Goals of the Program

The Master of Arts program in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education (HALE M.A.) program is a 100% online professional development degree providing a broad understanding of postsecondary education from social, historical, philosophical, psychological, developmental, and international perspectives. The HALE M.A. program also develops understanding of central issues in:

1. Organization and Leadership,
2. Teaching and Learning, and
3. Contexts of Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education

We expect graduates to be prepared for a variety of roles in postsecondary education and to be able to cultivate inclusive educational environments.

The HALE M.A. program seeks to strengthen postsecondary educational opportunities by preparing individuals who foster organizational development and change within an increasingly complex and global society; who nurture within individuals, groups, organizations and society the skill in and commitment to lifelong learning and who honor diversity and difference among people, groups, and societies.

The HALE M.A. program provides online opportunities for professional development for individuals employed in or who wish to move into professional roles within various settings of higher and adult education including administration and continuing professional development. Graduates who complete the program are typically employed in positions within higher and adult education organizations related to institutional advancement and administration; faculty and organizational development; program planning, evaluation, and coordination; and continuing professional education or teaching.

The majority of our students work full-time and enroll in this online program as a professional advancement opportunity or as a way to change careers. The objectives of this program derive from the mission statement of the Department of Educational Administration at Michigan State University: “The improvement of leadership and management in organizations that have teaching and learning as their core function.”

Overview and Objectives

The HALE M.A. program provides a broad understanding of educational systems from social, historical, cross-national and normative perspectives; an understanding of central issues in postsecondary teaching and learning; and a theoretical understanding of administration and leadership connected to practice. There are opportunities to develop and use skills needed in practice through practica and field experiences. We expect graduates to be prepared to work in and to cultivate educational environments receptive to diversity. The specific objectives of the M.A. program are to:

• Provide students with an understanding of central issues in postsecondary organization and leadership, teaching and learning, and administration;
• Convey inquiry skills and to provide opportunities to use them to understand important problems in the context of postsecondary practice;
• Connect theoretical understandings to the practice of administration, leadership, and teaching through coursework and related experiences;
• Build students’ appreciation for the broad social consequences and involvements of their educational and leadership duties and to understand the ethical nature of their roles; and
• Develop students’ capacity to engage in disciplined reflection on their experience, studies, and practices.

Course Work

Requirements for the Master of Arts degree in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education

The HALE M.A. program is a combination of experiences designed by the student in conjunction with a faculty advisor. It includes a set of required and core courses and a series of elective courses. In addition to the following program requirements, candidates must satisfy all college and university graduation requirements.

Curricular Structure: The HALE M.A. program is available only under Plan B (without thesis) and requires successful completion of 30 credit hours as follows:

1. Both of the following online courses (6 credits):
   EAD 840 Inquiry in Postsecondary Education 3 EAD 868 Proseminar in Adult and Higher Education 3
   
2. Three of the following online courses (9 credits):
   EAD 801 Leadership and Organization Development 3 EAD 805 Administration in Higher Education 3 EAD 860 Concept of a Learning Society 3 EAD 861 Adult Learning 3 EAD 866 Teaching in Postsecondary Education 3 EAD 870 Foundations of Postsecondary Education 3 EAD 876 Budgeting and Finance in Higher Education 3 EAD 877 Program Planning and Evaluation in Postsecondary Contexts 3
   
3. Fifteen (15) additional credits, of which nine (9) credits must be Educational Administration (EAD) online courses within the Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education program. Other graduate-level online courses may be taken with approval from your advisor. Again, all courses must be online.
   
4. A final essay project.

Other Online Coursework Requirements

1. Students may enroll in a maximum of six (6) credit hours that are graded Pass/No Pass. This includes field experience and independent studies.
   
2. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required of the program. However, to get credit for a course, students must receive a minimum of a 2.0.

Enrollment

Graduate students whose enrollment at Michigan State University is interrupted for any reason so that they have not been enrolled for three (3) consecutive semesters, including the summer sessions, must apply for readmission via the web at www.reg.msu.edu at least two (2) months prior to the first day of registration for the semester in which the student expects to resume graduate studies.

