Professional Studies, Strategic Leadership Concentration, M.P.S.

Pamela D. Morris, Program Director
(615) 898-5920
Pamela.Morris@mtsu.edu

The University College offers the Master of Professional Studies (M.P.S.) with concentrations in Human Resources Leadership, Strategic Leadership, and Training and Development in conjunction with six Tennessee universities. For more information, contact Pamela.Morris@mtsu.edu, call (615) 898-5920, or visit www.mtsu.edu/mps.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the Master of Professional Studies program requires

an earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college;
an acceptable grade point average (GPA) in all college work taken (at least 2.75 for unconditional admission);
completion of a portfolio of works for those with a 2.75 GPA or higher and five (5) years of professional full-time work experience OR completion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) with acceptable scores;
competency in word processing, library retrieval systems, presentation graphics, spreadsheets, and databases. Students must be computer literate (using email, posting discussions, using chat, webpage navigation, uploading attachments, etc.) as well as have excellent time management skills in order to be successful in the online course environment;
regular access to a computer and reliable Internet connection. To view hardware and software requirements please go to tnecampus.info/d2l-hardware-and-software-requirements.

NOTE: Candidates for the Master of Professional Studies may enroll for one semester before being fully admitted to the program.

Application Procedures

All application materials are to be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies.

Applicant must

submit application with the appropriate application fee (online at www.mtsu.edu/graduate/apply.php);
submit official transcripts from all collegiate institutions attended;
submit three letters of reference;
submit official scores on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). A composite GRE score of 291 is expected for consideration of unconditional admission. Applicants with a 2.75 GPA or higher and five (5) years of professional full-time work experience may submit a portfolio of works in place of a GRE score. Applicants who meet this requirement may inquire about the portfolio requirements by e-mailing Pamela.Morris@mtsu.edu or going to www.mtsu.edu/university-college/mps/portfolio.php.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Professional Studies with a concentration in Strategic Leadership requires completion of a minimum of 30 semester hours.

Candidate must

complete a minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate credit (see Curriculum section below for specifics);
complete a professional project during the final semester of the program.

Curriculum: Professional Studies, Strategic Leadership

The following illustrates the minimum coursework requirements.

Core Courses (12 hours)

PRST 5510 - Using Teams to Facilitate Organizational Development 3 credit hours
PRST 6100 - Professional Environment: Issues and Ethics 3 credit hours
PRST 6300 - Research Methods 3 credit hours
PRST 6600 - Statistical Analysis 3 credit hours

Strategic Leadership Concentration (15 hours)

At least five courses must be completed, including at least one course from each of the four subject areas and one remaining course from the subject areas or optional electives.

Leadership Theory

PRST 6500 - Foundations of Leadership 3 credit hours
LDSP 6000 - Current Issues and Cases in Leadership 3 credit hours
ELPA 6560 - Small Group Leadership 3 credit hours

Organizational Structure and Change

PRST 6310 - Leadership in Organization 3 credit hours
PRST 6800 - Organizational Skills and Development 3 credit hours

Communication

COMM 6110 - Leadership and Communication 3 credit hours
JOUR 6450 - Public Relations Management 3 credit hours
PRST 6700 - Conflict Management and Negotiation 3 credit hours

Strategic Planning and Assessment

PRST 6105 - Project Planning and Scheduling 3 credit hours
PRST 6040 - Human Resources Management 3 credit hours

Optional Elective

PRST 6770 - Computer-based Decision Modeling 3 credit hours

Professional Project (3 or 4 hours)

PRST 6998 - Professional Project 3 to 4 credit hours
PRST 6998 must be taken during the final semester of the program. Students should begin planning their projects when they enter the M.P.S. program. They should consult their advisors about appropriate topics and submit their proposals for approval prior to entering this course.

Students applying for EXL Scholar Designation should take PRST 6998 for 4 credit hours.

NOTE: The 5000 and 6000 levels numbering of courses for APSU/ETSU/TSU will be crosslisted with the 6000 levels used by MTSU and TTU and the 7000 levels numbering of courses used at UOM.

NOTE:

MPS students are limited to no more than 6 hours of prior learning assessment (PLA) credit and transfer credit combined.

Program Notes

Candidate must

file a degree plan in the College of Graduate Studies prior to entry into the program;
file a Notice of Intent to Graduate form with the College of Graduate Studies within the first two weeks of the term in which candidate intends to graduate.