Delivery & Curriculum

The MA in Higher Education program is a 36-credit program. All students take the Foundations Core (30 credits) and Electives (6 credits). 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 10 required courses (30 credits) that 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:

• Foundations of Learning and Knowledge
• Historical Foundations of Higher Education
• College Students in America
• Foundations of Higher Education
• The Higher Education Professional
• College Student Success
• Capstone in Higher Education
• Leadership and Change
• Foundations of Educational Research
• One of the following: Foundations of Campus Diversity or Comparative Higher Education

Two ELECTIVE COURSES (6 credits) are required. Some of these electives are offered more frequently than others.

• Residence Life
• Counseling and Advisement
• Contemporary Trends in Higher Education
• Legal Issues in Higher Education
• Assessment and Retention
• Vocation of Teacher

The program is available the following formats:

COHORT MODEL

In the Cohort Model, students earn degrees by taking cases at Geneva College once a week over a continuous 20-month period beginning each August.  A one-week break usually follows each course, and two longer breaks occur at the Christmas holidays and in the summer respectively.  Students also complete other courses by enrolling in the Institutes classes.  Many students in the Cohort Model hold graduate assistantships at Geneva or at nearby colleges and universities. 

Graduate assistantships are available to students enrolled in this program.  The professional positions available for assistantships vary, e.g., residence life, admissions, campus ministry, coaching, teaching, career services, and student activities.  Graduate assistantships are normally nine-month positions (usually renewable for the second year) and they include a one-third reduction in tuition costs, as well as a monthly stipend.

INSTITUTES MODEL

The Institutes model allows students to pursue a master’s degree without having to leave their current positions.  Summer Institute is offered in the early summer (June).  Students who enroll in this two-week option can complete their graduate degree by attending Summer Institute for two years and register for six courses (18 credits) each year.  This is accomplished by taking two on-site courses each week and one online course each semester.  An elective course is available at Winter Institute which is offered over a one-week period in early January.  Readings, assignments, and ongoing conversations are undertaken during the semesters that follow both Summer and Winter Institute. 

SELF-DIRECTED STUDIES MODEL

Students can take longer than two years to complete the master’s program through the Self-Directed Studies Model.  This model offers students the opportunity to design their pursuit of the Master of Arts 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.