Higher Education
Major: Higher Education
Degree Awarded: Master of Science (MS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Total Credit Hours: 45.0
Co-op Option: None
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 13.0406
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 11-9033
About the Program
The Master of Science in Higher Education program is designed specifically to prepare highly skilled and knowledgeable practitioners for administrative and leadership positions in higher education. Graduates will be qualified to pursue careers as professionals in colleges and universities and national and international organizations, foundations, associations, and corporations.
Program Objectives
Students graduating with an MS in Higher Education will possess outstanding leadership, organizational, interpersonal and advocacy skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with internal and external groups. Students will be provided with in-depth knowledge regarding both public and private (non-profit and for-profit) institutions, as well as small and large institutions and multi-campus institutions.
About the Curriculum
The program consists of 45.0 credits earned across 15 courses: 5 core courses, 4 courses in the primary concentration of administration and leadership (in which all students are enrolled), 3 elective courses, and 3 courses that comprise the capstone experience. Students may take 3 elective courses of their choice or they may complete a secondary concentration by selecting 3 elective courses from the following areas:
- community college administration and leadership
- educational policy
- enrollment management
- global and international education
- institutional research and planning
- learning technologies and instructional design
- neuroscience, learning and online instruction
- student development and affairs
The curriculum incorporates an interdisciplinary approach, and course delivery integrates leading learning strategies and instructional technologies. Courses introduce students to best practices, current research, software applications and database management systems. Students demonstrate knowledge and skills through both individual and group projects.
The program is designed as a part-time cohort model and may be completed in two years.
Additional Information
For additional information, visit Drexel University's Master of Science in Higher Education page or contact us at he@drexel.edu.
Admission Requirements
Requirements for admission include:
- Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution
- Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher (graduate degree GPA will be considered along with the undergraduate GPA). Note: Provisional admission may be granted with a GPA between 2.80 to 2.99.
Prospective students must apply through Drexel University Online. Required documents include:
- Completed application
- Official transcripts from all universities or colleges and other post-secondary educational institutions (including trade schools) attended
- Two professional letters of recommendation
- Personal essay
- Resume
- Additional requirements for International Students
For additional information about the application process, please visit Drexel University Online's Master of Science in Higher Education admissions web page. For additional information about graduate admissions, please visit the Graduate Admissions at Drexel University web page. For additional information about the program, please visit Drexel University's Master of Science in Higher Education page or contact us at he@drexel.edu.
Degree Requirements
This Master of Science in Higher Education program consists of 14 courses: 6 core courses, 4 primary concentration courses, 3 elective courses or secondary concentration courses, and 1 capstone course (co-op with portfolio).
| Core Courses | ||
| EDHE 500 | Foundations of Higher Education | 3.0 |
| EDHE 510 | Governance, Management & Administration in Higher Education | 3.0 |
| EDHE 520 | Student Development & Customer Service Management | 3.0 |
| EDHE 530 | Higher Education Law | 3.0 |
| EDHE 602 | Managing Campus Operations | 3.0 |
| Capstone | ||
| EDU 780 | Capstone Research | 3.0 |
| Students have the option to select from the Practitioner, Thesis, or Lesson Plan capstone track. | ||
| EDUP 780 | Practitioner Capstone Course I | 3.0 |
| or EDUT 780 | Thesis Capstone Course I | |
| or EDUL 780 | Lesson Study Capstone Course I | |
| EDUP 781 | Practitioner Capstone Course II | 3.0-4.5 |
| or EDUT 781 | Thesis Capstone Course II | |
| or EDUL 781 | Lesson Study Capstone Course II | |
| Primary Concentration in Higher Education Administration and Leadership | ||
| Students complete four of the following courses for the primary concentration: | ||
| EDHE 540 | Outcomes, Assessments & Continuous Improvement | 3.0 |
| EDHE 601 | Strategic Planning & Evaluation | 3.0 |
