masters degree in Higher Ed policy and leadership

Discussion in 'Education, Teaching and related degrees' started by jennoh2, Aug 29, 2011.

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  1. jennoh2

    jennoh2 New Member

    I am considering taking the online masters program for Higher ED through Walden University. My questions are as follows:

    1. Has anyone received a masters from Walden recently? Have you been able to get a job? In this economy there is so much competition. I am afraid of getting an online degree and not being able to have an edge of another applicant who got their degree from a brick and mortar school.

    2. How are the job prospects in Higher ED, namely in advising, study abroad, international ED?

    3. How long did it take you to get your masters? It seems like taking only two courses per semester at Walden (a class each 8 weeks) is not really full time. I am wondering if it is feasbile to take more classes each semester. I was told by Walden to plan to allow 15-20 hours per class/per week.

    Any advise would be greatly appreciated so I can make the best decision possible.
     
  2. mdwolfsong

    mdwolfsong New Member

    I would suggest that you check out the Master's in Ed programs at Western Governor's University before you commit to paying the high tuition costs at Walden. I just finished a Post-Master's Certificate program at Walden. It was decent, but if I had to do a Master's, I would go with WGU. Their model is more of an independent study model. From what I understand, they don't make you do all the discussion work. You do the reading, write your paper/take a test, and then you are done. In terms of jobs, I can't comment on that. I had to dig deep and put forth a lot of effort to get the jobs that I have now. I, too, am interested in working in higher education administration, but the competition seems fierce and the qualifications are always just slightly beyond my reach.
     
  3. StefanM

    StefanM New Member

    WGU is K-12 focused, though. It wouldn't necessarily help for higher ed.
     
  4. StefanM

    StefanM New Member

    I would recommend against pursuing a degree from a for-profit unless you are already working in higher education. Even then, I would only recommend it for advancement in your current role. Higher ed is notoriously snobby. Your choice of degree will affect your job prospects. I'm in this boat myself because my resume/CV screams "Crazy Fundamentalist Christian" even though I definitely wouldn't consider myself fundamentalist. I currently work at a religiously-affiliated school, and I'm banking on staying in these circles because I know that my likelihood of getting into secular circles is slim. For-profits are even worse. Often for-profits (especially publicly-traded ones) don't require higher ed admin degrees for administrators, partially because they are profit-making enterprises. An MBA might be more helpful. A for-profit degree, however, will draw scorn from many non-profit colleges.



    1) Do you have experience working in higher education? If not, you may want to try to get your proverbial foot in the door.

    2) Job prospects in higher education vary. A common phenomenon, however, is that most higher ed administrators (outside of academic affairs) start in entry-level positions. Academic affairs is different, but that track usually means becoming a tenured professor, then chair, then dean, then VP.

    3) Do you have a job? If not, you may want to try attending a brick and mortar program. Online programs are generally for people who cannot attend a traditional program. If you can attend a traditional program, your job prospects will usually be better.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 30, 2011

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