Higher Education Concentration

Update on Higher Education Fall Admission

Higher Education concentration admission deadline for Fall semester for the Master's and Doctoral program:
December 1, 2024.

Core Faculty:
Sharon Fries-Britt
Jeongeun Kim, Concentration Coordinator 
Awilda Rodriguez
Marvin Titus

Concentration Structure

Higher Education is an area of concentration within the Higher Education, Student Affairs, and International Education (HESI) program at the University of Maryland.  As a nationally recognized graduate area of concentration, Higher Education at Maryland prepares students for leadership positions in higher education institutions and policy organizations, as well as engagement in scholarship.  Alumni of the Higher Education concentration work as mid- and senior-level college administrators, higher education policy makers and analysts as well as university faculty.

Students can take courses in the following areas: Policy and Finance; Diversity and Student Experiences; Leadership and Organization; and Academic Professions. In addition, in conjunction with their faculty advisor, students can design an area of specialization to meet their individual needs.  Higher Education students can also take courses in areas such as business, public affairs, and the social sciences. Programs of study are individually designed by students in consultation with their faculty advisor. Department courses are usually offered in the afternoon and evening.

Doctoral students with an interest in student personnel services can take courses in the Student Affairs concentration.  The two concentrations offer distinct degrees but cooperate closely on course offerings.  Because the University of Maryland is located close to the nation’s capital, masters and doctoral students also have access to many seminars and presentations by higher education leaders and public policy makers in the Washington DC area.

Additionally, the Higher Education concentration is in a unique position to also offer students opportunities that enable them to gain practical experience in the form of internships at federal government agencies, public policy think tanks, and higher education advocacy organizations throughout the Washington DC area.  In the past, in addition to interning at offices on campus and the University System of Maryland, students have interned at the US Senate, National Center for Education Statistics, American Council on Education, and the Institute of Higher Education Policy.

Admitted students to the Higher Education concentration are invited to our Preview Program each spring in order to interview for assistantships across Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and other administrative offices.  Nine-and twelve-month assistantships are available.  Some doctoral applicants may be recommended for fellowships by our admissions committee.

Higher Education students and faculty regularly present at conferences and actively work in national organizations such as ACPA, AEFP, AERA, AIR, ASHE, and NASPA.

Presentations by Maryland Higher Education Concentration Faculty and Students at ASHE 2016

Presentations by Maryland Higher Education Concentration Faculty and Students at ASHE 2015

Presentations by Maryland Higher Education Concentration Faculty and Students at AERA 2014

Presentations by Maryland Higher Education Concentration Faculty and Students at ASHE 2014

 

Master of Arts Program

A minimum of 36 credit hours in Higher Education beyond the bachelor’s degree is required.  Coursework includes higher education core courses and electives, as well as research methods courses.  Students are also required to participate in an internship and complete a seminar paper.  Average completion is two years if enrolled full-time. Students work with an advisor to devlop an individualized program of study. Students may choose whether to complete a thesis or undertake field experience and complete a seminar paper.

Required Core Courses - 12 credits

EDHI 650 Professional Seminar in Higher and Adult Education

EDHI 652 Higher Education and Society

EDHI 754 Higher Education Finance 

EDHI 788M: Special Topics in Education Policy and Administration; Introduction to Higher Education Policy

Research Methods Courses - 9 credits

Requirements include EDHI 672, one quantitative and one qualitative methods course approved by advisor

EDHI 672 Modes of Inquiry in Education Research (3 credits)

Quantitative research methods courses to choose from include:

EDHI 778Y State-Level Higher Education Research

EDHI 788C Institutional Research and Planning

PUAF 610 Quantitative Aspects of Public Policy

PUAF 611 Quantitative Analysis of Policy Issues

PUAF 798R Quantitative Research Methods and Public Policy

ANTH 630 Quantification and Statistics in Applied Anthropology

SOCY 601 Statistics for Sociological Research I

SOCY 602 Statistics for Sociological Research II

SURV 615 Statistical Methods I

SURV 616 Statistical Methods II

COMM 702 Intermediate Quantitative Data Analysis in Communications Research

EDPS 703 Quantitative Applications for Education Policy Analysis

GVPT 622 Quantitative Methods for Political Science

GVPT 722 Advanced Quantitative Methods for Political Science

Qualitative research methods courses to choose from include:

