services and programs effectively as well as for ensuring that these programs meet legal and regulatory requirements. They also engage in coursework that emphasizes the design and deployment of programs and services, which enables students from diverse backgrounds to achieve their educational goals.

Optimizing quality and productivity in a higher education organization requires the ability to initiate and support positive change efforts. In this course, education professionals explore and discuss best practices for analyzing and evaluating organizational performance; identifying opportunities for improvement; and leveraging available resources, including technological resources, to support productive change initiatives. They also investigate strategies for achieving quality and productivity goals in the context of accountability, including defining outcomes aligned with the institution’s strategic plan, establishing credible outcome measures, and demonstrating how to use outcomes data to improve programs and services.

As costs escalate and resources dwindle, the effective, ethical, and socially responsible management of financial resources becomes an increasingly important skill in higher education. Education professionals are introduced to the fundamentals of financial administration in four-year colleges, community colleges, and universities in this course. They explore financial issues specific to higher education, such as budget management, asset management, state appropriations, administration of financial planning, and fundraising. They also engage in practical learning activities through which they develop and assess strategies for deploying and managing resources to achieve established goals.

Faculty members and staff are the most important resource in any higher education institution. In this course, education professionals focus on strategies for human resource management in higher education, including recruitment and staffing, professional development, compensation, performance evaluation, and legal considerations. They investigate issues specific to faculty members, including promotion and tenure, collective bargaining, and collaboration with adjunct faculty members. They also examine the skills needed to coach, support, motivate, and facilitate collaboration among staff, enabling the organization to move toward desired outcomes.

Higher education institutions achieve their goals primarily through instructional programs as well as through student support programs and services. Stakeholders at all levels within and outside the organization, including students, administrators, employers, legislators, and the public, expect institutions to demonstrate that their programs accomplish desired goals and that processes are in place to support data-driven improvement. In this course, education professionals engage in the cyclical process of program planning and assessment, including establishing goals and outcomes, creating and implementing an assessment plan, sharing results and determining strategies for improvement, and involving faculty, staff, and students in the assessment process.

The master’s capstone experience provides education professionals the opportunity to integrate and apply their learning to real-world issues or problems. Education professionals research and create a product that addresses a critical issue in a particular institution or area of higher education. Examples of such products include a design for a program or service that could be implemented at a particular institution, a professional development program or resource, or a position paper that addresses a particular issue in depth. Education professionals choose an issue or problem that is of sufficient scope to enable them to apply theories, concepts, and practices gained from multiple areas of prior coursework. (Prerequisites: All other courses.)

Historical perspectives on the development of higher education are useful in understanding the characteristics of our current system and future trends. The social, political, and economic context in which four-year colleges, community colleges, and universities operate is introduced in this course. Education professionals explore how institutions of higher education apply business principles to renew their commitment to student learning and achieve their mission and goals effectively. They also become familiar with the philosophy, requirements, and community of Walden University, The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership, and the M.S. in Higher Education program.

The success of any business is tied directly to its ability to serve its customers effectively. In higher education, those customers are students. In this course, education professionals examine fundamental principles of student learning and development as well as the implications of these principles for adult learners from a variety of backgrounds who have diverse needs and are in different stages of the educational process. They investigate and discuss factors affecting students’ educational goals and aspirations, their ability to stay in college, and the impact of their educational experiences on their learning and development; through this exploration and discussion, education professionals gain a better understanding of the ways leaders can improve these outcomes.

Effective leadership within colleges and universities depends on the ability to identify important aspects of an organization’s structure and culture as well as to adapt one’s behavior to that culture. In this course, education professionals examine patterns of organization, governance, and culture in higher education, and they assess strategies for working effectively within governance structures and organizational cultures to achieve desired goals. They engage in readings and assignments that emphasize the organization’s ability to learn and change in response to internal and external factors, including the ever-changing use of technology in academic programs and services.

Making good decisions in higher education requires the effective use of an array of information sources. In this course, education professionals investigate strategies for implementing data-informed, decision-making processes, including critiquing and evaluating research findings, locating and interpreting appropriate data sources and making credible arguments based on current industry trends and institutional data. They also complete learning activities through which they focus on determining the implications of research and data for key institutional issues and using this knowledge to drive quality improvement.

