Specialization in
Higher Education

The Program is aimed at professionals, either from public or private organizations. By virtue of this, the requirements for admission to the Specialization in Higher Education are the following:

• Original and copy (collation) of the bachelor's degree diploma or its equivalent (in case of being a foreigner the document must be apostilled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of their respective country.
• Credits or grades of the bachelor’s degree or its equivalent (in case of being a foreigner, the documents must be apostilled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the respective country).
• Two photocopies of the identity card or passport in case of foreigners and residing in Panama during their studies.
• Certificate of good physical health.
• Two passport size photos.
• Application letter
• Resume.
• Fill out an electronic application form for admission to the program.

Note: Students enrolled in virtual mode whose nationality is different from Panamanian must present a copy of their personal identity document from their country of origin (ID).

The permanence in the University will depend solely and exclusively on the student's motivation, capacity and vision to obtain the chosen academic degree. The duration of permanence in the University will be a minimum of three (3) quarters. The student must maintain an Academic Index of at least 2.0 and/or a minimum grade of 81 (B) to remain in the Specialization.

Given the characteristics of the University the student will be able to perform in terms of:

• Study in teams and individually.
• Develop research skills based on discovery learning.
• Deepen in the disciplinary knowledge that is of interest to them.
• Respect and comply with the regulations established by the statutes that regulate the relationship between the Metropolitan University of Education Science and Technology and the students of the Institution.
• Keeping your payments up to date.
• Attend 80% of the scheduled meetings.
• In case of prolonged absence, to present a justified argumentation. For studies under the virtual modality, attendance is regulated by constant interaction in all activities planned on the platform, including synchronous and asynchronous meetings, as well as the development of the student's autonomous work.

To obtain the Specialization Degree in Higher Education, the following is required:

• To have satisfactorily passed all the subjects of the study plan.
• Maintain a cumulative and individual academic index per subject of 2.0.
• Present an exam or certificate of a second language recognized by UNESCO, updated (five years), not less than 40 hours.
• Submit an exam or certificate in the use of computer tools, not less than 40 hours.
• Take, sustain and pass the Practical Simulation of the educational event.
• Good standing of all treasury fees, (Tuition, monthly fees, degree fees, among others).

Knowledge (Know)

• Knows the global trends in higher education and their impact on the educational programs or projects in which he/she participates.
• Understands the dynamics of university teaching in the digital era to improve their teaching practice through the use of ICT.
• Recognizes the theories of education and learning so that they can be used in the development of didactic situations in the classroom.
• Analyzes emerging environments and virtual tutorial mediation that have a direct impact on contemporary teaching practice.
• Interprets the reality and curricular need for competencies based on the necessary requirements, so that the student can be inserted in the labor world with high performance criteria.
• Argues the didactic and instructional design foundations to promote the independent work of the student, making use of ICT in virtual and blended environments.
• Identifies the components, strategies and techniques of didactic planning and learning evaluation, taking into account the different profiles, functions, types and moments to consider in the construction of pertinent instruments.
• Reflects critically on technology and educational innovations that promote the development of generic and specific competencies of the student according to the needs of the university context.

Skills and Abilities (Doing)

• Incorporates global trends in higher education in the educational programs or projects in which he/she participates, contributing to the integral formation of the student.
• Performs teaching in the digital era to improve his/her practice as a teacher, using technological resources and processes that are linked to educational technology.
• Develops educational projects and programs incorporating theories of education and learning so that they can be contextualized and relevant to the career in which he/she participates.
• Performs teaching practice in emerging environments that involve virtual and blended learning as a strategy to increase access and coverage of higher education.
• Designs a competency-based curriculum that integrates the minimum requirements necessary for the student to obtain the skills and abilities to successfully enter the labor market.
• Designs strategies and instruments that facilitate the planning and evaluation of learning, as well as the final products.
• Uses technology and educational innovations that promote the development of generic and specific competencies of the student according to the dynamics and demands of the context.

Attitudes (Being-Living)

• Demonstrates to be creative, ethical, humanistic and social in the performance of teaching functions at a higher level.
• Assumes with leadership the generation of spaces that contribute to the enrichment of the educational reality and academic quality, through a suitable performance.
• Addresses conflict situations with other members of the university community in an empathetic manner.
• Shows autonomy of thought in the search to become a free being, capable of learning by himself/herself.
• Respects the diversity of ideas, points of view and positions that argue the teaching exercise at university level.
• Manifested a high sense of solidarity and fairness in their patterns of behavior and relationship with customers and potential markets.
• Shows understanding, sympathy, courtesy and interest for others and for other people.
• Has an interest in technological advances and their implications in the context of higher education.

Undertaking

• Identifies opportunities for growth in the midst of problematic situations that arise in the context of higher education.
• Establishes relationships based on networking for the formulation and implementation of ideas and proposals that strengthen the development of the university education sector nationally and internationally.
• Captivates the members of the organization in the scaling of ideas, proposals or projects for the strengthening of higher education institutions.
• Assumes with commitment figures of collaborative work, for the assurance and increase of the educational quality in the universities.
• Applies methodologies for the generation of ideas based on creative, innovative and entrepreneurial thinking.
• Formulates proposals to increase leadership and innovation capabilities in response to calls for proposals made by national and international organizations and/or agencies for the development of the university education sector.