| EDHE 606 | Higher Education Career Development | 3.0 |
| or EDHE 608 | Leadership for Learning | |
| EDHE 669 | Diversity in Higher Education | 3.0 |
| or EDGI 506 | Comparative Higher Education Systems | |
| Electives or Secondary Concentration (See Below) | 9.0 | |
| Students select either any three elective courses (from offerings within the School of Education) or three courses within the secondary concentrations offered. Courses within a student’s primary concentration do not count as electives. | ||
| Total Credits | 45.0-46.5 | |
Electives or Secondary Concentration
| Secondary Concentration in Global and International Education | ||
| Select three of the following: | ||
| EDGI 500 | Introduction to Global, International & Comparative Education | 3.0 |
| EDGI 506 | Comparative Higher Education Systems | 3.0 |
| EDGI 510 | Culture, Society & Education in Comparative Perspective | 3.0 |
| EDGI 512 | Globalization and Educational Change | 3.0 |
| EDGI 518 | Analysis of Policy Issues in Global & International Education | 3.0 |
| Secondary Concentration in Educational Policy | ||
| EDPO 620 | Education Policy: Concepts, Issues, and Applications | 3.0 |
| Select two of the following: | ||
| EDPO 624 | The Shaping of American Education Policy: Global Forces, Interest Groups, and Politics | 3.0 |
| EDPO 632 | Ethics in Educational Policy Making | 3.0 |
| EDPO 636 | Access & Equity in Educational Policy Making | 3.0 |
| EDPO 640 | Educational Policy-Making Tactics & Influence | 3.0 |
| Secondary Concentration in Community College Administration and Leadership | ||
| Select three of the following: | ||
| EDHE 634 | Proposal Writing & Sponsored Project Management | 3.0 |
| EDHE 664 | Strategies for Educational Success | 3.0 |
| EDHE 668 | Transformational Leadership | 3.0 |
| EDHE 669 | Diversity in Higher Education | 3.0 |
| Secondary Concentration in Enrollment Management | ||
| Select three of the following: | ||
| EDHE 650 | Introduction to Enrollment Management | 3.0 |
| EDHE 652 | Enrollment Marketing, Recruitment & Retention | 3.0 |
| EDHE 654 | Financial Aid & Enrollment Management | 3.0 |
| EDHE 656 | Enrollment Management Database Systems & Management | 3.0 |
| Secondary Concentration in Learning Technologies and Instructional Design | ||
| Select three of the following: | ||
| EDLT 536 | Learning Sciences and Instructional Design | 3.0 |
| EDLT 537 | Technologies for Performance Support | 3.0 |
| EDLT 550 | Introduction to Instructional Design | 3.0 |
| ELL 502 | E-Learning Technologies | 3.0 |
| ELL 504 | Learning Technologies & Disabilities | 3.0 |
| Secondary Concentration in Student Development and Affairs | ||
| Select three of the following: | ||
| EDHE 652 | Enrollment Marketing, Recruitment & Retention | 3.0 |
| EDHE 662 | Critical Issues in Student Affairs | 3.0 |
| EDHE 663 | Safety and Crisis Management | 3.0 |
| EDHE 664 | Strategies for Educational Success | 3.0 |
| EDHE 669 | Diversity in Higher Education | 3.0 |
| Secondary Concentration in Neuroscience, Learning & Online Instruction | ||
| Select three of the following: | ||
| IPS 553 | Neuroscience of Learning | 3.0 |
| IPS 554 | Online Neuropedagogy, Regulations & Online Instruction | 3.0 |
| IPS 600 | Capstone: Applying Neurobiology to Online Instruction | 3.0 |
Sample Plan of Study
| Term 1 | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| EDHE 500 | Foundations of Higher Education | 3.0 |
| EDHE 510 | Governance, Management & Administration in Higher Education | 3.0 |
| Term Credits | 6.0 | |
| Term 2 | ||
| EDHE 520 | Student Development & Customer Service Management | 3.0 |
| EDHE 530 | Higher Education Law | 3.0 |
| Term Credits | 6.0 | |
| Term 3 | ||
| EDHE 540 | Outcomes, Assessments & Continuous Improvement | 3.0 |
| EDHE 602 | Managing Campus Operations | 3.0 |
| Term Credits | 6.0 | |
| Term 4 | ||
| EDHE 601 | Strategic Planning & Evaluation | 3.0 |
| EDHE 606 or 608 | Higher Education Career Development Leadership for Learning | 3.0 |
| Term Credits | 6.0 | |
| Term 5 | ||
| EDHE 669 or EDGI 506 | Diversity in Higher Education Comparative Higher Education Systems | 3.0 |
| EDU 780 | Capstone Research | 3.0 |
| Term Credits | 6.0 | |
| Term 6 | ||
| EDUP 780, EDUT 780, or EDUL 780 | Practitioner Capstone Course I Thesis Capstone Course I Lesson Study Capstone Course I | 3.0 |
| Secondary Concentration course | 3.0 | |
| Term Credits | 6.0 | |
| Term 7 | ||
| EDUP 781, EDUT 781, or EDUL 781 | Practitioner Capstone Course II Thesis Capstone Course II Lesson Study Capstone Course II | 3.0-4.5 |
| Term Credits | 3.0-4.5 | |
| Term 8 | ||
| Secondary Concentration courses | 6.0 | |
| Term Credits | 6.0 | |
| Total Credit: 45.0-46.5 | ||
Education Faculty
Jennifer Adams, EdD (Harvard University). Associate Professor. Comparative and international education; Poverty and education; Child welfare; Educational policy.
