2023-2024 Graduate Bulletin

Arts and Culture Management

Office: University College Student Support Center
Mail Code: 2211 S. Josephine St., Denver, CO 80208
Phone: 303-871-2291, 800-347-2042
Email: ucolsupport@du.edu  
Web Site: http://www.universitycollege.du.edu

The Arts and Culture Management program helps students enhance their ability to support, promote, and lead both public and private sector arts and cultural organizations. The program's larger aim is to prepare students to strengthen their communities through the dissemination of artistic and cultural creations that address and celebrate diverse constituencies, whether based on age, ethnic background, religious/philosophical identity, or political commitments. The program fosters the study of best practices in areas such as advocacy, community outreach, marketing, fundraising, facilities management, organizational development, budgeting, and governance. The program develops critical and creative thought through a combination of academic and applied inquiry to fully understand the needs of communities and organizations and to meet those needs in the most effective ways.

This program prepares students to:

  • Develop careers in public and/or private arts and culture organizations
  • Implement best practices to support organizational stability and creative vibrancy
  • Cultivate strong connections between arts and culture organizations and the communities they serve
  • Effectively deliver well-planned programs and events tailored to diverse audiences

Master of Arts in Arts and Culture Management with a Concentration in Arts and Culture Outreach and Advocacy

Students in the Arts and Culture Outreach and Advocacy concentration learn strategies and methods for creating strong relationships between arts and culture organizations and the communities they serve. Instructors with current expertise in arts and culture outreach and advocacy offer current industry insight and help students develop the practical knowledge they need to advocate for arts and culture in communities of all kinds. By designing engaging events and targeted programs, applying entrepreneurial thinking and skills to issues of community outreach, and developing effective approaches to securing grant support, graduates with this concentration will bring core skills to any organization they join in the arts and culture sector.

This degree prepares students to:

  • Design events and programs that cultivate connections between arts and culture organizations and the communities they serve
  • Develop winning proposals to secure grant support for outreach and advocacy initiatives
  • Evaluate the opportunities to build a strategic marketing plan using various forms of media
  • Apply creative, entrepreneurial approaches to help both nonprofit and for-profit organizations develop a strong, productive community presence

Master of Arts in Arts and Culture Management with a Concentration in Arts and Culture Marketing

In the Arts and Culture Marketing concentration, students learn to plan, sustain, and develop strategic marketing initiatives and campaign assessment methodologies on behalf of arts and culture organizations, both nonprofit and for-profit. Instructors with current expertise in arts and culture marketing provide industry insight and help students develop the practical knowledge they need to work as effective members of arts and culture marketing teams.

This degree prepares students to:

  • Design effective marketing strategies to cultivate audiences for arts and culture events
  • Identify, develop, and retain key audiences
  • Evaluate the opportunities to build strategic marketing plans using various forms of promotion, advertising, digital communications, and social media
  • Assess individual campaigns and overarching strategies to improve them over time

Master of Arts in Arts and Culture Management with a Concentration in Arts and Culture Fundraising and Development

Students in the Arts and Culture Fundraising concentration learn the practical steps involved in creating successful fundraising campaigns on behalf of nonprofit arts and culture organizations. From crowdsourcing and kick-starting campaigns to capital fundraising and legacy gifts, nonprofits must cultivate and retain donors from diverse contexts, prospect for new gifts, and demonstrate impact. Students will demonstrate the knowledge and skills to navigate these changing trends to increase the impact and drive ahead their organization’s mission. Students will apply their passion and pragmatism as they learn about the scale and planning needed to develop the resources to carry out their arts and culture organization’s mission.

This degree prepares students to:

  • Assess different development approaches to determine the scale and mission appropriateness for nonprofit/nongovernmental organizations of varied sizes.
  • Synthesize knowledge about different development approaches.
  • Apply diverse development strategies to conduct and prepare development plans.
  • Demonstrate financial literacy needed to develop successful nonprofit arts and culture organizations that employ structured fundraising tools and techniques.
  • Demonstrate cultural competence and understanding of how fundraising strategies may work across diverse cultural contexts.

