Master of Arts in Professional Studies

at Shorelight Group - Towson University USA

The Master of Science program provides students with a broad knowledge in applied mathematics with an emphasis on areas with the highest demand in business and industry. Among the areas stressed in the program are mathematical modeling, numerical computations, operations research, financial mathematics and statistical analysis. Numerical, computational and algorithmic approaches to problem solving are stressed throughout the program. Graduates of the program will be qualified to work in such fields as operations research, stochastic modeling, financial data analysis and statistics, among many others. Graduates of the program will also be prepared for further work at the doctoral level.

The main objectives of the program are:

1. To prepare individuals to apply advanced mathematical skills to problems in areas of science, business and industry;
2. To develop the students’ abilities to integrate, in a meaningful way, the use of technology in their everyday professional practice;
3. To give educators an opportunity to satisfy their in-service requirements and simultaneously enhance their knowledge of technology and enrich their mathematical backgrounds;
4. To supply students with the mathematical competency necessary for advancement to a more professional role;
5. To educate students to solve problems, to work in teams and to communicate in an interdisciplinary setting;
6. To familiarize students with the recent advances in applied mathematics;
7. To prepare students for further graduate work at the doctoral level in applied mathematics; and
8. To enrich the academic culture by providing opportunities for interaction of mathematical and industrial research.

The Asian Studies Concentration within the Interdisciplinary Studies major is designed to offer students an interdisciplinary program of study of various dimensions of the Asian world. Students may plan a course of study that concentrates on a particular aspect of Asian civilization or on a particular sub-region of Asia. One might, for example, focus on the art and philosophy of various Asian peoples, or instead, one might concentrate on Chinese, Indian or Japanese civilization, studying both the traditional and modern society, its physical setting, and its political and economic development. In order to build a sound program of study, which meets both the individual student’s needs and the Interdisciplinary Studies requirements, it is essential that students work closely with an adviser in planning the program and selecting courses.

• READ: Interpret written materials flexibly: understand that although multiple meanings are possible, textual evidence needs to support individual interpretations of the literature being read as well as the implications drawn from it.
• WRITE: Write in a variety of forms (e.g. expository, argumentative, imaginative, business/technical) as appropriate to audience, purpose, and occasion, using evidence to support interpretations.
• RESEARCH: Use research skills that include understanding of methods, technology and conventions.
• REFLECT: Be reflective and lifelong learners.
• INFORMATION LITERACY AND TECHNOLOGICAL COMPETENCE: Use software as appropriate to writing and research.
• GLOBAL AWARENESS: Engaging intellectually in the experiences and views of people with different cultural backgrounds and beliefs.

Students may elect to become certified in both Elementary and Special Education by selecting the major. This program, specially designed to integrate both elementary and special education, prepares students as elementary classroom teachers and as elementary/middle special education teachers.

The Elementary Education & Special Education major is provided at Towson University, Towson University in Northeastern Maryland (TUNE) and The Universities at Shady Grove. The program is a screened major. The total program equals 127 units.

Gain expert knowledge and relevant experience in applied geographic methods and technologies. Tailor your master’s degree to your academic and professional goals as you prepare for positions in the public and private sector.

Choose from specialized topics, including:

• Area studies
• Geographic information systems
• Cartography
• Environmental and urban planning
• Environmental assessment
• Energy resources
• Policy issues
• Urban studies

All students enrolled in the graduate program must demonstrate proficiency in research. Students may choose a thesis or non-thesis option. All non-thesis students must complete a final research project.

• Students will possess Substantive Knowledge about Politics. They will be able to describe and understand the structure and nature of politics and government.
• Students will develop Critical Thinking Skills. They will be able to identify historical, cultural and socio-economic assumptions that underlie politics and explain how they affectperceptions and actions.
• Students will obtain an appreciation for the Affective Meanings of Politics. They will be able to explain the importance of politics in their attitudes and beliefs about current issues that affect local, national and international affairs.
• Students will acquire Skills for Learning and Life. They will be able to present articulate and persuasive arguments about politics in written and oral communications.

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 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.

Students interested in teaching Middle School students (Grades 4-9) should contact the Department of Secondary & Middle School Education. Middle School Education majors must select two content areas from the following: English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies/History, which leads to Maryland State Teacher Certification in Middle School in both of the content areas selected. The Pass (PS) grading option may not be used for any of the courses listed below.