Ayana Allen, PhD (Texas A&M University ). Assistant Professor. Urban education; Identity construction in school contexts; Urban school transformation.
Kristen Betts, EdD (George Washington University). Clinical Professor. Higher education administration and governance, online blended education, instructional design and educational technology, program assessment and evaluation.
W. Edward Bureau, PhD (University of Pennsylvania). Associate Clinical Professor. Leadership, supervision, and capacity development.
Jamie Callahan, EdD (George Washington University). Clinical Professor. Leadership; Sociological explorations of emotions occurring in organizational contexts; Organizational development; Contextual issues confronting organizations, such as organizational leadership, organizational culture, and communities of practice.
Holly Carpenter, PhD (Arizona State University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Higher education policy development and implementation, community college/university articulation, and online education.
José Luis Chávez, EdD (University of Southern California). Clinical Professor. Higher education leadership and administration.
Rebecca Clothey, PhD (University of Pittsburgh). Assistant Professor. Comparative and international education, education of ethnic and linguistic minorities, sociology of education.
James Connell, PhD (Louisiana State University) Clinical Director and Research Fellow, A.J. Drexel Autism Institute. Associate Professor. Identifying the variables that influence adult behavior change in community settings; autism intervention; widespread dissemination of evidence-based interventions in school and community settings.
D. Brent Edwards, PhD (University of Maryland). Assistant Clinical Professor. Global and international education
Salvatore V. Falletta, EdD (North Carolina State University). Associate Clinical Professor. Human Resource intelligence (i.e., HR research and analytics practices); HRD assessment, measurement, and evaluation models and taxonomies; organizational diagnostic models; web-based employee and organizational survey methods, and computational modeling.
Aroutis N. Foster, PhD (Michigan State University). Associate Professor. Educational psychology and educational technology, especially the following: Motivation; Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK); Immersive Interactive Digital Environments (simulation, games, virtual realities.
Kathy Geller, PhD (Fielding Graduate University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Educational leadership and management.
Rajashi Ghosh, PhD (University of Louisville, Kentucky). Associate Professor. Mentoring and leader development, workplace Incivility, workplace learning and development.
Roger Geertz Gonzalez, PhD (Pennsylvania State University). Associate Clinical Professor. Civic engagement, college student identity development, indigenous higher education, comparative higher education access policies.
John M. Gould, PhD (University of Pittsburgh) Harrisburg EdD Educational Leadership & Change Program. Associate Clinical Professor. Change leadership, curriculum re-design, the impact of technology on learning.
Mary Jo Grdina, PhD (Case Western Reserve University). Associate Clinical Professor. Undergraduate studies, science education, curriculum design.
Dominic F. Gullo, PhD (Indiana University) Associate Dean of Research. Professor. Studying the relative and long-range effects of early schooling experiences in prekindergarten and kindergarten on children's achievement and social adaptation to school routine.
Penny Hammrich, PhD (University of Minnesota) Associate Dean for Graduate Studies. Professor. Urban education; science education; genetics; gender equity; science knowledge for conceptual teaching; sport science.
Paul Harrington, PhD (University of Massachusetts, Boston) Director, Center for Labor Markets and Policy. Professor. Teen and young adult job access; economic outlook, college labor market; workforce development, planning, and development; vocational rehabilitation and job market transition.
Elizabeth Haslam, PhD (University of Pennsylvania). Associate Clinical Professor. Educational field coordinator, instructional design, qualitative evaluation, writing across the curriculum.
