Applied Professional Studies (MA)

Program Highlights

This program provides you the opportunity to:

• Design your own area of study
• Learn to think in terms of learning for both intentional outcomes and timely applications
• Build a plan for learning that incorporates an array of learning strategies beyond the classroom
• Select learning strategies that fit your desired outcomes and learning preferences
• Manage the pace, place and process of implementing your plan
• Receive assistance from a team of university advisors as well as your own particular professional community
• Engage in a brief/intensive series of liberal learning seminars designed to rekindle and/or deepen your practice in key domains of applied effectiveness (personal, interpersonal, organizational, values and inquiry)
• Earn an accredited graduate degree with competencies endorsed by DePaul

Program Structure

You begin the MAAPS program with a cohort of about 15 students and a faculty mentor. The faculty mentor teaches the first course in the program Learning Plan Research and Development (4 quarter credit hours) typically offered twice a year in the fall and spring quarters. New students simultaneously take Finding and Managing Information (2 quarter credit hours). These two courses set the framework for designing and implementing your graduate degree.

Program Length

To qualify for the MAAPS, you must complete 52 quarter credit hours. The program has four components.

• Planning and Integration (8 quarter credit hours)
• Liberal Learning Seminars (18 quarter credit hours)
• Individualized Area of Focus (18 quarter credit hours)
• Individualized Program Culmination (8 quarter credit hours)

Program Participants 

The program is designed for entrepreneurial learners who come with:

• Three or more years of direct or related experience in the field
• A personal/professional area of study they want to pursue
• A desire to build and manage their own learning processes
• Goals to both learn and shape their learning into contributions that make a difference

Certificate Option

Students will be able to:

• Apply reflective acuity in executing their individualized areas of study.
• Engage methods of inquiry to improve practice in their individualized areas of study.
• Take initiative to add value to their professional practice.
• Adapt and engage from an ever-broadening repertoire of responses.
• Contribute to achieve collective results.

Course Requirements

Students are required to complete a minimum of 52 graduate credit hours with a cumulative GPA of not less than 3.0. Students are also required to develop and complete a narrative transcript.

Planning & Integration

Students, with the assistance of an academic committee, design individualized graduate learning plans. Once plans are approved, students pursue their plans and work to ensure that all parts link together.

• AP 501 LEARNING PLAN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR
• AP 502 LEARNING PLAN REVIEW
• AP 528 ASSESSMENT AND INTEGRATION 1
• AP 548 ASSESSMENT AND INTEGRATION SEMINAR II
• AP 558 ASSESSMENT AND INTEGRATION SEMINAR III
• AP 578 ASSESSMENT AND INTEGRATION SEMINAR IV

Liberal Learning

Students participate from single points of view and action.

• LLS 410 AGENCY EFFECTIVENESS
• LLS 420 COLLABORATION EFFECTIVENESS
• LLS 440 FLEXIBILITY EFFECTIVENESS
• LLS 450A INQUIRY EFFECTIVENESS
• LLS 450B INQUIRY EFFECTIVENESS

Individualized Areas of Focus

Students design and implement learning strategies for enhancing their understanding and competence development in each of the following aspects of their individualized areas of focus.

• AP 510 MAIN THEORIES AND IDEAS
• AP 520 METHODS OF RESEARCH
• AP 530 SPECIALIZED SKILLS
• AP 540 COMMUNICATION MODES
• AP 550 ORGANIZATIONAL AND/OR INTERPERSONAL DYNAMICS
• AP 560 CHALLENGES FROM LARGER CONTEXTS
• AP 570 ETHICAL ISSUES
• AP 574 REFLECTION IN/ON PRACTICE
• AP 585 SUPPLEMENTAL COMPETENCE I   

Individualized Program Culmination

Students culminate their graduate study through either four supplemental competencies or an integrating project (proposal and final artifact). Upon completion of all degree requirements (and prerequisite to degree conferral), each student prepares and submits for approval a comprehensive narrative transcript of her/his program of study.

• Supplementals (Electives)
• AP 586 SUPPLEMENTAL COMPETENCE II
• AP 587 SUPPLEMENTAL COMPETENCE III
• AP 588 SUPPLEMENTAL COMPETENCE IV
• AP 589 SUPPLEMENTAL COMPETENCE V
• Integrating Project
• AP 591 INTEGRATING PROJECT PROPOSAL
• AP 592 FINAL INTEGRATING PROJECT