Master of Education Curriculum

This 52-credit graduate program combines 10 required/core courses (40 credits) and 3 elective AHE 518 courses with different topics (12 credits).  View Course Descriptions.

Required (Core) Courses (40 credits)

Prerequisite/Recommended Prior To Courses for AHE Required Courses

The following required (core) courses have a prerequisite or recommended prior to courses that you can plan for:

AHE 501 Understanding Educational Research - AHE 581 recommended prior to AHE 501.

AHE 571 Research and Evaluation Methods - prerequisite of AHE 501 needed prior to or permission of instructor.

AHE 580 Teaching and Instructional Design - AHE 577 recommended prior to AHE 580.

AHE 588 Portfolio and Applied Research Proposal – prerequisite of all required/core courses needed prior to or permission of instructor. Student should be in final two quarters of their program.

Required (Core) Courses

AHE 501   Understanding Educational Research (4)

IT 546       Instructional Technology and Digital Literacy (4)

AHE 555   Foundations of Higher Education and Diversity  (4) 

AHE 571   Research and Evaluation Methods (4)

AHE 576   Leadership and Management of Educational Programs (4)

AHE 577   Learning in Adulthood (4)

AHE 580   Teaching and Instructional Design (4)

AHE 581   Readings in Adult and Higher Education (4)

AHE 588   Portfolio and Applied Research Proposal (4)

AHE 592   Field Experience (4) - NOT eligible on tuition waivers

This is a Non-Thesis program. Students must pass AHE 588 at the end of their program to fulfill the Non-Thesis/Comprehensive Assessment requirement.

Elective Courses (12 Credits)

Electives courses are selected from the AHE 518 Current Issues rotating topics each quarter or from other relevant courses (other courses require advisor approval):

AHE 518   Current Issues in Education (4) - Rotating topics (is repeatable under different topics)

AHE 500   Directed Independent Study (4) - NOT eligible on tuition waivers

AHE 691   Research Seminar (4) - NOT eligible on tuition waivers

This is a Non-Thesis program. Students must pass AHE 588 at the end of their program to fulfill the Non-Thesis/Comprehensive Assessment requirement.

Non-Thesis/Comprehensive Assessment Requirement

The Adult and Higher Education Non-Thesis/Comprehensive Assessment requirement is satisfied when the student successfully completes AHE 588 Portfolio and Applied Research Proposal (4) at the end of their program.  Students may register for this course after a) completing all other required (core) courses or b) with permission from the instructor.  For details about this, check with your advisor.

Field Experience

What is a Field Experience? A field experience is an experiential learning opportunity in which each student designs and implements a learning experience of value to one's professional and academic goals. The structure of the field experience ranges from a structured internship in an organization, to a focused project such as the development of a manual or curriculum, to an in-depth experiential examination of a topic of special interest.  Like an independent study, the field experience is self-directed. The learning experience is given direction and clarity through the development of a learning contract at the outset of the field experience. Students work closely with faculty to plan the field experience which is usually done in the latter part of the program.

The field experience has several purposes:

  1. to learn about education and administration within a work setting,

  2. to augment and give depth to learning gained from coursework by applying it to an actual project,

  3. to design and implement a learning project to expand knowledge and skills in a new area, and/or

  4. to link theory and practice in order to strengthen oneself as an adult educator.