Master of Arts in Applied Professional Studies

Program Overview

The Master of Arts in Applied Professional Studies (MAPS) is an applied professional program with workforce development, organizational leadership and personal development at the core of its vision.  The mission of the program is to develop advanced skill sets in multiple subject areas to meet emerging workforce development needs.  The graduate degree is designed to provide students an accessible, online, and affordable opportunity to achieve professional and personal goals that align with potential for career advancement and upskilling needs. 

This program is an interdisciplinary master's degree combining the academic social sciences and applied professional experience with a common set of Core courses (15 credits) and a self-selected Concentration (15 credits). There are three separate and unique concentrations within the degree for students to choose graduate level courses: Leadership in Public Service, Data Visualization and Interpretation, and/or Content Expertise for the Professional Educator.  Students have the unique opportunity to select graduate coursework individually suited to their chosen area of concentration.   

Goals of the Program

All participating students will integrate theory, research and practice to render professional judgement and choice in applied contexts.  This will result in decisions and actions that effectively and ethically promote the viability of organizations and activities in the private and/or public sector. 

MAPS Program Outcomes

Graduates will:
1. Evaluate and critique existing structures in the public or private sector
2. Produce a problem solving policy based on evidence, professional inquiry, and decisive action
3. Plan effective implementation strategies

Core outcomes:
1. Develop strategies to resolve value-based conflict
2. Analyze and interpret data in the professional setting
3. Consider organizational change in the context of a dynamic society
4. Employ effective communication strategies for diverse settings and audiences

Concentration Area Learning Outcomes

Leadership in Public Service
1. Apply ethical principles to leadership practice in the public and private sectors
2. Conduct successful research in public policy analysis
3. Develop a public policy position, taking into account both scholarship and interest group narrative
4. Apply critical theory to questions of social justice in community and economic development
5. Utilize conflict management and resolution strategies in a variety of situations

Data Visualization and Interpretation
1. Demonstrate a knowledge of a variety of design and research approaches
2. Describe the main goals of data visualization in a way that demonstrates general understanding
3. Utilize the different technologies associated with data mining, data visualization, text analytics and data graphics
4. Translate data into clear, actionable insights
5. Present information clearly, logically, and critically, to support decision making.

Content Expertise for the Professional Educator
1. Effectively communicate the subject matter of their discipline with other professionals
2. Understand current research approaches in their discipline
3. Utilize advanced knowledge in the subject matter of their discipline to address a practical challenge
4. Articulate the significance of the subject matter of their discipline in an applied setting
5. Demonstrate mastery of the subject matter of the discipline through its integration with other disciplines

Structure of the Program

The proposed 30-credit online degree will require a combination of core courses (15 credits) designed to ensure that all graduates have the basic, requisite skills needed to succeed in the fast-paced, ever evolving professional world.  There are 3 concentration areas (15 credits) where students will have their choice to hone their professional skills further as they relate to their professional career.  The concentration areas are Leadership in Public Service, Data Visualization and Interpretation, and Content Expertise for the Professional Educator.  As part of the Core, all students in the MAPS will be required to complete a Practicum, an applied learning opportunity to continue to demonstrate the skills learned in the MAPS. The Practicum is a faculty supervised project that identifies a business or community partner problem and a solution created by the MAPS student.

Students also have the opportunity to explore graduate level coursework across the concentrations for a self-designed degree.  Students who wish to design their own program of study to achieve a Master of Arts in Applied Professional Studies are able to graduate with a unique skill set that does not exist in a current degree program.  Students who wish to design their own degree program will be required to complete the core courses and an additional 15 credits of graduate level electives within the MAPS program.  Self-designed degree programs must be created in consultation with a MAPS advisor and require an approved Individualized Degree Plan.

Admission Requirements

Admission applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.  Applicants are required to have an undergraduate degree with a cumulative GPA of 2.75, or if the applicants have a graduate degree the GPA requirement is waived.  Applicants are also required to submit all undergraduate and graduate transcripts, a current resume/CV, and two letters of recommendation, preferably one from a current supervisor if employed. 

For applicants who do not meet the admission criteria, admission with probationary status may be granted after taking into consideration the applicant’s special qualifications and circumstances. Students admitted on probation will be on probation for their first 9 semester credits.  A student who is admitted on probation is required to attain a minimum GPA of 3.00 on the first 9 credits hours of course work completed at UW-Parkside.

