Bachelor of Science in Metropolitan Studies

at Shorelight Group - Towson University USA

This highly flexible concentration is ideal for the working professional, as each student designs a curriculum that best fits their present career needs and future aspirations. The concentration is particularly well suited for students who wish to integrate specialized study with a broader understanding of related fields. It also permits individuals primarily interested in personal growth to design a program that corresponds with their interests.

Although the plan of study may be built around traditional academic disciplines, many students combine courses from such practical areas of study as:

• Digital media and communications
• Information technology and applied systems theory
• Management and administration
• Public policy and regional planning
• Health care
• Education
• Professional writing in specific areas
• Theater management
• Science journalism
• Global studies

Others might emphasize courses from the humanities, fine arts and social sciences.

An individualized plan of study places special responsibilities on the student. In consultation with the program director, the entering student must design and submit a plan of study. The M.A. in Professional Studies graduate program is committed to offering working professionals flexible and convenient ways to earn an advanced degree through collaborative learning and independent study.

The Sport Management major is designed to prepare students for a changing sports industry. The curriculum develops critical and ethical sensibilities as well as practical skills with the intent of producing graduates who will be responsible business leaders and community advocates able to address commercial, economic, political and social issues related to sport.

• In the production of art and/or design work, students will demonstrate a working knowledge of the elements of art and the principles of design.
• In the production of art and/or design work, students will demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the materials and processes of their chosen discipline.
• In creating and/or evaluating art and design work, students will recognize and demonstrate understanding of perspectives of people from cultures and situations other than their own.
• Students will articulate, through writing, verbally and through the production of a body of work, their personal aesthetic and/or professional direction.

• Demonstrate an understanding of the physical, social, economic and political factors that shape the development of metropolitan areas.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the array of current challenges facing metropolitan areas.
• Critically analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of policies designed to address the challenges facing metropolitan areas.
• Conduct and present sound research on metropolitan issues.

The Mass Communication major consists of three tracks: Advertising, Journalism, and Strategic Public Relations. Students must complete one of the three tracks. Many students complete two of the three tracks and some complete all three.

Students who complete the Mass Communication major will have many career options, especially in the broadly defined fields of print, broadcast and online journalism, advertising, and strategic public relations. Majors are expected to learn how the various fields in mass communication are structured and function.

The interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary graduate program in Women’s and Gender Studies provides students with a solid academic foundation to pursue their unique goals. As the only applied master’s program in Women’s and Gender Studies in Maryland and the only Women’s and Gender Studies master’s program in Baltimore, the program emphasizes applied research methods and skills, preparing students for careers in a variety of public and private organizations both national and international, for-profit and nonprofit. It also prepares students to enter doctoral programs in a variety of fields.

Communication Studies courses give students a foundation in communication theories and their interrelated contexts, the application of theories to contemporary issues and the scholarly methods of studying communication. The Communication Studies major has a three-fold function:

1. It allows students a greater understanding of the role that communication plays in shaping culture and identity.
2. It looks at the ways in which the process of meaning-making (whether through the use of words, images, symbols or technology) is used strategically to influence human judgment and actions.
3. It sharpens students’ critical thinking abilities, thus enabling them to become ethical producers and consumers of messages.

This three-fold function is accomplished through a theoretical and practical focus on argument development and through a close examination of the ways ideas are discussed, advocated for, and circulated in public and private life. These emphases give students the opportunity to develop speaking, writing, and analytical thinking skills that will allow them to become better ethical participants in the process of creating, critiquing, and disseminating meaning.

The program provides advanced study in the theory of writing, writing techniques and style, principles/techniques of editing, and the functions of written communication within the professional/occupational setting. Courses aim to develop the communication skills of people seeking to enter or to advance in occupations requiring extensive writing and/or the analysis and reporting of data. Students choose from tracks in writing for the public and private sectors, technical writing and information design, teaching writing, journalistic writing, scientific writing and creative writing.

• In the production of art and/or design work, students will demonstrate a working knowledge of the elements of art and the principles of design.
• In the production of art and/or design work, students will demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the materials and processes of their chosen discipline.
• In creating and/or evaluating art and design work, students will recognize and demonstrate understanding of perspectives of people from cultures and situations other than their own.
• Students will articulate, through writing, verbally and through the production of a body of work, their personal aesthetic and/or professional direction.

The Department of Theatre Arts offers a B.A./B.S. in Theatre Arts with a track in either Design and Production or Theatre Studies.

Design and Production Track

The Design and Production track provides a broad foundation in all areas of theatre design and technical production, while preparing the student for graduate study or entry-level professional work in scenic, costume, lighting, or sound design, or technical direction, construction and support. Faculty mentors guide qualified students through design and production projects of increasing responsibility, ­culminating in mainstage designs and leadership production positions for the most advanced students.

The Design and Production Track has an excellent record of preparing students for internship, graduate programs and career opportunities.

Theatre Studies Track

The Theatre Studies track integrates academic inquiry and performance exploration through a comprehensive study of the art of theatre in relation to multiple communities, from local to global. This well-rounded curriculum will provide a strong foundation for graduate study or entry-level professional work to students with interests in areas such as directing, dramaturgy, playwriting, theatre administration or stage management. It is also an excellent choice for students who wish to apply their theatre skills to other fields such as education, law or business.