| Program Delivery
The MA in Higher Education Program is a 36-credit program that could be pursued in the following formats depending on a student's time and commitments:
In the ACCELERATED PROGRAM, students earn degrees by taking core classes once-a-week over a continuous 20 month period, beginning each September at Geneva College. A one-week break follows each course and two longer breaks occur at the Christmas holidays and in the summer respectively. Students typically complete elective courses by enrolling in one of the Institute Programs or in other unique programs associated with Geneva's Higher Education Program. Most students in the Accelerated Program hold Graduate Assistantships at Geneva or at nearby colleges and universities.
The INSTITUTES PROGRAM allows students to pursue a master's degree without having to leave their current positions. Institutes are offered in the early summer and early winter each year. Students can take either one or two courses per week at the two-week Summer Institute and the one-week Winter Institute. Readings, assignments, and ongoing conversations are undertaken during the semester(s) that follow each Institute. Needless to say, the Institutes Program is the ultimate in flexibility! Students who desire to finish the MA in Higher Education in three years may take four courses each year by attending both weeks of the Summer Institute (or a combination of Summer and Winter Institutes). However, students who desire to take longer to complete the program may opt for two or three courses per year, utilizing any combination of the Summer and Winter Institutes.
The SELF-DIRECTED STUDIES PROGRAM offers students the opportunity to design their pursuit of the MA in Higher Education in the most feasible way. That is, students interested in this format can simply choose courses whenever they are offered until they fulfill all of the program requirements, whether it takes 2-3 years or 4-5 years for them to do so!
Curriculum Overview . . .
The MA in Higher Education Program is comprised of 36 credit hours. All students take the Foundations Core (27 credits) and Electives (9 credits). Students also may opt to declare a concentration in Student Affairs Administration, Educational Leadership, College Teaching, or Campus Ministry. Contextualized learning, an important facet of the program, is a requirement of participation with 600 hours of related field experience required during each student's tenure.
The FOUNDATIONS CORE consists of nine required courses (twenty-seven credits) designed to ensure a broad grasp of the history and philosophy of higher education, clear insight into the nature of learning and the learner, and a thorough integration of learning and life.
Required courses:
Vocation and Formation in Higher Education
College Students in America
Worldviews and Higher Education
Historical Foundations of Higher Education
Great Issues in Higher Education
Sociological Foundations in Higher Education
Foundations of Learning and Knowledge
Foundations of Educational Research
Capstone in Higher Education
Three ELECTIVE COURSES (9 credits) are required. These electives may be selected from courses in the four concentration areas.
Elective options:
Residence Life
Diversity in Higher Education
Counseling and Advisement
Administrative Leadership in Higher Education
Assessment and Retention
The Vocation of Teacher
Principles of Effective Teaching
Foundations of Campus Ministry
Effective Methods of Campus Ministry
Four CONCENTRATIONS are offered:
Student Affairs Administration
Educational Leadership
College Teaching
Campus Ministry
A concentration consists of two elective courses in a particular area and the completion of a final research project on a topic related to that area. | 