Student success depends not only on the quality of the institution’s academic programs but also on the quality and availability of student services. In particular, the growing need to help increasingly diverse student populations succeed in college requires innovative approaches to retention and support initiatives. In this course, education professionals explore strategies to plan, organize, and manage student services and programs effectively as well as for ensuring that these programs meet legal and regulatory requirements. They also engage in coursework that emphasizes the design and deployment of programs and services, which enables students from diverse backgrounds to achieve their educational goals.

Effective learning experiences start with a clear plan. Decisions about what to teach, how to teach, and how to ensure students are achieving important learning goals confront every college instructor. Education professionals are introduced to concepts of planning curriculum and courses, establishing goals and outcomes, aligning outcomes with professional or disciplinary standards, prioritizing content, and planning for student engagement and active learning in this course. They engage in discussions and activities that emphasize the development of decision-making processes, which they can use to create effective plans for learning. Through an integrative course project, education professionals apply course concepts as they develop a learning plan that incorporates learning goals and teaching and assessment strategies.

A growing body of literature on effective practices in higher education highlights the importance of student engagement in the learning process. In this course, education professionals explore principles and processes for creating meaningful, student-centered learning experiences in a variety of educational contexts, including ways of using technology to support learning. They focus on how they can address the needs of diverse learners using active learning strategies, share responsibility for learning with their students, and empower their students to become more self-directed. Education professionals also learn to anticipate and address the challenges that self-directed approaches might create for students who are more familiar with traditional learning environments.

Assessment in college teaching involves several critical processes: giving students meaningful tasks that allow them to demonstrate their learning; providing feedback that enables students to improve their performance; and using data about student learning to continually improve teaching. Education professionals are provided with opportunities to design and discuss approaches to evaluation and assessment that support learner motivation and development, track progress toward outcomes, and gain information they can use to inform their own practice, including ways that technology can augment these approaches. Through this course, education professionals can learn what it means to engage in teaching scholarship—the process of investigating their teaching and sharing demonstrably effective approaches with their peers.

Online learning represents the fastest growing sector of higher education and is used in a variety of contexts. Education professionals in this course analyze how online learning can serve as a supplement to textbooks and traditional classroom instruction, a substitute for face-to-face time in blended or hybrid classes, and the exclusive method of learning in fully online courses and programs. They explore how online learning presents special opportunities as well as challenges to faculty and  students. Through the development of an online learning experience, education professionals practice strategies for planning, facilitating, and assessing learning online, and they gain a better understanding of how to use online learning technologies to enhance learning and motivate students.

The master’s capstone experience provides education professionals the opportunity to integrate and apply their learning to real-world issues or problems. Education professionals research and create a product that addresses a critical issue in a particular institution or area of higher education. Examples of such products include a design for a program or service that could be implemented at a particular institution, a professional development program or resource, or a position paper that addresses a particular issue in depth. Education professionals choose an issue or problem that is of sufficient scope to enable them to apply theories, concepts, and practices gained from multiple areas of prior coursework. (Prerequisites: All other courses.)

Historical perspectives on the development of higher education are useful in understanding the characteristics of our current system and future trends. The social, political, and economic context in which four-year colleges, community colleges, and universities operate is introduced in this course. Education professionals explore how institutions of higher education apply business principles to renew their commitment to student learning and achieve their mission and goals effectively. They also become familiar with the philosophy, requirements, and community of Walden University, The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership, and the M.S. in Higher Education program.

The success of any business is tied directly to its ability to serve its customers effectively. In higher education, those customers are students. In this course, education professionals examine fundamental principles of student learning and development as well as the implications of these principles for adult learners from a variety of backgrounds who have diverse needs and are in different stages of the educational process. They investigate and discuss factors affecting students’ educational goals and aspirations, their ability to stay in college, and the impact of their educational experiences on their learning and development; through this exploration and discussion, education professionals gain a better understanding of the ways leaders can improve these outcomes.

Effective leadership within colleges and universities depends on the ability to identify important aspects of an organization’s structure and culture as well as to adapt one’s behavior to that culture. In this course, education professionals examine patterns of organization, governance, and culture in higher education, and they assess strategies for working effectively within governance structures and organizational cultures to achieve desired goals. They engage in readings and assignments that emphasize the organization’s ability to learn and change in response to internal and external factors, including the ever-changing use of technology in academic programs and services.

