Coursework
The PASA program prepares new professionals for work in a variety of higher education settings, from student affairs to student services, athletics administration and academic advising. Courses in the program address higher education administration in a variety of settings, including public and private universities, two-year and four-year, research universities and liberal arts colleges, specialty colleges, and many others.
http://rossier.usc.edu/academic/masters/pasa/pasa-program-overview.html
FALL 2010
EDHP 500: Foundations of Higher, Adult, and Professional Education
With a focus on the historical background, this course explores contemporary issues in higher, adult, and professional education in the United States. It also offers analytical perspectives from disciplines including philosophy and sociology with implications for policy and practice in higher education. Taught by Dr. Rameen Talesh, this core course allowed me to discover the history of higher education in America and how its evolution has shaped policies, learning environments, and the future of universities.
EDHP 563: Student Affairs Work in College
This course covers principles, services, and organizational patterns of student affairs programs and services for two-year, four-year, and professional higher education institutions. It also offers a detailed introduction to those exploring various opportunities within student affairs. Taught by Dr. Amy Johnson, this core course helped me comprehend the numerous functional areas available in the realm of student services and allowed me to utilize my prior experiences to influence my work in higher education.
EDHP 687: Student Development in Higher Education
This course explores theories of college student development and application of developmental models for program design, interventions, outreach, and research programs. This course is essential for understanding how students grow and change during the college years and is applicable to the work of all student affairs practitioners. Taught by Dr. Denzil Suite and Dr. Patricia Tobey, this core course allowed me to deeply self-reflect and empowered me to think about my personal journey.
SPRING 2011
EDHP 551: Applied Educational Ethnography
This course teaches qualitative research methods for improving leadership in higher, adult, and professional education. Specific methods include: ethnographic field designs, observations, focused and unstructured interviews, along with unobtrusive techniques. Taught by Dr. Zoe Corwin, the course allowed me to become a better writer, researcher, and advocate for higher education.
EDHP 552: Politics of Difference
This course focuses on strategies for restructuring institutions of higher education to improve student support and achievement among historically underrepresented groups. By understanding how certain students identify themselves and the larger social context that affects them, I am able to better understand their needs. Through powerful discussions, Dr. Shafiqa Ahmadi, was able to facilitate learning, self-reflection, and growth.
EDHP 657: Management of Student Services in Higher Education
Policies and theories for governance and management are covered in this course. Relations between historical and contemporary organizational processes in postsecondary education are also discussed, including analysis and applications of current research and leadership models such as Bolman and Deal. Taught by Dr. Darnell Cole, this core course allowed me to understand my leadership style through the political, symbolic, human resource, and structural frameworks and how to work within different structures.
SUMMER 2011
EDPT 550: Statistical Inference
This course allows students to learn about the application of statistical techniques in education with an emphasis on underlying principles and concepts coupled with select inferential techniques using current software, such as Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Taught by Dr. Robert Keim, the course helps students evaluate and interpret data quantitatively.
EDUC 610: Higher Education Administration in China
This course examines the underlying historical, sociological, political and economic factors that affect the Chinese higher education community. Readings and assignments will provide students with a global perspective of higher education and student affairs work in universities, specifically in the Peoples Republic of China. Taught by Dr. Tracy Tambascia and Dr. Lynette Merriman, the course offers a unique opportunity for graduate students to travel abroad and gain an appreciation for international education through university visits and cultural immersion tours. The final assignment was accepted for presentation to the 2012 NASPA National Conference.
EDUC 614: Research and Assessment in Higher Education
This course is intended to expose students to the theory and practice of outcomes assessment, program evaluation, and research design in Higher Education. Taught by Dr. Patricia Tobey, the course introduces basic foundations in quantitative and qualitative research and assessment approaches. Students will be able to identify and create a variety of approaches in research design and assessment as it pertains to specific applications in Student affairs work and its relation to institutional research in higher education.
FALL 2011
EDUC 609: Academic Advising in Postsecondary Education
The goals for this course includes gaining an awareness of historical and theoretical perspectives that relate to academic advising, gaining a better understanding of how academic advising "works" in practice by building our knowledge of academic advising organizational systems and structures, and developing a team project that demonstrates an understanding of theory, practice, and professional development as it relates to academic advising. Taught by Dr. Lynette Merriman, I am able to gain a better understanding and appreciation of academic advising through guest lecturers, interactive assignments, and shadowing several practicing academic advisors
EDHP 593a: Master's Seminar
The Master's Seminar has an applied focus to the master's degree as it encapsulates the PASA experience. The course serves as a resource to allow candidates to reflect upon the entirety of the masters program and focuses on the future of YOU in the student affairs arena. Taught by Dr. Tracy Tambascia, the course allows students to highlight their experiences through an online portfolio, establish a literature review of a potential Ph.D. dissertation topic, and work in groups to create solutions to various case studies affecting college campuses across the nation.
EDHP 587: Fieldwork in Higher, Adult, and Professional Education
This course involves structured participation in supervised teaching and administrative activities. The assignments are connected with the student's goals, training, and experience in order to offer a comprehensive learning curve. The final project involves a portfolio that includes a log of hours, a reflection of the fieldwork experience, a written and verbal presentation of a case study, a final evaluation from the fieldwork supervisor, and samples of the work completed in the internship. Please visit: http://www.jon-wang.com/graduate-positions/ for an overview of fieldwork projects.
SPRING 2012
EDHP 565: Intervention Strategies in College
This course involves the exploration of current campus issues such as violence, diversity and academic remediation, and their related intervention strategies (policy-based, programmatic, and counseling-based). Taught by Dr. Denzil Suite, this elective course helped me become more creative and willing to uncover various strategies and tactics for finding solutions.
EDHP 593b: Master's Seminar
The Master's Seminar has an applied focus to the master's degree as it encapsulates the PASA experience. The course serves as a resource to allow candidates to reflect upon the entirety of the masters program and focuses on the future of YOU in the student affairs arena. Taught by Dr. Tracy Tambascia, the course allows students to highlight their experiences through an online portfolio, establish a literature review of a potential Ph.D. dissertation topic, and work in groups to create solutions to various case studies affecting college campuses across the nation.
EDHP 587: Fieldwork in Higher, Adult, and Professional Education
This course involves structured participation in supervised teaching and administrative activities. The assignments are connected with the student's goals, training, and experience in order to offer a comprehensive learning curve. The final project involves a portfolio that includes a log of hours, a reflection of the fieldwork experience, a written and verbal presentation of a case study, a final evaluation from the fieldwork supervisor, and samples of the work completed in the internship. Please visit:http://www.jon-wang.com/graduate-positions/ for an overview of fieldwork projects.
NOTE: Some of the above descriptions were scourced from Rossier School of Education syllabi.