Master of Applied Social Science (MASS) Program

Program Description:

The following Departments in the College of Arts and Sciences participate in the interdisciplinary degree, Master of Applied Social Science (M.A.S.S.).

• History
• Political Science
• Public Administration (Summer & Fall acceptance only)
• Criminal Justice

 Courses are available in the M.A.S.S. Program from the disciplines of Political Science, Public Administration, History and Criminal Justice.

 The unique feature of this applied, interdisciplinary program is its flexibility. Building upon a required core of three courses (9 semester hours), the student, in consultation with an advisor, may design the remainder of the program to address his/her own unique interests. The degree is designed for those who wish to pursue further graduate work in the social sciences and for those who wish to work immediately following completion of the M.A.S.S. Degree.

 For the full-time student, the course of study will likely span two semesters plus one summer, totaling 33 hours. Some students may be required to take several prerequisites before commencing with their academic program. The following is an outline of the degree programs:

Courses Required of All Students (9 Semester Hours)

Interdisciplinary Social Science Seminar, (ISS 5939); Social Science Research, (ISS 6305), and Statistics for Public Managers, (PAD 5701) or Statistics for the Social Sciences (ISS 5316). All core courses must be completed with a grade of “B” or higher.

Discipline Courses (18 Semester Hours)

Students are required to take six courses (18 hours) in their subject area concentration. Courses may be selected from one the following disciplines: (1) History; (2) Political Science; (3) Public Administration; (4) Criminal Justice.

Those students whose undergraduate degrees are in areas outside their chosen area of concentration may be required to take designated undergraduate courses to prepare them for entrance into the M.A.S.S. program. The Chair of the department of the major area and the Graduate Coordinator of the program shall make such a determination. Prerequisites for History, Political Science, Public Administration and Criminal Justice are as follows:

Prerequisites:

Political Science

Introduction to Political Science
American National Government

History

Nature of History
Historiography

Criminal Justice

Criminological Theory
Research Methods

Public Administration

Intro. Public Administration
Budget and Fiscal Management

Entrance Requirements:

Entrance requirements for the M.A.S.S. Program include: 

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution and,
2. a “B” average in the last 60 semester hours of course work, or a score of 1000 or better (verbal and quantitative only) on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).
3.  Special Students: Special students who do not meet the qualifications listed above are not permitted to take more than twelve (12) semester hours until they have successfully completed the GRE or been admitted to regular status under the 10% exception rule.
4.  One Special Student may be admitted to regular status for every ten (10) fully qualified students entering the program. The selection of Special Students for regular status will be determined by the GPA in the twelve (12) hours taken, the undergraduate GPA, and other factors determined by the Admissions Committee.
5. Fully admitted students may receive credit for up to six (6) graduate semester hours of transferred courses from another institution. The Coordinator of the M.A.S.S. Program will determine all approved transferred credit hours. 

Note: A cumulative GPA of 3.0 must be maintained regardless of course/ credit hour load. A student may not earn more than two (2) C’s, otherwise the student will be dropped from the program. All students must take the GRE within sixty (60) days of admittance into the program. Failure to comply will result in the student not being able to register for classes the next semester.

Internship and Thesis

All students must complete an approved internship or a thesis to qualify for graduation. 

Internships will be with a government agency - local, state, federal - or with a private concern. Internships should be related as nearly as possible to the student’s major area and must have the prior approval of the Coordinator and the professor supervising the internships. 

The internship should be a new, professional experience for the student. If a proposed internship does not violate internship criteria, a student may intern in another department of the agency where he/she is employed. The internship must not be simply a continuation of regular duties. 

The appropriateness of all internships will be determined on an individual basis by the Chair of the department of the student’s major and the Coordinator of the M.A.S.S. Program. 

A student wishing to write a thesis must select a committee of at least three faculty members. The committee chair must be from the student’s major emphasis; the second member must be from the area of the concentration; and the third member may be from the outside the student’s area of concentration. 

Note: For additional information and requirements pertaining to internship please refer to the internship packet available from the Coordinator of the M.A.S.S. Program.