Making good decisions in higher education requires the effective use of an array of information sources. In this course, education professionals investigate strategies for implementing data-informed, decision-making processes, including critiquing and evaluating research findings, locating and interpreting appropriate data sources and making credible arguments based on current industry trends and institutional data. They also complete learning activities through which they focus on determining the implications of research and data for key institutional issues and using this knowledge to drive quality improvement.

Student success depends not only on the quality of the institution’s academic programs but also on the quality and availability of student services. In particular, the growing need to help increasingly diverse student populations succeed in college requires innovative approaches to retention and support initiatives. In this course, education professionals explore strategies to plan, organize, and manage student services and programs effectively as well as for ensuring that these programs meet legal and regulatory requirements. They also engage in coursework that emphasizes the design and deployment of programs and services, which enables students from diverse backgrounds to achieve their educational goals.

Optimizing quality and productivity in a higher education organization requires the ability to initiate and support positive change efforts. In this course, education professionals explore and discuss best practices for analyzing and evaluating organizational performance; identifying opportunities for improvement; and leveraging available resources, including technological resources, to support productive change initiatives. They also investigate strategies for achieving quality and productivity goals in the context of accountability, including defining outcomes aligned with the institution’s strategic plan, establishing credible outcome measures, and demonstrating how to use outcomes data to improve programs and services.

As costs escalate and resources dwindle, the effective, ethical, and socially responsible management of financial resources becomes an increasingly important skill in higher education. Education professionals are introduced to the fundamentals of financial administration in four-year colleges, community colleges, and universities in this course. They explore financial issues specific to higher education, such as budget management, asset management, state appropriations, administration of financial planning, and fundraising. They also engage in practical learning activities through which they develop and assess strategies for deploying and managing resources to achieve established goals.

In an increasingly competitive market, colleges and universities must develop strategies for attracting and retaining  students according to their missions and the needs of the community. In this course, professionals learn fundamental principles of marketing, institutional promotion, and enrollment management in a higher education context, including branding, differentiating and positioning, forecasting, and communicating with the public and alumni. They engage in discussions on a variety of issues related to strategic enrollment management processes, including legal and regulatory considerations related to student recruitment, financial aid, diversity issues, and methods to align marketing and recruitment efforts with institutional mission and goals. Demonstrating understanding of course concepts, education professionals complete an institutional case study to examine institutional approaches to enrollment management and marketing as well as related challenges.

New technologies that can support an institution’s efforts to recruit and retain students are emerging every day. These technologies can be powerful tools for promoting and increasing awareness of an institution’s products and services. Education professionals in this course explore applications of online social networking systems, digital media, and other communications tools. They also examine traditional media and public relations strategies, which leaders at all levels of an institution can use to attract, engage, and retain students and to generate institutional awareness. Additionally, they gain practical experience developing a marketing and communication plan in which they incorporate strategies and media tools to refine an institutional message.

The master’s capstone experience provides education professionals the opportunity to integrate and apply their learning to real-world issues or problems. Education professionals research and create a product that addresses a critical issue in a particular institution or area of higher education. Examples of such products include a design for a program or service that could be implemented at a particular institution, a professional development program or resource, or a position paper that addresses a particular issue in depth. Education professionals choose an issue or problem that is of sufficient scope to enable them to apply theories, concepts, and practices gained from multiple areas of prior coursework. (Prerequisites: All other courses.)

Historical perspectives on the development of higher education are useful in understanding the characteristics of our current system and future trends. The social, political, and economic context in which four-year colleges, community colleges, and universities operate is introduced in this course. Education professionals explore how institutions of higher education apply business principles to renew their commitment to student learning and achieve their mission and goals effectively. They also become familiar with the philosophy, requirements, and community of Walden University, The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership, and the M.S. in Higher Education program.

The success of any business is tied directly to its ability to serve its customers effectively. In higher education, those customers are students. In this course, education professionals examine fundamental principles of student learning and development as well as the implications of these principles for adult learners from a variety of backgrounds who have diverse needs and are in different stages of the educational process. They investigate and discuss factors affecting students’ educational goals and aspirations, their ability to stay in college, and the impact of their educational experiences on their learning and development; through this exploration and discussion, education professionals gain a better understanding of the ways leaders can improve these outcomes.

