Master of Science in Actuarial Science and Predictive Analytics

at Shorelight Group - Towson University USA

The Master of Science in Accounting and Business Advisory Services at Towson University is a joint program with the University of Baltimore. This program is designed to meet two important educational objectives.

First, when combined with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, the program allows students to earn the additional units necessary to meet the 150-hour requirement to sit for the Uniform Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam in Maryland and many other states. The CPA exam includes four sections: Auditing & Attestation (AUD), Business Environment and Concepts (BEC), Financial Accounting & Reporting (FAR) and Regulation (REG). Students planning to take the CPA exam will be best served by a program of study, such as our BS in Accounting and this graduate program, that emphasizes the same subject matter as the exam.

Second, by incorporating courses in the related disciplines of financial management and information technology, the program complements and expands the technical skills acquired in an undergraduate accounting education.

Graduates of the M.S. in Accounting and Business Advisory Services program will have the flexibility needed to accelerate their public accounting careers or pursue careers in other areas such as management accounting, internal auditing, accounting for governmental or other nonprofit entities, and management consulting.

The Master of Music is an applied professional degree designed to develop a high level of musicianship, creative development and research skills within the discipline. Admission requires expertise in the area of concentration equivalent to having earned a Bachelor of Music degree in the area of specialization. Students are expected to have completed sufficient undergraduate courses to meet the requirements for admission.

The study of animal behavior has received an increasing amount of attention from the public because of the emphasis placed by zoological parks on behavioral biology and the large number of presentations in the media regarding animal behavior and sociobiology.

The Animal Behavior Concentration is designed to offer a solid foundation in the diverse approaches used to study behavioral biology. The program uses a carefully selected combination of courses in biology and psychology to achieve this goal. In addition, students are required to complete either an independent research project or an internship in order to apply their knowledge in an intensive research experience.

Students who complete the program may be qualified for positions at zoological parks, aquariums and nature centers. In addition, they will have the necessary technical knowledge to pursue a career in freelance writing about animal behavior. However, students who are considering attending graduate school will need to complete additional courses in either biology or psychology. Most of the students currently enrolled in the program are also majoring in either Biology or Psychology.

Students who are considering the Animal Behavior Concentration must meet with one of the program coordinators before declaring Interdisciplinary Studies as a major. Students who are also majoring or minoring in Psychology or Biology should contact the respective co-coordinator: Mark Bulmer (Biological Sciences), Paul Pistell (Psychology).

This highly flexible concentration is ideal for the working professional, as each student designs a curriculum that best fits their present career needs and future aspirations. The concentration is particularly well suited for students who wish to integrate specialized study with a broader understanding of related fields. It also permits individuals primarily interested in personal growth to design a program that corresponds with their interests.

Although the plan of study may be built around traditional academic disciplines, many students combine courses from such practical areas of study as:

• Digital media and communications
• Information technology and applied systems theory
• Management and administration
• Public policy and regional planning
• Health care
• Education
• Professional writing in specific areas
• Theater management
• Science journalism
• Global studies

Others might emphasize courses from the humanities, fine arts and social sciences.

An individualized plan of study places special responsibilities on the student. In consultation with the program director, the entering student must design and submit a plan of study. The M.A. in Professional Studies graduate program is committed to offering working professionals flexible and convenient ways to earn an advanced degree through collaborative learning and independent study.

• Philosophically explain and discuss theories and concepts of the major thinkers of schools in Western philosophy.
• Philosophically explain and discuss culturally diverse philosophical traditions.
• Engage in a philosophical discussion of social and/or political and/or moral issues.
• Think philosophically, i.e., to analyze, articulate, synthesize, and/or creatively develop arguments, concepts and theories.
• Practice inductive and deductive reasoning, the composition of argument and demonstration, and the detection of formal and informal fallacies.

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 Master of Science degree in Music Education provides a flexible curriculum that allows students to earn up to 15 elective units in a field of specialization. In consultation with the graduate adviser, students may select a group of courses in which they are interested, such as music education, applied music, music theory, music history, music composition or other graduate areas. More than 50 percent of the course work is with graduate students only. Graduates of this program are usually employed as music teachers in public or private schools in the areas of vocal-general and/or instrumental music. 

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.

Foreign Languages majors in the French Education Concentration are eligible to apply for certification to teach French in Maryland upon graduation.  In addition to the Core Curriculum requirements and the requirements specified by the Department of Secondary and Middle School Education, students must complete 30 units. Students must contact the Department of Secondary and Middle School Education about admission to the Teacher Education Program.

Students who decide not to complete all education requirements must select and complete a different concentration/track in the major in order to graduate.

Majors who are in the Teacher Education Program are required to take Advanced Grammar and Method of Teaching a Foreign Language before internship. Students are also required to complete the Oral Proficiency Interview and the Writing Proficiency Test. They are required to achieve a level of “Advanced Low" in the Oral Proficiency Interview. 

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.