Courses & Schedule

Overview | Schedule | Courses

---

Overview

Course instruction is 100% online, allowing students great flexibility in scheduling their learning. Course requirements include a time each week when students participate in synchronous online group sessions live synchronous online class sessions. Courses are offered over four 10-week terms each year. This innovative approach acknowledges that most of our "students" are actually working professionals who must manage the work/life/learning balance. Students are part of a cohort and enroll in one course per 10-week term. This schedule allows students in the cohort to complete their degrees in two years. However, the degree may be completed at a slower pace if arranged.

[back to top]

---

Schedule

The four 10-week terms are loosely linked to the traditional Fall/Spring/Summer semester system:

Spring
Term 1 (January - March)
Term 2 (April - June)

Summer
Term 3 (July - September)

Fall
Term 4 (October - December)

Please see the respective "Current Students" page for the most up-to-date course offerings.

[back to top]

---

Courses

The 36 credit hours required for the Master of Education degree are earned through successful completion of eight, 4-hour courses and a two-part Capstone Course:

1. EOL 540: Introduction to Educational Administration (4 hrs)

Provides the basic common understanding of theory and practice in operation and control of schools useful to teachers and other citizens; analyzes both formal and informal influences on governance; and serves as an introductory course for prospective administrative officers and supervisors.

2. EOL 570: Organization of Higher Education (4 hrs)

Organizational patterns whereby colleges and universities seek to accomplish their purposes; agencies involved in the governance of higher education.

3. EPSY 407: Adult Learning and Development (4 hrs)

Theory of and research on adult learning and development; includes societal context, performance, physiology and health, personality, and learning; and considers stability and change during young adulthood, middle age, and old age. Meets both foundational requirements for EPSY.

4. EOL 405: Historical and Social Barriers (4 hrs)

Examines the relationship between ability, race, class, and gender to citizenship and schooling. Particular emphasis is placed on how the construction of "citizenship" has been used as a tool to further deny equal participation in the public sphere such as schools. To that end, an application of historical understanding of social barriers to educational access is analyzed from the Colonial period to the present. Not offered for undergraduate credit.

5. EOL 549: Administration Theory (4 hrs)

Study of theoretical perspectives and empirical research drawn from the social sciences relating to educational organizations and administrative leadership with an emphasis on application of theory to practice.

6. EOL 550: Leadership and Professional Development (4 hrs)

Study of major issues on educational leadership and professional development. Examination of research, theories, and practices pertaining to: professional development purposes, content, context, policies, and processes; fostering and sustaining quality professional development; and the roles of teachers, school administrators and policy analysts.

7. EOL 548: Political & Cultural Context of Education (4 hrs)

The political and social environment of public education in the United States; analysis of the power structure and its influence on educational policy making at the district level; examination of the evolving roles of state and federal agencies, the courts, private organizations, and interest groups in school governance. Studies the tension between the ideal of a democratically controlled public school system and the growing power of educational experts.

8. EOL 576: Higher Education Finance (4 hrs)

Explores the foundations of higher education finance by analyzing key theories, structures, and challenges of college and university financing. Students will examine readings, present papers and actively participate in class discussions, so as to better comprehend the financial complexities dictating current institutional policies and practices.

9. EOL 588 (Parts I & II): Capstone Experience (2 hrs Each)

Part I is the design of a research study (capstone project) that integrates literature covered in the degree program leading to a research question to be explored empirically. It includes literature review, problem statement, research design, methodology, identifying participants, IRB review and a final proposal paper. Students are expected to collect data for their study (project) between Parts I and II. Part II topics include data analysis, interpretation, discussion, implications, dissemination of findings, and future research. Leads to a final research (capstone) paper that synthesizes work from Part I and adds to it through data analysis, discussion of findings, implications, and ways to disseminate findings to relevant audiences.

[back to top]

---