Master of Science in Psychology

at MSM Group - Montana State University - Billings USA

The mission of the undergraduate English Program is to provide students with an understanding and appreciation of the development and aesthetic achievement of literatures in English, including the cultural, linguistic, and historical influences on English, American and world literatures.

The Outdoor Adventure Leadership degree is designed to prepare students for careers in a wide variety of leadership settings with hands-on learning activities. The program develops student’s skills in group dynamics, leadership principles, educational philosophy, as well as teaching and communication. This degree combines the study of educational and leadership theory and practice with technical outdoor travel and adventure. Students will acquire and enhance environmental skills and knowledge related to a variety of populations including senior citizens and youth at risk; and explore issues ranging from ethical controversies and risk management to program design.

Specialized skills acquired with Outdoor Adventure Leadership include sequencing, facilitation, and processing of activities, with specific attention to transferring the learning from activity-based experiences to the “real lives” of participants. In addition, the ability to safely engage in and provide outdoor activities and effectively teach skills in outdoor and indoor settings are central to the degree.

An Outdoor Adventure Leadership degree will allow the student to teach outdoor skills to others, safely oversee outdoor programs, and design programs for corporate and community organizations while preparing students for Professions with agencies that have a natural resource base foundation and public and private entities for utilizing the outdoors.

The Department of Music educates musicians by combining a thorough professional training in music with sound general education. It is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. The MSU Billings Department of Music stresses high standards of performance, a strong theoretical background, a broad exposure to music history, opportunities in pedagogy, and a significant encounter with other academic disciplines.

The varied functions of music in the world today present many interesting and challenging opportunities to students as educators, performers, creative artists and employees in the music industry. Because of the many opportunities available to students, the faculty of the Department of Music has established a program of training which allows first year students to determine the course of study they may wish to follow.

Through an emphasis in music history and theory as well as performance instruction and participation in various ensembles, students are prepared for graduate study, studio teaching, teaching in the public schools, and employment in the field of music.

Media Studies Option

The Media Studies Option is designed to examine the nature of the mass media through theoretical grounding and applied knowledge with a concentration in (1) the construction and delivery of media messages and (2) the effects of mediated messages and the structures and practices of the media industries on culture, society, politics, the economy, and individual attitudes and behavior.  This approach prepares students for careers as trained media professionals as well as to be critical consumers of media messages.  The study of message construction and analysis is offered in a variety of contexts including news gathering and reporting, public relations, video production, and advertising.  In each context theoretical perspectives are combined with skills training related to print and electronic media.  Career options in the field of Media Studies include public relations, marketing, broadcast news, corporate communications, and advertising.

The curriculum builds students’ understanding of environmental issues as reflections of societal values and behaviors, environmental technologies and sciences, and environmental policies. As an interdisciplinary program, students have course options in beginning and advanced Geographical Information Systems (GIS), advanced ecology, environmental advocacy and applied social media campaigns, historical perspectives of the environmental movement, Native American perspectives on environmental issues, environmental sociology, and artistic and literary representation of the environment, and more.

Art students at MSUB explore their research interests through developing visual language and critical thinking skills. With small class sizes and easy access to studios, students emerge as professionals boasting solo exhibitions and ready to enter creative fields or seek higher degrees.

Located in the urban center of Montana, our students grow their professional experience and artistic practice in an engaged learning environment. We aim to develop each artist as an individual in small group settings by integrating critical thinking, advanced technology, and creative space.

Programs offered through the Department of Biological and Physical Sciences share many outcomes.  Upon program completion students will:

• Understand the basic principles and laws governing our world and have a global awareness of their discipline.
• Demonstrate basic competency in laboratory, field and computer skills related to the sciences.
• Be familiar with accessing and interpreting the scientific literature.
• Be proficient in written and oral communication in the sciences.
• Understand scientific methodology, and conduct scientific investigations using it.
• Be prepared to participate in professional activities.

Graduates of the B.S. in Human Services program have found employment in state agencies, community based rehabilitation and mental health centers, rehabilitation facilities, and public social service organizations.  The B.S. in Human Services is a venerable program that has been preparing professionals for a wide range of positions in the fields of case management and social work related employment since the 1980’s.

The program is one of the few that broadly focuses on the field of human services in Montana, which is closely related to the field of social work.  However, students focus more specifically on concentrations that include serving populations in mental health, disability, and family systems.

Although this degree is meant to prepare most graduates for employment primarily as professionals capable of casework with a diverse population, in an effort to expand employment opportunities for graduates, a concentration in Substance Abuse Counseling was recently added.  The addiction counseling emphasis adds addiction assessment and treatment classes to increase the student's knowledge of addiction and their eventual employability in the community.

The Master of Science in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling (MSCRMHC) degree program offers a rigorous curriculum of live and online coursework and fieldwork experiences designed to prepare graduates for state licensure eligibility and national certification.
The program is fully accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) for Rehabilitation Counseling.  CACREP has established standards for the accreditation of graduate programs in the counseling fields.

The Master of Health Administration program is designed to meet the educational needs of working professionals and others who desire to advance in the field of health administration.  The program consists of a sequence of concentrated online courses which are generally eight weeks long, plus a capstone project and an internship.  Each semester, students attend a professional seminar on the Montana State University Billings campus to extend online learning, develop leadership skills, participate in interprofessional education, consider practical aspects of health services management, and grow relationships with mentors.  The internship is required of students who do not have a strong background in healthcare management or administration.