Master of Arts in Behavioral Neuroscience

at MSM Group - University of Missouri-St. Louis USA

The BES, with an emphasis in Early Childhood, is perfect for students excited about education, but looking for challenges outside a traditional classroom. The BES will prepare you for a career as an educator in agencies and institutions that emphasize informal learning in different settings. This degree is designed to be a creative, flexible, and inter-disciplinary bachelor’s degree that emphasizes practical skills in multiple settings.

Students gain skill and insights that can be applied to roles as educators, managers and directors, program planners and curriculum developers. This degree program does not lead to Missouri teacher certification.

Outcomes and Career Outlook

Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able apply a unique understanding of social justice by addressing institutional and social barriers that limit access, equity and achievement; conduct themselves in a respectful and professional manner that views failure as an opportunity to learn; apply reasoning and critical thinking while making connections among information, data and arguments to synthesize and interpret information; apply unique leadership, management and communication skills using oral, written, nonverbal and visual communication skills in a variety of formats and contexts; apply knowledge and skills to effectively manage early childhood programs; and demonstrate a unique application of best practices when teaching young children.

The master’s degree in Secondary Education is an accredited program appropriate for secondary teachers, specialists, department chairpersons, and those who work in informal learning or international educational settings. Candidates choose electives that will support their personal growth and development as an educational leader to impact the communities with which they work.

Diverse candidates will engage in a learner-centered environment committed to the success of historically marginalized and diverse students, research, and community engagement. Within diverse education settings, candidates will: advance pedagogical knowledge, recognize inequalities in educational opportunity, design differentiated assessments to inform practice, critically examine professional practice, and demonstrate commitment to ethical professional practice.  

It is important that both candidates and advisors plan ahead to ensure courses are taken when they are offered in the schedule. Programs must be planned with an academic advisor and meet the approval of the faculty advisor, adhering to the College of Education and UMSL Graduate School policies.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able to:

• Continually and systematically reflect on professional growth to enhance student learning.
• Integrate technology to create meaningful student learning within the context of a global digital society.
• Apply advanced content and pedagogical knowledge to create authentic and deep learning experiences.
• Extend learning science principles to design, implement, and evaluate curriculum based on learning standards.
• Create and foster effective working relationships with students, school colleagues, families, and community members to enhance student learning and well-being.
• Design and establish a safe, inclusive, and respectful learning environment that nurtures the intellectual, social, and personal development of all students.
• Utilize equitable frameworks and inclusive practices to expertly create a variety of instructional and assessment opportunities adapted to diverse learners to encourage all students’ critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.

The M. Ed. Program in Special Education explores important core knowledge in Special Education. The program's primary goal is to empower professionals as thoughtful educators who use best practices when assisting and empowering students with disabilities. Research and data-based decision-making are emphasized throughout the program. Graduate students will apply learned and evaluated research into practice in their courses, and learn to analyze multiple types of assessment data. The M.Ed. Program in Special Education consists of an initial required core of courses, a concentration area corresponding to the chosen emphasis area, and a capstone or exit course block.

When graduate students are accepted into the program, their transcripts may be reviewed, as necessary,  to identify compliance with state education certification guidelines. Students who wish to be certified in the education of children with cross-categorical disabilities will be required to fulfill general certification requirements, as well as graduate coursework. Upon completion of this advanced degree, professionals will have developed an in-depth knowledge-base related to

• Various learning contexts within and outside of the school setting
• The multiple influences on educational practices in schools
• The characteristics and instructional needs of learners with disabilities
• Assessment strategies for monitoring instruction
• Instructional best practices
• Using research to inform practice in the classroom
• Diversity awareness
• Contexts that affect student learning
• The powerful interactions between setting events and specific learner outcomes
• A life-perspective of students with exceptional learning needs, both young children who transition into kindergarten and those transitioning into adulthood.

The Master of Science (M.S.) in Cybersecurity is an interdisciplinary program jointly provided by the departments of Information Systems and Technology (College of Business Administration) and Computer Science (College of Arts and Sciences).

