Welcome to the Masters Degree Program in Executive Development for Public Service Program at Ball State University
The program prepares graduates to provide educational services in a variety of social, industrial, health and human services, military and governmental settings. A broad range of courses related to management and public agency administration area offered to prepare students to function in an executive, managerial, or supervisory capacity within governmental or non-for-profit agencies. The curriculum is not intended to prepare candidates for specific occupations. The master’s degree program can also be used as a cognate or minor in preparation for entry into the doctorate in Adult, Higher and Community Education.
Admission to the Program
The applicant must be admitted to the Graduate School. Students must hold an earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited higher education institution and meet one of the following criteria:
- An undergraduate cumulative grade point average of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale.
- A cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in the latter half of the baccalaureate
- (the last two years)
- A 3.0 grade point average in 9 semester hours of graduate course work approved in advance as a probationary plan of study by the Chairperson of the Department of Educational Studies, and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School, and an acceptable score on the Graduate Records Examination. Acceptable GRE scores are greater than 900 (verbal and quantitative measures combined) or 1350 (verbal, quantitative and analytical measures combined). Such students will be considered probationary students until the conditions of their graduate admission have been met.
Degree Options
* A minor may be earned by successfully completing three additional courses or 9 hours.
** A double major may be earned with the master’s degree for Adult and Community education by completing 5 selected courses or 15 hours in the area.
Master’s Degree in Executive Development for Public Service Course Requirements
The M.A. degree program requires at least 30 hours of graduate course work. Students must maintain grade point averages of at least 3.2 on 4.0 scale. Students must take at least 2 courses from Adult Education and may take one course from four of the following eight categories of study:
- Adult Education, Program Evaluation, and Staff Development
- Business and Related Areas
- Communication
- Computer Science and Educational Technology
- Educational Administration and Supervision
- Gerontology, Health Science, and Wellness
- Political Science
- Psychology
It is highly recommended students choose one additional course from adult education, management, communication, political science or psychology courses to complement their skills and competencies and to sharpen their public service and non-profit organizational focus.
Students also must take a research course.
And also are able to complete an internship for 3-6 credits if they wish.
Courses for the Executive Development master’s degree program may be selected from the following offerings:
Adult Education, Program Evaluation, & Staff Development
| Courses | Format/Location | Credit Hours |
| EDAC 629 Psychology of Adult Adjustment | 3 hrs | |
| EDAC 631 Adult and Community Education | (Internet) | 3 hrs |
| EDAC 632 Organizing Adult and Community Education | 3 hrs | |
| EDAC 634 The Adult as a Learner | (Internet) | 3 hrs |
| EDAC 635 Strategies for Teaching Adults | (Internet) | 3 hrs |
| EDAC 638 Program Planning for Adults | 3 hrs | |
| #EDAC 697 The Grant Process and Research | 3 hrs | |
| #EDCUR 660 Ethnographic Research in Education | 3 hrs | |
| #EDCUR 671 Evaluation of Educational Programs | 3 hrs | |
| EDCUR 675 Evaluation of Ed. Personnel To Strengthen Curriculum | 3 hrs | |
| EDCUR 680 Staff Development to Strengthen Curriculum | 3 hrs |
#Indicates course(s) available to fulfill the research requirement.
Business and Related Areas
Note: (No more than 15 hours may be taken from the College of Business)
In order to obtain the Business Certificate, apply with the Grad school at point of admissions and take 12 credits of the following courses.
Courses |
Format/Semester |
Credits |
| ACC 501 Financial Accounting | IHETS/ Fall | 3 hrs |
| ECON 509 Survey of Economics | IHETS/ Fall | 3 hrs |
| MBA 601 Business Leadership (Prereq MGT 500) |
IHETS/ Fall | 3 hrs |
| MGT 500 Managing Organizational Behavior | IHETS/ Spring | 3 hrs |
| MKT 505 Survey of Marketing | IHETS/ Spring | 3 hrs |
All Courses offered via IHETS Distance Ed TV or Webcasting through Continuing Education.