Master of Arts in Arts and Culture Management with a Concentration in Mission-Driven Operations and Management

In the Arts and Culture Mission-Driven Operations and Management concentration, students learn how to help program operations and organizational management work together to accomplish a nonprofit arts and culture organization’s mission impact. Organizations need to develop effective program design to include staffing, performance measurements, and the human and financial resources to ensure success. In this concentration students will link financial goals to grants management, partnership cultivation and community-based strategies that further the goals of the organization. Together, students will examine the evidence of effective nonprofit programming as grounded in research. Students will identify program evaluation strategies that demonstrate community impact and mission accomplishment. Volunteer and advocacy operations are also examined as programming strategies that accomplish a nonprofit arts and culture organization’s mission. 

This degree prepares students to:

  • Demonstrate planning practices for effectively resourced nonprofit/nongovernmental program development.
  • Evaluate existing nonprofit programs’ design using critical thinking to determine resource allocation and impact measurement.
  • Demonstrate program-evaluation-planning skills to include collective impact, logic models.
  • Examine diverse funding structures, including grants cultivation and management, to determine how best to resource program operations.

Graduate Certificate in Arts and Culture management with a Concentration in Arts and Culture Outreach and Advocacy

Students earning a certificate in the Arts and Culture Outreach and Advocacy learn strategies and methods for creating strong relationships between arts and culture organizations and the communities they serve. Instructors with current expertise in arts and culture outreach and advocacy offer current industry insight and help students begin to develop the practical knowledge they need to advocate for arts and culture in communities of all kinds. By designing engaging events and targeted programs, applying entrepreneurial thinking and skills to issues of community outreach, and developing effective approaches to securing grant support, certificate students will develop core skills that are easily transferable to any organization they join in the arts and culture sector. Students will also learn additional skills and knowledge in arts and culture through elective coursework. 

Graduate Certificate in Arts and Culture Management with a Concentration in Arts and Culture Marketing

Students earning a certificate in Arts and Culture Marketing learn to plan, sustain, and develop strategic marketing initiatives and campaign assessment methodologies on behalf of arts and culture organizations, both nonprofit and for-profit. Instructors with current expertise in arts and culture marketing provide industry insight and help students begin to develop the practical knowledge they need to work as effective members of arts and culture marketing teams. Students will also learn additional skills and knowledge in arts and culture through elective coursework. 

Graduate Certificate in Arts and Culture Management with a Concentration in Arts and Culture Fundraising and Development

Students earning a graduate certificate in Arts and Culture Fundraising and Development learn the practical steps involved in creating successful fundraising campaigns on behalf of nonprofit arts and culture organizations. From crowdsourcing and kick-starting campaigns to capital fundraising and legacy gifts that nonprofits must cultivate and retain donors from diverse contexts, prospect for new gifts, and demonstrate impact. Students will demonstrate the knowledge and skills to navigate these changing trends to increase the impact and drive ahead their nonprofit’s mission through diverse development approaches and fundraising. Students will apply their passion and pragmatism as they learn about the scale and planning needed to develop the resources to carry out the organization’s mission.

Specialized Graduate Certificate in Arts and Culture Marketing

Students earning a specialized graduate certificate in Arts and Culture Marketing learn to plan, sustain, and develop strategic marketing initiatives and campaign assessment methodologies on behalf of arts and culture organizations, both nonprofit and for-profit. Instructors with current expertise in arts and culture marketing provide industry insight and help students begin to develop the practical knowledge they need to work as effective members of arts and culture marketing teams. 

Specialized Graduate Certificate in Arts and Culture Outreach and Advocacy

Students earning a specialized graduate certificate in the Arts and Culture Outreach and Advocacy learn strategies and methods for creating strong relationships between arts and culture organizations and the communities they serve. Instructors with current expertise in arts and culture outreach and advocacy offer current industry insight and help students begin to develop the practical knowledge they need to advocate for arts and culture in communities of all kinds. By designing engaging events and targeted programs, applying entrepreneurial thinking and skills to issues of community outreach, and developing effective approaches to securing grant support, certificate students will develop core skills that are easily transferable to any organization they join in the arts and culture sector.

