Overview
Prior
to beginning the Master of Human Services (MHS) Program, students may be required
to improve their academic skills by participating in the Pre-Master's Program.
There, they will receive intensive instruction and practice in writing and grammar,
as well as basic word processing skills.
Students enroll in one of three
options:
-
Option
I (fall and spring semesters): 12 credits
-
- Option
III (summer semester only): 6 credits
Student Learner Outcomes
Goal: Students who successfully complete the Pre-master’s
Program will demonstrate the critical thinking and communication skills
required for beginning graduate-level academic work.
Objectives:
Students completing the Pre-master’s Program successfully will
be able to
- compose short essays on academic topics that contain no
pattern of basic grammar error and demonstrate a mastery of the
general organizational and stylistic conventions of academic
writing, including the ability to incorporate information from
outside sources accurately and appropriately;
- read academic publications with an understanding of purpose,
content, structure and potential bias;
- demonstrate themselves to be reflective, independent
learners who can work effectively in peer groups to construct,
compare, contrast and refine information while exercising
respect for others, independent thinking, fair-mindedness and an
openness to new ideas;
- use technology efficiently to find, retrieve, produce, and
present information.
General
Description of Courses:
Designed specifically
for adults, classes are held on Saturday or weeknights and taught by senior MHS faculty members.
Class size is limited, to permit maximum individualized attention.
In the writing
component of the Pre-Master's curriculum, students strengthen their grammar and
organizational skills by practicing a variety of work- and academic-related writing
tasks in a computer laboratory setting. The computer component enables students to do the extensive writing and revision
required while also learning practical word processing and multimedia applications.
The
critical thinking component enables students to refine their analytical skills
through critical reading of social science texts. Students practice expressing
their point of view in carefully-reasoned, well-supported written and oral arguments,
skills essential to both professional and academic achievement.
