Richard E. Riedl, Chair and Professor
RiedlRE@appstate.edu

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The Department of Leadership and Educational Studies offers the following graduate programs in higher education:

• Master of Arts in Higher Education (Major Code: 454*/13.0406), with four concentrations:
  • Adult and Developmental Education (454F)           
  • Community College and University Leadership (454G)
  • Teaching (454E)
• Education Specialist in Higher Education (Major Code: 455*/13.0406), with four concentrations:           
  • Adult and Developmental Education (455F)           
  • Community College and University Leadership (455G)
  • Teaching (455E)      

The Department of Leadership and Educational Studies also offers graduate programs in Educational Media, Library Science, and School Administration. These programs are detailed under separate headings in this bulletin.

The Department of Leadership and Educational Studies serves the education community and the public through:

• foundations of education courses for teacher education majors.
• research courses to help students develop skills and knowledge needed to understand the design, implementation, and evaluation of educational research.
• graduate programs in public school administration; community college and university leadership, teaching, developmental education and adult education; library science; and educational media/instructional technology.

The Higher Education graduate program was founded in 1968 in response to the growing need for community college and university instructors and administrators in North Carolina postsecondary institutions. Although the program continues its original role, it now serves a national and international population of students and professionals concerned with postsecondary education. The program’s purposes include:

• preparing students for teaching and leadership roles in community college and university settings.
• advancing the skills and knowledge of current two-year and four-year college and university professionals.
• preparing students to design, deliver, and evaluate educational programs for adults in community colleges and universities, allied health programs, industry, the community, and other agencies and organizations offering adult education.
• preparing students for doctoral-level studies.

Higher Education (M.A.) (454*/13.0406) — prepares students who wish to work in postsecondary institutional settings. Students must select one of the following concentrations: Adult and Developmental Education (454F), Community College and University Leadership (454G), or Teaching (454E). The teaching concentration (454E) is designed to prepare students to teach in two-year community colleges and four-year institutions. The degree in Higher Education does not lead to North Carolina public school administration and supervision licensure.

Higher Education (Ed.S.) (455*/13.0406) — provides advanced graduate work beyond the M.A. degree for professionals in the area of postsecondary education. This degree is for individuals interested in advancing their careers, preparing for a doctoral program, or expanding their professional area to include one of four concentrations. Students must select one of the following concentrations: Adult and Developmental Education (455F), Community College and University Leadership (455G), or Teaching (455E). The Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree in Higher Education (455*/13.0406) is designed to provide students who have earned a Masters degree an opportunity to advance their careers in the area of higher education leadership, teaching or developmental education in two-year colleges, four-year colleges, or in organizations and institutions which provide adult education programs. The Ed.S. in Higher Education is a non-licensure program and does not lead to North Carolina teaching, administration, or supervision licensure.

General Information for All Students: A student working toward a degree and/or licensure in the Department of Leadership and Educational Studies must develop her/his Program of Study in consultation with an approved advisor. Candidacy forms must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies and Research before the student has completed 12 semester hours of course work. Degree students taking courses without being officially assigned an advisor and receiving the advisor’s approval do so at the risk of not having the courses approved as part of the degree program.

All electives must be approved by the student’s advisor in all programs. Students pursuing or holding graduate degrees in other departments, and also seeking administration and supervision licensure, must take the necessary courses and internship prescribed by the Department of Leadership and Educational Studies.

Location of Program: The Higher Education programs are offered on campus in Boone in the format described in this Bulletin. Off-campus cohorts are started periodically, and follow a part-time extended program format. For information on upcoming off-campus cohorts, please contact the Office of Extension and Distance Education: http://www.ext-dl.appstate.edu.

Community College Teaching (Non-Licensure) Professional Education Requirements in Programs Outside of Higher Education: In addition to the Teaching concentration in Higher Education, there are other programs that focus on college teaching. Majors available to students are: English, French, History, Mathematics, Spanish, and Technology. For required courses in the academic field, see the appropriate section. It is highly recommended that 6-12 s.h. of graduate professional higher education (HE) courses should be chosen with the advice and approval of the graduate advisor. Refer to specific information in the major department or contact the Department of Leadership and Educational Studies.

PROGRAM OF STUDY FOR THE MASTER OF ARTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION (Major Code: 454*/13.0406)

Admission Requirements: Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; complete application to the graduate school; official GRE general or MAT exam scores.

Minimum Criteria for Unconditional Admission:  Students must have a GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 hours of undergraduate work and official GRE scores or official MAT scores. OR GPA for the last 60 hours of undergraduate study above 2.70, but below 3.0, and GRE V + GRE Q = 800, or MAT score of 385.

Location: On Campus and Off Campus; Off-Campus cohorts begin periodically, and follow a part-time extended format.

Course Requirements for the Master of Arts in Higher Education – TEACHING CONCENTRATION (454E)
Required Courses	RES 5000: Research Methods (3) HE 5635: Adult Development and Learning Theories (3) HE 6861: American Higher Education (3)	9
Concentration Courses	HE 5420: The Community College (3) HE 5440: College and University Teaching (3) HE 5630: The Adult Learner (3) 18 s.h. of graduate electives chosen based on career interests. These courses are to be taken in the teaching/subject discipline with the advice and approval of the graduate advisor and with assistance from faculty in the discipline.	27
Total Semester Hours Required for the Master of Arts in Higher Education (TEACHING)		36

Other Requirements for the Master of Arts in Higher Education (ALL CONCENTRATIONS):

• Thesis: A thesis is optional for the concentrations in Adult and Developmental Education (454F) and Community College and University Leadership (454G), in lieu of elective courses. A thesis consists of 6 s.h. spread over a minimum of 2 semesters.
• Proficiency: None required
• Comprehensive: Students must successfully complete a written comprehensive exam.
• Product of Learning: None required

 

EDUCATION SPECIALIST IN HIGHER EDUCATION (Major Code: 455*/13.0406)

Admission Requirements: Master’s degree from an accredited college or university; complete application to the graduate school; official GRE general or MAT exam scores.

Minimum Criteria for Unconditional Admission: GPA of 3.0 from the master’s degree. Applicants must present GRE or MAT scores but no minimum score is required. OR GPA from the master’s degree above 2.70, but below 3.0, and GRE V + GRE Q = 800, or MAT score of 400.

Location: On Campus and Off Campus; Off-Campus cohorts begin periodically, and follow a part-time extended format.

Course Requirements for the Education Specialist in Higher Education - TEACHING CONCENTRATION (455E)
Required Courses	HE 6040: Readings in Postsecondary Education (3) HE 6650: Seminar in Postsecondary Education (3) HE 6900: Higher Education Internship / Field Study (3)	9
Concentration Courses	HE 6631: Teaching and Learning in Postsecondary Education (3) 18 s.h. of graduate electives chosen based on career interests with the advice and approval of graduate advisor; these courses are to be taken in the teaching/subject discipline with the advice and approval of the graduate advisor and with assistance from faculty in the discipline	21
Total Semester Hours Required for the Education Specialist in Higher Education (TEACHING)		30

Other Requirements for the EdS in Higher Education (ALL CONCENTRATIONS):

• Thesis: A thesis is optional for the concentrations in Adult and Developmental Education (455F) and Community College and University Leadership (455G), in lieu of elective courses. A thesis consists of 6 s.h. spread over a minimum of 2 semesters.
• Proficiency: None required
• Comprehensive: During the final term in the program, the student must successfully complete a comprehensive written and oral examination.
• Product of Learning: None required

Related Course Listings

• Higher Education (HE) and Research (RES)