Graduate Course Descriptions

Learning outcomes assessment is critical to providing high-quality learning environments and promoting student achievement. This course focuses on the assessment cycle of creating learning outcomes both in and outside of the classroom, designing appropriate assessments, developing the instructional strategies, and closing the feedback loop to improve learning.

This seminar focuses on the action research process, including the elements of action research, the use of questions, and the application to the higher education environment through a scenario-based approach. Students will choose a topic of interest to develop an action research project. Preparation of the project design for an action research study is the culminating aspect of the seminar.

This seminar consists of a capstone project with an experiential component of 15 hours of immersion in practice. The project employs an action research process that applies learning directly to a higher education setting and serves as the master’s comprehensive evaluation incorporating concepts from all parts of the curriculum. Through the action research process, students will work with a question in a real setting. Formal presentation of the project is the final requirement of the program.

Course materials expose students to fundamental elements of scholarly inquiry and the research process including exploration of dissertation topics, ethics, and strategies for success.

This course provides an overview of methods used to conduct and evaluate research in the area of social science. This course will include discussion on the scientific method, development of research questions, exploration of literature, formulation of research designs, and professional critique of methodologies. Additionally, the focus of this course will be on the continuum of designs from the least to most constraint. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method designs will be reviewed.

This course reviews quantitative methodologies utilized in designing research studies in the field of Higher Education. Quantitative topics include descriptive and inferential statistics (i.e., sampling methods, descriptive statistics, standard scores, distributions, statistical significance testing, t-tests, correlation, chi-square, power and effect size) as well as a variety of supporting designs. This course emphasizes interpretive knowledge versus computation. (Pre-requisite HED 702)

This course covers how to formulate qualitative and mixed methods research questions and how to design such research studies. As part of the process, the researcher/participant positionality, power dynamics, ethics and techniques of research are examined. In addition, the course provides practice in different qualitative data collection methods, including in-depthinterviews, focus groups, and observation.

This course examines the historical, political, philosophical, and cultural shifts including technology that have given rise to and shaped modern day higher educational practice. Special focus will be placed on the objectives and functions of various types of higher education institutions and the adult learning population in contemporary colleges and universities.

This course examines theories related to the physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and spiritual development of students. Theories will be explored as foundational to understanding behavior and applying research to practice. Theory will be applied to situations in higher education through personal reflections, case studies, and class discussions.

This course is a one-semester small group project-oriented course, which meets the approval of the program chair and is conducted under faculty supervision. Students may merit one, two, or three credits according to the complexity of the project. The study would be outside the scope of the currentcourses. Examples of study include executive leadership, global models of accreditation, advanced quantitative or qualitative research methods, community and governmental relations, student persistence and completion, etc.