Master's Degree Admission

Degree and GPA Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree: All graduate applicants must hold an earned baccalaureate from a regionally accredited college or university or the recognized equivalent from an international institution.
  • Grade point average: The minimum undergraduate GPA for admission consideration for graduate study at the University of Denver is a cumulative 2.5 on a 4.0 scale or a 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits (approximately two years of work) for the baccalaureate degree. An earned master’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution supersedes the minimum standards for the baccalaureate. For applicants with graduate coursework but who have not earned a master’s degree or higher, the GPA from the graduate work may be used to meet the requirement. The minimum GPA is a cumulative 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for all graduate coursework undertaken.
  • Program GPA requirement: The minimum undergraduate GPA for admission consideration for this program is a cumulative 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.

English Language Proficiency Test Score Requirements

The minimum TOEFL/IELTS/C1 Advanced/Duolingo English Test score requirements for this degree program are:

  • Minimum TOEFL Score (Internet-based test): 80 with minimum of 20 on each sub-score
  • Minimum IELTS Score: 6.5 with minimum of 6.0 on each band score
  • Minimum C1 Advanced Score: 176
  • Minimum Duolingo English Test Score: 115

English Conditional Admission: No, this program does not offer English Conditional Admission.

Certificate Admission

Degree and GPA Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree: All graduate applicants must hold an earned baccalaureate from a regionally accredited college or university or the recognized equivalent from an international institution.
  • Grade point average: The minimum undergraduate GPA for admission consideration for graduate study at the University of Denver is a cumulative 2.5 on a 4.0 scale or a 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits (approximately two years of work) for the baccalaureate degree. An earned master’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution supersedes the minimum standards for the baccalaureate. For applicants with graduate coursework but who have not earned a master’s degree or higher, the GPA from the graduate work may be used to meet the requirement. The minimum GPA is a cumulative 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for all graduate coursework undertaken.
  • Program GPA requirement: The minimum undergraduate GPA for admission consideration for this program is a cumulative 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.

English Language Proficiency Test Score Requirements

The minimum TOEFL/IELTS/C1 Advanced/Duolingo English Test score requirements for this degree program are:

  • Minimum TOEFL Score (Internet-based test): 80 with minimum of 20 on each sub-score
  • Minimum IELTS Score: 6.5 with minimum of 6.0 on each band score
  • Minimum C1 Advanced Score: 176
  • Minimum Duolingo English Test Score: 115

English Conditional Admission: No, this program does not offer English Conditional Admission.

Master of Arts in Arts and Culture Management with Concentration in Arts and Culture Outreach and Advocacy

Degree Requirements

Core course requirements:
MALS 4475Organizational Vibrancy and Measurement4
MALS 4480Arts and Culture: Best Practices and Practical Skills4
MALS 4485Legal Landscape of Arts and Culture4
MALS 4905Graduate Social Research Methods4
MALS 4901Capstone Project4
or MALS 4902 Capstone Seminar
or MALS 4904 Interdisciplinary Capstone Seminar
Concentration requirements (Choose four courses):
MALS 4281Event Planning4
MALS 4284Arts and Culture Entrepreneurship4
MALS 4470Arts and Culture: History, Context, and Trends4
MALS 4490Arts and Culture Programs for Social Impact4
Elective requirements (Choose 3 courses)12
Total Credits48

Minimum number of credits required: 48

Students will work with their Academic Advisor to determine the best set of courses to choose for their electives.

In University College graduate-level programs, grades of C or greater are considered passing, whereas grades of C- or lower are considered failing. Courses with a grade of C- or below will not count toward meeting degree or certificate requirements. Also, no more than one-fourth of the hours accepted toward the degree be grades of “C”. A cumulative and program grade-point average of 3.0 or better must be maintained at all times.

