The Master of Professional Studies is a 30-33 credit online, interdisciplinary graduate degree designed for working professionals seeking graduate education combining two or more disciplines with profession-specific requirements or skills. MPS students complete a common core, and then design the remainder of their program of study from approved graduate elective courses from Social Science or STEAM fields. Students choose either a thesis or a culminating project to complete their programs of study.
Because MPS students’ academic needs and interests are varied, they often are not well served by traditional professional programs. The MPS degree, in addition to the interdisciplinary focused program core requirements, allows students to develop individualized programs of study that make connections between various professional fields and traditional Social Science or STEAM disciplines in response to the dynamic needs of rapidly changing professional environments. Professionals who might be served by the MPS program include those working in commerce, information technology, mass media, government, social services, health care, and/or education.
At the completion of this graduate program, students are expected to be able to:
- Apply interdisciplinary theory and concepts to complex problems, issues, topics, and ideas.
- Identify, analyze, and evaluate solutions to questions of ethical concern in the professions.
- Apply principles of interdisciplinary research design to problems of multidisciplinary concern.
- Identify and apply effective leadership and communication principles with organizations and their stakeholders.
- Employ critical thinking about their uniquely interdisciplinary programs of study and articulate how their coursework coheres into an integrative educational focus.
MPS offers two concentration options:
Leadership, Organizations, and Workforce Studies Concentration (LOWS) and a No Concentration
option (Individualized).
In either track, students have the option to choose from a diverse collection of elective courses to craft a degree plan. Students will work with the program coordinator to design a program of study to suit their academic and professional goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Can this degree be completed 100% online?
Yes. Students with personal and professional obligations wishing to pursue their graduate degree entirely online will find this program to be flexible and accessible. -
Do MPS students have to write a thesis?
Students have the option to choose a thesis or a culminating project at the conclusion of their program of study. Please note that students choosing the culminating project option will take one additional course from the elective list.
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Who would benefit from the MPS degree in the LOWS concentration?
The LOWS concentration accommodates students pursuing leadership development and organizational skills in the workplace. -
Who would benefit from the MPS degree in the No Concentration (Individualized)?
The No Concentration option accommodates those students whose academic and professional interests fall outside any single academic domain and is suited particularly to those with interdisciplinary interests in STEAM and professional areas of study. -
How much do courses cost?
The cost of graduate courses varies depending on the student's residency status and the term of enrollment. Use the tuition estimator for information about the cost of the program. Also, ETSU has an eRate for out-of-state students who are taking all of their classes online. Our ETSU eRate page can provide more information about this new program; visit that page here.