Note on minimum and maximum enrollments and full time student status:

All students using university services (faculty consultation included) for graduate work must be registered each semester. Minimum registration consists of one course of one (1) credit. Graduate students may carry up to 12 credits each semester. The maximum number of credits, however, is determined by the department or school. A student load above 12 credits requires approval by the student’s dean. 

In order to be considered full-time for academic purposes, students must carry the minimum number of credits per semester. Master’s level students must enroll in nine (9) credits to be considered full-time.

Final Certification for Graduation

Apply for graduation within the first two weeks of the semester you intend to graduate. Please note that for Summer graduates, you should apply the first two weeks of Spring semester. The Graduation Application is now available at student.msu.edu. After clicking on the Academic Progress tile, you will see a link to Apply for Graduation in the left-hand navigation under the Graduation heading.

Grief Absence Policy

For master’s students, their responsibility is to: (a) notify their advisor/major professor and faculty of the courses in which they are enrolled of the need for a grief absence in a timely manner, but no later than one week from the student’s initial knowledge of the situation, (b) provide appropriate verification of the grief absence as specified by the advisor/major professor and faculty and (c) complete all missed work as determined in consultation with the advisor/major professor and faculty. The advisor/major professor has the responsibility to: (a) determine with the student the expected period of absence—it is expected that some bereavement processes may be more extensive than others depending on individual circumstances, (b) receive verification of the authenticity of a grief absence request upon the student’s return and (c) make reasonable accommodations so that the student is not penalized due to a verified grief absence. Students who believe their rights under this policy have been violated should contact the University Ombudsperson.

Grievance Hearing Procedures

This section pertains to the Graduate Student Academic Grievance Procedures utilized by all graduate academic programs in the College of Education.

Students may request a hearing to resolve a dispute with an instructor, but only after trying to settle the matter in conversations with the instructor, the department chair or school director or program director and, in some cases, the associate dean of the college. The student also may consult with the University Ombudsperson at any stage of the dispute. In the event that a student’s dispute remains unresolved, a grievance hearing may be necessary. The College of Education outlines the current university policy and procedures for conducting a grievance hearing in the Graduate Student Academic Grievance Hearing Procedures document.

Final Essay/Graduation Requirement

Final Essay will be reviewed by the HALE M.A. review committee (P/F grading). The committee will consist of the student’s faculty advisor and two other faculty members. If the review committee judges the student’s work to be unacceptable, then the student must re-submit a revised project by the first day of Finals Week in order to graduate.

Submission Requirements

Complete final essays are due:

• Spring and Summer Semester Graduates: Last Monday in February
• Fall Semester Graduates: Last Monday in October

Final Essay Directions

Responsible Conduct of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities (RCRSCA)

The Graduate School has developed requirements for graduate students regarding the Responsible Conduct of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities (RCRSA, a.k.a. RCR).

The HALE MA Program follows Master’s Plan B. This requires students to complete the following:

• Year 1: CITI Modules

Students must complete these four specific modules in Year 1:

• Introduction to the Responsible Conduct of Research
• Authorship
• Plagiarism
• Research Misconduct

After you complete the CITI Modules, they will be entered automatically into your RCR page in the Student Information System (SIS) when the systems update. The student does not submit this information to SIS.

• Before Graduation: 6 hours of discussion-based training
• These hours are met through successful completion of EAD840 and EAD 868 (6 hours)

After you successfully complete EAD840 and EAD 868, the HALE MA Program will submit these hours for inclusion on your RCR page in SIS. The student does not submit discussion hours to SIS.

Note: it is the responsibility of the student to verify completed CITI Modules and discussion-based training appear on their RCR page in SIS. Note that these are graduation requirements.

To view your RCR pages in the Student Information System (SIS), after you log in, click the Academic Progress tile. On the left, click RCR. When you have completed the CITI Modules they will appear under “Year 1 Training – Four CITI Modules.” After the HALE MA Program submits your discussion-based training, those hours will appear under “Discussion-Based Training – 6 Hours.” Please give the system time to update after you have completed these requirements; information will not appear instantly. See the sample screenshot on the second page of this document.

If information is missing in SIS, contact the EAD Program Assistant at haleadm@msu.edu.