Effective leadership within colleges and universities depends on the ability to identify important aspects of an organization’s structure and culture as well as to adapt one’s behavior to that culture. In this course, education professionals examine patterns of organization, governance, and culture in higher education, and they assess strategies for working effectively within governance structures and organizational cultures to achieve desired goals. They engage in readings and assignments that emphasize the organization’s ability to learn and change in response to internal and external factors, including the ever-changing use of technology in academic programs and services.

Making good decisions in higher education requires the effective use of an array of information sources. In this course, education professionals investigate strategies for implementing data-informed, decision-making processes, including critiquing and evaluating research findings, locating and interpreting appropriate data sources and making credible arguments based on current industry trends and institutional data. They also complete learning activities through which they focus on determining the implications of research and data for key institutional issues and using this knowledge to drive quality improvement.

Student success depends not only on the quality of the institution’s academic programs but also on the quality and availability of student services. In particular, the growing need to help increasingly diverse student populations succeed in college requires innovative approaches to retention and support initiatives. In this course, education professionals explore strategies to plan, organize, and manage student services and programs effectively as well as for ensuring that these programs meet legal and regulatory requirements. They also engage in coursework that emphasizes the design and deployment of programs and services, which enables students from diverse backgrounds to achieve their educational goals.

Optimizing quality and productivity in a higher education organization requires the ability to initiate and support positive change efforts. In this course, education professionals explore and discuss best practices for analyzing and evaluating organizational performance; identifying opportunities for improvement; and leveraging available resources, including technological resources, to support productive change initiatives. They also investigate strategies for achieving quality and productivity goals in the context of accountability, including defining outcomes aligned with the institution’s strategic plan, establishing credible outcome measures, and demonstrating how to use outcomes data to improve programs and services.

As costs escalate and resources dwindle, the effective, ethical, and socially responsible management of financial resources becomes an increasingly important skill in higher education. Education professionals are introduced to the fundamentals of financial administration in four-year colleges, community colleges, and universities in this course. They explore financial issues specific to higher education, such as budget management, asset management, state appropriations, administration of financial planning, and fundraising. They also engage in practical learning activities through which they develop and assess strategies for deploying and managing resources to achieve established goals.

Globalization is a phenomenon affecting almost every aspect of society, from politics to commerce to entertainment. Higher education is no exception; technology and social mobility increasingly lead to opportunities for collaboration and competition among institutions globally. In this course, education professionals investigate trends and issues in higher education worldwide, including ways in which institutions serve the needs of an increasingly mobile student population. Through assignments designed to provide practical application of course content, education professionals consider globalization through a variety of contexts, such as in their personal and professional lives, student experiences, and challenges and opportunities. They also explore international differences in institutional organization and governance, operations and services, accountability, and articulation; they use this knowledge to inform later study of program development and administration.

Leaders in academic programs and student services have a growing number of opportunities to provide their students with educational experiences that take place in one or more international contexts. Education professionals in this course address strategies for international student recruitment and support; development and administration of cooperative programs, such as study abroad; implementation of technology applications to support international experiences; and other approaches to entering and enhancing their position in the global higher education market.

The master’s capstone experience provides education professionals the opportunity to integrate and apply their learning to real-world issues or problems. Education professionals research and create a product that addresses a critical issue in a particular institution or area of higher education. Examples of such products include a design for a program or service that could be implemented at a particular institution, a professional development program or resource, or a position paper that addresses a particular issue in depth. Education professionals choose an issue or problem that is of sufficient scope to enable them to apply theories, concepts, and practices gained from multiple areas of prior coursework. (Prerequisites: All other courses.)

Historical perspectives on the development of higher education are useful in understanding the characteristics of our current system and future trends. The social, political, and economic context in which four-year colleges, community colleges, and universities operate is introduced in this course. Education professionals explore how institutions of higher education apply business principles to renew their commitment to student learning and achieve their mission and goals effectively. They also become familiar with the philosophy, requirements, and community of Walden University, The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership, and the M.S. in Higher Education program.

