Courses

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

required courses in the study of higher education — 18 credits
elective courses which provide greater depth of study in an area of interest to the student, including an internship experience — 6 credits
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

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.