Continuing, Adult & Higher Education Department

About Us

The Department of Continuing, Adult and Higher Education promotes high standards of professional education in an environment attentive to the needs of students, faculty and the broader society it serves. CAHE is committed to the best practices in the preparation and continuing education of professionals in the fields of counseling and higher education while advancing scholarly activity; supporting individual and collaborative efforts in institutional and non-institutional settings; and advancing diversity and equity in teaching, research and services.

Ladderized Curriculum

The benefit of the Alt+U ladderized curriculum is that students can receive advanced courses based on their qualifying GPA, allowing them to get credit for higher graduate courses right after completing requirements. Students will be able to exit at the appropriate intervals set by the curriculum with the necessary credential or continue their studies using our ladderized curriculum. Like a ladder, student progress within the program with credentials at hand. Ladderized education is the harmonization of all educational and training processes that allow students to advance from specialized to higher education programs, or vice versa. It provides students the chances for good career opportunity and educational improvement.

The Program

Prepare for a future as a college or university administrator, institutional researcher, policy analyst, or professor by taking these courses. Coursework focuses on research and theory, as well as in-depth investigation of an academic area outside of the School of Education. Because there are few mandatory courses in this degree, you will have more freedom to concentrate in your areas of interest. A robust set of research and methodology courses are required. For employment in institutional research, policy analysis, or as a professor, a good background in research is required. A strong theoretical perspective is necessary in doctoral dissertations or professional practice. Students perform research on a wide range of topics, although many of them choose research that complements the faculty's expertise.

Areas of concentration:

• Assessment

• College choice

• Economics and finance of postsecondary education

• Retention

• Student development

• Student engagement

• Teaching and learning

Course Offerings

HESA 702: Philosophy of Postsecondary Education

HESA 771: Legal Aspects in Higher Education

HESA 733: Applied Learning Theories in Postsecondary Education

HESA 740: Pedagogical Innovations and Student Learning

HESA 770: Administration of Higher Education

HESA 703: Postsecondary Access in Higher Education

HESA 530: Instructional Theory, Practice, and Teaching in Postsecondary Education

HESA 759: Critical and Feminist Pedagogies in Higher Education

HESA 705: Theories College Student Learning, Development, and Success

HESA 720: Review of Research in Higher Education (intro to ed research)

HESA 757: Seminar in Higher Education Outcomes

HESA 575: Public Policy Studies in Higher Education*

HESA 733: Applied Learning Theories in Postsecondary Education

HESA 740: Pedagogical Innovations and Student Learning

HESA 700: Seminar in Higher Ed and Student Affairs

HESA 772: Financing of Higher Education

HESA 530: Instructional Theory, Practice, and Teaching in Postsecondary Education

HESA 759: Critical and Feminist Pedagogies in Higher Education

HESA 504: Educating for Equity and Social Justice in Higher Education

HESA 710: Evaluating Higher Education Programs

HESA 721: Applied Research Design in Higher Education

HESA 798: Research Seminar in Higher Education

Master's Graduate Courses

500 to 596 Workshop

500 to 596 Seminar

500 to 596 Colloquium

597 Internship

598 Special Project

599 Professional Applied Research / Master's Capstone / Portfolio

699 Thesis

Doctoral Graduate Courses

780 Issues & Trends

790 Special Topic

791 Directed Research

792 Directed Readings

793 Independent Research

794 Independent Study

795 Fellowship Research

797 Practicum / Clinical / Clerkship

798 Fellowship Research

799 Dissertation / Applied Dissertation

*Advance course can only be taken twice (2), a waiver from the department chair is needed if it exceed the prescribe limit.