Innovative Approaches to Graduate Education

The demand for graduate education is growing steadily, and higher education institutions are responding by developing a wide range of new programs in a variety of subject areas. But is content enough to set institutions apart? The recent Special Feature on Commoditization and Competition in Higher Education would suggest otherwise.

Over the course of this Special Feature, we went beyond academics and published articles and interviews from contributors across the higher education world exploring innovation in program development, strategy, marketing, service and more.

Alternative Credentials Can Motivate Graduate Education to Clarify Outcomes and Quality

Barbara Wright | Vice President, WASC Senior College and University Commission

As certificate programs gain popularity, accreditors are asking graduate programs to better demonstrate their student outcomes to keep up with the competition.

AUDIO | Graduate Education Not Worth the Price of Admission … But It Can Be

Ashley Sanders | Doctoral Candidate, Michigan State University

Changes need to be made to graduate-level programming to ensure students receive value for the price of admission.

AUDIO | Innovation Focus Should Be on Quality, Not Cost

Amy Slaton | Professor of History, Drexel University

Innovation in the graduate education space should be more focused on creating enriched student outcomes than on simply reducing the price and time to completion.

Commoditization Should Impact Transactional Higher Ed, not Academics

Kelly Otter | Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Faculty Affairs, Northeastern University College of Professional Studies

The commoditization of graduate education should not impact academic quality; through all of the innovation, the basic tenets of the transformative graduate experience remains paramount.

AUDIO | What Separates Non-Traditional Graduate and Undergraduate Students?

Tanya Zlateva | Dean for the Metropolitan College and Extended Education, Boston University

Though more non-traditional graduate students are working full-time and paying for education with employer reimbursements than undergraduates, price is still a major factor in their decision-making process.

AUDIO | Flexibility and Responsiveness Critical for Adult Graduate Students

Katie Smith | Emergency Management Associate, IEM

Flexibility and responsiveness to student needs — both academically and administratively — creates an environment where adults can succeed in their graduate studies.

Graduate Education: Keeping the Workforce Fresh

Carissa Little | Director of Professional Programs, Stanford University

Graduate credentials are critical for employees to keep pace with the changing and evolving labor market, but this requires institutions to stay on top of industry changes and provide programming to accomplish this goal.

Globalization and Outcomes-Focus are Changing the Face of Graduate Education

Patricia Campbell | Dean of Graduate Studies, American Public University System

Shifting student demographics and increased demand for immediately-relevant labor market skills is driving change in graduate education.

AUDIO | Launching Innovation: What Does It Take to Succeed?

Angus Kingon | University Professor of Entrepreneurship and Organizational Studies, Brown University

Sometimes the best approach to launching a radically innovative program is to ensure all key stakeholders are represented among your supporters.

Three Questions to Ask Before Jumping Into a New Market

Mont Rogers | Marketing Research Analyst, Georgia Tech Professional Education

Before entering a new marketplace, higher education administrators must understand the lay of the land and whether they have a competitive edge in the space.

AUDIO | Stakeholder Participation Central to Innovation

Joseph Helble | Dean of the Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College

Stakeholder involvement from an early stage is vital for innovative graduate programs.

Navigating the Maze: Overcoming Institutional Roadblocks to Innovation

John DeLalla | Director of Continuing Education, University of Arizona South

Roadblocks come in all shapes and sizes when it comes to developing innovative programming. It’s a leader’s responsibility to navigate the maze and find pathways to success.

Authentication as a Roadblock to Innovation: Understanding and Overcoming the Problem

Charles Dull | Assistant Dean for eLearning and Innovation, Cuyahoga Community College

Rethinking online programming to make their management systems more closely resemble those of the campus environment could help institutions bypass authentication concerns when developing innovative programming.

AUDIO | Graduate Certificates Growing in Value for Working Adults

Wayne Smutz | Dean of Continuing Education and Extension, UC Los Angeles

Due to their cost and time to completion, graduate certificates may be better suited to the needs of today’s working adults than master’s degrees.

Does Our Credentialing System Work Anymore?

