College of Arts and Sciences

Degree Programs

The College of Arts and Sciences offers a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing, Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership or Exceptional Student Education, and an Educational Specialist Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. The Master of Science degree is available in Higher Education Administration and Supervision, Clinical Mental Health Counseling; Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling and Counselor Education with Advanced Studies.

Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Educational Leadership

The Master of Education in Educational Leadership is designed for certified educators. The degree requires a minimum of 30 credits of coursework which includes an internship and action research project. Applicants are required to have a minimum of two years of professional teaching experience. 

Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Exceptional Student Education

The Master of Education in Exceptional Student Education is designed for certified educators.  The degree requires a minimum of 30 credits of coursework which includes an action research project. 

Master of Science (M.S.) in Higher Education Administration and Supervision

The Master of Science in Higher Education Administration and Supervision prepares candidates to support, change, and enhance higher education through personal growth, intellectual development, and global citizenship by creating opportunities for self-reflection, creativity, and self-discovery, supporting academic inquiry through best practices, developing appropriate personal professional and ethical standards, and advancing opportunities for social justice, diversity, inclusion, and community engagement. Our program will supplement an already robust graduate education program and offer pathways for students to pursue an Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degree in Curriculum and Instruction upon completion or also to pursue an Ed.D./Ph.D. from other institutions.  The degree requires a minimum of 36 credits of coursework which includes an action research project.

Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) in Curriculum and Instruction

The Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degree is a 100% online degree completed in one year that either prepares educators for district-level positions, cultivates their leadership in current district-level positions, or prepares educators to transition into careers in research or academia.  The degree is a post-masters degree; and requires 30 credits (6 of which may be transferred in from qualified masters programs, and requires an action research project to graduate.  

Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)

The Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing (Prose or Poetry in an Expanded Field), encourages students to grow as both writers and global citizens. The program requires four “working” residencies as well as a fifth “graduation” residency in which the student offers both a public reading and craft lecture. January residencies are held at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. June residencies are held abroad. Between residencies, students exchange “packets” of work with their instructor. The program culminates with a book-length or equivalent project.

Master of Science (M.S.)

The Master of Science degree in counselor education is offered in three areas.

The Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling requires a minimum of 60 credits. No thesis is required, but students must enroll in a practicum, participate in two internships, pass the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination, and successfully present their portfolio prior to graduating from the program.

The Master of Science in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling requires a minimum of 60 credits. No thesis is required, but students must enroll in a practicum, participate in two internships, pass the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination, and successfully present their portfolio prior to graduating from the program.

The Master of Science in Counselor Education with Advanced Studies requires a minimum of 66 credits.  Students must select a clinical specialization in either Clinical Mental Health Counseling or Marriage Couple and Family Counseling plus two to five additional courses that make up an advanced studies concentration.  No thesis is required, but students must enroll in a practicum, participate in two or three internships, pass the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination, and successfully present their portfolio prior to graduating from the program.