Building a Career in Higher Education: How UIC’s Online MEd in MESA Advanced Cynthia Johnson’s Career

Career paths do not always follow a straight line. Sometimes, they take shape through hands-on experience, the right mentor, and a moment when something unexpectedly clicks. For Cynthia Johnson, that moment happened while working in academic administration, where she discovered a field that would ultimately define her career.

Today, Cynthia serves as Assistant Dean for Assessment and Administration at Texas Southern University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, overseeing assessment and accreditation across 11 programs. Her path into the field began in a support role, but as her interest and aptitude grew, she realized she needed formal training to move forward. Pursuing UIC’s Online Master of Education in Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics, and Assessment gave her the foundation to transition from supporting assessment work to leading it.

In the spotlight below, Cynthia shares how she found her path, what she gained from the program, and how it shaped her career.

Finding the Right Career Fit in Assessment and Evaluation

I started my career as an administrative assistant to an assistant dean of assessment, and that is really where everything began for me. Being around that work every day, something just clicked. What stood out to me was how differently people responded to assessment work. I had supported faculty scientists who conducted outcomes research, but in assessment settings, some would say it did not fully connect for them. For me, it made complete sense.

My boss at the time noticed that and said I should get my master’s in this. We pulled up schools, looked at different programs, and he told me, this is the program for you. At that point, I was already learning the terminology, attending conferences, and being exposed to the work, so it felt like a natural next step to go deeper.

Why UIC’s Online MESA Program Was the Right Next Step

I was already working in assessment, but I needed a deeper understanding of the work I was doing.

The MESA program provided me with both the theoretical foundation and practical application.

It helped everything come together. Instead of simply completing tasks, I began to understand the reasoning behind them and how to approach them more strategically.

I started asking better questions. What data do we actually need? What is the best way to assess learning? How do we demonstrate that students are meeting expectations? That shift changed how I approached my work and helped me become more intentional in what I do.

Leading Assessment Across Academic Programs

In my current role, I oversee assessment and accreditation for 11 programs, ranging from undergraduate degrees to master’s, PhD, and professional pharmacy programs. My day-to-day work centers on data, survey methodology, and educational evaluation. I truly enjoy it.

The responsibility is significant because the outcomes matter. We need to ensure that students are prepared at every level, including being ready for licensure exams and professional practice. The MESA program helped me think critically about identifying where students are succeeding, where they may need support, and how programs can continuously improve.

Turning Data Collection into Meaningful Insights

One of the most valuable things I gained from the program was learning how to interpret data and communicate what it means.

Before, the focus could feel like collecting information to meet requirements. Through the program, I shifted to thinking about what the data is actually telling us and how to use it to inform decisions.

How do we present findings in a way that is clear and meaningful? How do we communicate results to faculty, administrators, and accrediting bodies? Even though I do not run statistical analyses every day, I am responsible for ensuring that the data tells an accurate and useful story. That perspective has been essential in my role.

Building Skills in Qualitative Methods and Survey Design

While the statistics courses were important, the qualitative courses and survey methodology stood out the most to me. Much of what we assess goes beyond numbers. We are evaluating communication skills, professional growth, and students’ development as lifelong learners. Those areas require thoughtful measurement approaches. The program helped me build skills in developing rubrics, designing assessments, and determining which data to collect.

In the field of health sciences, we use objective structured clinical examinations in which students work through real-world scenarios. That requires careful planning around what to assess, how to measure performance, and how to determine whether a student has achieved competency. I still rely on those concepts every day in my work. The program gave me a strong, well-rounded foundation in evaluation, measurement, and assessment, and it opened the door to opportunities across research, accreditation, survey design, and data collection.

I never considered myself a math person, but I was able to succeed in the program and build skills that I use daily. That experience helped me grow professionally and step into leadership roles.

Advice for Professionals Considering UIC’s Online MESA Program

Be open to the possibilities.

Some parts of the program, especially the statistics courses, can feel intimidating at first if that is not your background. But there is so much more to the field than statistics alone. There are many directions you can take, and UIC’s Online MESA program provides a strong foundation to explore them. If you stay open to learning, you may discover opportunities you had not considered before.

For me, it led to a career that I genuinely enjoy and feel invested in.