Time Limit for Degree Completion

Policies regarding time limit can be found in MSU Academic Programs Handbook, Graduate Education, M.A. programs. In brief:

The time limit for the completion of the requirements for the M.A. degree is five (5) calendar years from the date of enrollment in the first course included for degree certification.

Transfer Credit Policy

Policies regarding credit transfer for HALE Master’s Degree Programs can be found in MSU’s Academic Programs Catalog on the webpage of the Office of the Registrar. With approval of the College and the student’s academic advisor, as many as nine (9) semester credits of graduate course work may be transferred into HALE affiliated degree programs from postsecondary accredited institutions (including MSU graduate courses and Lifelong Education credits) if they are appropriate to a student’s program.

HALE affiliated degree programs do not accept transfer credits for courses that are designated as core required courses. Courses proposed for transfer into a HALE affiliated degree program will be evaluated on a case by case basis with the following criteria, as applicable.

The course must also meet one of the following two criteria:

1. the course has not been used toward the completion of another degree, and
2. the course must have at least a 3.0 grade or its equivalent.

The course must also meet one of the following:

1. the course currently does not exist at MSU and fulfills the student’s program plan as an elective course; or
2. the course is equivalent to an elective course currently offered at MSU.

To request a transfer of credits, a Credit Evaluation form (see forms section) must be completed, signed by the student’s academic advisor, and submitted to the HALE Administrative Assistant along with an official copy of the transcript listing the course and the course syllabus. Unofficial transcripts or those stamped “issued to student” will not be accepted. If the proposed transfer credits were awarded more than three years before the start of a student’s degree program, additional approval is required; see your advisor.

There is no guarantee that requested transfer credits will be accepted toward HALE affiliated degrees.

HALE State Authorization

For the most updated information on State Authorizations agreements, please visit Academic Services.

In fall 2010, the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) announced Program Integrity Rules, requiring all institutions of higher education participating in Title IV federal student financial aid programs to be able to document compliance with state laws in all states where they offer distance or correspondence education. While this requirement of the Program Integrity Rules has changed because of technical issues, MSU has continued to document its compliance with the myriad of state laws related to issues of program integrity. Please see state specific information below, as regulations vary from state to state.

Disclaimers

Alabama

State authorization to provide a program related to the preparation of teachers or other P-12 school/system personnel does not indicate eligibility for an Alabama certificate. Applicants for an Alabama certificate based on reciprocity must meet Alabama’s test requirements and submit a valid, renewable professional educator certificate/license issued by another state at the degree level, grade level, and in the teaching field or area of instructional support for which an Alabama certificate is sought and for which Alabama issues a certificate. Applicants for Alabama certification in an area of administration must also document at least three years of full-time employment as an administrator in a P-12 school system(s). 

Kentucky

Michigan State University will not be offering certain online programs to Kentucky students based on their resident address at the time of application for admission to Michigan State University:

College of Education

• Education – MA
• Special Education – MA
• Teaching & Curriculum – MA
• Applied Behavior Analysis in Special Education Graduate Certificate

Admissions

Admission to Michigan State University

U. S. Residents
U. S. applicants who are not already admitted to graduate study at MSU must submit the online Graduate Application for Admission and application fee through the MSU Graduate School. An application fee and college transcripts of all previous academic work must be submitted with this form.

For more information on Admission to the MSU Graduate School

International Students
International applicants who are not already admitted to graduate study at MSU must submit the online Graduate Application for Admission and application fee through the MSU Graduate School. An application fee and college transcripts of all previous academic work must be submitted with this form.

Additionally, international students who have been admitted to graduate study at MSU are required to submit the International Graduate Application for Admission, proof of financial support and proof of proficiency in English.

Admission to the HALE Master of Arts Program

The HALE M.A. program does rolling admissions. We accept students for fall and spring terms. The application deadlines are as follows.

Fall term	Friday of the first full week of April
Spring term	Friday of the first full week of September

Applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. Consideration for admission on a regular basis requires at least a 3.0 grade-point average in the final two years of undergraduate study. Applicants with a grade-point average below 3.0 for the same time period may be considered for provisional admission.

Regular and Provisional Admissions

Upon admission to a graduate program, a student is classified in one of two categories: regular or provisional. Specific criteria for distinguishing between these categories are determined within each college for its own programs. In general, these criteria are:

Regular: Students who are considered to be fully qualified to undertake a program toward the graduate degree for which they are admitted.

