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Nov 23, 2024
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2021-2022 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Higher Education
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Minimum number of credits required to graduate: 36
Minimum Cumulative GPA required to graduate: 3.0
Department Chair: Susan Marine, Ph.D.
The Mission of the Merrimack College Higher Education program is to prepare practitioners and leaders in higher education to:
- understand the history, functions, and aims of higher education;
- promote student learning and growth, in multiple learning environments;
- develop, implement, and evaluate policies and practices that further the unique missions of diverse institutions of higher learning, and
- lead with integrity, creativity, and a commitment to advance social justice, in keeping with the democratic aims of American higher education.
The Master’s in Higher Education (M.Ed.) prepares students to be student affairs practitioners and administrative leaders in a variety of roles within higher education. The curriculum focuses on the learning and development of college students; college access, equity and diversity; and leadership and organizational development. Students will gain a broad understanding of current trends, policies, leadership challenges, and opportunities to advance social justice in higher education.
There are two pathways to completion for the Higher Education program:
- Full-time through the Higher Education Fellowship program, which offers a full-tuition fellowship.
- Full-time or part-time as a traditional student, working closely with an academic advisor to plan your program of study and timeline to completion. Traditional students have the opportunity to participate in a field-experience assistantship.
The Master’s in Higher Education is a 36-credit program.
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Core Requirements
The core of our program emphasizes social justice and the multifaceted and critical role that postsecondary institutions play in a democratic, pluralistic, and complex society.
All students will complete a capstone experience - an original research project where students demonstrate their proficiency in planning a curricular innovation, or a new program or service to address an unmet need on Merrimack’s (or another) campus. Each student will choose an area of interest related to their career goals, focused on creating change in Higher Education. The capstone course is the culminating experience of the Master’s program.
Student Affairs
Students choose from the following courses.
Leadership, Policy, and Organizational Development
Students choose from the following courses.
Fellowship and/or other Electives
Students in the Fellowship program work 25 hours a week (average) in their assigned fellowship setting. Fellows also meet regularly in a seminar with an experienced practitioner to reflect upon the experience and document skill and competency development. Fellows will receive 4 credits for their Fellowship and seminar (2 credits each semester), and will select one additional elective to complete their program. Students who are not participating in the Fellowship program will select two (2) additional electives to complete their program.
Traditional students (part-time or full-time) who do not currently work in a higher education setting are strongly encouraged to participate in an Assistantship for 10-12 hours per week and accompanying seminar and will receive 2 credits per semester for this work. The Assistantship provides students with hands-on experience that directly relates to their academics and may serve as the platform for the capstone.
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