Students who do not meet the above requirement will be dropped from the program.

Applicants are not required to take the GRE or MAT assessment for admission to the program.

International students from non-English-speaking countries must demonstrate proficiency in English.

Official TOEFL scores must meet or exceed the below requirements:

• Paper-based: a minimum score of 525
• Computer-based: a minimum score of 197
• Internet-based: a minimum score of 71

Official IELTS scores that meet or exceed the below requirements:

• A minimum score of 6.0

For students from English-speaking countries, no English Proficiency Examination Scores are required.

Requirements for the Master of Arts in Professional Studies (30 credits)

1. Required Core Courses (15 credits)

   MAPS 700	Formal Organization	3 cr
   MAPS 701	Applied Research for Professionals	3 cr
   MAPS 702	Professional Ethics	3 cr
   MAPS 703	Professional Communication	3 cr
   MAPS 705	Practicum	3 cr

2. Concentration Area Courses (15 credits)

   Complete one concentration with at least 15 credits.  A course cannot be used to satisfy requirements in more than one concentration.

   Choose one:

   1. Leadership in Public Service (15 credits)
      1. Required courses (6 credits)

         MAPS 720	Foundations of Public Service	3 cr
         MAPS 721	Public Policy	3 cr

      2. Elective courses (9 credits)
         Choose three courses:

         MAPS 512	Global Warming Policy and Governance	3 cr
         MAPS 517	Strategic Decision Making	3 cr
         MAPS 523	Institutional Racism in America	3 cr
         MAPS 606	Advanced Program Evaluation	3 cr
         MAPS 710	The Global City	3 cr
         MAPS 722	Social Justice and Public Service	3 cr
         MAPS 729	Special Topics in Public Service	3 cr
         MAPS 799	Independent Study	3 cr

   2. Data Visualization and Interpretation (15 credits)
      1. Required courses (6 credits)

         MAPS 730

         Data Visualization Concepts

         3 cr

         Choose one minimum (other two can be used as electives)

         MAPS 731	Data Visualization and Communication: Tableau	1 cr
         MAPS 732	The Essentials of R for Professionals	1 cr
         MAPS 733	The Essentials of SPSS for Professionals	1 cr

      2. Elective courses (8 credits)

         MAPS 507	Survey Methods	3 cr
         MAPS 584	Modeling Landscape Ecology	3 cr
         MAPS 634	Ethics and Data Technology	3 cr
         MAPS 660	Introduction to GIS Analysis	3 cr
         MAPS 710	The Global City	3 cr
         MAPS 739	Special Topics in Data Visualization and Interpretation	3 cr
         MAPS 799	Independent Study	1-3 cr

   3. Content Expertise for Professional Educators (15 credits)

      This concentration was designed to assist educators develop deeper content expertise in a specific subject area.
      Choose one content area:

      1. Political Science/Government

         1. Required course (3 credits)

            MAPS 721

            Public Policy

            3 cr

         2. Elective courses (12 credits)
            Choose four courses:

            MAPS 512	Global Warming Policy and Governance	3 cr
            MAPS 517	Strategic Decision Making	3 cr
            MAPS 523	Institutional Racism in America	3 cr
            MAPS 710	The Global City	3 cr
            MAPS 720	Foundations of Public Service	3 cr
            MAPS 799	Independent Study	3 cr

      2. Sociology

         1. Required course (3 credits)

            MAPS 722

            Social Justice and Public Service

            3 cr

         2. Elective courses (12 credits)
            Choose four courses:

            MAPS 523	Institutional Racism in America	3 cr
            MAPS 710	The Global City	3 cr
            MAPS 720	Foundations of Public Service	3 cr
            MAPS 721	Public Policy	3 cr
            MAPS 729	Special Topics in Public Policy	3 cr
            MAPS 799	Independent Study	3 cr

             

Degree Completion

Students entering without deficiencies and who enroll full-time can complete all degree requirements within two years of first enrollment. Students may take no more than seven years to complete a degree, beginning with the semester in which they complete their first course as a UW-Parkside degree-seeking graduate student, unless they apply for and receive an extension through the appropriate graduate program.

Courses in Applied Professional Studies (MAPS)