Have you ever considered pursuing a degree in higher education? An MS in Higher Education degree program can give you the knowledge and skills you need to improve and lead educational institutions, promote lifelong learning, and help students reach their full potential.
If admissions, financial aid, academic advising, enrollment, recruitment, or student affairs appeal to you, the Walden MS in Higher Education online degree program can give you the skills you need for a career at a college, university, or higher education institution. Courses focus on understanding and developing educational institutions, recruiting students, improving the student learning environment, designing online instructional strategies, and more.
The program offers a general program and six specializations, as well as a variety of relevant and interesting courses. Let’s take a closer look at just a few.
Understanding Institutions: Organizational Behavior and Culture
Colleges, universities, and other higher education institutions are like any number of organizations: They are brands. As such, they require building and maintenance, and represent much more than a logo and brand identity. Higher education institutions must embody longevity and resilience while remaining dependable, trustworthy, and respected by current and future students, alumni, parents, donors, trustees, and other stakeholders.
In the Understanding Institutions: Organizational Behavior and Culture course, practitioners learn how to make educational institutions adapt to ever-changing internal and external factors including budget parameters, current events, and the expansion of technology. They also learn how to work within governmental and organizational structures to set and meet institutional goals.
Best Practices for Student Success
Higher education is a big investment, both in time and money. Everyone wants a return on investment, and with higher education, students want to gain expertise in their chosen academic path of study and enter and thrive in fulfilling careers.
How do you set students up for success at their educational institution? While the strength of academic programs is important, access to quality student services is a vital component of a rewarding higher education experience. In the Best Practices for Student Success course, education professionals learn about retention and support programs for students, including diversity initiatives and management of student programs, which facilitate diverse populations as they work toward higher academic achievement.
Understanding Students: Learning, Development, and Diversity
It’s widely acknowledged that people—workers and customers—are a company’s most valuable resource. Likewise, students are the most esteemed resource of any postsecondary education institution.
In Understanding Students: Learning, Development, and Diversity, education professionals examine the motivations, strengths, and challenges behind the adult learner. Since students approach higher education from diverse work, educational, and income backgrounds, it becomes the challenge of education professionals to develop programming that caters to the students’ variety of ages and backgrounds, learning styles, and academic goals. Furthermore, professionals in this course discuss strategies that encourage adult learners to stay in school, develop their careers, and enjoy better outcomes from their education.
Globalization in Higher Education
As the world becomes more interconnected, higher education must become more flexible to meet the expectations and demands that come with it. Higher education institutions must rise to the challenge to deliver more accessible content while providing more engaging student experiences that translate across geopolitical boundaries and international cultures.
In the Globalization in Higher Education course, education professionals study the global trends and issues affecting higher education, including international differences in governance, operations, and accountability. Education professionals use these lessons to later inform plans for developing and administering academic and student programs at their institutions.
Creating Engaging Learning Experiences
How do you teach in a way that gets students to not just listen, but to retain information? Walden’s Creating Engaging Learning Experiences course teaches education professionals to reach students in innovative and exciting new ways. Using technology and prioritizing student-centered learning, education professionals discuss ways to actively engage students throughout the learning process and empower them to direct their own learning paths. Practitioners also learn to anticipate issues that may arise as students learn to pivot from traditional learning environments to more proactive approaches.
Emerging Trends in Marketing, Recruitment, and Institutional Promotion
So, your educational institution has been established. You have faculty and programming in place. How do you get prospective students to attend? How do you attract the best and brightest? How do you keep them interested in your institution?
In the Emerging Trends in Marketing, Recruitment, and Institutional Promotion course, future education leaders learn about new technologies and tools used to recruit and retain students, including digital media, social networking, and traditional marketing strategies like public relations. These tools increase awareness of institutions and their programs, products, and services. Building on these strategies, education professionals create their own marketing and communications plans to share and promote their institution’s messaging.
Online Instructional Strategies
As higher education institutions dedicate more funding and resources to online offerings, it’s important to instruct learners in a more flexible environment. Online learning provides a more approachable format to distance learners, and this instruction offers unique challenges.
In Walden’s Online Instructional Strategies course, educators learn effective instructional design strategies that engage learners regardless of their location, including delivery, course management, and integrating multimedia technology. Educators also learn the benefits and shortcomings of live versus replay approaches and how to best motivate and encourage students from afar.
Want to learn more?
The above courses are just the beginning of Walden’s online MS in Higher Education offerings. You can choose the General Program or one of several degree specializations to help you reach your career goals, including:
- Adult Learning
- College Teaching and Learning
- Enrollment Management and Institutional Marketing
- Global Higher Education
- Leadership for Student Success
- Online and Distance Learning
Whether you’re interested in recruitment, admissions, advising, or administration, Walden’s MS in Higher Education program has a path to help you reach your higher education career goals.
Walden University is an accredited institution offering an MS in Higher Education degree program online with multiple specializations. Expand your career options and earn your degree using a convenient, flexible learning platform that fits your busy life.
Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.