Master of Science in Chemistry - Physical Emphasis (STEM)

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

Educational leaders and community stakeholders have expressed interest in establishing partnerships with college and workforce preparation professionals from various sectors to address the transition challenges of underrepresented and economically disadvantaged elementary, middle school and high school students who are underprepared to fully participate in and effectively contribute to the global economy as fully functional citizens. Proactive, sustained effort and attention to this crisis is paramount and can contribute to the development of academic and vocational pathways that will inspire a renewed hope among extremely vulnerable student populations and contribute to economic development in our region and beyond.

As there is a renewed national emphasis on PK-16 pipeline initiatives, it is vital that this program can respond to community needs for student services professionals who have the talent and skill to serve as educational liaisons and facilitate collaboration between K-12, community colleges, career and technical education institutions, and 4-year institutions in order to prepare all students for success, whether they choose to pursue a college degree, vocational training or transition to the workforce immediately following high school.

The Master’s degree with an emphasis in Higher Education has been flexibly designed to include an expanded focus related to college access, equity and affordability, social justice, and workforce preparation, as well as student services and higher education leadership. The enhanced curriculum targets K-12 teacher leaders, college and career preparation professionals, and other student services professionals who want to transform the college access and workforce preparation culture in elementary and secondary schools, which would culminate in the creation of transition plans and intensive student support services to ensure success for ALL students.

Student support professionals will be provided with the necessary tools to empower youth and adolescents; a renewed emphasis will be placed on students who are culturally connected to marginalized communities or underrepresented populations to promote achievement and success among these groups. Institutional and community commitment to student success will contribute to realistic and achievable academic and vocational pathways that are vital for a healthy, sustainable economy and region.

Our innovative program aims to provide the foundational tools for practitioners to consider several career pathways: 1) student services professionals in public or private schools who can complement the work of school counselors to provide proactive academic, vocational or workforce planning support to elementary, middle and high school students; 2) student services professionals who will pursue entry to mid-level staff or leadership roles in higher education institutions to effectively serve students who have transitioned to college to earn a postsecondary degree and require various forms of support in order to experience academic success and persist to graduation; 3) educational liaisons who work with K-12, community colleges and 4-year institutions, as well as business and health care agencies and community agencies, to serve as transition planning advocates for all students; 4) student services professionals who have an interest in working with private college preparation agencies to promote and support college access and preparation; or 5) higher education professionals interested in organizing, mobilizing, and leading advocacy efforts related to public policy formulation and analysis within government agencies and national higher education and professional associations, including the American Council on Education, NASPA, etc., as well as higher education think tanks and non-profit research and advocacy organizations, such as the Institute for Higher Education Policy.

Our experienced, student-centered faculty nurture student growth through a targeted immersion in the program curriculum, which serves to build comprehensive competencies to pursue work in these areas. Faculty provide personalized mentoring experiences and incorporate real-world case studies into the curriculum to expose students to practical opportunities to apply concepts to professional practice.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art with an Emphasis in Studio Practice offers students the opportunity to explore essential cultural and professional systems through creative visual practice. The degree is considered a professional degree program in art, as well as traditional preparation to pursue graduate studies in the field.

Studio Practice encompasses painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics and digital arts in 2D and 3D. Students encounter both traditional and new technologies in their study and in creating the visual world in which we live. Students in the Studio Practice program enjoy the benefits of close relationships with the St. Louis visual arts professional community. Our professors maintain a rigorous program that prepares students for immediate employment as creative professionals and enriches lives through creative practice.

The BS in Accounting is a 120-credit-hour program that requires 30-credit hours of core business courses, 18-credit hours of Accounting courses, 60-credit hours of non-business courses, and 12-credit hours of approved electives.

The core business courses include financial and managerial accounting, legal environment of business, information systems concepts, business analytics and statistics, financial management, management and organizational behavior and more. The required Accounting courses include financial reporting, accounting information systems, income tax and auditing.

