Postsecondary Leadership

The Postsecondary Leadership program specialization prepares individuals for work in postsecondary institutions. These will be leaders who bring ethical and reflective perspectives to leadership and professional practice in postsecondary education. They are committed and enabled to address the needs of society, postsecondary education, and the diverse populations they serve. Candidates will gain new skills and theoretical frameworks by examining practices in postsecondary education leadership. Graduates may hold positions in academic affairs, student affairs, support services, and other key positions of postsecondary education leadership.

Students in the Postsecondary Leadership program specialization will work with faculty advisors to select program electives that reflect this strand, as well as student goals and interests. The list of WKU courses described below provides a starting point for program development, but is not exhaustive. Courses described under other WKU doctoral program specializations may serve as appropriate electives.

WKU courses specifically designed for this specialization:

EDFN 675 Higher Education in America: History, purpose, philosophy, organization, curriculum, student personnel services, financial services, and trends of the American system of higher education.

EDFN 685 Issues in Higher Education: Major problem areas of academic administration with emphasis on issues and procedures of college and university level curricular development.

EDFN 724 Leadership in Community and Technical Colleges: The nature of community and technical colleges, their relationship to four-year institutions, their potential for serving work force needs, and the role of the postsecondary administrator in these settings. 

EDFN 726 Postsecondary Change & Cultures: Study of how effective change takes place in organizations as both internal and external forces influence institutions. Resistance to change and how to overcome these barriers will also be addressed, as well as how these changes afect the culture of the organization. 

EDFN 728 Postsecondary Economics & Finance: Postsecondary finance issues including sources/distribution of funding, financial aid programs, declining resources, budgeting and managing resources, and generating resources. 

General WKU graduate courses that may serve as additional electives:

EDFN 601 Applied Statistics and Design: Parametric and non-parametric statistical techniques applied to experimental and quasi-experimental research designs in education.

EDFN 603 Qualitative Research in Education: Qualitative research for graduate students within the educational setting. Includes the foundational theory of qualitative research, methodological designs and techniques of data collecting, analysis, and reporting.

EDFN 703 Field Methods for Qualitative Research: Developing and conducting qualitative research.

EDU 695 Advanced Topics in Education: Readings or special projects in education.

LME 737 Leadership in Educational Technology: Emphasis on educational technology leadership, professional development, and instructional management. Topics include equitable access, technology plans, meeting needs of diverse learners with technology, and technology integration strategies.

CNS 710 Leadership and Stress Management: Examines the meaning of stress, its effects on the individual and the organization, how it manifests itself, and strategies for its management. Explores the organizational demands that contribute to stress and addresses how leaders in organizations can help provide preventative stress management.

Additional graduate courses in the Department of Educational Administration, Leadership, and Research that may be appropriate for this strand are described in the WKU Graduate Catalog.

Dr. Barbara Burch

Faculty Regent, Professor/Provost Emerita

Office Gary A. Ransdell Hall, Room 1021

Phone: 270-745-8996

Email:  barbara.burch@wku.edu