Master of Arts in Professional Studies with Concentration in Individualized Plan of Study

at Shorelight Group - Towson University USA

• 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.

Information technology involves the selection, application, integration and administration of computing and communication technologies to meet the informational needs of individuals, organizations and society at large. The IT program prepares students to enter the workplace as IT professionals and grow into leadership positions or pursue graduate studies in the field.

Communication Studies courses give students a foundation in communication theories and their interrelated contexts, the application of theories to contemporary issues and the scholarly methods of studying communication. The Communication Studies major has a three-fold function:

1. It allows students a greater understanding of the role that communication plays in shaping culture and identity.
2. It looks at the ways in which the process of meaning-making (whether through the use of words, images, symbols or technology) is used strategically to influence human judgment and actions.
3. It sharpens students’ critical thinking abilities, thus enabling them to become ethical producers and consumers of messages.

This three-fold function is accomplished through a theoretical and practical focus on argument development and through a close examination of the ways ideas are discussed, advocated for, and circulated in public and private life. These emphases give students the opportunity to develop speaking, writing, and analytical thinking skills that will allow them to become better ethical participants in the process of creating, critiquing, and disseminating meaning.

• 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.

Women’s and Gender Studies majors are required to complete 39 units with a grade equivalent of 2.00 or higher from among the following courses. In addition, all Women's and Gender Studies majors must complete a minimum of 18 units toward the major at Towson University, with at least 12 units at the upper (300-400) level.

• Students will demonstrate development of communication skills using American Sign Language.
• Students will demonstrate cultural sensitivity.
• Students will demonstrate appropriate interpersonal and intrapersonal skills.
• Students will demonstrate competency in essential skills required of a college graduate by using software as appropriate for writing, spreadsheets, statistical analyses, for calculations or for presentations. (ILTC)

• 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 Science degree in Supply Chain Management and the embedded Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Supply Chain Management are designed to develop professionals who can manage, analyze, and control activities across the entire supply chain, from upstream procurement to downstream distribution channels. The types of employers targeted by this program include companies, consulting firms, and government agencies that need to achieve competitive advantage and cost efficiencies by improving their supply chain performance. This program has been designed by benchmarking content and courses against industry credentialing offerings so that graduates of the program can proceed to professional certification based on the knowledge gained in the program.

Students have the opportunity to complete courses in a combination of face-to-face, online and blended formats. Statistics proficiency for the courses can be achieved by (1) completing a department approved online or in-person course in introductory statistics, (2) providing a transcript that shows exemplary performance in an introductory statistics course within the last five years or (3) successfully completing the department's Statistics Qualifier Exam.

Graduates with a supply chain management background can pursue careers as purchasing specialists, contract administrators, procurement officers and managers, supply chain management professionals, business analysts, demand managers and more. In fact, the majority of U.S. jobs fall somewhere in a supply chain, whether it is procurement, logistics and operations, marketing, or sales and service. International students may benefit from the program's STEM designation, which supports an optional practical training extension.

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.

• Demonstrate an understanding of specific disciplines of the social sciences, including basic and advanced concepts, the vocabulary of the disciplines, the ability to do research in the field,  and awareness of recent developments in the disciplines.
• Integrate information from the various disciplines of the social sciences and demonstrate an understanding of interdisciplinary connections.
• Write clearly and effectively on subjects related to the social sciences.
• Engage issues in the social sciences analytically and do meaningful, original work.