The Master of Science in Higher Education program stresses the practical knowledge, critical thinking, research, and writing skills relevant to leaders in today’s colleges and universities. Whether your interests are in administration, teaching, student development, or other areas within higher education, you will have the opportunity to work closely with your instructors and other students who share your interests. Enjoy the convenience and flexibility of
online learning while you study to maximize your career choices and strengthen your knowledge and skills as a practitioner of higher education.
Program Highlights
Courses feature learning activities led by
distinguished faculty members who are dedicated to helping you pursue your
educational goals. In the interactive online courses, you will:
- Focus on multicultural and diversity issues affecting student development in
higher education
- Examine how technology, public policy, and financing issues affect a
student’s ability to attend college
- Explore the historical development of colleges and universities in the
United States and the organizational principles that guide them
What are the Career Opportunities?
The Master of Science in Higher Education is designed to prepare you to pursue leadership positions in colleges, community colleges, universities, and technical and vocational centers. Your master's degree may help you qualify for positions such as department or division chair; positions in institutional research, assessment, or staff development; or supervisory roles such as director of admissions, advising, student life, or student services.† Upon successful completion of the program, you may choose to further your knowledge by pursing doctoral-level studies.‡
Choose from five areas of specialization designed to help you develop valuable expertise in specific areas of higher education administration, teaching, assessment, or student affairs. Most institutions require individuals teaching at the collegiate level to have the minimum of either a master’s degree in their teaching field or a master’s degree in higher education and 18 semester hours (27 quarter credit hours) of graduate coursework in their teaching field. If you are interested in the college teaching and learning or online college teaching specialization, Kaplan University offers eight concentrations that give you the opportunity to complete the minimum amount of graduate coursework in your chosen teaching field.* Choose from: accounting, environmental policy, health care administration, information technology, legal studies, management, marketing, or psychology.
Focus on institutional and program-level assessment and evaluation in higher education. Course topics include design and lead planning, assessment, evaluation, and reporting efforts in offices of institutional research, institutional effectiveness, and educational assessment in traditional and online colleges and universities.
Study to gain expertise in the principles of effective leadership as they relate to the management of academic programs and departments in a variety of postsecondary settings. Explore the roles of institutional research and strategic planning in institutions of higher education. Develop skills in assessing and evaluating academic programs, including accreditation standards and processes in both on-ground and online institutions. Prepare to enter the field of higher education administration, or to advance your career and take on new leadership roles.†
The online college teaching specialization is designed to prepare students to teach in online settings. Students who complete this specialization may already have (or be in the process of obtaining) the subject-matter expertise needed to pursue postsecondary teaching positions in their field. The Online College Teaching specialization focuses on the knowledge, skills, and approaches for success instruction in online learning environments.
The specialization courses emphasize adult learning theory, distance learning technologies and pedagogies, characteristics of online learners, special considerations for assessing student learning outcomes in the online environment, and current developments and trends in online education. When paired with an optional
concentration, which allows you to complete graduate courses in your chosen
academic discipline, this specialization could help prepare you to become an
effective postsecondary instructor in online-based
institutions.*
‡
Explore foundations of adult learning and the use of technology in higher education settings. Focus on developing expertise in curriculum design and implementation and in the methods and models used to assess learning outcomes. Analyze strategies for quality online education as you explore the theory and processes of designing, delivering, and assessing online learning. When paired with an optional
concentration, which allows you to complete graduate courses in your chosen
academic discipline, this specialization could help you prepare to become an effective postsecondary instructor.* †
Focus on developing expertise in the administration of a comprehensive student services program for both on-ground and online institutions. Gain hands-on experience through internships at two different real-world educational institutions, and explore how to incorporate current management and legal issues into student affairs. This specialization meets the standards of the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) for graduate programs in student affairs and the standards of the Professional Preparation Commission of the American College Personnel Association (ACPA).
You Could Save
Time and Money on Your Kaplan University Degree
Credit for Prior Learning
If you already earned course credits at another institution, you
may qualify for transfer credit that can be applied toward your program requirements at Kaplan University. Qualifying
transfer credit may reduce your total costs for graduate programs. Refer to the University
Catalog for our transfer of
credit policy.
Students in the Military
Kaplan University is proud to
support our military and veterans in their educational pursuits by offering
significantly reduced tuition. Undergraduate program tuition is reduced up to
55 percent for active-duty servicemembers and up to 38 percent for veterans. In
addition, Kaplan University participates in the Yellow Ribbon program for all
of our graduate programs, and both active-duty servicemembers and veterans are
eligible for special tuition rates for these programs. A 10 percent tuition
reduction is also available to spouses of active-duty servicemembers. For more
information, call 866.583.4412 (Toll Free) to speak to a military Admissions
Advisor or visit the Kaplan University military site.
Based on the specialization chosen, students may need to complete additional elective courses in order to satisfy the necessary number of credits required for completion of the degree. Total program costs may vary.