The Computer Science emphasis builds on the foundation of an undergraduate cybersecurity or computer science degree and expects students to have prior background in foundational computer science areas or complete some foundational courses upon entry. This emphasis is designed to be focused on technical aspects of cybersecurity and provides greater depth than that afforded at an undergraduate level.

The department offers a Master of Arts degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice, which provides students with advanced theoretical and methodological training for research and management careers in criminal justice.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of the theories, methods and substance of issues in criminology and criminal justice and demonstrate an ability to synthesize knowledge in these areas.
• Develop a comprehensive understanding of interdisciplinary underpinnings (e.g., from sociology, psychology, political science, economics) of criminology and criminal justice issues and policies.
• Develop critical thinking and communication skills through the application of criminological theory and social science research methods.
• Develop a comprehensive understanding of the structure and functioning of the fundamental institutions (e.g., legislatures, police, punishment, supervisory) that are part of criminal justice systems.
• Develop comprehensive understanding of the role of research and its application for informing policies about criminal justice issues.

The Master of Arts in English program, a 30 credit-hour degree with concentrations in either literature or composition and rhetoric, furthers the education and advances the professional skills of teachers in high schools and middle schools in the St. Louis area; it prepares students for PhD programs in English studies, American studies, and composition; it prepares students for employment in community colleges as teachers of composition; and it provides opportunities for members of the St. Louis community to broaden their understanding of literature. The program contributes in substantial and measurable ways to the development and enhancement of the region's humanities workforce.

The Chemistry and Biochemistry department has a strong research emphasis as well as a dedication to teaching, but is of medium size allowing substantial interaction between faculty and students. There is an international make-up to the faculty and postdoctoral fellows, and there are graduate students presently in the department from the United States and abroad. The department is very well equipped with modern instrumentation and computing resources. These include outstanding NMR, microscopy, X-ray and mass spectrometry facilities, with two 300 MHz and one 600 MHz NMR spectrometers, two single-crystal and one powder X-ray diffractometers, a Bruker Maxis Plus and GC-MS facilities. Areas of research specialization include the traditional areas of inorganic, organic, physical, and biological chemistry, as well as organometallic, supramolecular, surface chemistry, computational chemistry, laser spectroscopy and the study of new materials. Former graduates are employed in research positions in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, in academic positions, and in other areas such as high-tech computer applications.

The BSBA, Information Systems & Technology Emphasis degree is a 120-credit-hour program that requires at least 48-credit hours be filled with business courses, of which a minimum of 21-credit hours need to be taken in Information Systems & Technology courses. The program is offered three ways: in-person; fully online; and in a hybrid format.

The core business classes include financial and managerial accounting, legal environment of business, information systems concepts, business analytics and statistics, supply chain management, financial management, management and organizational behavior, marketing, and strategic management. Once you’ve completed required courses, you can customize your degree with business electives, even selecting a minor, if you choose.

The BS in Secondary Education, with an emphasis in Mathematics, prepares students to teach in secondary school settings, grades 9-12. This program requires the selection and completion of required coursework in Mathematics and includes field and practicum experiences in high school settings, culminating in Missouri teacher certification.

This program coordinates with the Department of Mathematics. Much of the discipline-specific coursework parallels the BA or BS degrees in Mathematics; however, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) requires specific coursework for teacher certification.

The MS in Supply Chain Analytics program is designed to meet the current and future demand for professionals in the broad fields of Supply Chain Management and Business Analytics. In particular, the program produces “Citizen Data Scientists,” as coined by Gartner Research, who bridge the gap between a pure data scientist and a supply chain domain expert and refers to an advanced data analytics professional or data professional who needs or wants to implement machine learning technology.

This STEM-designated 30-credit hour program is designed for students with an undergraduate degree in business, economics, computer science or engineering who would like to apply data science and analytics in the domain of supply chain management. Professionals who currently work in purchasing, operations, logistics and transportation and want to enhance their data and analytical skills to move into management/leadership positions in supply chains and data scientists/analysts who want to gain domain knowledge in supply chain management.