HESA Course Sequence

Year 1: August

EDL 5100 Professional Seminar: The purpose of this course is to introduce new masters students to the profession and to the HESA program at Baylor University while promoting student success in the program.

Year 1: Fall Semester

EDL 5379 Foundations & History of Higher Education Administration: The history of higher education and student affairs is explored through an introduction to the various fields, organizations, and functions in student affairs, including trends, issues, and ethics.

EDL 5370 Psychosocial Development: This course will offer an in-depth analysis of psychosocial development theories, including models based on gender, race, ethnicity, sexual identity, and socioeconomic/sociocultural class. Erik Erikson's Identity over the Life Span and Arthur Chickering's Theory of Identity Development, along with Josselson, Phinney, Cross Helms, Cass, and others will be used.

EDL 5372 The Culture and Organization of Higher Education: This course provides an overview of the organizational structures and dynamics of higher education governance, leadership, planning, and resource allocation. Particular attention is given to the diversity of postsecondary institutions in the United States and how varying institutional settings influence organizational behavior, structures, and cultural norms of operating. An introductory survey of organizational theories in higher education is also explored.

Year 1: Spring Semester

EDL 5371 Cognitive-Structural Development: The course offers an in-depth analysis of cognitive-structural college student development theories, including William Perry's Intellectual Scheme; Mary Field Belenky, et al.'s Women's Way of Knowing; Marcia Baxter Magolda's Epistemological Reflection Model; and Patricia King and Karen Kitchener's Kitchener's Reflective Judgment Model.

EDL 5399 Faith-Based Higher Education: The course explores the history of higher education in the United States, with special attention to the interplay of forces that have led virtually every major academic institution to abandon historic Christian convictions. It includes reading and thinking about the lessons of history and discussion of how to apply them in a contemporary context. Topics include staff and faculty hiring and mentoring, student life programming, staff development, and crafting and implementing a Christian college vision.

EDL 5300 Research Applications in Educational Leadership (Quantitative Research & Statistics): This course offers a graduate level introduction to research applications, quantitative research methodologies, and statistical methods related to the study of higher education and student affairs. Topics covered include the importance of quantitative research, research design, statistical methods such as analysis of variance and regression, the use of SPSS software, and proper survey design.

Summer Sessions

EDL 5273 Person-Environment Theories: This course offers an in-depth analysis of person environment theories, including the history and current use of such theories in higher education and student affairs. How people learn and the design of effective learning experiences and environment is also examined.

First Year Mid-Point Exams
After the conclusion of the first year of study, students complete a preliminary exam by responding to three one-hour essay questions. Responses are used to assess a student's learning, and ability to apply learning, to the program's foundational bodies of knowledge. These are 1) student development theory, 2) organizational theory, and 3) faith-based higher education. Faculty members review each student's response to essay questions and render a rating. A rubric guides faculty in their evaluation.

EDP 5329 Counseling Theories and Techniques: Basic theories, strategies, and techniques in counseling, counseling relationships, preparing case reports, interpreting data, introduction to levels of counselor effectiveness, video-taped counseling session.

Year 2: Fall Semester

EDL 5336 Qualitative Research in Higher Education: The development of an in-depth understanding of the major methods of inquiry associated with qualitative research will be emphasized. These include participant observation, interviewing, and document analysis. Additionally, an appreciation for the strengths and limitations of engaging in qualitative research and a general understanding of the paradigms that undergird qualitative research and their implications for conducting qualitative inquiry will be cultivated.

EDL 5394 Planning, Budgeting, and Human Resources in Higher Education and Student Affairs: This course will explore the interdependent relationship of university strategy formation, strategic planning, finance and human resources. First, attention will be given to theory-based literature from both business and higher education as it relates to strategy formation and planning. Second, financial issues related to college and university administration are examined, including the nature of costs, their impact on students, and the future of higher education. Finally, the course explores the importance of human resources its relationship to planning and finance, and how a student affairs administrator can enact processes related to management, staff selection, training, evaluation, and productivity.

EDL 5374 Moral and Faith Development in College Students: An in-depth survey of major theories related to moral and faith development of American college students provides the basis of this course. Current research on the effect of the college environment on moral and faith development is explored, and special emphasis is placed on the integration of theory into student affairs administrative practice.

Year 2: Spring Semester

EDL 5392 Higher Education and the Law: Legal aspects and issues of constitutional, statutory, and case law concerning public and private two-year and four-year colleges, and universities; and their boards, administrators, faculty and students are covered in this course. Interpretations, compliance issues, and implications for institutional practices and policy are also examined.

EDL 5391 Cultural Issues in Higher Education: This course explores topics relevant to providing educational services to diverse student populations in higher education. Students will develop knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to function within their own micro culture as well as other cultures, the United States macro culture, and the global community. Students will develop skills and understanding of effective strategies for academic assessment, intervention, and strategies to facilitate student success in higher education.

EDL 5378 Capstone Case Study Course: This culminating course uses a problem-based, case study learning approach to apply the competencies gained in other educational administration courses. Students address new trends in college student personnel through attendance at a national conference as well as through a mentoring relationship with a student affairs professional.

EDL 5V99 Thesis Course**

**Students interested in the thesis option must apply. Selection is based upon the quality of the proposals and the availability of faculty to chair theses.

Baylor University retains the right to terminate or change any aspects of its educational and other programs at any time without prior notice.