M.Ed., Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education (HALE)

Department:	Counseling and Professional Studies / College of Education
Hours Required:	30
Categories:	Graduate
Completion Time:	2 years *
Cost Per Year:	In state: $5,478 / Out of State: $7,706
Complete Program Cost:	In state: $10,956 / Out of State: $15,411
Delivery:	Online

* Based on 2 classes per semester including summer

SAU’s M. Ed. in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education (HALE) is intended for:

individuals seeking or occupying an advance in administrative or management positions in a variety of educational settings;
faculty and other educators who seek to improve their adult teaching skills;
other individuals who work with adults in a variety businesses or social services agencies.

The M. Ed. HALE degree program includes coursework in foundations, curriculum and teaching (including distance learning), organization and administration, research, and electives so students can create an emphasis area to fit their career aspirations. An internship in the student’s emphasis area is required as the capstone exit experience. Students elect either higher education or adult education emphasis area; however, students may elect to take courses in both emphasis areas.

The program is comprised of 30 required hours. Students must complete 30 hours of coursework with 3 hours of internship/capstone project to complete the M. Ed. program. A student must also complete any additional college and university graduation requirements.

- COE Policy Handbook

Learning Goals

Graduates will write effectively. Graduates will effectively present ideas.
Graduates will seek solutions to educational problems.
Graduates will consider alternative approaches to an educational problem or challenge.
Graduates will synthesize information from many resources. Graduates will successfully use technology to solve an education problem.
Graduates will identify and propose a solution to a HALE problem or challenge.

The graduate degree requires 30 credit hours for completion: 27 hours of coursework and 3 hours of internship/capstone project

Required: (6 hours)

EDUC 6003 Educational Research
HALE 6343 Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Learning Education

Required: (15-21 hours)
Select a minimum of 15 hours from the following:

HALE 6233           Distance Learning Design and Administration
HALE 6313           Budgeting and Finance in Postsecondary Education
HALE 6323           Curricular Design & Evaluation in Postsecondary Distance Learning
HALE 6353           Foundations of Distance Learning
HALE 6363           History & Philosophy of Postsecondary Education
HALE 6383           Leadership and Organization development
HALE 6393           Post-secondary Teaching
HALE 6413           Program planning and evaluation in postsecondary contexts
HALE 6423           Special Problems in Adult Education
HALE 6433           Survey of Adult Learning
HALE 6443           The College Student (COUN 6863 The American College Student)
HALE 6453           The Community College

Support Courses (optional): (6 hours)

6 hours outside of HALE may be taken with the approval of the advisor.

Required: Capstone Project (3 hours)
Three credit hours must be completed in the student’s emphasis area resulting in internship hours and a final project.
HALE 6373 HALE Internship and Capstone Project

I chose to further my education at Southern Arkansas University because they offered the degree I needed to progress in my career at an affordable cost. The Higher Adult Education Program was the perfect choice in advancing my career because the online structure is designed to conveniently fit into my busy schedule. My professors were wonderful, and I felt that they truly cared about my education. The professors encouraged practical application of the course material to use our personal and professional experiences to enhance our learning process. I appreciated how personable the faculty and staff members were during the enrollment process, and I knew that SAU was the right decision from the very beginning.

Lydia Barnhart, Recruitment Coordinator for Texarkana College

When SAU’s School of Graduate Studies added the HALE program, I was very interested and knew that this was a program that would be a good fit for me and what I wanted to do to further my career. I think the HALE program is a well-rounded program and the courses available are challenging and taught by experienced, knowledgeable instructors. I chose SAU for graduate school for a couple of reasons: I received my undergraduate degree here and wanted to further my education but I couldn’t see myself attending anywhere but SAU, and because Dr. Kim Bloss and Melody Mayo were both so incredibly helpful and encouraging throughout my experience with the HALE program.

Sarah Adcox, Director, Mulerider Activity Center/Intramurals, SAU

The HALE program was a perfect fit for me! With its wide array of courses from which to choose, this program allowed me to tailor my graduate education to my unique position as a healthcare educator at the college level. The opportunity to choose coursework which emphasized various aspects of higher education has provided a great benefit to me in my current employment. I’m grateful to have found a program which allows the full utilization of both my undergraduate and graduate fields of study, despite the two being largely unrelated.

Mandi Haynes, M.Ed., RT(R) (ARRT), Clinical Coordinator, Radiologic Technology program, South Arkansas Community College

I am thankful for the Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education (HALE) master’s degree at SAU! I was set for a master’s degree in Curriculum Development, but it just did not seem like the right fit until the HALE option came along. It worked perfectly for me since I am a lifelong learner myself. I just finished my second master’s degree at the age of sixty!

Lavana J. Kindle, M.S., M.Ed., Supplemental Instruction Coordinator, SAU