EDHI 700 Qualitative Research Methods in Education

EDHI 788C Institutional Research Planning

COMM 714 Introduction to Qualitative Methods in Communication Research

COMM 715 Advanced Qualitative Methods

EDPS 730 Seminar on Case Study Methods

EDPS 735 Phenomenological Inquiry I

EDPS 736 Phenomenological Inquiry II

EDCP 773 Designing Qualitative Research in Counseling & Student Affairs Contexts

FMSC780 Qualitative Methods in Family and Health Research

EDCI 791 Qualitative Research I: Design and Fieldwork

EDCI 792 Qualitative Research II: Analysis and Interpretation of Data

Higher Education Electives - 9 credits

Choose at least 3 courses from the following list or alternative graduate courses approved by advisor:

EDHI 653 Organization and Administration in Higher Education

EDHI 660 Retention Theories and the Impact of College

EDHI 662 Research on Ethnic Minorities and Demographic Trends

EDHI 664 The College Experience

EDHI 665 College Access and Choice

EDHI 667 Women in Higher Education

EDHI 676 Ranking Systems in Higher Education

EDHI 752 State Systems in Higher Education

EDHI 755 Federal Policies in Post-Secondary Education

EDCP 770 Service Learning and College Student Development

EDHI 788 State-Level Higher Education Research

EDHI 853 Leadership in Higher Education

Internship in Higher Education (Register for EDHI 489 with your advisor) - 3

Seminar Paper (Register for EDHI 679 with your adviser while working on your seminar paper) - 3 credits

Total Credits – 36

Presentations by Maryland Higher Education Concentration Faculty and Students at ASHE 2016

Doctoral Program

Ph.D. students are required to take a minimum of 90 credits beyond the bachelor’s degree, some of which may be satisfied by prior study in a master’s program.  In addition to the core and elective courses, this program includes 12 to 15 credits in research methods, an internship, and 12 credits of dissertation research.  Average completion is five years if enrolled full time.

Required Core Courses - 9 credits

EDCP 870 Doctoral First-Year Seminar (3 credits)

EDHI 672 Modes of Inquiry in Education Research (3 credits)

EDHI 895 Research Critique Seminar (3 credits)

Research Methods Courses - 12 credits

At least 3 credits of which are quantitative, at least 3 credits of which are qualitative and two additional research courses. Choose from the following list of research methods courses or alternative research methods courses approved by advisor:

Quantitative research methods courses to choose from:

EDHI 778Y State-Level Higher Education Research

PUAF 610 Quantitative Aspects of Public Policy

PUAF 611 Quantitative Analysis of Policy Issues

PUAF 798R Quantitative Research Methods and Public Policy

ANTH 630 Quantification and Statistics in Applied Anthropology

SOCY 601 Statistics for Sociological Research I

SOCY 602 Statistics for Sociological Research II

SURV 615 Statistical Methods I

SURV 616 Statistical Methods II

COMM 702 Intermediate Quantitative Data Analysis in Communications Research

EDPS 703 Quantitative Applications for Education Policy Analysis

GVPT 622 Quantitative Methods for Political Science

GVPT 722 Advanced Quantitative Methods for Political Science

Qualitative research methods courses to choose from include:

EDHI 700 Qualitative Research Methods in Education

COMM 714 Introduction to Qualitative Methods in Communication Research

COMM 715 Advanced Qualitative Methods

EDPS 730 Seminar on Case Study Methods

EDPS 735 Phenomenological Inquiry I

EDPS 736 Phenomenological Inquiry II

EDCP 773 Designing Qualitative Research in Counseling & Student Affairs Contexts

FMSC780 Qualitative Methods in Family and Health Research

EDCI 791 Qualitative Research I: Design and Fieldwork

EDCI 792 Qualitative Research II: Analysis and Interpretation of Data

Cognate Courses - Up to 24 credits

Courses in support field (Master's degree or electives)

Domain Knowledge - 18 credits

Choose at least six courses from among the following:

EDHI 660 Retention Theories and the Impact of College

EDHI 662 Research on Ethnic Minorities and Demographic Trends

EDHI 664 The College Experience

EDHI 665 College Access and Choice

EDHI 666 The Academic Profession

EDHI 667 Women in Higher Education

EDHI 676 Ranking Systems in Higher Education

EDHI 752 State Systems in Higher Education

EDHI 754 Higher Education Finance

EDHI 755 Federal Policies in Post-Secondary Education

EDCP 770 Service Learning and College Student Development

EDHI 788 State-Level Higher Education Research

EDHI 853 Leadership in Higher Education

Disciplinary Perspectives - 15 credits

Disciplinary courses will be selected from Department, College, and University offerings to meet the individual needs of the student.

Dissertation research – 12 credits

EDHI 899

Total credits beyond Bachelor's Degree – 90