The success of any business is tied directly to its ability to serve its customers effectively. In higher education, those customers are students. In this course, education professionals examine fundamental principles of student learning and development as well as the implications of these principles for adult learners from a variety of backgrounds who have diverse needs and are in different stages of the educational process. They investigate and discuss factors affecting students’ educational goals and aspirations, their ability to stay in college, and the impact of their educational experiences on their learning and development; through this exploration and discussion, education professionals gain a better understanding of the ways leaders can improve these outcomes.

Effective leadership within colleges and universities depends on the ability to identify important aspects of an organization’s structure and culture as well as to adapt one’s behavior to that culture. In this course, education professionals examine patterns of organization, governance, and culture in higher education, and they assess strategies for working effectively within governance structures and organizational cultures to achieve desired goals. They engage in readings and assignments that emphasize the organization’s ability to learn and change in response to internal and external factors, including the ever-changing use of technology in academic programs and services.

Making good decisions in higher education requires the effective use of an array of information sources. In this course, education professionals investigate strategies for implementing data-informed, decision-making processes, including critiquing and evaluating research findings, locating and interpreting appropriate data sources and making credible arguments based on current industry trends and institutional data. They also complete learning activities through which they focus on determining the implications of research and data for key institutional issues and using this knowledge to drive quality improvement.

Student success depends not only on the quality of the institution’s academic programs but also on the quality and availability of student services. In particular, the growing need to help increasingly diverse student populations succeed in college requires innovative approaches to retention and support initiatives. In this course, education professionals explore strategies to plan, organize, and manage student services and programs effectively as well as for ensuring that these programs meet legal and regulatory requirements. They also engage in coursework that emphasizes the design and deployment of programs and services, which enables students from diverse backgrounds to achieve their educational goals.

Optimizing quality and productivity in a higher education organization requires the ability to initiate and support positive change efforts. In this course, education professionals explore and discuss best practices for analyzing and evaluating organizational performance; identifying opportunities for improvement; and leveraging available resources, including technological resources, to support productive change initiatives. They also investigate strategies for achieving quality and productivity goals in the context of accountability, including defining outcomes aligned with the institution’s strategic plan, establishing credible outcome measures, and demonstrating how to use outcomes data to improve programs and services.

As costs escalate and resources dwindle, the effective, ethical, and socially responsible management of financial resources becomes an increasingly important skill in higher education. Education professionals are introduced to the fundamentals of financial administration in four-year colleges, community colleges, and universities in this course. They explore financial issues specific to higher education, such as budget management, asset management, state appropriations, administration of financial planning, and fundraising. They also engage in practical learning activities through which they develop and assess strategies for deploying and managing resources to achieve established goals.

Supporting and retaining  students until graduation is central to the mission of all institutions of higher education. In this course, education professionals investigate strategies for increasing student success throughout their college experience, from admission to graduation. They explore the ways in which faculty and staff throughout the institution can work collaboratively and leverage resources, such as emerging technologies, to create positive learning experiences. Educators focus on the interplay between academic and student support programs as well as how to design and implement such programs to maximize opportunities for student success.

In this course, education professionals explore strategies for leading change in programs and services to support student success and retention. Education professionals engage in research and discussion on a variety of issues, such as assessing needs, developing programs, and seeking resources through fundraising and grant writing. They also engage in activities that focus on ways that change efforts can support an institution’s mission and strategic goals, such as increasing the participation of traditionally underrepresented populations in key program areas and building more inclusive communities of learners. 

The master’s capstone experience provides education professionals the opportunity to integrate and apply their learning to real-world issues or problems. Education professionals research and create a product that addresses a critical issue in a particular institution or area of higher education. Examples of such products include a design for a program or service that could be implemented at a particular institution, a professional development program or resource, or a position paper that addresses a particular issue in depth. Education professionals choose an issue or problem that is of sufficient scope to enable them to apply theories, concepts, and practices gained from multiple areas of prior coursework. (Prerequisites: All other courses.)

Historical perspectives on the development of higher education are useful in understanding the characteristics of our current system and future trends. The social, political, and economic context in which four-year colleges, community colleges, and universities operate is introduced in this course. Education professionals explore how institutions of higher education apply business principles to renew their commitment to student learning and achieve their mission and goals effectively. They also become familiar with the philosophy, requirements, and community of Walden University, The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership, and the M.S. in Higher Education program.

