Evangel marks decade of graduate studies

This summer, the university celebrated the 10th anniversary of its graduate studies program, from which 190 students have graduated. Another 130 students are currently enrolled.

Though the school had considered master’s level courses for some time, student demand led to the creation of the graduate studies program, Program Director Jeff Hittenberger said.

“Our own students wanted to continue their education right here, so an advanced degree program became the logical path to follow,” he said.

Expanded course offerings

Evangel’s graduate studies program now offers eight master’s degrees, and Hittenberger said there are plans to add a master’s degree in music in fall 2009. Additional master’s level courses in education and psychology also may be added, he said.

Also in 2009, Evangel will begin offering its master’s degree in organizational leadership online, which could help draw students from other regions.

Costs for the graduate studies program range from $205 to $260 per credit hour, plus application and registration fees.

Student perspectives

Experiences are varied among graduates of Evangel’s graduate studies program.

Jeannie Ratcliff, a fifth-grade teacher at Springfield’s Sequiota Elementary School, earned her master’s degree in educational leadership last year, and she said her work – and her instructors – at Evangel provided key networking connections in education.

“The practical working knowledge of people already in the educational field gave me the benefit of a lot of experience that could not possibly have come from a book,” she said.

Jennifer Crowe, who earned a master’s degree in counseling psychology in 2006, is now working as a counselor at Evangel.

In addition to her on-campus experience, Crowe said the graduate studies program gave her the opportunity to visit Africa.

“We went to Zambia and used our therapeutic skills with street kids and orphans in various villages,” Crowe said. “We also learned about the culture and were provided education on the epidemics and diseases facing this continent. It was an amazing experience and profoundly changed my view of the world.”

Joe Dan Vendelin earned a master’s degree in educational leadership in 2005 at Evangel and is now the principal at Mount Vernon High School.

“From the beginning of the program until I finished my final class, the professors at Evangel did whatever was necessary to prepare me to work in school administration,” he said.

Evangel President Robert Spence said the graduate studies program has had a positive effect on the university as a whole.

“Our graduate classes have attracted extraordinary students that we might not have had the opportunity to work with otherwise, and teaching those advanced classes has given our instructors real inspiration,” Spence said.

Master’s Degrees at Evangel

Evangel University’s graduate studies program now offers eight degrees:

• Master of Arts in Teaching

• Master of Education in Educational Leadership

• Master of Education in Reading

• Master of Education in Secondary Teaching

• Master of Organizational Leadership

• Master of Science in Clinical Psychology

• Master of Science in Counseling Psychology

• Master of Science in School Counseling