Online Master's Degree - Higher Education

Leadership in action is designed to support the exploration of leadership through self-reflection and assessment, including creating a personal mission statement and developing a leadership philosophy. Students will review a variety of leadership assessments, theories, and strategies on power dynamics, decision making, ethically addressing toxic leadership, conflict resolution, communication, and cultural awareness. Students will explore practical and experiential leadership styles and consider consequences of choices in the role of leading others. In addition, students will review and apply research strategies to develop knowledge and skills for action research preparing for the capstone action project. The course topics center around developing key leadership and action research skills to understand influencers in the social change process.

Educational leaders are able to affect change with strategies that support diverse student populations to meet the economic, social, developmental, and academic needs of students today and in the future.

This course will introduce learners to frameworks and theories that guide the work of student affairs, review the importance of research, assessment, and evaluation in student affairs, learn the historical and foundational concepts of the student affairs profession, summarize the leadership environments for student affairs and the various organizational structures of student services, and evaluate how to transform student service organizations to better meet the needs of a diverse student population.

By blending practical and theoretical perspectives with the goal of enhancing vision, this course will prepare students to create inclusive environments that promote collaboration and enhance the learning experience for all.

Visionary educational leaders are inspired by what an institution can become. Through the use of strategic planning, they guide members of the educational community through times of uncertainty, transition, and success. This class provides students with an overview of the theories of educational leadership which can translate into effective curriculum development, faculty onboarding, faculty development, classroom management, program assessment, and strategic planning. By the end of the course, students will be able to apply strategies for effective assessment to promote an inclusive educational climate and effective change management.

In this course students will develop strategies to engage in and navigate through legal and ethical issues by exploring topics in the diverse and changing landscape of higher education.

Course content includes the ability to identify legal versus ethical issues, articulate contemporary understandings of diversity, exclusion/ inclusion, bias, and multiple influences that exist in the higher education system.

Students will identify major themes related to governance, research, employment, faculty, and students in a way that leverages informed and effective higher education leadership.

This course will explore the structure and practices of an educational organization. Students will discuss and analyze topics from many areas of academia including human resources, students and faculty, budgetary, governance, and academic affairs.

The content includes discussing the ability to identify internal influencers, external influencers, and organizational structure to articulate contemporary understandings of the process and practices that exist in the higher education system.