Michael J. Haslip, PhD (Old Dominion University). Assistant Professor. Early childhood education, social and emotional learning, child guidance strategies, effects of public pre-school attendance.
Marlene Hilkowitz, M.Ed (Temple University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Science education; Curriculum development; Student engagement
Deanna Hill, JD, PhD (University of Pittsburgh). Assistant Clinical Professor. Higher education, international education, education law, education policy
Erin Horvat, PhD (University of California, Los Angeles) Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Professor. Urban education, access and equity, high school dropout, parent involvement/family involvement, community engagement in research.
Jennifer Katz-Buonincontro, PhD (University of Oregon). Associate Professor. Educational administration, leadership development, survey & instrument design.
Kristine Kelly, PhD (University of Wisconsin, Madison). Assistant Clinical Professor. Sociology of gender and development; anthropology of policy; comparative and international education; qualitative research methods; Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
Valerie Klein, PhD (Amherst College). Assistant Clinical Professor. Mathematics learning and teaching; teacher's use of formative assessment in mathematics; creating opportunities for rich problem solving in the classroom; examining teachers growth and change; qualitative research methods.
Vera Lee, EdD (University of Pennsylvania). Assistant Clinical Professor. Practitioner Research in online courses to explore inservice/preservice teachers’ emerging understandings about issues of diversity; the development of information/digital literacies of urban youth; English language learners.
Bruce Levine, JD (New York University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Educational policy, school law, public-private partnerships, intersection of business and education.
Kristine Lewis-Grant, PhD (Temple University). Associate Clinical Professor. Experiences of students of African descent at predominantly white colleges and universities, college access and college student development, youth civic engagement in urban school reform, qualitative research and evaluation.
William Lynch, PhD (University of Maryland). Professor. Curriculum and educational leadership, educational technology, distance learning policy development, higher and adult education.
Constance Lyttle, PhD, JD (University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University). Associate Clinical Professor. Legal rights of gifted and talented children and children with disabilities; inclusive education of exceptional children; special education mediation; special education IEP/IFSP facilitation; resolution session facilitation
Kenneth Mawritz, PhD (University of Pittsburgh). Assistant Clinical Professor. Educational administration
Joyce Pittman, PhD (Iowa State University of Science and Technology). Associate Clinical Professor. Curriculum and instruction K-16; teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL); instructional design business education and administration; industrial and career technology; oral and written communication; research methodology; instructional and assistive technology assessment; online learning pedagogy
Kathleen Provinzano, PhD (Marywood University). Associate Clinical Professor. Educational administration.
Fredricka K. Reisman, PhD (Syracuse University) Director of the Torrance Center for Creativity and Innovation. Professor. Mathematics education, learning mathematics, mathematics pedagogy, teacher education, heuristic diagnostic learning and teaching, theory and research in creativity and applied creativity.
Lori Severino, EdD (Neumann University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Special education, differentiated instruction, reading, Wilson language, multi-sensory instruction, reading comprehension, assessment, adolescent literacy.
Jason Silverman, PhD (Vanderbilt University). Associate Professor. Teaching and learning of advanced mathematical ideas (algebra and calculus); improving teachers' ability to orchestrate and sustain inquiry-based and discussion-based instruction; technology in mathematics education.
Brian Smith, PhD (Northwestern University). Professor. Design of computer-based learning environments; Human-computer interaction; Design sciences.
Toni A. Sondergeld, PhD (University of Toledo). Associate Professor. Cognitive and affective assessment development; program/grant evaluation; high stakes testing measurement; STEM education; urban education
Nancy Butler Songer, PhD (University of California, Davis) Dean, School of Education. Distinguished Professor. STEM education, urban education, educational assistance
Mary Jean Tecce DeCarlo, EdD (University of Pennsylvania). Assistant Clinical Professor. Early literacy development, learning differences, knowledge construction, urban education.
Sarah P. Ulrich, EdD (Saint Joseph’s University). Associate Clinical Professor. Emphasis in cross-cultural, language and academic development.
Sheila Vaidya, PhD (Temple University). Professor. Educational psychology, school psychology, research design.
Christina Vorndran, PhD (Louisiana State University). Associate Clinical Professor. Behavior analysis, single subject research methods, functional analysis
