HIGHER EDUCATION LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

The Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree in Higher Education provides professional preparation for students seeking entry-level positions in both two-year and four-year post secondary institutions, including community colleges and technical colleges, liberal arts colleges, and four-year colleges and universities.

Depending upon prior experience, program graduates typically seek careers at the director or assistant director level in such specialty areas as residence life, Greek affairs, judicial affairs, financial aid, career planning and placement, minority affairs, admissions, financial aid, new student programs, international student programs, campus activities and programs, financial management, human resources, continuing education, alumni affairs, advancement, and academic advising.

Admission to the Master's program in Higher Education Leadership is based on the following criteria:

1. Prior admission to the University of Arkansas Graduate School (requires a minimum 2.7 cumulative gpa or a 3.2 gpa for the last 60 hours of course work completed);

2.  Submission of all Higher Education application materials (see 11);

3.  Submission of a current resume;

4.  An interview with at least one member of the Higher Education faculty prior to admission.  If distance, cost of travel or other unusual circumstances make it difficult or impossible to hold a personal interview, a telephone interview may be substituted.

5.  In general, the Higher Education Leadership Master's program seeks students, both traditional and non-traditional, with outstanding credentials, including evidence of leadership and/or work experience; and excellent references. Attributes, experiences, interests, and characteristics of an applicant that would serve to enhance the diversity of our students are especially valued.

6.  An applicant's cumulative gpa will be a significant factor in consideration for admission into the Higher Education Leadership program.  Students with a 3.2 or higher gpa will be given strongest consideration.

7.  Graduate Record Exams or Millers Analogy Exam are not required for admission consideration for 2005.  However, students with gpa's below 3.2 are strongly encouraged to take the GRE or MAT.  Quality scores will enhance your admission status.  In addition, the Higher Education faculty request that all students who have taken the GRE OR MAT to submit their scores. This data will be utilized to determine if we want to require GRE or MAT scores for future admission (2006 and beyond).

8.  "Rolling Admission" - The Higher Education Leadership program accepts applications throughout the year. Admission status will be reviewed at the time all materials are submitted and as long as there are available places in the program. However, since we limit the number of students admitted each semester (approximately 18-21 for summer/fall semesters and 4-7 for spring semester), and since many applicants are interested in applying for Graduate Assistantships, students who submit their completed credentials in a timely fashion will be given priority consideration.

9.  Submission of Credentials and Interviews for GA positions - First round interviews for Graduate Assistantships will be held in late February/early March.  Therefore, students who are applying for Summer/Fall admission are encouraged to SUBMIT COMPLETED credentials by February 1; those applying for Spring semester are encouraged to submit COMPLETED CREDENTIALS by November 1.

10.  Successful Candidates - The Higher Education faculty is seeking candidates with excellent credentials as described above.  In addition, the faculty is seeking a balanced and diverse group of students who will become future leaders in Higher Education.  Gender, ethnicity, home state, undergraduate institution, undergraduate major, non-traditional, unusual work or personal experience, as well as other factors which bring a diverse experience to the classroom discussions/interactions, will be considered.

11.  The process.  Students must submit (a) completed Higher Education Program Application for Admission Form (download from web site), (b) Autobiographical sketch (guidelines on web site), (c)  Three supporting letters of recommendations (forms on web site or letters are acceptable), (d) A writing sample (perhaps a research type paper from a class; professional writing, etc.), (e) Resume; and (f) GRE or Miller's scores - required by Graduate School for students with gpa's below 2.7; strongly encouraged for those with 2.7-3.2 gpa; requested from those with gpa's above 3.2 - data will be used to evaluate if the programs wants to require GRE for future applicants.

(1) Completion of a minimum total of thirty-three (33) graduate semester-hour credits (or 27 plus a thesis), including at least twenty (21) hours in higher education.

