All Courses are Online

LEAD 500–Leadership Theory

This course provides a study/review of leadership theories and leadership development concepts. Students will gain an understanding of leadership, leadership theories, and leadership development.

LEAD 501–Cultural Competency & Equity in Education

This course focuses on issues of cultural competency, diversity and allyship to provide students with the tools needed to create more inclusive and socially just environments in education.

LEAD 510–Admission to Administrator/Superintendent Licensure Program

This course provides a survey of the Superintendency as an executive position responsible for the organizational leadership and management of school districts in the United States. Emphasis will be placed on unpacking professional standards from the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) as well as Colorado-based standards for licensure as a school administrator/superintendent.

LEAD 511–Superintendents as Transformational Leaders

This course supports aspiring superintendents in developing the knowledge and skills necessary to be responsive, transformational leaders in diverse school contexts.  Throughout the course, candidates will engage in case-study analysis and critical discussion to work through potential dilemmas and challenges while applying research and best practice in leadership to sustain a clear focus on student learning through well-managed systems. The content of this course aligns to Colorado Department of Education and AASA standards.

LEAD 512–Superintendent Practicum

During this 300-hour practicum, candidates will apply knowledge and skills gained throughout the program to demonstrate competency in each of the required licensure standards for Administrator/Superintendent in Colorado.

Candidates will document progress on each standard by logging their experiences and writing monthly reflection papers in which they explicitly address how they are progressing on demonstrating licensure standards. This course also includes the final/capstone project– a candidate driven project developed in coordination with the candidate’s mentor and host site to address a local need.

LEAD 520–Leadership in MSIs

This course examines the various leadership theories that inform the practice of administration in colleges and universities and the higher education industry in general.  Through assignments, special attention will be geared toward applying these theories to leadership within the context of Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs).

LEAD 521–Academic & Administrative Collaboration in Higher Education

This course is part of the context and content core menu for the MA in Leadership in Education Administration & Development (LEAD) degree. This course is designed for delivery in an online format.

LEAD 530–Budgeting & Finance

This course provides students with an overview of finance and budgeting issues in higher education. It describes the financial resource management in institutions as well as the budgeting process.

LEAD 531–Policy & Politics in Higher Education

This course examines state and federal government policies that influence institutions of higher education (IHEs) generally and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) specifically. The intersection between policies and institutional actions creates a dynamic that influences administrative leadership and student access and success. Effective leaders must account for the context in which they operate, and state and federal policies contribute to that context and, as such, merit special consideration and study.    

LEAD 532–Legal Issues in Higher Education

This course is designed to review the impact of the judiciary on higher education. The legal standing of institutions of higher education on issues of staff rights, student rights, and tort liability will be addressed. In addition, the impact of local ordinances, state and federal laws and regulations will be examined.

LEAD 533–Historical & Contemporary Issues in Higher Education

This course provides students with an overview of the evolution of American higher education, as we know it today.  The first half of the course is an examination of the history of American higher education, beginning with colonial times and tracing its development to the present.  The second half of the course examines current topics in higher education, focusing on perennial issues and why they continue to perplex higher education officials.

LEAD 560–Data Analysis

This course introduces the concepts and skills involved in understanding and conducting research in higher education. The course provides an overview of various quantitative research methodologies. It emphasizes the conceptual underpinnings of statistical analysis, including univariate and bivariate descriptive statistics, sampling distributions, and hypothesis testing. The course also enhances students’ abilities to identify, comprehend, and critically analyze scholarly research. 

LEAD 561–IR, Planning & Assessment

This course provides students with an overview of decision-making strategies and techniques for effective planning, institutional research, and assessment. Particular attention will be given to the diversity of institutional settings and the context within which leaders in higher education practice, including small and large campuses, public and private colleges and universities, system offices, and state and federal level agencies.

Special focus will be directed toward understanding aspects of various planning processes and strengths and weaknesses of them. This course is designed to explore the foundations of the current interest in assessing outcomes of higher education and continuous quality improvement.

LEAD 562–Strategic Enrollment Management

This course provides students with a study of purposes, organizations, and functions of enrollment management. The course content includes relevant research on strategic enrollment management (SEM), case studies of public and private college and university implementation of SEM, its context in higher education, and contemporary practical administrative SEM organizations and functions. Topics will be covered such as admissions, financial aid, student access and success, college completion, marketing and branding, technology, change management, and state and federal policies.

LEAD 598–Capstone

Program coherence and student learning are demonstrated through a public exhibition and faculty assessment of a Capstone course. The Capstone is required for graduation with a master’s degree.  This course is designed to document what you have learned about higher education as a field of study and practice. Through the completion of case studies, two “Star” papers (scholarly-professional), and a reflective presentation, you will present evidence of how your learning aligns with the program Goals of the MA-HEAL curriculum.  Capstone serves as a formative and summative evaluation of student learning.