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program of the Department of Education Sciences and Professional Programs prepares professional counselors, including mental health, career, addictions, couples/family, and child and adolescent counselors, to serve the mental health needs of culturally diverse individuals, groups, couples, and families in need. The program’s outreach extends to schools, colleges and universities, community based organizations, business and industry, as well as independent practice. The program strives to develop a culturally diverse student population and to draw students from local, regional, national, and international locations.

The CMHC degree allows students to choose electives in an area of interest, such as couples and family counseling, addictions, career counseling, multicultural counseling, play therapy, and others while pursuing a rigorous course of study in clinical mental health counseling. The CMHC degree prepares students for work in a variety of community settings such as mental health clinics, community agencies, counseling centers, colleges, universities, and businesses, and for jobs as addictions counselors, career counselors, couples and family counselors, mental health counselors, child and adolescent counselors, and many others.

The University of Missouri—St. Louis counseling programs are accredited by the highest national counseling accrediting organization (the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs; CACREP); this professional accreditation ensures that a degree from the program will be recognized nationally for employment and credentialing. Counseling degree program graduates have outstanding records of achieving counseling credentials, including a very high pass rate on the Missouri State counselor licensure examination. Also, counseling faculty members, as a group, are highly ranked nationally on objective measures of productivity, typically within the top 10 programs in the nation. Program faculty members take pride in providing a recognized and valuable education.

The Bachelor’s degrees in Economics are available as both a BS, which is designated as a STEM program, and a BA. The BA in Economics is designed for students who want to think analytically and apply their knowledge to a broad range of topics such as property rights, environmental regulation, labor markets and government regulation, while the BS in Economics is designed for students who want to develop analytical and quantitative skills and apply that knowledge to a range of topics such as economic modeling, financial markets and market analysis.

A unique feature of our department is the opportunity to take a large number of courses in applied economics and data analysis, in addition to traditional economics coursework. Students work as research assistants, peer tutors and collaborate on projects.

The BA in Organizational Leadership is an interdisciplinary online degree completion program that provides an accelerated pathway to graduation for those who have an Associate’s degree or have completed some college courses, but have yet to complete their degree. The degree is designed to provide adult students with the knowledge, skills and credentials necessary to advance in a rapidly changing workplace and may be completed entirely online.

This program helps students understand theoretical and practical aspects of leadership across disciplines, while allowing you to focus on a specific Area of Concentration of interest or that advances your career goals.

The St. Louis Joint Undergraduate Engineering Program combines strengths of two universities to provide a flexible engineering program for the St. Louis Community.

• First two years at UMSL for pre-engineering and general education courses.
• Transition to the Wash U campus to complete upper-level engineering courses.
• Professors are industry professionals with graduate degrees and tenured WUSTL faculty.
• Students may attend part time or full time, which allows them to take advantage of internships and co-op positions.
• The Engineering Program matches quality with affordability. The cost for engineering courses is the UMSL tuition plus a fee.

The Department of Biology offers three ways of achieving the Master of Science degree. The first is a 30 credit hour non-thesis option suitable for those who may already have extensive research experience, for educators who seek to upgrade their academic skills but do not require research experience, or for those who need to broaden their biological background. The second is a 32 credit hour Professional Science track that includes a strong business component for students who are interested in learning more about the business aspects of companies. This track may not be appropriate for students who are interested in pursuing a PhD or working primarily as laboratory scientists. The third is a 30 credit hour traditional apprenticeship in research leading to a written thesis. All students admitted to the graduate program are considered to be in the non-thesis program unless they have been accepted into an individual faculty lab. Starting with a common core, both the thesis and non-thesis option may be developed into a final degree program in either of two broad areas in biology:

• Cell and Molecular Biology or
• Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics.

Non-thesis students may also elect to take courses in both areas. Only the non-thesis option is available in the Professional Science emphasis.

The BS in Computer Science is designed for those interested in software and computer systems on the technical side. Graduates can find fulfilling careers in many related areas such as cybersecurity, networks, Internet programming, software and mobile apps development, data science, AI, graphics or they can pursue additional graduate studies in computer science or in a more specialized area. Some courses are available online, and the entire program can be completed in the evening.

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.