Higher Education Administration (MS) Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the MS in Higher Education Administration program are expected to demonstrate achievement in all areas of the program. Specifically, graduates of the program are expected to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the administration of colleges and universities in modern-day America, including the roles and functions of the major administrative units and the interests of key stakeholders
• Identify and analyze current issues and trends facing higher education
• Communicate clearly and effectively using the professional standards of the field
• Apply critical thinking and analytical methods to management problems in higher education

Students will demonstrate their mastery of the four program learning outcomes as well as the program learning outcomes relevant to their concentration via the ePortfolio requirement. These proposed program learning outcomes are skill-specific rather than content-knowledge specific, in keeping with the standards and best practices of higher education assessment.

Students in the Enrollment Management concentration learn fundamentals of student recruitment, changing demographics, financial aid, and marketing essentials, and graduates are able to:

1. Apply theory and best practices to analyze existing enrollment management plans, including assessment of the financial assistance, recruitment, marketing, and communications elements to predict success
2. Employ marketing and communications principles to create a complete strategic marketing plan, including relevant goals, strategies, communications, and plan assessment

Students in the Administrative Leadership concentration gain broad exposure to issues of higher education management, governance, and leadership, and graduates are able to:

1. Compare and contrast the organizational structures and governance systems of different kinds of colleges and universities
2. Articulate key legal and ethical issues in higher education

Students in the Institutional Advancement concentration explore functional areas of the advancement field, including fundraising and development, marketing and communications, alumni relations, and government and community affairs, and graduates are able to:

1. Effectively apply theory to create a comprehensive development program
2. Analyze the organizational structure and reporting relationships in functional offices of higher education advancement

Students in the Online Teaching and Program Administration concentration gain expertise in best practices for teaching in and managing online programs, and graduates are able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of principles, philosophies, and pedagogy of online learning
2. Evaluate learning theories and their use in online education, and analyze the effectiveness of various models of online education
3. Develop well-designed online course modules that incorporate best practices in online teaching and foster active learning communities