(2) Completion of the following required seven courses in Higher Education:

• HIED 5003 Overview-American Higher Education
• HIED 5033 College Students and Student Personnel Services
• HIED 5043 The Student in Higher Education
• HIED 5083 History and Philosophy of Higher Education
• HIED 6073 Management of Higher Educational Institutions
• HIED 6173 Individual and Group Management Skills
• HIED 6653 Legal Aspects of Higher Education

(3) For students with no prior full-time administrative or college teaching experience completion, with advisor approval, at least three (3) credit hours of:

                  • HIED 574V Internship in Higher Education (3 hours) or HIED 504V Practicum in Higher Education (3 hours)

(4) A minimum total of six (6) hours of advisor-approved electives to be selected from Higher Education or other relevant areas* [may include 600V(6) Master’s Thesis]. Electives in Higher Education may be selected from the following:

• HIED 574V Internship in Higher Education
• HIED 504V Practicum in Higher Education
• HIED 5053 The Community-Junior College
• HIED 605V Independent Study
• HIED 6183 Organization Development and Change
• HIED 6663 Finance and Fiscal Management
• HIED 6683 Governance and Policy Making in Higher Education
• HIED 699(3) Seminar: Study Abroad
• HIED 699(3) Seminar: Selected Topics
• Other Higher Education courses, designed primarily for doctoral students, with instructor's approval

* Other related areas might include counseling, business, psychology, sociology, communications or other fields of interest to the student.

(5) A minimum  of three (3) hours in research or statistics selected from the following:

               • Either EDFD 5013 Research Methods in Education or EDFD 5393 Applied Educational Statistics

(6) A cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.00 on all course work required for the degree. No grades below "C" will be accepted for graduate degree credit.

(7) Satisfactory performance on a written comprehensive examination.

(8) Students enrolled in the Higher Education Program must hold a graduate assistantship or be employed full-time in Higher Education or a related field (such as an agency; exceptions must be approved by faculty).

IV.  Comprehensive Examination

(1) The comprehensive examination is intended to help students synthesize material from their core courses and to demonstrate that they can think critically about material and present themselves in a professional manner.
 
(2) Beginning, Fall 2004,the comprehensive examination will be offered once in the fall semester and once in the spring semester (will not be offered during summer school).  Students will be given questions during a four (4) hour period in which they will respond without notes, books, other resources, or collaboration. Students will respond using College of Education computers in one of the computing labs.

(3)  Question areas will cover the following:
a. The Student and Student Personnel Services
b. Management Concepts Applied to Higher Education Institutions
c. History and Philosophy of Higher Education
d. Legal Aspects of Higher Education

(4) The Comprehensive Exam will be offered 1:00-5:00 pm on October 15 (Fall Semester) and January 28, 2005 (Spring Semester).

(5) Special Note:
On a one time exception, students who are:
  a.  eligible for graduation in either Spring or Summer, 2005 (must have completed or are enrolled in all required courses by Spring 2005 to be eligible for graduation in Spring or Summer),
  b.  enrolled in the Legal Aspects Spring, 2005, and
  c.  taking the comprehensive exam in Spring, 2005
will be exempt from the Legal Aspects question.  All students who have completed the Legal course prior to Spring, 2005 will be required to complete all four sections of the exam.  For those students who are exempt from Legal Aspects (Spring 2005 Semester Only) on the Comprehensive Exam, you will be given 3 hours to complete the exam (1-4 p.m.).  In addition, Dr. Murry may choose to require extra work or additional final exam questions during the Spring, 2005 Legal Aspects course in which you are enrolled.
 
(6) Please check with your advisor if you have any questions at all about the Comprehensive Exam or process, and as a reminder, students must apply to take the comprehensive examination (applications are available from Ms. Georgia Childers).

(7) Evaluation Criteria:    Faculty member(s) will read and grade each exam.  You will be graded on each of the four major sections. The following criteria will generally be used to assess student performance: Content, Interdisciplinarity, Organization, Documentation, Expression, Usage and Mechanics, and Length.

(8) Pass/Fail - Students will be graded on each of the four sections.  All four sections must receive a Pass grade in order to pass the Comprehensive Exam.  Individuals who are not successful will be given a second opportunity through an additional exam (written or oral) at a later date and may be asked to appear before the faculty as a whole to respond to additional questions.

For more information about our Master’s (M.Ed.) degree program contact:


Dr. Lyle A. Gohn
230 Graduate Education Building
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR 72701
Phone: (479) 575-5636
Fax: (479) 575-2492

E-mail: lgohn@uark.edu

or contact the departmental office at (479) 575-2207