Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication

at Shorelight Group - Towson University USA

• Demonstrate an understanding of the physical, social, economic and political factors that shape the development of metropolitan areas.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the array of current challenges facing metropolitan areas.
• Critically analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of policies designed to address the challenges facing metropolitan areas.
• Conduct and present sound research on metropolitan issues.

To meet university, college and Maryland State Department of Education certification requirements in Core Curriculum and professional education courses, students must complete a unit program for graduation. 

Early Childhood Education majors must confer with assigned adviser from the department each term to ensure that their planned program of study meets college, university and state requirements. This is particularly important if students are pursuing minors or if they are planning for additional certifications. Students also need to check with their departmental adviser prior to taking a course on a Pass grading option as courses in the major and courses required for certification cannot be taken using the Pass/Fail grading option.

The Master of Education degree in Special Education is an applied professional program designed to meet the critical need for special educators. Two concentrations support this offering: Special Education and Special Education Teacher as Leader in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Please note: That only one degree in Special Education can be awarded; students who complete more than one concentration in Special Education will not receive two different degrees.

• Students will demonstrate competency in written communication and oral communication.
• Students will use knowledge acquired in family studies and human services courses in field experiences (community service and internship placements) and capstone courses.
• Students will demonstrate comprehensive research skills related to the discipline. Students will demonstrate informational literacy and technological competency.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting fosters the growth of the whole person through a sequence of courses that develop a solid foundation of acting skills. The program is for students who are seeking rigorous preparation for graduate study or for entry-level opportunities in the acting profession. An audition/interview is required for entry into the acting program.

The Master of Education degree in Elementary Education is an advanced curriculum and instruction program that provides leadership skills needed for teachers to navigate an ever more complex school and social system. The program is designed for those involved in instructional and curricular decision-making in schools and districts and those committed to quality professional growth. Course, program goals and learner outcomes are based on the professional setting to ensure transfer of theory to practice. The program of study helps the student achieve the following goals:

• Develop advanced capabilities in cultural competency, design thinking, action inquiry, equity, creative curriculum design and innovative data-focused instruction.

• Understand the diverse nature of learners, society and the impact on learning.

• Assume specialty roles in areas identified as important to the school community and the changing educational landscape.

• Use technology and media to enhance teaching and learning.

• Understand and use appropriate assessment and evaluation within the teaching process.

• Engage in scholarly activities to promote student achievement as well as one’s own professional development.

• Think, reflect, and critically analyze the educational processes and professional practices.

The goals and objectives of the degree program are based on MSDE Professional Development Standards and the core propositions endorsed by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The areas addressed by the standards are reflected in the required and elective courses.

In addition to the Core Curriculum requirements, Foreign Languages majors in the French Concentration must complete 30 units with a grade equivalent of 2.00 or higher in French beyond the intermediate level. Of the 30 units, at least 15 units must be taken at Towson University.

• 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.