Computer Science and Educational Technology
Courses |
Format/Semester |
Credits |
| CS 500 Fundamentals of Computing | 3hrs | |
| CS 501 Fundamental Programming Practices in Computer Science | 3hrs | |
| CS 502 Topics in Structures and Operations in Computer Science (Prereq: CS 501) |
3hrs | |
| CS 514 Introduction to Programming 1 | 3hrs | |
| CS 533 Computer Hardware Systems (Prerequisite: CS 502) | 3hrs | |
| CS 536 Database Design (Prerequisite: CS 501) |
IHETS Distance Ed TV or Webcasting | 3hrs |
| CS 540 Data Processing Techniques (Prerequisite: CS 501) | 3hrs | |
| CS 699 Readings and Honors (# Permission of Dept. Chair) | 3hrs | |
| EDTEC 520 - Technology and Teaching Practice | 3hrs | |
| EDTEC 552 – Multimedia Web Design & Development for Education | 3hrs | |
| EDTEC 675 – Distance Ed. & Distributed Learning Tech (Permission of Dept. Chair) | 3hrs |
Courses |
Format/Semester |
Credits |
| EDAD 600 Introduction to Educational Leadership | IHETS Distance Ed TV or Webcasting | 3 hrs |
| EDAD 630 Personnel Administration in Educational Institutions | IHETS Distance Ed TV or Webcasting | 3 hrs |
| EDAD 640 The Educational Administrator and Public Relations | IHETS Distance Ed TV or Webcasting | 3 hrs |
| EDAD 684 Educational Finance | IHETS Distance Ed TV or Webcasting | 3 hrs |
| EDAD 686 School Law | IHETS Distance Ed TV or Webcasting | 3 hrs |
| EDAD 692 Inservice Workshop in Education-The Residential Leadership Seminar | Saturday Format at Carmel High School | 3-9 hrs |
Gerontology, Health Science, and Wellness
Courses |
Format/Semester |
Credits |
| GERON 515 – Technology and Aging | Fishers/Greenfield | 3 hrs |
| GERON 535 – Aging in Communities | Fishers/Greenfield | 3 hrs |
| GERON 540 – Women and Aging | Fishers/Greenfield | 3 hrs |
| GERON 605 – Aging Well: A Systems Approach | Fishers/Greenfield | 3 hrs |
| GERON 630 – Health, Wellness, and Aging | Fishers/Greenfield | 3 hrs |
| GERON 635 – Adaptations in Later Life | Fishers/Greenfield | 3 hrs |
| WELNS 625 – Community Collaboration & Service Learning in Wellness Mgmt | 3 hrs | |
| WELNS 635 – Wellness Coaching | 3 hrs | |
| WELNS 650 – Foundations of Wellness | 3 hrs | |
| HSC 510 – Teaching and Learning in Health Education | 3 hrs | |
| HSC 562 – Health Promotion in the Worksite | 3 hrs | |
| HSC 568 – Consumer Health Issues | 3 hrs | |
| HSC 569 – Health and Aging | 3 hrs | |
| HSC 571 – Death and Dying | 3 hrs | |
| HSC 572 – Women and Health | 3 hrs | |
| HSC 581 – Stress Management | Internet | 3 hrs |
| HSC 582 – Environmental Health | 3 hrs | |
| HSC 585 – Community Health Methods | hrs |
Political Science and Public Administration
Courses |
Format/Semester |
Credits |
| POLS 532 The American Chief Executive | 3 hrs | |
| POLS 554 Administration of Local Government Budgets | 3 hrs | |
| POLS 555 Administrative Law | 3 hrs | |
| POLS 537 - Gov and Politics in Indiana | Fishers | 3 hrs |
| POLS 561 - Community Planning and Its Administration | Fishers | 3 hrs |
| POLS 565 Labor-Management Relations in Government | 3 hrs | |
| POLS 572 – Political Campaigns | Fishers | 3 hrs |
| POLS 573 – American Political Parties | Fishers | 3 hrs |
| POLS 615 – Western Political Theories | Fishers | 3 hrs |
| POLS 625 Research Methods in Political Science | 3 hrs | |
| POLS 633 - American Judicial System | Fishers | 3 hrs |
| POLS 642 Problems in Public Policy | 3 hrs | |
| POLS 648 Policy Analysis | 3 hrs | |
| POLS 650 Public Administration | 3 hrs | |
| POLS 651 Administrative Organization and Management | 3 hrs | |
| POLS 652 Personnel Administration in Government | 3 hrs | |
| POLS 653 Public Financial Administration | 3 hrs |
Courses |
Format/Semester |
Credits |
| CPSY 610 Career Theories and Realities | 3 hrs | |
| CPSY 631 Introduction to the Study of Personality | 3 hrs | |
| **EDPSY 603 Psychology of Human Development | Internet | 3 hrs |
| EDPSY 611 Development of Creative Thinking | Internet | 3 hrs |
| EDPSY 629 Psychology of Adult Adjustment | 3 hrs | |
| EDPSY 640 Methodology of Educational and Psychological Research - Research Class | Internet | 3 hrs |
| EDPSY 641 Statistical Methods in Educational & Psychological Research - Research Class | Internet | 3 hrs |
| PSYSC 573 Industrial Psychology | 3 hrs | |
| SOPSY 610 Social Psychology | 3 hrs | |
| SOPSY 660 Contemporary Social Psychology | 3 hrs |
Public Relations and Communication Studies
Courses |
Format/Semester |
Credits |
| PR 660 Public Relations: Theories & Applications | Internet | 3 hrs |
| PR 666 Public Relations Campaign (by dept. permission) |
3 hrs | |
| Comm 540 Interpersonal Communications | 3 hrs | |
| Comm 542 Communication and Group Process | 3 hrs | |
| Comm 551 Communication in Organizations | 3 hrs | |
| Comm 610 Studies in Persuasion | 3 hrs | |
| Comm 650 Business and Professional Communication | 3 hrs |
In addition, in order to meet their research course requirements,
students often elect one of the following courses from campus or an on-site location.
The research requirement cannot be a transfer course from another higher education institution.
Courses |
Format/Semester |
Credits |
| EDPSY 640 Methods of Educational and Psychological Research | 3 hrs | |
| EDAC 697 The Grant Process and Research | 3 hrs | |
| EDCUR 660 Ethnographic Research in Education | 3 hrs | |
| EDCUR 671 Evaluation of Educational Programs | 3 hrs | |
| POLS 625 Research Methods in Political Science | 3 hrs |
Students may elect a 2 or 3 credit hour internship with a business or not-for-profit firm under the graduate course heading:
EDAC 699-Internship in Adult and Community Education.
This field experience or internship is under joint supervision of the university (supervisor) and an experienced practitioner in an approved business or non-profit agency setting. Permission of the program director and/or department chairperson is required. 6 hours of credit may be earned.
For More Information Contact:
Dr. Michelle Glowacki-Dudka or Denise Harris
Graduate Programs in Adult, Higher, and Community Education
Department of Educational Studies
Teachers College Room 812, Ball State University
Phone: (765) 285-5461
Fax: (765) 285-5489
Graduate School