Educational Leadership, Research and Technology

Department of Educational Leadership Research and Technology
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5283 USA
(269) 387-3897

Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA) Leadership Courses

HESA COURSES

The HESA Leadership program focuses on developing students who are committed to the centrality of diversity and inclusion in higher education, for entry- and mid-level positions in higher education. The HESA curriculum emphasizes a practitioner-scholar model to combine a student development and leadership theory core with two required individualized field experiences. Distinctive to HESA is the individually designed Diversity Cognate. The HESA curriculum meets CAS Standards for Masters-Level Student Affairs Preparation Programs and students develop the ACPA/NASPA Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs Educators through the completion of the 39 credit hours of coursework, field experiences, and the HESA ePortfolio. 

Additional information about the mission and goals are available on home page.

For additional information about course offerings including the suggested rotation of courses, printable list of course descriptions, and 5-year plan of offerings please visit the current students section of the HESA website.

CURRENT STUDENTS SECTION

Program total of credits: 39

 I.  Leadership core

  • EDLD 6791: Educational Leadership Master's Seminar, 1 credit [This course is in transition and will be substituted by faculty advisor with 1-credit of EDLD 6899/6890/6980 the semester in which student takes EDLD 6792]
  • Focused Elective, 3 credits, with advisor approval, Students choose  graduate level elective(s) that align with HESA program goals and personal career interests. Courses may include hot-topic seminars, research courses, independent study, research projects, additional field work/internships, combinations of options and others. 

Section total: 7 credits

II. Specialty core in Higher education and student affairs

Section total: 21 credits

III. Field experience

  • EDLD 6580: Field Experience in Higher Education and Student Affairs, 3 credits with advisor approval. A 300-hour supervised field-based internships with an online seminar.  Students currently working full-time in appropriate higher education/student affairs position may be eligible to waive up to 150 hours of the Field Experience required clock hours as determined with the faculty advisor and with completed waiver application.

Section total: 3 credits

IV. Diversity cognate

The WMU higher education and student affairs program was founded on and continues to emphasize issues of inclusion and access to higher education for historically marginalized and/or underserved student populations in higher education. One way this is actualized is through a required and individually designed diversity cognate comprised of six credit hours selected by the student with help from an advisor. 

  • Diversity cognate courses. 6 credits, with advisor approval. Courses for the diversity cognate should meet the stated goals of helping prepare students to work with and serve historically marginalized and/or underserved populations in higher education. Sampling of previous courses have included: Asian American Students in Higher Education (H.E.), Global perspectives in H.E., LGBT Students in H.E., Global Leadership, Foundations of Global Education, Students with Disabilities, Hispanics and Latinos in H.E., White privilege and White identity, Women in Leadership, First-generation college students, other hot-topics courses as well as courses offered by other departments, and study abroad*.

  • Students are welcome to take courses from a variety of departments/programs to fulfill the diversity cognate or focused elective.  Consider program mission/goals as well as your professional goals and interests. It is always a good idea to contact the professor to make sure the course is a good fit for a non-major. Please, keep in mind that not all courses are open to non-majors and if courses get full, they may ask non-majors to drop the course to make room for students who are in the major.

  • Students need to obtain approval from faculty advisor. To obtain approval send the title of the course, the term you plan to take it, and your rationale of how this course fits the stated goals of the diversity cognate of “integrating awareness and knowledge of historically marginalized and/ or underserved student populations in all areas of professional practice in higher education.”

  • *Study abroad experiences focusing on stated goals of the HESA diversity cognate and with advisor approval may fulfill this requirement. 

Sample list of diversity cognate courses

Section total: 6 credits

V. Capstone experience and Electronic HESA Electronic portfolio development

  • EDLD 6792: Capstone Seminar, 2 credits, 100 supervised field-based hours, plus hybrid seminar, plus portfolio completion. Participation in a shorter (100-hour) advanced practicum experience coupled with a seminar course; and, development of an electronic portfolio representing all academic work and professional experiences during the master's program.

Section total: 2 credits