(M.A., M.S., M.Ed., C.A.S., Ed.D.)

The programs in Higher Education advance the knowledge and skills essential for effective programmatic leadership in a variety of professional areas in today’s colleges and universities. All programs emphasize the integration of oral and written communication skills, critical thinking skills, a cognitive understanding of colleges and universities as institutions, the social context within which they function, the individual identity development of the students they serve, and the effective use of technology in curriculum and communication.

Student Development in Higher Education (M.Ed., M.A., M.S., C.A.S.)

The master’s program in Student Development in Higher Education encompasses a body of knowledge and theory that provides a basis for professional practice. It is designed around the guidelines established by the Council for the Advancement of Standards for Student Services/Development Programs. Theory to practice internships provide hands-on experience in a student affairs setting. The 39 credit hour graduate program in Student Development in Higher Education contains three major components:

• Student development in higher education core (21 credit hours): A set of courses required of all students in the program providing a base of knowledge about colleges and universities and student development as a field. The core includes at least 3 credit hours of theory to practice internship experience and one 3 credit hour elective. The program culminates in an integrating capstone seminar and final paper.
• Research Core (6 credit hours): two courses providing a basic understanding of educational research and statistical methods for conducting and/or interpreting it.
• Focus Block/concentration (12 Credit Hours)…an area of emphasis specific to the student’s interests: Options include educational leadership, counseling, women’s studies, adult education and individualized.

M.A./M.S. Degrees: Exceptional, proven students, typically anticipating future doctoral work, who wish to do a thesis rather than the Capstone Seminar may apply for transfer to a MA or MS program after at least 18 hours in the MEd program in Student Development in Higher Education, to include EDS510 and EDS521. The application must include a proposal for the research project approved by the Higher Educational Leadership faculty, and include signatures of three faculty committed to serving on the supervisory committee.

Students typically hold graduate assistantships with offices and programs at UMaine for which they apply directly to the specific offices.

Ed.D. in Higher Educational Leadership

The Ed.D. concentration in Higher Educational Leadership enhances and broadens the leadership knowledge and skills of mid-career professionals within colleges and universities and other settings serving advanced learning needs. Its goal is to help leaders develop knowledge, interpersonal skills, values and awareness that will enable them to influence positively the functioning and educational outcomes of the institutions they serve. Through its structure and content the concentration is intended to (1) enhance both individual professional skills and vision; (2) enhance institutional capacities through more skilled leadership at all levels; (3) develop collaborative networks of professional resources and support through colleagues, faculty, and resource people with whom students have contact; and (4) provide a forum for analysis of regional and national problems in higher education and for advancing solutions to those problems with particular emphasis on understanding the impact of social contexts and individual identity development on colleges and universities.

The doctoral program in Higher Educational Leadership contains four major components culminating in the dissertation including:

1. Professional Core: a broad, common strand of course work required of all students to provide a common understanding of colleges and universities in modern society (18 credit hours) including the following courses:
• HED 676/677 Doctoral Seminar in Higher Education (2 semesters)
• HED 650 Social Context of Higher Education
• HED 652 Dynamics of Change in Higher Education
• HED 654 Higher Education Policy and Politics
• EDU 690 Topics: Advanced Leadership Studies (or a designated alternative)
2. Research Foundations: a set of courses to provide expertise in evaluating and conducting quantitative and/or qualitative research in educational settings (a minimum of 12 credit hours)
3. Professional Specialization: a set of interdisciplinary courses tailored to individual professional goals, needs and interests (a minimum of 18 credit hours which can include an internship or field research)
4. Dissertation Research structured to solve problems or produce knowledge with direct applicability to higher educational practice (a minimum of 6 credit hours).

The structure of the program is defined by the Ed.D. requirements in the parent Educational Leadership program. It requires 90 credit hours past the bachelor’s degree. Students may transfer up to 45 hours from prior graduate work. The disciplinary backgrounds and the applied experience mid-career students bring with them are central to the learning environment. Students are expected to learn from one another as well as from faculty and others with specific expertise in areas of higher education.

Additional information regarding the program and the supplemental admissions process is available from Higher Education Leadership Doctoral Admissions, 5766 Shibles Hall, University of Maine, Orono, Maine 04469. Application deadline is typically February 15.