Provisional: At times, students are admitted to the program provisionally due to concerns with their prior record, usually related to low grade-point average and/or test scores. The terms of admission on provisional status are stipulated in the students’ admission letter and are evaluated upon their completion.

English Language Requirements for International Students

All international students are required to be proficient in English as a condition for regular admission to MSU and HALE. For students whose native language is not English, proficiency must be demonstrated by meeting the minimum standards on any one of the following tests:

1. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
2. International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
3. Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB)
4. English Language Center Placement Test (ELCPT)

Students who have not met the minimum requirements in English are required to take the ELCPT. If the results do not meet the minimum proficiency, students will be required to enroll in English Language Center classes until the university or departmental competence is attained. In some instances, students may be able to take academic courses along with their ESL classes. In such cases, restrictions are placed on the number of academic credits they may take until complete minimum proficiency is met.

Concurrent Applications for Admission

Michigan State University permits concurrent applications for admission to two graduate programs, each with a separate application fee.

Advisement

Upon admission to the HALE master’s degree program, students are assigned a faculty member who serves as their academic advisor. If, for whatever reason, the student wishes to change advisor during the course of the program, a Change of Advisor form must be completed and submitted to the Student Affairs Office in the College of Education.

Annual Review of Student Progress

Written evaluations shall be communicated to the graduate student at least once a year, and a copy of such evaluations shall be uploaded to the student’s account upon completion. A student whose performance does not meet the standards of quality will not be permitted to continue to enroll in the degree program, and appropriate action will be taken by the Department of Educational Administration.

The academic advisor and academic unit are jointly responsible for evaluating the student’s competency (as indicated by, e.g., grades in core and other courses, portfolio development and development of professional skills) and rate of progress (as indicated by, e.g., the number of courses for which grades have been assigned or deferred). Download your Progress to Degree form.

Probation

Students whose cumulative grade-point average falls below a 3.0 will be placed on academic probation the following semester. Students work with their academic advisor to be restored to good standing. Students on academic probation should regularly meet with the academic advisor. Students shall have the right to appeal in accordance with the GSSR guidelines.

Exit Survey (effective May 9, 2011)

Students who have applied for graduation will have access to an exit survey. The survey asks questions about educational experiences in MSU graduate programs, as well as about immediate professional plans. The identity of all respondents will be kept confidential and only aggregate (group) information will be made available to faculty and administrators. Students will receive an email message from the dean of the graduate school with a link to the survey, or students may access the appropriate survey through the following website: https://www.egr.msu.edu/masters/survey/

Final Certificate for Graduation

Apply for graduation within the first two weeks of the semester you intend to graduate. Please note that for Summer graduates, you should apply the first two weeks of Spring semester. The Graduation Application is now available at student.msu.edu. After clicking on the Academic Progress tile, you will see a link to Apply for Graduation in the left-hand navigation under the Graduation heading.

Commencement information will be sent to degree candidates midway through their final semester. Commencements are held fall and spring semesters. Summer degree candidates may participate during the fall or spring ceremonies.

Grades

A 3.0 cumulative grade-point average in the degree program is the minimum university standard. However, attainment of the minimum grade-point average is in itself an insufficient indicator of potential for success in other aspects of the program and the field. The grading system is as follows: 4.0, superior; 3.5, excellent; 3.0, good; 2.5, fair; 2.0 poor; 0/1.0/1.5, failure and in specific courses, P-N (Pass – No Grade). Once grades have been submitted in to the registrar’s office, they may only be changed by the course instructor through written application.

Incomplete or Deferred Grades

A student who, for compelling reasons, finds it necessary to postpone the submission of required course work may petition the course instructor for the grade of Incomplete (I) or Deferred (DF). A form for this request must be completed by the instructor of the course and contain all information requested, including a description of the work the student will complete and the due date, which cannot be later than the date specified in the academic calendar. The form must be signed by the student, instructor and department chair (or designee). The last day to request an incomplete and submit the form is indicated in the academic calendar. The grade of “I” or “DF” shall remain on the student’s transcript until a grade has been submitted by the instructor.

