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
|
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 |
|
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.
|
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 |
|
Title |
Abbreviation |
Description |
Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
|
College Teaching |
HI ED 806 |
Principles involved in teaching at the college level; effective use of teaching aids; criteria used in evaluation. |
2–3 credits |
|
Academic Advising |
HI ED 807 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
Conducting Enrollment Management Studies |
HI ED 860 |
Studies three stages of enrollment management: Pre-admission, initial student experience, and student success and completion. |
3 credits |
|
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. |
3 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.