Geneva offers several graduate programs including a Masters in Higher Education (MAHE) program. This program is offered in two different styles. Graduate students can complete MAHE as a cohort program, where they attend classes on campus and can work as graduate assistants at the College. The other style of this program is the institute model. The institute model is designed to be more attainable for adults already working in their field. Graduate students in this model complete most of their courses online, but also come onto campus for a couple weeks of intensive learning during the summer.
Laura Sizelove and Justine Dyk are both students currently pursuing their education through the MAHE Institute at Geneva. Laura lives and works in California as the director of K-12 admissions at a private Christian school. Justine lives and works in Ontario as the director of events for a Christian think tank. Laura and Justine were both connected with the North American Coalition for Christian Admissions Professionals (NACCAP), which offers a one-year certification program called Leadership Development for Enrollment Professionals (LDEP). Laura and Justine were connected to Geneva College through NACCAP’s LDEP program, and they both wanted to continue their education through Geneva’s MAHE Institute after having a sampling of Geneva’s MAHE coursework through LDEP.
Justine Dyk works as the director of events for a Christian think tank, but she says that all of her work experience has been “education-adjacent.” She started out with working in events, then transitioned to working in admissions for a Christian University. While working in college admissions, she became a manager over the admissions councilors. As she went through her transition to a management role, her supervisor recommended the LDEP program, and Justine says it was “game changing.” Through the LDEP program she learned to see admissions more broadly and consider what positive changes could be implemented. She says that the Geneva MAHE program takes what she learned with LDEP a step further.
As Justine talks about her experience with the Geneva MAHE Institute program she says, “I’ve found that the education has been so broad that you can connect it to any field in the higher ed world, but not in a way that it’s not applicable to what you are doing.” She has found that being in a master’s program is a step above being in an undergraduate program because she now has greater accumulated knowledge and career experience that can be applied to her study of higher education. She describes the program as “much more applicable, which makes it so much more engaging.” She has been able to connect the material she learns in class to real-world scenarios that she has faced in the workplace. Furthermore, she has also found that what she learns through this program immediately impacts the work that she is doing in her job.
Justine also talks about trying to balance school and work. She says that “another thing I’ve really appreciated about this program is how flexible it is for the fully working person.” She has firsthand seen that the professors are willing to work with students, to ensure that they receive all that the program has to offer, while also being able to balance school, work, and life. She offers some advice to anyone considering the program, “It is highly worthwhile. It is applicable in any field. If you are looking at higher ed, but think that higher ed might be too narrow, I have not found that this is too narrow. In general, if you are looking to be somewhere in leadership, this is an applicable program.”
Laura Sizelove also talks about her experience in the MAHE Institute program. She currently works as the director of K-12 admissions for a private Christian school, but prior to that she spent 15 years working in admissions for Biola University and 10 years working in pastoral ministry. She explains that the institute model works very well for her. Since she works in California, she needed a program that was mostly online. She says she is “a huge proponent of the institute model.” She explains, “I love the institute model versus just a fully online model, because there are so many elements that you learn when you are connecting with people face-to-face.” The personal connection that can be found through the institute model gives Geneva’s MAHE an additional component that fully online programs lack.
She talks about her experience with the Geneva program specifically saying, “What I love about the Geneva program is definitely the interaction with the faculty. The classes are not large, which is great because you can’t be invisible.” Geneva’s MAHE program thrives on engagement and discussion. Laura values this opportunity to engage personally with the material. She has found that she was able to customize and adapt her education to her area of expertise. She has seen how her education in the MAHE Institute has been valuable for work in enrollment with K-12 students. She also remarks there is significant similarity between high school and college. While there are certainly differences, she has been able to apply what learns about higher education to her work with K-12 students.
Laura and Justine have both appreciated the opportunity to continue their education through Geneva’s MAHE program and have expressed the belief that the MAHE program is very valuable to their work. The MAHE program is also offered with a cohort model, but for working adults like Laura and Justine, the institute model provides more flexibility. They have been able to receive a quality Geneva education while working at their remote locations. While the MAHE institute program might not be right for everyone, it certainly has been valuable to Laura and Justine, and could be valuable for anyone working in higher education or leadership.
Learn more about Geneva’s MAHE program here.
Mattigan Burleigh ‘24
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