Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences

at Shorelight Group - Towson University USA

The Masters of Arts in Interdisciplinary Arts Infusion (MAIAI) is a one of a kind, graduate program designed for classroom teachers, arts specialists, teaching artists, administrators and arts entrepreneurs. The program deepens and extends the skills and techniques of the arts disciplines through a unique blend of professional development course work and advanced, trans-disciplinary arts practice. 

MAIAI builds upon the successful work of our Arts Integration Institute and the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate that Towson has been offering since 1999. MAIAI reflects an interdisciplinary approach to arts education integrating a variety of art forms (theatre, dance, music, visual arts) into PreK-12 classrooms and beyond. This program is consistent with Towson University’s mission to provide programs that enhance teaching skills and professional development for educators. Graduates will be collaborators equipped to lead a transformation in teaching, learning and school reform through arts integration.

The program provides advanced study in the theory of writing, writing techniques and style, principles/techniques of editing, and the functions of written communication within the professional/occupational setting. Courses aim to develop the communication skills of people seeking to enter or to advance in occupations requiring extensive writing and/or the analysis and reporting of data. Students choose from tracks in writing for the public and private sectors, technical writing and information design, teaching writing, journalistic writing, scientific writing and creative writing.

The major in Exercise Science is intended to examine the relationship between exercise and human performance and the role of physical activity in the promotion of healthy lifestyles. Exercise Science consists of several overlapping disciplines, including biomechanics, exercise physiology and biochemistry, growth and development, exercise nutrition, measurement and evaluation, and exercise psychology. The program of study is designed to provide an effective blend of classroom instruction and practical experience. The program is intended to prepare qualified individuals for careers in clinical, corporate, commercial, and/or community exercise/wellness settings as well as to prepare students for graduate study in related fields.

The Master of Science in Actuarial Science and Predictive Analytics (ASPA) will prepare students to succeed in a market landscape that has greatly adopted risk management practices and data analytics. The program combines theory, practice and predictive modeling, providing students with critical analytical tools that will enable them to have the right skills to succeed in the marketplace and continue to be industry leaders. The program reflects Towson University’s mission, vision and strategic plan and it is designed to:

• Build an interdisciplinary foundation in actuarial science with emerging technology, predictive modeling and curricular content that encourages “thinking critically and meaningfully.” 
• Provide select, high quality programs in professional fields where there is evidence both of need and of corresponding institutional strength. The Master of Science degree in Actuarial Science and Predictive Analytics will produce graduates who can meet the challenges of the actuarial profession today, prepare for the opportunities of tomorrow, and ultimately “enrich the culture, society, economy and environment of Maryland, the region, and beyond.”
• Provide the most current and advanced skill sets and knowledge in the Actuarial Science professional career that align with national trends and span the areas of STEM, business, and finance education.
• Engage students in Maryland, serving communities’ needs and providing our students with varied internship and service learning opportunities through industry relationships, networking opportunities, a capstone and professional practices course and a recommended internship.
• Empower students to achieve their career goals and “enrich the culture, society, economy and environment of Maryland, the region, and beyond” through a careful curricular plan that targets a student’s academic growth while seeking required experiences needed to support career outcomes.

Both full-time and part-time students are encouraged to enroll in the program. Core courses are usually offered in the evening, for the convenience of part-time students.

• In the production of art and/or design work, students will demonstrate a working knowledge of the elements of art and the principles of design.
• In the production of art and/or design work, students will demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the materials and processes of their chosen discipline.
• In creating and/or evaluating art and design work, students will recognize and demonstrate understanding of perspectives of people from cultures and situations other than their own.
• Students will articulate, through writing, verbally and through the production of a body of work, their personal aesthetic and/or professional direction.

The field of Health Education and Promotion (HEP) explores the complexities of human behavior and identifies ways to promote healthy behaviors. Health Education and Promotion prepares students to educate and empower the public to understand their health, to make healthy choices, to improve their quality of life, and to reduce disease and disability. Health educators design, market, implement and/or evaluate health education and health promotion programs. The settings in which community health educators work include, but are not limited to health departments, voluntary health agencies, hospitals, universities, nonprofit organizations, government agencies and schools.

The Health Education and Promotion major gives students the foundation needed to be effective health professionals based on principles from the behavioral, biomedical and social sciences. Through coursework and a 12-unit internship, students will graduate with a solid foundation in a variety of health topic areas including public health, health education theory and practice, and program planning and evaluation.

• 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.

• Marshal and arrange appropriate historical evidence from primary and secondary sources to support historical arguments.
• Demonstrate command of a body of historical knowledge related to major political, economic, social, and cultural events and issues in Western culture.
• Demonstrate command of a body of historical knowledge related to major political, economic, social, and cultural events and issues in non-Western cultures.
• Demonstrate information literacy, which includes technological competency.

• Students are expected to achieve oral proficiency at the Advanced Low level according to ACTFL standards.
• Students are expected to achieve listening comprehension at the Advanced Low level according to ACTFL standards.
• Students are expected to achieve reading comprehension at the Advanced Low level according to ACTFL standards.
• Students are expected to demonstrate written proficiency at the Advanced Low level according to ACTFL standards.

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.