In This Section

The Master of Education in Higher Education program of study is composed of:

  1. required courses in the study of higher education — 18 credits
  2. elective courses which provide greater depth of study in an area of interest to the student, including an internship experience — 6 credits
  3. focus courses in an area of professional practice in higher education — 6 credits

Note that students have the option of taking elective courses in an area of professional practice or designing their own program of study from electives offered in higher education or other relevant areas in the College of Education.

If you are a student interested in earning both the certificate in Institutional Research and the MEd in Higher Education from Penn State, you will need a minimum of 36 credits to earn both the 30-credit MEd and the 15-credit certificate.

Course List - Master of Education in Higher Education 

Required Courses (18 credits)

Title

Abbreviation

Description

Credits

Foundations in Higher Education and Student Affairs

HI ED 545

Foundations in the policy context and student characteristics of postsecondary education; analysis of issues and future trends in the field.

3 credits

Foundations of Institutional Research

HI ED 801

Survey course explores fundamental methods and research on campus decisions, enrollment management, faculty work analysis, institutional effectiveness, accreditation, student outcomes.

3 credits

Pro-Seminar in U.S. Higher Education

HI ED 808


This course is an overview of graduate study, professional careers, and professionalism in higher education.

 3 credits
Administrative Leadership in Higher Education HI ED 842 This course gives students an overview of administrative leadership within higher education institutions. Students learn about organizational structure, governance, leadership, decision-making, internal and external constituencies, culture, resources, and organizational change. Brief discussions of key organizational theories are included but the course primarily focuses on administrative practice. 3 credits
College Students and Their Success HI ED 846 Numerous scholars, over many years, have explored a wide array of topics about college students¿their preparation for college, their generalized and particularized characteristics, their behaviors in college, their attitudes about social issues, their relative success in achieving learning outcomes, their engagement (or lack thereof) with various components of the collegiate learning experience, their persistence, and the list goes on and on.  3 credits
Individual Studies HI ED 596 Creative projects, including nonthesis research, that are supervised on an individual basis and fall outside the scope of formal courses. 3 credits

Emphasis Area

Choose 6 credits from the following.

Administration

Title

Abbreviation

Description

Credits

Planning and Resource Management in Higher Education

HI ED 810

Strategic planning and resource management in higher education through institutional research.

3 credits

Legal Issues in Higher Education

HI ED 849

This course is an overview of the legal standards arising in higher education, including institutional legal obligations, the rights and responsibilities of faculty, staff, and students, and the legal and regulatory roles of states and the federal government. 

3 credits
Student Engagement

Title

Abbreviation

Description

Credits

Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

HI ED 806

Principles involved in teaching at the college level; effective use of teaching aids; criteria used in evaluation.

2–3 credits

Foundations of Academic Advising

HI ED 807

 
An overview of the academic advising profession and the role of academic advising in the collegiate setting.

3 credits

Assessing Student Outcomes and Evaluating Academic Programs

HI ED 840

Academic program assessment/student outcomes in accountability and accreditation processes.

3 credits
Foundations of Student Affairs HI ED 843
 		 This course examines the nature and purpose of the student affairs profession, its functions, and how they can be effectively managed, coordinated, and integrated as part of student learning in American institutions. It also explores institutional strategies for organizing, staffing, and funding the large portfolio of programs, services, and facilities designed to facilitate student learning and development at different types of institutions. 3 credits
Institutional Research

Title

Abbreviation

Description

Credits

Planning and Resource Management in Higher Education

HI ED 810

Strategic planning and resource management in higher education through institutional research.

3 credits

Designing Institutional Research Studies

HI ED 830

Develop skills to design and execute IR studies using quantitative and qualitative research methods.

3 credits

Assessing Student Outcomes and Evaluating Academic Programs

HI ED 840

Academic program assessment/student outcomes in accountability and accreditation processes.

3 credits

Analyzing Faculty Workload, Performance, and Compensation

HI ED 850

Develop research skills to analyze faculty workload and performance in teaching, research, outreach, and compensation.

3 credits

Enrollment Management 

HI ED 860

Studies three stages of enrollment management: Pre-admission, initial student experience, and student success and completion.

3 credits
Fundraising Leadership

Title

Abbreviation

Description

Credits

Administrative Leadership in Higher Education

HI ED 842

This course gives students an overview of administrative leadership within higher education institutions. Students learn about organizational structure, governance, leadership, decision-making, internal and external constituencies, culture, resources, and organizational change. Brief discussions of key organizational theories are included but the course primarily focuses on administrative practice.

3 credits

Fundraising Leadership: Building a Strong Base

L A 402

The course will focus on the fundamentals of fundraising and leadership, including communications, management of events and people, and stewardship.

3 credits

Fundraising Leadership II: Achieving Success

L A 802

This course focuses on advanced topics in fundraising and leadership: strategic planning, communications, and management of campaigns, events, and people.

Prerequisite: L A 402 or permission of instructor

3 credits
Electives (6 credits)

Title

Abbreviation

Description

Credits

TBD

TBD

Choose from a list of elective courses in higher education with approval of a faculty adviser.

1–9 credits

Internship in Higher Education (Optional)

HI ED 595

Supervised experience in administrative offices, in research, on instructional teams, and in college teaching. (Recommended for students without work experience in higher education.)

3 credits

 

Course Availability

If you're ready to see when your courses will be offered, visit our public LionPATH course search (opens in new window) to start planning ahead.