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Higher Education Courses Online

Curriculum Details

  • 12 courses
  • 36 credits
  • 150-165 hours of field experience
  • 14-16 weeks per course

The online Master of Science in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Butler University features a curriculum grounded in competencies from leading organizations like NASPA—Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education and ACPA—College Student Educators International. It is designed to be completed in two to three years, depending on your courseload, with 14-week courses.

Throughout your student affairs master’s program, you will complete eight core courses, two supervised practicum courses, and two electives to customize your study plan. Coursework includes intentional offerings in student well-being and counseling fundamentals, with dedicated coursework in these essential areas.

You will also explore college student populations, historical foundations of higher education, college student development, and more in higher education courses led by our scholar-practitioner faculty.

Butler’s College of Education partnered with the Division of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Student Affairs (DEISA) to develop this online master’s program, ensuring graduates are prepared to be inclusive, forward-thinking leaders in a range of career paths.

 

Core Courses

Credits

This course will introduce learners to the history of higher education, taking into consideration the development of higher education from a historical perspective, the growth and nature of different institutions of higher education, and how these elements influenced both higher education and student affairs practices. While the course will primarily focus on American institutions, it will also be necessary to acknowledge other global actors during the precolonial, colonial, and post-colonial periods in American history. The development of diverse educational institution types, curriculum, and student services will be explored, including a focus on student affairs.
The focus of this course is to explore the intersectionality and relevance of student identities in relation to college experiences, including consideration of how such identities relate to the promise and shortcomings of higher education in achieving personal and institutional advancement and equity in our society. We will discuss how identities have historically and currently led to discussions of power, privilege, place, and structures of oppression, as well as activism against these forms of oppression. We will also cover the political and historical contexts that gave rise to each of these constructs. We will also discuss access and justice issues in all their connotations, as well as ways that we can make our practice more inclusive and engaging across diverse student identities. 
This course focuses on training students to be effective student affairs practitioners and student-support professionals by identifying various aspects of student well-being, including mental, physical, social, and spiritual (encompassing secular, agnostic, and atheist approaches to meaning and purpose) aspects among student populations. Students will receive training and support to develop campus-centered, student-focused responses that ensure effective efforts to promote student well-being.  
College Student Development offers an introduction to the ways in which students grow, change, and develop their self-awareness and understanding of the world around them during their college years. While this course covers a wide swath of theoretical ground, it also involves practical application of these theories, self-reflection, and some foundational research skills. The course begins with an examination of the historical development of the first student development theories and the factors and paradigms that influenced their formation. We will build upon these foundations to explore constructivist and social identity approaches to student development and dedicate a significant amount of time to more recent critical and intersectional theories. Throughout the course, you will be asked to reflect on your own development in college, examine how theory is used in practice, and use theory to analyze real-world case studies. 
The focus of this course is to ensure that students develop a comprehensive understanding of leadership theories and management practices. Regardless of the functional area in student affairs, at some point, every practitioner will be called upon to lead others, manage resources, and either navigate a crisis situation or respond to one after the fact. In this course, we will discuss leadership styles and theories, organizational structures, crisis planning, response, and management, as well as related matters. Cases and presentations will be used to provide real-world parallels, and you will have the opportunity to ask them questions about their practice. 
This course will explore legal issues and their impact on post-secondary institutions. The course will cover elements such as historical cases that have impacted the development of educational and student affairs policies, as well as topics including aspects of academic freedom, employment, admissions, tort liability, and related student and institutional legal issues. As any position in Higher Education and Student Affairs has certain legal responsibilities under the law, interaction with the law and legal elements are required, this course will provide foundational knowledge of the law in relation to higher education while also considering the ethical aspects of education and service that may extend beyond the legal responsibility.  
The purpose of the course is to prepare you to be a professional in the field of student affairs in various contexts by focusing on professional competencies as defined by ACPA and NASPA. During this semester, you will interact with functional areas in the University outside of your primary existing student affairs experience. This course will be a companion to your work, giving you space to make meaningful connections between theory and practical implementation; between “hot topics” in the field and your day-to-day work. The practicum is a means for you to grow your professional skill set, as well as continue to develop your professional philosophy. You will reflect on both in discussions and assignments for this course. Practicum Hours: 75
As you position yourself for a successful transition to more advanced work in a student affairs role, your second practicum experience should give you the opportunity to enhance or develop salient professional skills. We will discuss the role of professional organizations in our field, the influence of policy on our day-to-day practice, and emerging trends that may shape your first year’s post-graduate school. Because “quality” and “accountability” are sure to be ongoing trends as well, you will undertake an assessment project at your practicum site and report your findings beyond previous efforts. Practicum Hours: 75-90

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