David Schejbal | Dean of Continuing Education, Outreach and E-Learning, University of Wisconsin-Extension

In order for higher education to remain relevant in the future, a new system of credentials needs to be devised in concert with all necessary stakeholders, including employers and professional associations.

AUDIO | Dilution Diminishing the Value of MBAs

Roy Cohen | Executive Career Coach, Roy Cohen Career Management

MBAs and other graduate-level certifications are valuable for individuals looking to advance in their careers, but as they become more generic, certificates and certifications may present a better option for differentiation.

Vendor Partnerships Support Programmatic Innovation

Melora Sundt | Executive Vice Dean, USC Rossier School of Education

Engaging in partnership with a service provider can help institutions develop and launch innovative graduate programs with minimal internal resource allocation.

Six Elements of a Successful Online Graduate Degree Partnership

Michael Eddy | Assistant Dean of Continuing Education and Conferences, Purdue University

When it comes to developing a new online graduate degree program, many institutions turn to vendors for support, but the schools themselves need to put in legwork to make sure the program is a success.

Today’s High-Wire Act in Higher Education: Balancing Innovation and Budget Constraints

Mike Scheuermann | Associate Vice President of Instructional Technology and Support, Drexel University

Budget constraints should not stop innovation, as innovation does not call for just acquisition, but can also refer to strategic repurposing.

International Branch Campuses Bring Graduate Education to the World

Bill Mercer | Manager of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education Services, Texas A&M University at Qatar

The IBC helps to deliver a high-quality graduate learning experience to geographically-dispersed students.

AUDIO | Online Graduate Programs Effective in Attracting Global Audience

Lise Saffran | Director of the Master of Public Health Program, University of Missouri

With the advent of online education, branch campuses are no longer a necessary mechanism for graduate programs to attract an international student body.

Joint Graduate Degree Programs Benefit Students and Universities

John Delaney | Dean of the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh

Degree programs developed in collaboration between two or more units within a university provides students with an opportunity for interdisciplinary learning that will support their career advancement.

Four Ways Employer Relationships Strengthen Graduate Programs

Walter Rankin | Dean of the School of Continuing Studies, Georgetown University

Strong relationships between graduate schools and employers are beneficial to the institution across a number of areas.

Graduate School 2.0: Three Ways to Put Technology to Work for Graduate Student Success

Susan Aldridge | President of Drexel University Online, Drexel University

Graduate education is being significantly enriched by the expansion of online learning tools, and ingenuity from faculty is taking online tools from good to great in this space.

Experiential Online Graduate Programs Enhance Learning Outcomes and Career Readiness

Philip Regier | Executive Vice Provost and Dean of ASU Online and Extended Campus, Arizona State University

Online graduate programming is beginning to emerge as a highly-rigorous and well-regarded mechanism for working professionals to continue their education and advance in their careers.

AUDIO | Experiential Learning Elevates Online Graduate Programming

Brian Murphy Clinton | Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Management, Northeastern University, Kevin Bell | Executive Director of Online Curriculum Development and Deployment, Northeastern University and Sean Gallagher | Senior Strategist and Market Development Officer, Northeastern University

Experiential learning is critical for online graduate programs that aim to support students’ success in the labor market.

Bridging Theory and Practice: A Case for Experiential Graduate Education

Nancy Suski | Executive Director of the Emergency and Disaster Management Master’s Program, Georgetown University

Experiential learning opportunities provide graduate students with labor-relevant knowledge, a competitive advantage universities have over emerging alternative options.

AUDIO | Post-Bac Certificates Create New Pathways for Liberal Arts Graduates

Dennis Di Lorenzo | Dean of the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, New York University

Industry-focused post-baccalaureate certificates can help institutions further support their undergraduate students and can serve as a pipeline for enrollment to graduate degree programs.

Understanding Student Needs Vital to Succeeding in the Graduate Student Environment

Scott Greenberg | Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs, Framingham Sate University and Marian Cohen | Professor, Framingham State University

Understanding and appropriately responding to student needs is a massive differentiator that can help institutions stand out above the crowd.

Diversification or Specialization? The Key to Growing Graduate Programming

Terry Rawls | President, Strategic Transitions Group

Institutions that can afford to diversify, and who do so with their mission close at hand, will be the most successful as the graduate education marketplace becomes more competitive.

AUDIO | Innovation is the Responsibility of the Whole Institution

Dave King | Associate Provost of Outreach and Engagement, Oregon State University

Every level of an institution must contribute to its innovative culture; this cannot be left to a single department.

Five Ways Continuing Education Supports Strong Graduate Programming

Bill McClure | Executive Director of Continuing and Professional Education, University of Massachusetts—Amherst

Beyond expanding accessibility, continuing education units can support significant growth and expansion for a university’s graduate program offerings.

Capital Central to Graduate Success for Small Institutions

By Evan Duff | Vice President of Adult and Professional Studies, North Carolina Wesleyan College

While smaller institutions have hurdles to jump when competing in the graduate education market, their nimbleness and willingness to partner differentiates them from larger competitors.

AUDIO | Bigger Schools Have the Edge in the Graduate Education Marketplace

Jeffrey Camm | Head of the Department of Operations, Business Analytics and Information Systems, University of Cincinnati

The depth of expertise and elite faculty offered by bigger universities makes them a more promising option for prospective graduate students choosing between schools.

AUDIO | HBCUs Are a Strong Alternative in the Graduate Marketplace

Marybeth Gasman | Director of Penn Center for Minority-Serving Institutions, University of Pennsylvania

The supportive nature of smaller colleges such as HBCUs provides them with a distinct advantage in the graduate education marketplace.

AUDIO | Service Providers Support Small Institution Innovation

Wayne Parkins | Graduate Education Consultant and Former Executive Director of New Business Development Global Business Education, Pearson Learning Solutions

By modularizing content creation, service providers can provide critical support to smaller institutions trying to compete in the increasingly innovative graduate space.

Innovative Graduate Programs Require Targeted Marketing

Craig Maslowsky | Vice President of Enrollment Management and Marketing, Excelsior College

Institutions must properly communicate the nature of their innovative programs to prospective graduate students so they can make informed decisions about where to pursue their advanced degrees.

AUDIO | Portfolio Marketing in the New Graduate Education Marketplace

Julie Corwin | Executive Director of College Marketing and Communications, Northeastern University

As programs become increasingly innovative, institutions must find ways to bring in the best possible students without cutting themselves off from the larger pool of potential enrollees.

AUDIO | Diverse Student Body Can Put an Institution Ahead

Janet Rutledge | Dean of the Graduate School, University of Maryland Baltimore County

Diversity is critical for an enriching and engaging educational environment, but can also serve as a differentiator for universities competing for graduate enrollments.

AUDIO | Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs Worth the Challenge

Maura Borrego | Associate Dean and Director of Interdisciplinary Graduate Education, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Offering interdisciplinary graduate programming is a great differentiator for institutions appealing to the modern generation of graduate students, but there are challenging roadblocks for administrators to overcome.

Business-Style Management a Key Differentiator in the Graduate Space

Craig Engel | Senior Vice President of Consulting Services, Noel-Levitz

The status quo is no longer viable for graduate institution success; administrators must be more business-like to survive in the modern graduation education marketplace.

AUDIO | Innovation and Support Critical for Graduate School Differentiation

Gerardo M. González | Dean of Graduate Studies, California State University San Marcos

For institutions that focus largely on undergraduate education, graduate schools must focus on creating high-demand, innovative programming that differentiates them from the competition.

Let It Go: Four Ways Higher Ed Can Learn From Disney’s Frozen

Rob Kingyens | Chief Technology Officer and Chief Marketing Technology Officer, eCornell

Providing a superior customer experience can be a major differentiator for institutions looking to stand out in the crowded graduate education marketplace.

Brand Is Not Enough: Innovation Critical for Elite Institutions

Hunt Lambert | Dean of Continuing Education and Extension, Harvard University

Brand may bring people to the door, but innovation is what gets students to enroll and ensures that they graduate and succeed in the workforce.