Master of Leadership in Higher Education
Master of Leadership in Higher Education (MLIHE)
The Master of Leadership in Higher Education is an excellent program for those seeking leadership and administrative positions such as department chairs, directors, dean, or higher positions within institutions of higher education. In the program, students will develop a strong knowledge of leadership and management skills applicable to higher institutions for advancing institutional strategic plans and goals. The program emphasizes collaboration, inclusive leadership, and application of knowledge and skills, and students will be encouraged to apply their skills to strengthen their institutions. The program will adopt a blended learning approach where course deliveries are done using a hybrid of pedagogical approaches, including face-to-face and online strategies.
Program Goals
The Master of Leadership in Higher Education program is designed to achieve the following goals:
- Provide students with a sound knowledge base in higher education leadership, governance, and management.
- Develop students' ability to challenge assumptions and values for the purpose of promoting diversity and equity in higher education.
- Foster students' development as reflective practitioners who are able to identify and implement evidence-based leadership practice in higher education.
- Prepare students to conduct quality research-oriented projects for improvement purposes in higher education.
- Strengthen students' ability to integrate skills and knowledge gained through the program for the purpose of advancing institutional visions using research-informed practices.
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon the successful completion of the program, students should be able to:
- Examine institutional issues to make informed and ethical decisions in diverse higher education contexts.
- Communicate and engage with diverse audiences about theories and best practices in higher education leadership.
- Develop strategic plans that are grounded in shared visions of higher education stakeholders including, faculty, students, and the community.
- Analyze and apply leadership theories and strategies to address an array of leadership and institutional issues in higher education.
- Manage change and transformational efforts to deliver evidence-based practices and programs in higher education contexts.
- Apply professional knowledge, aptitudes and technology options for leading and improving higher education workplace contexts.
- Conduct quality research-oriented projects to improve services, work conditions and learning in higher education.
- Promote equity and respect for diversity as leaders in higher education.
Admission to the MLHE Program
- Admission to this program is open to students holding a bachelor's degree from a university recognized by the MOHE at UAE with a minimum or equivalent CGPA of 3 on a 4-point scale. Students with a CGPA of 2.5 to 2.99 may be admitted conditionally provided that they register a maximum (6) credit hours (Master's level) in the first semester of their study and obtain a CPGA of 3 out of 4. If he/she does not meet this requirement, the student is entitled to register only 3 credit hours in the second semester. The student will be expelled from the program, if he/she does not obtain a CPGA of 3 out of 4 at the end of the second semester as shown on page 3 of the Master Executive Regulations 2019-2020 and page 56 of the Policies and Procedures Manual 2020-2021.
- In addition to the guidelines and conditions stipulated by the College of Graduate Studies, the Institute expects the prospective students to fulfill the following requirements:
- A minimum of two years of professional experience.
- Two letters of recommendation from people with knowledge about applicants' background and potential to succeed in the program. These individuals could be senior colleagues, community leaders, and former professors.
- A statement of purpose/intent of between 300 to 500 words describing themselves, motivations for the program, and career goals. It should also clarify how they would use the knowledge from the program to enhance their professional practices.
Program Structure & Requirements
To be awarded the MLHE, a student has to complete 33 credit hours, distributed as shown in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Program Components
| Program Requirements | Credit Hours |
| Compulsory Courses | 12 |
| Elective Courses | 12 |
| Thesis | 9 |
| Total Credit Hours | 33 |
The compulsory courses shown in Table 2 are designed to expose the students to core issues related to Leadership in Higher Education. The courses also provide students with strong foundational knowledge upon which they can build more acumen and make connections with the elective courses.
Table 2: Program's Requirements - Compulsory Courses
| Course Code | Course Name | Cr. Hrs. | Prerequisites |
| 3001511 | Administration and Governance in Higher Education | 3 | Grad. Standing |
| 3001531 | Program Planning and Evaluation in Higher Education | 3 | Grad. Standing |
| 3001512 | Leadership and Organizational Change | 3 | Grad. Standing |
| 3001521 | Foundations of Research Methods | 3 | Grad. Standing |
| 3001599 | Master's Thesis | 9 | hours |
To complete the requirements for the MLHE degree, students must complete at least 12 credit hours of elective courses. Students select appropriate courses from Table 3 below to extend their knowledge in a particular leadership in higher education area based on their interest and the nature of their job, i.e., academic or non-academic. Typically, the student would refer to the graduate coordinator or to his/her research supervisor to assist in selecting the appropriate elective courses.
Table 3: Program's Elective Courses
| Course Code | Course Name | Cr. Hrs. | Prerequisites |
| 3001513 | Higher Education Policy | 3 | 3001511 |
| 3001514 | Strategic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness in Higher Education | 3 | 3001511 |
| 3001515 | Leadership for Diversity and Social Justice in Higher Education | 3 | 3001512 |
| 3001516 | Human Relations for Leaders in Higher Education | 3 | 3001512 |
| 3001517 | Student Affairs Leadership in Higher Education | 3 | 3001511 |
| 3001532 | Comparative and International Education | 3 | 3001511 |
| 3001533 | E-Learning for Leaders in Higher Education | 3 | 3001531 |
Study Plan
Proposed Study Plan for the degree of MLHE
Year 1
Fall Semester
| No. | Course Title | Type | Cr. Hr. |
| 3001511 | Administration and Governance in Higher Education | C | 3 |
| 3001531 | Program Planning and Evaluation in Higher Education | C | 3 |
| 3001512 | Leadership and Organizational Change | C | 3 |
| Total | 9 | ||
Spring Semester
| No. | Course Title | Type | Cr. Hr. |
| 3001521 | Foundations of Research Methods | C | 3 |
| 3001XXX | Elective 1 | E | 3 |
| 3001XXX | Elective 2 | E | 3 |
| Total | 9 | ||
Year 2
Fall Semester
| No. | Course Title | Type | Cr. Hr. |
| 3001XXX | Elective 3 | E | 3 |
| 3001XXX | Elective 4 | E | 3 |
| 3001599 | Master's Thesis | C | 3 |
| Total | 9 | ||
Spring Semester
| No. | Course Title | Type | Cr. Hr. |
| 3001599 | Master's Thesis | C | 6 |
| - | - | - | - |
| 3001599 | Master's Thesis | C | 3 |
| Total | 6 | ||
Course Description
3001-511 Administration and Governance of Higher Education
(3:0:3)
This course provides students with nuanced perspectives on higher education administration and governance. Through the course, students would learn about theories and models of organizational governance along with strategies for managing challenges in higher education. The skills and knowledge required to build, manage and strengthen professional team practices in different higher education units are explored in the course. Students would apply their knowledge of organizational theories to selected sectors of higher education of their choice.
