Higher Education Finance

Within the Department of Educational Policy & Leadership in UAlbany's School of Education, this microcredential supports the development of highly skilled, forward-thinking business officers and senior financial leaders at colleges and universities. 

Learners who complete this 6-credit graduate-level program exhibit skills of financial fluency and have the knowledge needed to manage post-secondary campus finance and operations.

This program prepares learners for senior financial roles in colleges and universities and focuses on higher education administration, as well as financial fluency, operational understanding, scenario planning, strategic foresight, and communication and presentation skills. 

Develop the skills and judgment needed to manage and lead post-secondary campus finance and operations — not only how to manage budgets but also how to lead with an understanding of the higher education financial environment.  

This microcredential is based on graduate master’s tuition rates for three courses, for a total of 6 credits. Review UAlbany's current graduate tuition rates.

For-credit Courses: You must successfully complete two courses, for a total of 6 credits:

• Higher Education Finance concentration
  • EPL 651: Administration of Institutions of Higher Education (3 credits)
  • Epl 750: Higher Education Finance (3 credits)
• Higher Education Finance with SUNY concentration (application required)
  • EPL 651: Administration of Institutions of Higher Education (3 credits)
  • EPL 687: Institute in Education (3 credits)
    • Note: Participants must request permission from the academic department and PaCE to apply EPL 687 toward this microcredential.

Capstone Presentation: You must also present a final individual capstone presentation to a panel of higher education finance related faculty and/or subject matter experts as part of the microcredential program's skills assessment. You may be provided a topic or scenario relevant to the learning outcomes to focus your presentation.

These courses can be applied to the MS in Higher Education and/or PhD in Educational Policy and Leadership degree programs.

Visit the Graduate Bulletin for course descriptions and the Schedule of Classes for upcoming offerings.

By completing this microcredential you will be prepared to:

• Understand the role of a campus financial leader and how they support an institution's overall mission and goals
• Demonstrate understanding of the budgeting process, tuition rate setting and modeling, forecasting of enrollment trends, and the creation of long-term financial plans based on this information
• Communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders (including individuals not well versed in financial and operational details) and providing critical information in a way that leads to effective decision making
• Utilize available resources and information to make recommendations on the next thing to be prepared for, including potential financial and operational concerns and/or opportunities

You can complete this microcredential on the way to a Certificate of Graduate Study in Community College Leadership, a MS in Higher Education and/or PhD in Educational Policy and Leadership, since all courses are stackable, or you can earn it as a stand-alone credential as a non-degree professional learner.

To register for the courses in this credential:

• Current UAlbany students: Contact your graduate advisor to register for the required courses.  
• Professional learners: Apply for non-degree study to register for the required courses.

Once you successfully complete all required courses, please email [email protected] to request access to the completion form so you can receive your Credly badge.