GRADUATE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

This course examines the historical, contemporary, legal, and ethical issues facing the professional school counselor today. Various functions of the professional school counselor and the skills necessary to meet the needs of student populations in the academic, career, and personal/social domains within the context of a comprehensive, developmental school counseling (CDSC) program will be explored. Learners are introduced to the basic principles of working with diverse populations, school administrators, faculty, parents, and other stakeholders in elementary, middle, and high school settings. The school counselor’s roles and functions of counselor, consultant, coordinator, leader, and advocate for Pre-K to 12 students will be examined. Students will be introduced to the ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs.

This course examines issues linked to the lifespan development of diverse individuals. Theory-based approaches to solving lifespan issues will be examined. This course presents a theoretical perspective of human development across the lifespan. Discussion of typical and atypical development from conception through final life stages focusing on cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development is included. Special emphases are placed on theory and research that informs our understanding of human development among diverse populations. During this course, learners will focus on the professional capacity required to work effectively and to provide leadership in work with children and adolescents within academic, social, and counseling settings. The course will include exercises in applying lifespan theory to diverse contexts, and will include examination of the contextual, environmental, biological, cultural, and individual factors that influence lifespan development.

This course examines the types, methods, and collection processes for the aggregation and implementation of data outcomes within the field of professional school counseling. Organizational and institutional theories are examined through the lens of the school counseling profession. Alignment of Common Core Standards, and best practices for the school counseling profession are recommended, and examples are provided to guide future performance standards. Examples of effective school guidance plans are presented along with ASCA and standards-based education models to enhance the repertoire of counseling skill sets in addition to providing a working framework from which to develop researched-based counseling programs. The use of date to drive interventions in addition to evaluating effective programming is reviewed. Student action plans are introduced, and both direct and indirect measures are recommended to assess counseling programs and interventions. Finally, the process of reporting results as a school counselor is highlighted.

This course covers foundational components of education, training, curriculum and instructional design, and learning. Learners will gain a broad understanding of the social, philosophical, and historical themes that inform a current education discourse. Learners will examine key concepts, critical issues, and policies used in multiple educational settings that impact the field of education.

This course examines course design models with a focus on how curriculum is informed by societal forces. Learners will become familiar with developing courses for their chosen audience and learn to communicate their course design decisions with stakeholders. Learners will design course assignments as well as develop their teaching philosophy.

The course examines instructional models and their features with a focus on how curriculum promotes effective teaching and learning. Learners will gain valuable insights for building instructional strategies that nurture, develop, and broaden student learning while sustaining a culture of excellence and increased achievement.

This course focuses on career development and counseling that can be used to support and guide learners throughout the learning continuum. In this class, learners will explore the foundations of career development, strategies to work with clients, and career development practices. In addition, an exploration will be conducted to provide Learners with the tools to organize a program of career development.

The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of theories, principles, practices, design, implementation, evaluation, and issues in effective teaching and learning. Learners will learn to integrate theory and practice. Learners will study accountability and high stakes testing, historical precedents, and local and federal accountability rules. Learners will be encouraged to distinguish between testing and accountability. Reflection and discussion will enhance deep understanding.

This course is designed to examine procedures for assessing and enhancing academic evaluation procedures. It explores a variety of techniques and tools used in evaluation. The focus will be on designing and evaluating assessments that are aligned with educational objectives. An overview of assessment trends is provided utilizing real-world scenarios.

This course examines course design models with a focus on how curriculum is informed by societal forces. Learners will become familiar with developing courses for their chosen audience and learn to communicate their course design decisions with stakeholders. Learners will design course assignments as well as develop their teaching philosophy.

This course examines the design and implementation of effective instructional programs. Learners will examine and evaluate current programs and be able to evaluate and synthesize the building blocks of an effective program. Learners will explore and critically evaluate all aspects of a program from the initially conceived instructional goal, to the alignment of instructional strategies/practices, and the effective integration of assessment measures that reflect changes in learners’ effective, academic, social, or physical outcomes. Additionally, learners in this course will analyze the appropriate use of technology as a tool to further desired learning outcomes. The need for culturally relevant pedagogy and examined as they directly impact instructional programs and learning outcomes. Finally, future development in learning will be reviewed to become more aware of contemporary issues facing the field of education.

