Educational Leadership, Administration and Foundations

M.S. Degree Program in Student Affairs & Higher Education

Distance Education in Student Affairs and Higher Education

Our distance education program is designed for individuals who are currently working in student affairs and higher education on a campus and who are time and place bound. The distance education program offers a sequence of courses using Internet-based distance education technology. No on-campus meetings will be required for distance education students and each entire course will use multiple methods of distance education. There are three courses that are required to be completed in a traditional classroom environment. The cost of distance education tuition and fees is the same as is paid by Indiana residents.

Considerations: There are several important considerations when considering if our distance education program is for you:

Employment. Distance education students are required to be employed on a college campus, preferably in a student affairs position. Because of the experiential nature of the SAHE program, the ability to connect in-class learning to the campus environment is essential.

Access to required in-class courses. Three courses, Techniques of Interpersonal Interaction (SAHE 533), The Multicultural Campus (SAHE 641), and Group Dynamics and Leadership (SAHE 652), must be taken in a regular classroom. These are required courses and consideration should be given to where and when these courses can be taken before completing our application process. The courses may be taken at other universities and the credit transferred to ISU. Permission of the student's advisor is required for course transfer. Completion of (or concurrent enrollment in) SAHE 533 is a prerequisite for enrollment in the practicum class. We recommend that you take this class or its equivalent early in the program to avoid delays in your progress.  (For information on how to transfer classes, please scroll to the bottom of this page.)

Ability to fit three practicum classes into your schedule. Practicum class (SAHE 634) is taken three times and requires that students spend the equivalent of eight hours per week in a student affairs setting different from their work. Broad work experience in student affairs is a program curriculum goal. This is an important part of the curriculum and requires flexible work arrangements or evening hours. It is wise to have the support of your supervisor regarding the practicum requirement before applying for the program. Note that the Techniques of Interpersonal Interaction course (SAHE 533 or its equivalent) is required and must be taken in a traditional in-class setting, before enrolling in the practicum class.

Access to information technology. Since the Internet will be a primary delivery system for content, all students must have access to a web browser. We use Blackboard courseware to deliver course content and use Adobe Connect or Elluminate for virtual classes. Familiarity with technology is important and time will be used in the first few weeks to make students more competent in using technology. All students are required to have a high-speed internet connection, a webcam, and a headset (earphones and microphone).

ISU Distance education material is available at: http://www1.indstate.edu/distance/

Transferring Classes

To transfer classes from another university to fulfill the in-class requirement, please follow these steps:

  1. Obtain the course descriptions for SAHE 533, 641, and 652 from the ISU Catalog.  Select the Graduate Catalog from the drop-down box at the top of the page. Once you are in the Graduate Catalog, enter SAHE in the "Catalog Search" box to find all SAHE courses.
  2. Use these descriptions to locate comparable classes at the university where you wish to enroll.
  3. Send the course descriptions to the SAHE Program Coordinator (Denise Collins, Denise.Collins@indstate.edu) for preliminary approval.
  4. After receiving the preliminary approval, obtain a copy of the course syllabus for the proposed transfer class.
  5. Send the syllabus to the SAHE Program Coordinator for final approval.

Once the class is complete, you will then need to formally request the transfer through the College of Graduate and Professional Studies, using these steps:

  1. From the College of Graduate and Professional Studies' website, download the "Transfer of Graduate Credit from Other Institutions" form.
  2. Complete the form, sign it, and fax or mail to your advisor, along with your Program of Study. The advisor will move it through the process for the remaining required signatures.
  3. Request an official transcript be sent from the university where you took the course directly to the ISU College of Graduate and Professional Studies.

If you are taking multiple courses at one university, you may wait until all courses are done to complete the transfer form and send the transcript.