Bachelor of Science in English with Concentration in Secondary Education

at Shorelight Group - Towson University USA

The American Studies Concentration is an interdisciplinary program that allows students to take courses in different academic departments that focus on the concept of American culture. The American Studies approach emphasizes the interrelatedness of history, literature, the arts and popular culture. In their course work students will examine American institutions, ideas and material forms in order to better understand the nation’s past and to shape their own futures. The major is designed for those students who may wish to have careers in fields such as law, government service, non-profit organizations, journalism, museum work and teaching, where a broad knowledge of American history and culture is desirable.

A minor is available for those students with another major who want to learn more about American culture. Students have the opportunity to receive units for internships.

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) is designed for individuals with a bachelor’s degree in a field other than education, who have no formal teacher training and wish to enter the teaching profession. It is well suited to recent graduates and to those seeking to change careers.

Graduates of the MAT program are eligible for teacher certification in the general education tracks of early childhood, elementary and secondary education.

• Early childhood education prepares students to teach Pre-K through grade three.
• Elementary education prepares students to teach grades one through six.
• Secondary education prepares students to teach grades seven through 12 in biology, chemistry, earth-space science, English, mathematics, physics, or history/social studies. 
• World Languages prepares students to teach Pre-K through grade 12 in French or Spanish.

The Health Care Management curriculum is designed to provide students with a comprehension of U.S. health care organizations, a public health orientation including epidemiological concepts and tools, and the math, language and computer competencies for research development, organizational management and/or program evaluation. Depending on a student’s interest, graduate training in health administration is recommended after completing this course of study and after the student has worked in the field for 1–2 years. Students interested in long-term care have the option of completing a track.

Students who major and minor in Health Care Management will adhere to the American College of Healthcare Executives Code of Conduct.

• Use a working critical vocabulary to do textual and ethnographic analyses of cultural phenomena, showing an understanding of both verbal and visual texts, students own everyday experience, and the inter-relatedness of social, political, historical, and economic components of their worlds.
• Through writing, convey an understanding of a variety of critical strategies (e.g. semiotics, content analysis, structuralism) applicable to cultural studies cross-disciplinary core.
• Acquire the habits and attitudes of an inquiring mind, for looking into questions of culture in ways that resonate with students’ lives and finally even beyond these lives, into an awareness of ethical, cognitive, and emotional issues that may at first seem foreign to their own systems of cultural values.
• Evaluate critically the sources and content of information. This goal is listed among the Middle States Commission on Higher Education Expectations Regarding Information Literacy and Technological Competency.
• Understanding and applying relevant discipline-specific methodologies and strategies of inquiry.
• Engaging intellectually and seeking to understand the experiences and views of people with different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, whether in their own country or abroad.

Majors must complete 54 units. The program is divided into four parts, and writing skills are emphasized throughout.

• First, students must complete two introductory courses, one each in political science and economics, which acquaint students with the nature of law and its role in American society.
• Second, students will take four required courses: one at the lower-division, two at the upper-division level and an advanced writing course. These courses further situate students in American culture, politics, judicial policymaking and logical thinking.
• Third, students will have several options in choosing electives, which will be offered by several departments: Accounting, Mass Communication and Communication Studies, English, History, Philosophy and Religious Studies, and Political Science.
• Fourth and finally, students will undertake a 6-unit capstone experience of their choice and, if possible, design. Advanced students may wish to undertake a project in the workplace and then write an evaluative essay on that experience as it fits into the overall program. Other students will participate in a senior seminar, in which they will write a research paper on some aspect of the law or develop a thesis supervised by the program director.

Forensic Chemistry is a field in which many opportunities exist within law enforcement agencies and private companies. There is a critical shortage of qualified professionals in the field. Graduates of this program will be well prepared for employment in the forensic field with minimal on-the-job training or to pursue a graduate degree.

The major in Forensic Chemistry requires the completion of all the required and ancillary courses that are listed below, as well as satisfying the university’s Core Curriculum requirements.  A student may repeat no more than two courses, including multiple attempts at the same course, required for the Forensic Chemistry major. This includes all foundation courses, as well as required courses for the major.

The undergraduate Accounting major is a 120-unit program. The program provides transition to our specialized M.S. in Accounting and Business ­Advisory Services, which is designed to complete the 150 units required for Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensing in Maryland and many other states.

The Master of Music is an applied professional degree designed to develop a high level of musicianship, creative development and research skills within the discipline. Admission requires expertise in the area of concentration equivalent to having earned a Bachelor of Music degree in the area of specialization. Students are expected to have completed sufficient undergraduate courses to meet the requirements for admission.

Religious Studies majors must complete 33 units of coursework, including 12 units from a set of Area Requirements. Three courses (9 units) at the introductory level are designed to provide students with broad, working knowledge of Western and Asian religious traditions. An advanced course at the 400 level (3 units) assumes knowledge and skills students will have acquired in their course work in Religious Studies. It engages students in critical reflection on religious phenomena broadly conceived and represents the culmination of their experience as Religious Studies Majors. Students are also required to complete 21 units of electives. 

The Master of Science in Health Science is designed to meet needs within the state of Maryland for graduate-trained professionals to work in health care, community, worksite, and nonprofit settings. The program is intended both for people with academic or work experience in the health sciences or related fields as well as those seeking to expand their expertise to include the field of health science. It is particularly well suited to people who have been in the work force and now wish to receive additional education to enhance their performance as well as their competitiveness on the job.

Students may select a concentration in Community Health or Health Administration. Students may also elect to take a dual concentration.

A graduate of the Community Health concentration might pursue a career as a health education specialist in a variety of public or private sector organizations. Students holding current credentials in pharmacy, nursing, dentistry, dietetics and other professions may wish to combine their skills from prior training and redirect their careers toward community health. A graduate of the Health Administration concentration, on the other hand, is prepared for positions in a variety of settings that require a sound background in the business and organizational aspects of health care.