MEd in Urban Higher Education
Admission Requirements
Applicants are considered on an individual basis. Transcripts for all undergraduate and any graduate work must be submitted. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements.
- Baccalaureate Field No restrictions.
- Grade Point Average A minimum 2.75/4.00 for the final 60 semester hours of undergraduate study, and a 3.00/4.00 grade point average on all postbaccalaureate or graduate course work combined.
- Tests Required No tests required.
- Minimum English Competency Test Score
- TOEFL 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Test); 60, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Writing 21 (revised Paper-Delivered Test), OR,
- IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores, OR,
- PTE-Academic 54, with subscores of Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, and Writing 56.
- Letters of Recommendation Two letters of recommendation required.
- Personal Statement Required; the statement must address the applicant's program and professional goals.
- Other Requirements Admission is restricted to Fall and Spring term.
- Deadlines Application deadlines for this program are listed on the Graduate College website.
Degree Requirements
In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:
- Minimum Semester Hours Required 36 beyond the baccalaureate. At least 18 hours, or one-half of the minimum number of semester hours of graduate work required for the degree, whichever is greater, must be earned as a degree candidate at UIC.
- Course Work
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses (20 hours) | ||
| Urban Higher Education Organization and Context | ||
| Administration and Governance of Urban Higher Education | ||
| Students, Diversity, Equity, and Access in Urban Higher Education | ||
| Seminar, Urban Higher Education in the 21st Century: Ideas and Opportunities | ||
| Institutional Research, Data, and Evaluation in Urban Higher Education | ||
| Recommended Elective Courses (16 hours) | ||
| Leadership, Governance, Organization and Policy Area of Emphasis | ||
| Current Controversies in Urban Higher Education | ||
| Political and Socio-Cultural Perspectives on Special Education | ||
| Student Transitions to College | ||
| The City as Campus: Community Engagement and Interaction | ||
| Internship in Urban Higher Ed | ||
Students interested in this area of emphasis can also choose from a variety of courses in the areas of educational leadership, governance, organization, and policy in the College of Education or relevant courses outside of the College of Education. Students will choose their electives in consultation with their advisors and with the approval of units outside of the College of Education. | ||
| Institutional Research for Decision Making Area of Emphasis | ||
| Essentials of Quantitative Inquiry in Education | ||
Students interested in an institutional research area of emphasis can choose from a variety of measurement, evaluation, statistics, and assessment courses offered by the Department of Educational Psychology or relevant courses outside of the College of Education. Students will choose their electives in consultation with their advisors and with the approval of units outside of the College of Education. | ||
- Thesis, Project, or Course-Work-Only Options Course work only. No other options are available.
- 4 semester hours in the course EDPS 530 will serve as a culminating experience that will help students bring together their course work, professional experience, and internship opportunities. As part of this final required seminar, students will develop and complete a project that aligns with their professional goals and that builds off of the themes of the program and course work. This is not a thesis project, since the program is course work only; however, this seminar will ask students to complete a concluding project. Students will present their chosen projects to the class and to a committee of faculty from the program, department, and college. This presentation will serve as a final examination for the seminar and the program overall. As part of this presentation, they will set their project within the framework of the program and their additional coursework. The presentation and the project will become part of a larger portfolio of their work collected from all of their prior courses. This portfolio will serve as a final assessment of their work in the program and the degree to which they have addressed the program learning objectives.
- Comprehensive Examination Not required, but the final project and presentation (as detailed above) will serve in place of a comprehensive examination.
- Time Limits All of the requirements must be completed within six consecutive calendar years after a student's initial registration in the Graduate College. Students pursuing more than one degree at the same time will be given an additional two years. Students who do not graduate by these deadlines will be dismissed from the Graduate College for failure to progress. Time spent on a leave of absence approved by the program and the Graduate College is not counted toward the degree time limit.
Interdepartmental Concentrations
Students earning a graduate degree in this department may complement their courses by enrolling in select concentrations after consulting with their graduate advisor. Interdepartmental concentrations available for this degree include: