USD/LERN Educational Administration & Leadership

Develop into an innovative scholar-practitioner and transformational leader who uses critical theory to solve complex problems of practice.

Master Your Educational Leadership Skills

This distinctive master's degree combines the academic, theoretical and research findings of adult and continuing education with the practical application of the responsibilities and duties of adult and continuing education administrators. This one-of-a-kind degree program is made possible through a collaboration with the University of South Dakota and the Learning Resources Network (LERN).

This unique program has been designed at the request of adult and continuing education administrators interested in receiving graduate credit by combining the practical, professional education that LERN offers with an essential academic education from the University of South Dakota, a highly respected higher education institution.

The combination of USD curriculum and LERN institutes prepare you for positions that include administrative and teaching positions in colleges and universities, junior and community colleges, hospitals, private industry and other adult training and educational settings.

Grow upon your past knowledge and skills and prepare for your future in an administrative position as an educational administration and leadership graduate student at USD.

Degrees & Offerings

USD/LERN EAL: Adult and Higher Education (M.A.)

This USD/LERN master's degree will challenge you to explore core themes and content that will provide you with skills pertinent to both your professional and academic career objectives. The program requires 33 credit hours. You may enroll in up to 15 credit hours of practical knowledge through the LERN professional development institutes and online courses which approved for USD credit in advance. As a result, university credit from the LERN experiences transfers seamlessly toward the master’s degree. The remaining 18 credit hours are completed online through USD.

View M.A. LERN Curriculum

AHED 790: Certified Program Planner

USD Registration
LERN Registration
Instructor: Julie Coates
Location: Online
Dates: March 7 – May 27, 2022
Credits: 4
Fee: $160.00

Train to analyze data to make the best decisions. Learn key financial formulas as well as design a winning brochure. You will learn how to increase registrations and start successful new programs. This training ends with the Certified Program Planner exam and eventual certification upon passing the exam.

AHED 790: LERN Certified Faculty Developer

USD Registration
LERN Registration
Instructor: William A. Draves
Location: Online
Dates: March 7 – April 29, 2022
Credits: 3
Fee: $120.00

The goal of this training is to prepare faculty developers to assist faculty in improving instructional quality at their institutions. Upon certification, faculty developers will identify trends and issues that need to be addressed by faculty development programs. They will be aware of the latest innovations and best practices in instructional strategies and be apprised of emerging technological advances. Faculty developers will also have an understanding of the needs and characteristics of today's learners and be able to address changing roles and needs of faculty.

AHED 790: Contract Training Institute

USD Registration
LERN Registration
Instructor: William A. Draves
Location: Online
Dates: March 7 – May 13, 2022
Credits: 3
Fee: $120.00

The Contract Training Institute (CTI) is the most complete, comprehensive and advanced training in the field of Contract Training. This is an online offering in a how-to format where students will learn the practical and proven skills in Contract Training from proven best practices and skilled practitioners. After attending the Contract Institute, students will be prepared to boost contracts, increase Operating Margin as well as net and price contracts for the highest return. This training can lead to a Contract Training Certificate by passing the Certification Exam.

AHED 790: LERN C.E. Model

USD Registration
LERN Registration
Location: Online
Dates: March 7 – April 22, 2022
Credits: 3
Fee: $120.00

Successful continuing education (C.E) programs require leaders who can both lead and manage. The LERN C.E. Model course is for people new to continuing education leadership, staff looking to climb the leadership ladder and seasoned leaders. The LERN C.E. Model isn’t a cookie-cutter template. Instead, it’s an assortment of leadership, best practices and benchmarks that a continuing education program should employ to improve performance. It includes course programming, marketing, contract training and operations strategies and more.

AHED 790: Operations Institute Online

USD Registration
LERN Registration
Instructor: William A. Draves
Location: Online
Dates: March 7 – May 13, 2022
Credits: 3
Fee: $120.00

This course is designed to explore the best practices and strategies that maximize the effectiveness of a lifelong learning operations department. It provides an overview of theory-based techniques for operations management, including business principles, staffing structure, finances and benchmarks, job standards and competencies and data collection and analysis. Participants will discuss suggested strategies and be prepared to take an Operations Institute exam after nine weeks of course participation.

Next semester's course listings will be available at a later date. For additional information about the online LERN courses and the Master of Arts in Educational Administration - Adult & Higher Education program, contact USD Online at 800-233-7937 or by e-mail at cde@usd.edu.

Application Requirements

For detailed admission requirements, please refer to Educational Leadership in the current graduate catalog. Additional requirements exist for international applicants. For more information, visit International Admission Requirements.

For more information about the USD/LERN Master of Arts in Educational Administration and Leadership – Adult & Higher Education program, contact the Continuing and Distance Education office at 605-658-6152 or by email at cde@usd.edu.

USD/LERN Program Cost

The 2021-2022 graduate tuition rate for USD’s online courses is $470.45/credit hour. The tuition rate is the same regardless of the state or country of residence.

18 USD Credit Hours	$8,468.10
18 LERN Credit Hours	$600.00
Total	$9,068.10

For information regarding costs for LERN courses and institutes, please visit the LERN website and click on “Events & Education.” The cost of university credit for USD-approved LERN institutes and courses is an amazing $40.00 per credit hour. This special tuition rate for LERN participants is an attractive feature of the USD/LERN partnership.

Departments & Facilities

Explore the departments, facilities and centers that contribute to your education.

Continuing & Distance Education

We play the lead role in the development and coordination of programs and services related to online and off-campus programs and courses at USD.

success story

Before starting the USD/LERN program, I was skeptical about pursuing my master’s degree online due to the lack of personal connection but after being in the program I can truly say that this is not the case! Every single one of my professors was dedicated to their students’ success and made me feel like I was sitting in a face-to-face classroom. I truly believe that this program is a great fit for anyone who needs a flexible, challenging and affordable master’s program from a great university.

Tara Jones

Training Coordinator
College of Southern Maryland