Master of Professional Studies
ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ's Master of Professional Studies (MPrS) degree program is designed to meet the educational and career-oriented objectives of today's working professionals. The MPrS degree appeals to students interested in building organizational leadership skills in the areas of Community Development, Higher Education Administration, Information Technology, or Security and Safety Leadership. Students customize their area studies while enhancing their knowledge base specific to work and leadership within formal organizations.
Through this program students will demonstrate:
- an understanding of the nature and impact of major social, economic, and political forces, including population diversity, technological change, and globalization
- the ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences
- the ability to conduct research and utilize research findings as a foundation for decision making
- the ability to lead, negotiate, and resolve conflicts
Credentials
Master of Professional Studies
Mode
100% online
Time to Complete
About 2 years depending on course load
Why ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ?
Degree Requirements
The Master of Professional Studies degree is a 33-36 credit hour program. The following six courses, called the "core" component, are required of all students seeking this degree:
| Course | Title | Number of Credit Hours |
| PRS 601 | Applied Research for Professionals | 3 credits |
| PRS 603 | Professional Communications | 3 credits |
| PRS 607 | Leadership, Negotiation, and Conflict Resolution | 3 credits |
| PRS 609 | Organizations, Institutions, and Change | 3 credits |
| PRS 611 | Globalization and Society | 3 credits |
| PRS 695 | Capstone/Thesis | 3-6 credits |
Click the following link to view course descriptions: .
As students complete the core component, they will also be completing 15 credit hours of coursework (5 graduate-level courses) in their area of specialization (i.e., Community Development, Higher Education Administration, Information Technology, and Security and Safety Leadership). Students are expected to communicate with their academic advisor regarding the selection and scheduling of their specialization coursework within the completion of 12 graduate credit hours. Advising appointments will be arranged around the student's schedule.
Areas of Specialization
This specialization is designed for students whose career path puts them squarely within two or four-year systems of higher education. Courses have been developed focusing on student development and student affairs, enrollment management and institutional marketing, NCAA athletics, contemporary and legal issues, administrative organization, budgetary planning, institutional evaluation, and the Community College system. All courses are taught online by seasoned higher education professionals. The concentration is ideal for those currently employed in higher education and undergraduate students who derived satisfaction and purpose from their involvement in campus life.
Students in this concentration usually take 15 hours from the following courses:
| Introduction to Higher Education Administration | ||
| Organizational and Administrative Structure of Higher Education | ||
| Student Development Theory | ||
| Budgetary Management in Higher Education | ||
| Enrollment Management and Institutional Marketing | ||
| The Legal Environment of Higher Education | ||
| Student Affairs Practices, Theory and Policy | ||
| Contemporary Issues and Trends in Higher Education | ||
| The Community College System | ||
| Cultural Diversity in Higher Education | ||
| Empirical Assessment in HEA | ||
| University Advancement and Fundraising | ||
| Internship in Higher Education |
This is a unique specialization as students are free to approach their studies in terms of macro-level economic development issues or more micro-level issues focused on unique population needs or human/social capital development. Students can acquire the ability to work with citizens and community leaders to establish and help maintain viable and sustainable communities, improve human and social capital and help individuals and communities to reach their full potential. The concentration will be appropriate for students planning careers in both the private and public sectors.
Students in this concentration can take a wide variety of courses. Course choices are tailored to the student's needs. Previous students have received approval to take courses in (CHD 602), (CJ 650), (COM 502, COM 575), (GE 503, GE 504, GE 597, GE 697), (PRS 540), (FS 501, FS 502, FS 510, FS 602, FS 604, FS 605, FS 606), (MG 545, MG 585, MG 602, MG 670, MG 685), (MK 630, MK 662, MK 687), (SEM 506), and (SWE 540, SW 541, SW 561, SW 610, SW 670, SW 680).
This specialization is designed to provide students with a broad understanding of current and evolving technologies in the applied Information Technology (IT) field. Students will gain knowledge and skills enabling them to understand the principles underlying IT, understand technical and regulatory issues related to IT, apply IT best practices to enhance competitiveness and increase productivity, integrate IT into organizations, enhance IT awareness and literacy in organizations, and manage software and hardware cycles. This concentration will prepare students for careers in database systems management, informatics, information security, project management, software engineering, telecommunications management, and e-business development.
Students in this concentration area usually take all Computer Information Systems (CIS) courses. Previous students have received permission to take Geographic Information Science (GIS), Master of Business Administration (MBA), and Instructional Technology and Design (ITD) courses. Typical courses students within this concentration take are:
| Software Engineering for the Enterprise | |
| Info Systems Design and Project Management | |
| Information Systems Management | |
| Business Process Integration with ERP Systems | |
| Special Topics | |
| Electronic Commerce | |
| Independent study/research |
This specialization is designed to meet the professional development needs of students involved in the public or private safety sector. It is specially designed for students with experience or interest in law enforcement, the military, emergency management, disaster relief, corporate security, transportation security, public safety, hazards management, public health preparedness, and fire security. Students will gain familiarity with a wide range of homeland security issues, practices, and policies, including homeland security management, emergen