3001-512 Leadership and Organizational Change
(3:0:3)
An institution's ability to pre-empt, plan for, and manage change for sustainable organizational growth is an essential measure of its leaders' capacities and effectiveness. In this course, students will explore and learn theories of leadership along with best practices in organizational leadership and change management strategies with a focus on the higher education context.
3001-513 Higher Education Policy
(3:0:3)
This course introduces students to critical and contemporary issues in higher education policymaking. Through the course, students will learn about the processes involved in policy decision-making in higher education, including theoretical perspectives, approaches to policymaking, and policymaking instruments. Students will also learn and develop skills for research and craft higher education-related policies in their professional work settings.
3001-514 Strategic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness in Higher Education
(3:0:3)
In this course, students will explore institutional strategic planning approaches along with the need for institutional effectiveness. In the course, students will also be taken through the steps for linking strategic planning strategies with the best practices/principles that support the drive for ensuring institutional effectiveness.
3001-515 Leadership for Diversity and Social Justice in Higher Education
(3:0:3)
This course introduces students to the principles and strategies for developing cultural competencies and promoting diversity and social justice in higher education. Students will be encouraged to critically reflect, explore and analyze the possible impacts of culture on their philosophical views and professional practices related to diversity and social justice issues. Through the course, students would develop the knowledge and skills to promote an enabling environment for individuals within their institutions to thrive irrespective of their culture, gender, and religious affiliation.
3001-516 Human Relations for Leaders in Higher Education
(3:0:3)
In this course, students will explore individual differences, human relations, and forces that influence the lives and behaviors of individuals and groups within higher education settings. Through the course, students would develop the skills for maintaining positive relationships with others within higher education settings. Emphasis will be laid on facilitative skills of decision making, collaborating, and motivating, problem-solving, communicating, and resolving conflicts.
3001-517 Student Affairs Leadership in Higher Education
(3:0:3)
This course is designed to familiarize students with the field of student affairs in higher education contexts. Through the course, students will learn about the purpose, services, and functions of student affairs, along with how the unit can be better managed for positive student experiences. Drawing on historical, theoretical, and ethical perspectives, students will examine institutional strategies for organizing, staffing, and funding a wide array of programs and services to support students in higher education. Students will also apply the knowledge gained from the course to improve selected units and services of student affairs units within a university context.
3001-521 Foundations of Research Methods
(3:0:3)
This course offers students the opportunity to strengthen their research knowledge and skills for conducting quality scholarly studies in higher education. Students will advance their understanding of research methodologies, including vocabularies, approaches, and ethical considerations. Students will also learn how to effectively plan and conduct quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research. Besides, students will develop the skills to lead a systematic literature review to determine gaps in the literature or strengthen research purposes. Further, they will practice their research skills using a suitable approach, considering the relevant ethical factors related to their research context.
3001-531 Program Planning and Evaluation in Higher Education
(3:0:3)
Program planning and evaluation are essential practical skills for leaders in higher education. The process for planning and evaluating programs in higher education is complex and multi-faceted, involving different stakeholders and considerations. This course introduces students to the concepts, theories, and practices of program planning and evaluation in higher education contexts. In the course, students will engage in a critical approach to exploring theoretical approaches to program planning and evaluation, and the skills required would be employed. Students will develop the knowledge of program planning phases, including needs assessments, objectives, instructional design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. Besides, students will be expected to apply appropriate theories and principles of program planning and evaluation to case studies and real-life workplace contexts.
3001-532 Comparative and International Education
(3:0:3)
Higher education leaders need to understand the trends, reforms, and policies in education and how they could transfer lessons to other contexts from a comparative and international lens. This course introduces students to the comparative and international education field, gaining more popularity in today's contemporary and globalized world. In the course, students will explore educational policies and practices around the globe, focusing on some contexts as case studies. For instance, students will learn about educational policies and procedures in conflict settings and some countries. Students will document lessons from comparative education and how they will transfer the knowledge gained to other contexts.
3001-533 E-Learning for Leaders in Higher Education
(3:0:3)
Leaders in higher education need to understand how e-learning can support teaching and learn for instructors and students. In this course, students will explore the concept and theoretical perspectives of e-learning in higher education. The course examines principles, technological tools, and media for developing, supporting, and facilitating e-learning in higher education contexts for either students' learning or staff professional development. Essentially, the course aims to prepare and enhance students' knowledge of strategies to use e-learning to improve teaching and learning for instructors and students in higher education.
3001-599 Master's Thesis
(3:0:3)
The 'Master's Thesis' offers students the opportunity to undertake independent research on a specific issue of their interest in higher education. The thesis also provides students with the opportunity to have in-depth knowledge about a particular topic in higher education. Through the thesis, students will demonstrate the knowledge and skills developed during the Master's program