Master of Arts in Arts and Culture Management with Concentration in Arts and Culture Marketing

Core course requirements:
MALS 4475Organizational Vibrancy and Measurement4
MALS 4480Arts and Culture: Best Practices and Practical Skills4
MALS 4485Legal Landscape of Arts and Culture4
MALS 4905Graduate Social Research Methods4
MALS 4901Capstone Project4
or MALS 4902 Capstone Seminar
or MALS 4904 Interdisciplinary Capstone Seminar
Concentration requirements (Choose four courses):
MALS 4283Strategic Marketing Planning for Arts and Culture4
MALS 4285Basics of Arts and Culture Marketing4
MALS 4286Social Media and Digital Marketing for Arts and Culture4
MALS 4287Managing Demand and Pricing for Arts and Culture4
Elective requirements (Choose 3 courses) 12
Total Credits48

Minimum number of credits required: 48

Students will work with their Academic Advisor to determine the best set of courses to choose for their electives.

In University College graduate-level programs, grades of C or greater are considered passing, whereas grades of C- or lower are considered failing. Courses with a grade of C- or below will not count toward meeting degree or certificate requirements. Also, no more than one-fourth of the hours accepted toward the degree be grades of “C”. A cumulative and program grade-point average of 3.0 or better must be maintained at all times.

Master of Arts in Arts and Culture Management with Concentration in Arts and Culture Fundraising and Development

Core course requirements:
MALS 4475Organizational Vibrancy and Measurement4
MALS 4480Arts and Culture: Best Practices and Practical Skills4
MALS 4485Legal Landscape of Arts and Culture4
MALS 4905Graduate Social Research Methods4
MALS 4901Capstone Project4
or MALS 4902 Capstone Seminar
or MALS 4904 Interdisciplinary Capstone Seminar
Arts and Culture Fundraising concentration requirements (Choose four courses):
MALS 4200Grant Writing4
MALS 4210Fundraising for Sustainable Arts and Culture Organizations4
NFP 4105Applied Fundraising and Donor Relations4
NFP 4115Leading Nonprofit Financial Health 4
Elective requirements (Choose 3 courses)12
Total Credits48

Minimum number of credits required: 48

Students will work with their Academic Advisor to determine the best set of courses to choose for their electives.

In University College graduate-level programs, grades of C or greater are considered passing, whereas grades of C- or lower are considered failing. Courses with a grade of C- or below will not count toward meeting degree or certificate requirements. Also, no more than one-fourth of the hours accepted toward the degree be grades of “C”. A cumulative and program grade-point average of 3.0 or better must be maintained at all times.

Master of Arts in Arts and Culture Management with Concentration in MISSION-DRIVen OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT

Core course requirements:
MALS 4475Organizational Vibrancy and Measurement4
MALS 4480Arts and Culture: Best Practices and Practical Skills4
MALS 4485Legal Landscape of Arts and Culture4
MALS 4905Graduate Social Research Methods4
MALS 4901Capstone Project4
or MALS 4902 Capstone Seminar
or MALS 4904 Interdisciplinary Capstone Seminar
Concentration requirements (Choose four courses):
NFP 4115Leading Nonprofit Financial Health 4
NFP 4300Operational Strategy and Structures4
NFP 4305Nonprofit Program and People Management4
NFP 4310Community Organizing, Voice and Empowerment4
Elective requirements (Choose 3 courses) 12
Total Credits48

Minimum number of credits required: 48

Students will work with their Academic Advisor to determine the best set of courses to choose for their electives.

In University College graduate-level programs, grades of C or greater are considered passing, whereas grades of C- or lower are considered failing. Courses with a grade of C- or below will not count toward meeting degree or certificate requirements. Also, no more than one-fourth of the hours accepted toward the degree be grades of “C”. A cumulative and program grade-point average of 3.0 or better must be maintained at all times.

Graduate Certificate in Arts and Culture Management with a Concentration in Arts and Culture Outreach and Advocacy

Concentration requirements:
MALS 4281Event Planning4
MALS 4284Arts and Culture Entrepreneurship4
MALS 4470Arts and Culture: History, Context, and Trends4
MALS 4490Arts and Culture Programs for Social Impact4
Elective requirements (Choose two courses)8
Total Credits24

Minimum number of credits required: 24

Students will work with their Academic Advisor to determine the best set of courses to choose for their electives.