The success of any business is tied directly to its ability to serve its customers effectively. In higher education, those customers are students. In this course, education professionals examine fundamental principles of student learning and development as well as the implications of these principles for adult learners from a variety of backgrounds who have diverse needs and are in different stages of the educational process. They investigate and discuss factors affecting students’ educational goals and aspirations, their ability to stay in college, and the impact of their educational experiences on their learning and development; through this exploration and discussion, education professionals gain a better understanding of the ways leaders can improve these outcomes.

Effective leadership within colleges and universities depends on the ability to identify important aspects of an organization’s structure and culture as well as to adapt one’s behavior to that culture. In this course, education professionals examine patterns of organization, governance, and culture in higher education, and they assess strategies for working effectively within governance structures and organizational cultures to achieve desired goals. They engage in readings and assignments that emphasize the organization’s ability to learn and change in response to internal and external factors, including the ever-changing use of technology in academic programs and services.

Making good decisions in higher education requires the effective use of an array of information sources. In this course, education professionals investigate strategies for implementing data-informed, decision-making processes, including critiquing and evaluating research findings, locating and interpreting appropriate data sources and making credible arguments based on current industry trends and institutional data. They also complete learning activities through which they focus on determining the implications of research and data for key institutional issues and using this knowledge to drive quality improvement.

Student success depends not only on the quality of the institution’s academic programs but also on the quality and availability of student services. In particular, the growing need to help increasingly diverse student populations succeed in college requires innovative approaches to retention and support initiatives. In this course, education professionals explore strategies to plan, organize, and manage student services and programs effectively as well as for ensuring that these programs meet legal and regulatory requirements. They also engage in coursework that emphasizes the design and deployment of programs and services, which enables students from diverse backgrounds to achieve their educational goals.

Optimizing quality and productivity in a higher education organization requires the ability to initiate and support positive change efforts. In this course, education professionals explore and discuss best practices for analyzing and evaluating organizational performance; identifying opportunities for improvement; and leveraging available resources, including technological resources, to support productive change initiatives. They also investigate strategies for achieving quality and productivity goals in the context of accountability, including defining outcomes aligned with the institution’s strategic plan, establishing credible outcome measures, and demonstrating how to use outcomes data to improve programs and services.

As costs escalate and resources dwindle, the effective, ethical, and socially responsible management of financial resources becomes an increasingly important skill in higher education. Education professionals are introduced to the fundamentals of financial administration in four-year colleges, community colleges, and universities in this course. They explore financial issues specific to higher education, such as budget management, asset management, state appropriations, administration of financial planning, and fundraising. They also engage in practical learning activities through which they develop and assess strategies for deploying and managing resources to achieve established goals.

Learning technologies continue to advance and diversify; therefore, a critical task in education is to ensure that such technologies are used in a manner that works for the institution and its  students. Education professionals in this course are introduced to the process of planning and developing online and distance-learning programs. Education professionals investigate best practices in program structure and approach; steps in the planning process; requirements for accreditation and accountability; and emerging trends in integrating online technologies into a variety of learning environments. Through an integrative course project, they apply course concepts as they develop a project management toolkit that integrates specific steps and requirements associated with planning and developing an online program.

Implementing a high-quality online or distance-learning program requires careful planning and attention to a range of issues affecting the program’s operational effectiveness, productivity, and ability to support and retain students. In this course, education professionals explore strategies for staffing, scheduling, and supporting students as well as methods for assessing the effectiveness of these strategies in achieving program goals. They engage in discussions and critical analyses of approaches to program management, assessment, and continuous improvement, focusing on the goal of ensuring that online and distance-learning programs maintain their competitive edge.

The master’s capstone experience provides education professionals the opportunity to integrate and apply their learning to real-world issues or problems. Education professionals research and create a product that addresses a critical issue in a particular institution or area of higher education. Examples of such products include a design for a program or service that could be implemented at a particular institution, a professional development program or resource, or a position paper that addresses a particular issue in depth. Education professionals choose an issue or problem that is of sufficient scope to enable them to apply theories, concepts, and practices gained from multiple areas of prior coursework. (Prerequisites: All other courses.)