• A grade of “I” or incomplete may be given after a student has satisfactorily completed 12 weeks of the course but is unable to complete the work within the allotted time period because of “illness or other compelling reason,” and the professor believes that the student can complete the work without repeating the course. The required work must be completed, and a grade must be reported to the Office of the Registrar no later than the middle of the student’s next semester in attendance (summer session excluded) if that semester is within one calendar year following receipt of the I-Incomplete.

• A grade of “DF” or Deferred may be given only to graduate students who are doing satisfactory work but cannot complete it because of reasons acceptable to the instructor. Deferred grades need to be resolved within two years, although the instructor may stipulate a shorter time frame. The required work must be completed and a grade reported within six (6) months (190 calendar days from the last class day of the term of instruction), with the option of a single six-month extension (190 calendar days).

Graduate School Standards

A 3.00 cumulative grade point average for all courses counting toward the master’s degree is the minimum university and program standard. If a student’s grade point average falls below this minimum in any given term, a letter of warning is issued by the Graduate School (Graduate Student Rights and Responsibilities). Students are expected to work with their academic advisor on strategies to insure appropriate progress towards degree and reconstituting minimum standards of academic progress. A student who fails to meet the standards set by the university, college, and department or school will not be permitted to continue to enroll in the degree program.

Integrity in Scholarship Research

Students are expected to uphold the principles and standards set forth in university policies that maintain the integrity of academic work. Academic dishonesty, violations of professional standards, and falsification of academic or admission records are considered serious violations and may result in disciplinary action.

Even though the HALE master’s degree does not require a thesis, students may be engaged in forms of research for courses, or through independent studies. Faculty, staff and students are expected to exhibit the highest standards of professional integrity in their academic work, scholarship and research activities. All HALE graduate programs subscribe to the guidelines and principles articulated in the Guidelines for Integrity in Research and Creative Activities. Misconduct, including fabrication, falsification and plagiarism, is considered to be serious violations of the standards of integrity and may be grounds for disciplinary action.

Through the Desire 2 Learn program supported by Michigan State University, Ithenticate, the anti-plagiarism software is available for faculty, postdoctoral students and graduate students to check manuscripts for unintentional plagiarism before submission. Learn more.

Master’s Degree Program Plan

After completing 10 credit hours, HALE MA students must submit their Master’s Degree Program Plan to their faculty advisor through the Student Information System (SIS).

Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution

Conflicts, disagreements and issues sometimes arise during the course of a graduate program. If you find yourself in this situation and have exhausted the internal resources for resolving the issue, you may contact the Office of the University Ombudsperson.

The Office of the University Ombudsperson provides assistance to students, faculty and staff in resolving university-related concerns. Such concerns include student-faculty conflicts, communication problems, concerns about the university climate and questions about what options are available for handling a problem according to Michigan State University policy. The University Ombudsperson also provides information about available resources and student/faculty rights and responsibilities. The office operates as a confidential, independent and neutral resource. It does not provide notice to the university—that is, it does not speak or hear for the university.

Contact the Ombudsperson at any point during an issue when a confidential conversation or source of information may be needed. The Ombudsperson will listen to your concerns, give you information about university policies, help you evaluate the situation and assist you in making plans to resolve the conflict.

Contact information:
Office of the University Ombudsperson
129 N. Kedzie Hall
(517) 353-8830
ombud@msu.edu
https://www.msu.edu/unit/ombud/

Within the HALE Department, the guidelines for Graduate Student Appeals of Allegations of Academic Dishonesty (GSAAD) establishes the right of graduate students to appeal allegations of academic dishonesty. For complete listing of rights and responsibilities, please see Article 5 of the Graduate Student Rights and Responsibilities document at Michigan State University (GSRR). For a detailed explanation of grievance procedures, consult the Graduate Student Academic Grievance Hearing Procedures document on the College of Education website.

Note: All students will have these and other documents on file in the HALE office. Students may, at any time, challenge the accuracy of the contents of their student files. This may be as simple as writing a letter to be put in the file.

Hale Masters Forms

• EAD HALE MA Progress to Degree From
• Academic Grievance Hearing Procedures for all College Education graduate students.
• EAD Graduate Student Conference Support Form
• HALE MA Checklist