Graduate Certificate in Arts and Culture Management with a Concentration in Arts and Culture Marketing

Concentration requirements:
MALS 4283Strategic Marketing Planning for Arts and Culture4
MALS 4285Basics of Arts and Culture Marketing4
MALS 4286Social Media and Digital Marketing for Arts and Culture4
MALS 4287Managing Demand and Pricing for Arts and Culture4
Elective requirements (Choose two courses)8
Total Credits24

Minimum number of credits required: 24

Students will work with their Academic Advisor to determine the best set of courses to choose for their electives.

Graduate Certificate in Arts and Culture Management with Concentration in Arts and Culture Fundraising and development

Concentration requirements:
MALS 4210Fundraising for Sustainable Arts and Culture Organizations4
MALS 4200Grant Writing4
NFP 4105Applied Fundraising and Donor Relations4
NFP 4115Leading Nonprofit Financial Health 4
Elective requirements (Choose two courses)8
Total Credits24

Minimum number of credits required: 24

Students will work with their Academic Advisor to determine the best set of courses to choose for their electives.

specialized graduate certificate in arts and culture marketing

MALS 4283Strategic Marketing Planning for Arts and Culture4
MALS 4285Basics of Arts and Culture Marketing4
MALS 4286Social Media and Digital Marketing for Arts and Culture4
MALS 4287Managing Demand and Pricing for Arts and Culture4
Total Credits16

specialized graduate certificate in arts and culture outreach and advocacy

MALS 4281Event Planning4
MALS 4284Arts and Culture Entrepreneurship4
MALS 4470Arts and Culture: History, Context, and Trends4
MALS 4490Arts and Culture Programs for Social Impact4
Total Credits16

Courses

MALS 4050 World Visual & Performance Art (4 Credits)

This course draws upon global artistic traditions of visual art and performance in conveying how human beings express ideas, themes, and emotions. Students view and experience artistic forms and movements throughout history and from a variety of traditions across the world, critically analyzing art movements and forms across time. They synthesize ideas across cultures, traditions, and types of creative expression and make connections and distinctions between genres and art forms. A different, rich, artistic theme is the focus each time the course is taught.

MALS 4200 Grant Writing (4 Credits)

This course gives students the opportunity to develop a thorough understanding of proposal writing. Students will receive practical grant writing advice and support, and they will work to sharpen their writing, program design, budgeting, and evaluation skills. Prospect research, development planning, and grasping the dynamics of the broader philanthropic landscape are important components of a holistic funding strategy that produces a successful fundraising program. Students will explore the place of contributed income in a healthy and diversified funding plan, develop research and planning skills, and learn the best practices that are fundamental to building strong philanthropic relationships.

MALS 4281 Event Planning (4 Credits)

Events play a large role in connecting community and audiences within the arts and culture sector. Students will learn to develop and manage arts and culture events to achieve an organization's mission, goals, and objectives within the constraints of the event’s scope, timing, and budget. Event management systems addressed include strategic planning, event design, marketing and audience development, site management, and partnership development. Students will create a program and plan for an event supporting a particular arts and culture organization.

MALS 4283 Strategic Marketing Planning for Arts and Culture (4 Credits)

This course provides a strategic approach to attracting audiences through arts marketing. Students learn to build a cohesive strategic marketing plan that aligns with the mission and programming of a real-life arts organization. Students will make a wide range of strategic marketing management decisions, preparing them for decision-making positions in arts marketing.

MALS 4284 Arts and Culture Entrepreneurship (4 Credits)

In any sector of the Arts and Culture field, whether government, nonprofit, or for profit, it is essential to be able to develop programs and/or organizations from conception through implementation and assessment. This development requires the clear communication of what is needed to develop, implement, and sustain this plan over time. In this course, students take an entrepreneurial approach to develop a program or organization in the arts and culture field. Students will develop and present a comprehensive business plan to define, map, structure, and assess the program/organization in either the nonprofit or for-profit sector.

MALS 4285 Basics of Arts and Culture Marketing (4 Credits)

This course provides a strategic approach to audiences and markets through an arts and cultural lens. Students will study basic principles of marketing, audience characteristics, and theories of creating commitment to the arts.