This course provides learners with the background and hands-on tools/techniques to conduct social science research in education. Learners will develop a research proposal for an original research project and provide a rationale for the selection of research designs and methods. Learners will also become familiar with ethical considerations along with current critical issues in educational research.

This course prepares participants to become agents of change in the field of technology and change. Learners will consider how to develop grants, manage a technology budget, and provide leadership within an organization. The course will include issues to be addressed, explore roadblocks to maneuver past, and provide troubleshooting advice. Learners will use and evaluate a variety of software and hardware tools to determine which are essential to have on hand. For example, software for multimedia authoring, concept mapping, and office productivity will be explored. Likewise, instructional use of hardware tools such as digital cameras, PDAs, and investigative probes will be investigated.

This course is intended as an introduction to the profession, the unique identity, roles, functions, and contributions of the school counselor in relation to ethical and legal concerns. Issues are explored in the context of a comprehensive counseling programs to facilitate accountability, advocacy, crisis intervention, and management. In addition, an exploration of ethical standards is provided to ensure effective practice.

This course focuses on the current state of digital assets from a multidisciplinary perspective. It will provide the basic processes of digital repositories including collection materials, scanning, managing files for preservation, quality control, and the use of digital asset management systems.

This course explores issues in education, culture, and society from the perspective of critical pedagogy. It also encourages learners to critically reflect on their own theories and practices as visionary scholar-practitioners.

In this course, learners will identify strategies to promote success for diverse student populations. The United States continues to experience increasing cultural diversity and today’s educators must become proficient in reaching diverse and exceptional students. Additionally, individuals differ in gender, sexual orientation, age, physical, and mental abilities. The purpose of this course is to address the nature of cultural diversity, its sources, and its importance to educators. Learners will understand how to adapt instructions to the needs of diverse students, taking into consideration epistemological and axiological perspectives unique to each culture.

Legal and Ethical Considerations in Education presents a real-world, problem-based approach that shows leadership candidates how to apply the legal knowledge, ethical dispositions, and other skills necessary to become successful school leaders. Changes in law and society impact decision-making, with opportunities to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize legal knowledge and frameworks to begin thinking like school leaders.

This course examines the history and development of labor relations, the structure of union organizations and the process of negotiations and contract administration. The course establishes the present state of the labor movement and outlines the decision process regarding whether or not to participate in organizing a union. Also covered are the laws and regulations governing collective bargaining, impasse resolution, and contract administration.

This course examines training activities in the context of organizational strategy. It illustrates the important relationship between organizational practitioners and trainers and outlines a training process model that balances the requirements of practitioners and trainers while achieving training objectives. It includes numerous examples of actual training solutions and explores the ways in which e-Learning can enhance training programs by placing employees in virtual work environments that allow them to experiment and practice without fear of failure.

This course is a study of organizational culture and its influence on organizational behavior, employee attitudes, productivity, and business operations. It covers the historical evolution of management, organizational design, motivation, change management, culture, strategic planning, and critical implementation/control elements vital to successful management and strategy. Social responsibility, ethics, and globalization are also emphasized.

This course is a study of the use of accounting information in organizational planning, control, and special decision-making. It involves the uses of accounting data internally by managers in directing the affairs of business organizations. It focuses on managerial requirements for financial information and timely reports on the firm’s operations to make sound managerial decisions.

This course is organized around the various concepts and essentials discussed in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), developed by the Project Management Institute (PMI). In addition, it helps to prepare the learner to take the PMP and CAPM certification exams through the PMI. Special attention is given to the triple constraints of project planning or scope, project budgeting, and project scheduling. Also, the importance of allocating resources is discussed, as are the proper methods for monitoring, controlling, and evaluating project tasks and deliverables.

This course explores diversity and social justice advocacy issues with marginalized and special populations. The focus of study is to foster awareness, compassion and understanding for effective counseling practice. Populations considered include African Americans, Latinos, Asian/Pacific Islanders, Native-Americans, and LGBTQI individuals. This course guides learners to explore their own values, beliefs and cultural identities and connect how these personal aspects influence the therapeutic alliance.

The capstone course is designed to be a culmination action research experience. It is an integrated learning opportunity that allows learners to demonstrate that they have achieved a level of academic and practical knowledge relative to the skills and discipline required of educational professionals. The capstone project is individualized based on the learner’s specific concentration and provides an opportunity to demonstrate achievement of the three main themes of the program: practical application, theoretical framework, and research achievement.