CSEL

M.Ed Higher Education

Program Overview

The Master of Education, Higher Education program is designed for candidates with an interest in working in administrative positions in institutions of higher education, civic organizations, non-profit organizations, national government organizations, or the social sector. Program coursework provides students with a strong grounding in leadership/management / organizational development with particular attention to the higher education context.

Addressing the growing demand for higher education professionals, the curriculum emphasizes theory, research methods, and data analysis, as well as substantive knowledge and skills development in organizational leadership, particularly as it pertains to higher education. Delivered in a convenient online format the M.Ed. Higher Education provides students with a well-rounded foundation in higher education administration, and the ability to personalize the curriculum to meet their needs through elective courses and project/internship experiences.

Click here to access the M.Ed. in Higher Education Handbook 

Curriculum

The M.Ed. Higher Education program is 45 credit hour program that consists of 10 core courses, two electives courses, an Internship or Capstone Project, and a Master's examination. The M.Ed. Higher Education program is offered fully online.  

Click here to see course curriculum with descriptions

Admission Requirements

To apply for this program you must submit the online Graduate Application. As a part of the application process you will identify three references, write a letter of intent, request transcripts from previous colleges/universities attended, and submit your resume. To be fully admitted to the program you must have a 3.0 GPA over the last 90 credit hours (60 semester hours). You are not required to take the GRE's.

Access the Graduate Application

Application Deadlines

Priority Application Deadlines are as follows: 

Fall Quarter            February 1
Winter Quarter       October 1
Spring Quarter       January 1
Summer Quarter    April 1

Tuition and Fees

The Masters of Education (M.Ed.) program in Higher Education is an online graduate degree program.  For information about tuition and fees, please contact the CWU Registrar's Office at 509-963-3001 or reg@cwu.edu.

The M.Ed. Higher Education Program is not eligible to be used with the state employee tuition waiver.

Steps After Admission

Registering for Classes

Each quarter, you will self-enroll in classes through MyCWU.

To browse available courses, log in to MyCWU and navigate to the Academic Toolbox section. In this section, select Class Search. Once in the Class Search section: 1) change the drop-down menus so that the Term box lists the term you are searching for, 2) change the Course Subject to the correct subject (i.e. Education: Administration to search for the core classes), 3) change the Course Career to Graduate, 4) select Search and see the available courses. 

To enroll in courses, log in to MyCWU and navigate to the Academic Toolbox section. In this section, select My Enrollment. Once in the My Enrollment section: 1) select the "add" tab, 2) search for the classes you would like to add, and 3) select each class you would like to enroll in to register. 

For more assistance on how to self-enroll in classes, please reach out to our Graduate Office Assistant at 509-963-1443 or our Department Secretary at 509-963-1448.

Ordering Textbooks

Each course will have one or more required texts. The texts can be purchased or rented through CWU's Wildcat Shop or through other textbook sites/stores. 

To find out what text(s) are required for your courses follow these steps: 1) visit the CWU Wildcat Shop,  2) scroll to the bottom of the page and select Click Here to Find Your Course Textbooks, 3) select the term,  4) scroll to find the Course Subject that matches the course you are enrolled in,  5) select the course you are enrolled in and click Find Books to view the required textbooks. 

Online Coursework

Each course is offered fully online and features a blend of lectures, readings, assignment submissions, and collaborative sessions. Some courses will include synchronous meeting times (example: 'meeting' online at 6:00 pm every Wednesday).

Completing a Course of Study

A Course of Study lists the courses you will take toward your master's degree. You are required to submit a Course of Study before you have accumulated 25 credits towards your degree.

To complete your Course of Study, use the Course Schedule on the Curriculum page as a reference and fill in the term and year that you plan to take each required course and the elective courses. Click here for a blank Course of Study. Please keep in mind that if you intend to receive Financial Aid you must be enrolled in at least 5 graduate level credits per quarter.

Completing the Internship or Capstone Project

For the culminating experience in the M.Ed. Higher Education Program, you will choose to complete either an internship or a capstone project. The internship/capstone project is titled EDAD 596 and is 5 credits. You may complete your internship or project in one quarter or you may split it between two consecutive quarters. Please see the Program Handbook for more information on each choice. 

If you choose to complete the capstone project, you will be required to submit a HSRC form if your project uses human subjects. 

When you register to begin the internship/capstone project you will be given a Graduate Committee consisting of a Chair and two Committee Members. 

For more information regarding the internship or capstone project, please contact the Department Secretary at 509-963-1448. 

Completing the Master's Degree

The final requirement of the program is to complete the 1 credit examination or option. The examination is to be taken the quarter that you will graduate.

To take the examination, you must contact your Graduate Committee Chair. You will need to schedule a day to take the examination, as well as a time to defend your examination answers (typically two weeks after the exam date).

During this process there are several graduation deadlines that you must be aware of and meet to have your degree conferred. To view the list of dates and deadlines, please visit the Office of Graduate Studies and Research. For assistance with any of this information, please feel free to contact the Graduate School.

Student Resources

General Questions and Enrollment Questions:

Sam Woods- Graduate Office Assistant
sam.woods@cwu.edu or 509-963-1443

Corinne Grieve- CSEL Department Secretary
Corinne.Grieve@cwu.edu or 509-963-1448

Academic Advising/Approval of Electives:

Dr. Don Wattam, Program Director
wattamd@cwu.edu or 509-963-3075

Graduate Program/Completing Degree Questions:

School of Graduate Studies and Research
Barge 103
Masters@cwu.edu or 509-963-3101

General Technical Support:

ITS Help Desk
helpdesk@cwu.edu, 509-963-2001
CWU Online Learning, 509-963-1689 

Funding Support:

Financial Aid, Loan Disbursement, finaid@cwu.edu, 509-963-1611
Student Accounts, Make Payments, sfs@cwu.edu, 509-963-3546