MALS 4286 Social Media and Digital Marketing for Arts and Culture (4 Credits)

Marketing arts and culture in the digital age is an art unto itself. Today's arts marketers are expected to produce visual, audio, and written content that matches the quality of the art, on stage or in the gallery, or the cultural programming presented to the public. This course provides students with a framework for planning, producing, executing, and measuring the impact of digital campaigns that build communities around art and culture.

MALS 4287 Managing Demand and Pricing for Arts and Culture (4 Credits)

Tomorrow's arts leaders need to be prepared to face the emotional subject of pricing in a way that is responsive to the community yet supports a sustainable business model. This class takes an evidence-based approach to determining the demand for arts and culture programming and setting prices for programs and events offered by arts and culture organizations. Students will explore dynamic pricing strategies, approaches to communicating the relationship between price and value, and how artistic and cultural programming enriches the broader community.

MALS 4340 Arts and Culture Leadership for Social Change (4 Credits)

Art and culture are powerful tools for the transformation of society and individuals: they sustain communities in resistance, provide powerful social critiques, expose audiences to multiple experiences and points of view and utilize collaboration, co-creation, dialogue, and exchange, to effect social change. In this course, students will learn how cultural institutions can become active agents in the work of social change. We will examine theories of movement building, explore case studies and develop advocacy, outreach, and program planning strategies for successful arts and social justice leadership.

MALS 4444 Emerging Trends in Visual and Performance Art (4 Credits)

Whether you’re curating visual art for a large regional venue or staging work at a local theater or gallery, understanding current artistic trends can be critical to your success. This course looks into major developments in Contemporary visual and performance art around the world. From new approaches to materials and techniques to expressions of identity and cultural/political critique, students will examine and engage with the latest, most significant artistic trends that are shaping the Contemporary art experience.

MALS 4470 Arts and Culture: History, Context, and Trends (4 Credits)

This course examines the significant and growing economic, social, and educational impact of the arts and culture sector on our increasingly diverse communities. Focusing on historical and current trends in the visual, performing, literary, and media arts, students will develop a stronger grasp of the role arts and culture organizations play in enriching our understanding of the world around us.

MALS 4475 Organizational Vibrancy and Measurement (4 Credits)

As database and analytics systems for arts organizations grow ever more sophisticated, arts leaders must be literate in basics concepts of statistics, finance, and data analysis. This course will prepare students to examine data critically, explore the stories that data can tell, and determine how to measure success and vibrancy.

MALS 4480 Arts and Culture: Best Practices and Practical Skills (4 Credits)

This course will engage students in the management and operations of arts and cultural non-profits through terms, techniques, and applications specifically focusing on analysis of mission/visioning, planning, staffing, volunteerism, board governance, fiduciary actions, fundraising/development, marketing/promotion and assessment. This is in preparation for a variety of experiences students may explore, including new aspects of arts management, either in positions of leadership, employment in the field, or a higher interest in volunteerism.

MALS 4485 Legal Landscape of Arts and Culture (4 Credits)

Professionals in arts and culture, whether they are artists, managers, directors, or others working in the private, government, or nonprofit sector, will encounter a variety of legal issues during their careers. Through readings, case studies, assignments, and research, students will be introduced to a complex interdisciplinary system of relevant laws that impact and, in some cases, govern arts and culture organizational activities.

MALS 4490 Arts and Culture Programs for Social Impact (4 Credits)

In this course, students explore changing attitudes toward arts participation and cultural philanthropy, focusing especially on the need for new approaches to engaging and working with culturally diverse populations. Students explore the cultivation of effective cross-disciplinary partnerships to create impactful programs that can transform communities. Programs at diverse arts organizations serve as case studies for practical applications. Students use theory-of-change models to develop programs that connect arts and cultural work with social-impact activities beyond the arts and culture sector.

MALS 4701 Topics in Arts and Culture (4 Credits)

The content of this course varies each term. The topics may include time-sensitive issues in the area of literature, elective courses that are not scheduled regularly during the course of the year, or advanced inquiry into core-course subjects. Each time the course is offered, the specific content is announced in the quarterly course schedule. Depending on the subject matter, students may be required to have completed prerequisite courses.

