Christian Distance Learning

Abilene Christian University's Master of Education in Higher Education (M.Ed.H.E.) Online Program is designed to produce outstanding faith-informed practitioners who are prepared to engage and impact the lives of students and to fulfill leadership roles in a broad range of higher education settings. The program has an emphasis in College Student Affairs and Conflict Management. Higher education courses examine the foundations of higher education, approaches to student affairs, higher education resource management, research and assessment in higher education, student development, conflict resolution and theory, student spiritual formation, mediation and legal and ethical issues in higher education.

The Master of Education in Higher Education, with an emphasis in college student affairs and conflict management, is a 36-hour program designed to prepare you for professional careers in a broad range of higher education settings.

Higher education is understood increasingly as a holistic enterprise that requires not only a traditionally organized discipline-oriented faculty but also a cadre of professionals trained in co-curricular concerns-matters that command great importance in the lives of college students but are not commonly the focus of classroom experiences. This program is designed both for working student development professionals who reside in a higher education setting and need advanced training and for recent college graduates who have an interest in working in higher education.

The program will prepare you to incorporate faith-based principles in professional practice. Graduates will be qualified for roles such as residence life director, academic advisor, international student coordinator, financial aid counselor, intramurals director, career services advisor and many others. The degree will also provide a solid foundation for future doctoral work in higher education.

You may add one additional course to the required higher education curriculum and attend an additional one-week residency to earn ACU's Graduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution.

Residency Requirements

Professional Development Residency (required)
The residency requirement for the higher education master's degree will be a four-day professional development series on ACU's campus. The residency will combine social and networking opportunities as well as professional development. The residency session will be offered twice a year. All costs associated with the residency session, with the exception of airfare/travel, will be built into the cost of the program.

Spiritual Formation Seminar (optional)
This optional retreat will be offered annually at Glen Eyrie Castle in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The retreat will be designed for relationship building and personal spiritual formation. Classic and contemporary spiritual formation literature will form the basis for discussion of spiritual disciplines, community life, and personal spiritual development. Participants will share in personal and corporate experiences designed to facilitate meaningful community. In addition, students will discover applications for integrating the spiritual self with the demands of a career in higher education.