Master of Arts in Teaching with Concentration in Secondary Education

at Shorelight Group - Towson University USA

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.

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.

The Master of Science in Marketing Intelligence and the embedded Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Interactive Marketing are designed to fill a growing need for graduates with the skills necessary to acquire, analyze and utilize marketing intelligence information in the digital age. The program is designed with an applied, experiential learning focus based on industry needs.

With digital marketing options evolving rapidly, companies need individuals who can create, implement and evaluate data-driven marketing strategies.

The Sport Management major is designed to prepare students for a changing sports industry. The curriculum develops critical and ethical sensibilities as well as practical skills with the intent of producing graduates who will be responsible business leaders and community advocates able to address commercial, economic, political and social issues related to sport.

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.

• 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 M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education is an advanced degree program designed to prepare the degree candidate for a future professional role, to increase competence in a current career role or to provide a step toward further study in the field of early childhood education. It is not an initial teaching certification or licensure program, but an opportunity for increased professional development at the graduate level. The M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education is recommended for practitioners in a wide range of programs for children from birth through age 8 in a variety of community settings. Their roles may include administration, supervision and mentoring in early childhood programs; pre-elementary or primary grade teaching; family/community support; early intervention; resource and referral; program licensing; infants and toddlers specialist; and many others. Guiding principles include an interdisciplinary perspective, collaboration, mentoring and advocacy, with a foundation of the most current knowledge base in early childhood and best practice for all young children and families.

The M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education is aligned with National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation in Advanced Programs. The 33-unit program consists of seven required courses and four elective courses that are designed to provide each student with a deeper understanding of the knowledge base in the field, while supporting individual areas of professional specialization and academic interest. The faculty in the Department of Early Childhood Education has developed specific courses to support students in their professional development and in their future contributions to the field of early childhood education through their chosen career paths.

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 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.

The Psychology major requires 3-4 units in prerequisite coursework and 44 units in psychology (47-48 units total) with a grade equivalent of 2.00 in all courses. No “Pass” grades are accepted for the 44 units in psychology. All students must satisfy the relevant prerequisites for individual psychology courses taken.