MALS 4901 Capstone Project (4 Credits)

The Capstone Project provides students the opportunity to research a topic, problem, or issue within their field of study, and work individually with a Capstone advisor. Similar in weight to a thesis, but more flexible, this final project will synthesize and apply core concepts acquired from the program. The student will select an appropriate Capstone advisor who is knowledgeable in the field of study to work closely with and whom can guide the research project. Evaluation will be focused on the quality and professionalism of applied research and writing; critical and creative thinking; problem-solving skills; knowledge of research design, method, and implementation; and contribution to the field and topic of study. Please see the Capstone Guidelines for additional details. Prerequisites: A Capstone Proposal that has been approved by both the Capstone Advisor and the Academic Director, acceptance as a degree candidate, completion of at least 40 quarter-hours (including all core courses) with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.

MALS 4902 Capstone Seminar (4 Credits)

The Capstone Seminar is a graduate seminar in which students utilize the knowledge and skills gained through the degree program to create a culminating work that critically addresses a problem in their degree field of study. The students produce a Capstone of 7000-8000 words that presents a position on a relevant problem, supports the position with professional and academic literature, analyzes and tests the proposed solution, and discusses the findings as related to the field of study. The seminar is dependent upon quality, collegial discussion, and feedback of students’ research and work products, under the facilitation of a faculty member. The course structure guides the students through the process of independent, secondary research and writing of a Capstone. No primary research is allowed. Students generate the course content through ongoing discussion and peer feedback on the Capstone process and individual topic areas under investigation. Students professionally and academically communicate through written work and oral presentation. Students must have: Acceptance as a degree candidate, completion of at least 40 quarter-hours (including all core courses) with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better. Students must complete the Capstone Seminar in one quarter; no incomplete grades are assigned.

MALS 4904 Interdisciplinary Capstone Seminar (4 Credits)

The Interdisciplinary Capstone Seminar is a graduate seminar in which students utilize the knowledge and skills gained through the degree program to create a culminating work that critically addresses a problem or issue in the degree field of study. Members of the class will include students from various UCOL programs, representing multiple topics of study. On campus offerings of this course include required online components. The student produces a paper of 7000-8000 words that presents a position on a relevant problem or issue, supports the position with professional and academic work in the field, analyzes and tests the paper position, and discusses the role of the findings within the field of study. Students professionally and academically communicate their findings through written work and oral presentations. The seminar is dependent upon active and collegial discussion and critique of student research and work under the facilitation of a faculty member, and it is governed by the quality of participation and contributions of the students. Students must have: Acceptance as a degree candidate, completion of at least 40 quarter-hours (including all core courses) with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better. Students must complete the Capstone Seminar in one quarter; no incomplete grades are assigned.

MALS 4905 Graduate Social Research Methods (4 Credits)

This course provides graduate students with a basic background in the methods of research in the social sciences. In our information-rich society, organizations and institutions have become more aware of the value of research data for informing critical decisions. As leaders in their organizations, graduates should have a knowledge base that allows them to critically examine basic research in the social sciences and to understand the methods involved in generating research results. They should understand the value of research to their organizations, be able to identify opportunities to gather information through research that will benefit those organizations, and participate in the ethical design of basic studies to gather that critical information. Students will develop and write a research proposal around a specific research question informed by a review of the literature.

MALS 4980 Internship (0-4 Credits)

The internship is designed to offer students a purposeful experience in a practical, industry-related setting. The internship is an individualized learning experience and a training plain is created for each student in conjunction with the internship site to provide experiences related to the skills and knowledge covered in the certificate and master's programs.

MALS 4991 Independent Study (1-8 Credits)

This is an advanced course for students wishing to pursue an independent course of study. The student must be accepted in a degree program, have earned a grade point average of 3.0 or better, obtained the approval of the department director, and have completed the Independent Study form and filed the form with all appropriate offices before registering for the independent study. Independent Study is offered only on a credit basis and only for degree candidates.

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