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Graduate Program Course Descriptions
Behavioral Science Courses (B SC)
500 Applied Behavioral Analysis. (3)
Psychology 500 is a course designed to develop basic knowledge of the principles of operant and classical conditioning. The course includes developing competency in identifying, collecting, analyzing and altering operant behaviors in various applied settings.
502 Sociology of Education. (3)
Why do Americans attend school? Why do some students learn more than others? How do schools perpetuate social inequality? How does the “culture” of a school shape the learning environment and how does that culture differ from one school to the next? How is the educational experience of students shaped by the “hidden curriculum”? How do other societies structure their schools and approach education differently than the United States? These are among the questions we will consider this term.
503 Juvenile Delinquency. (3)
As the juvenile court system in the United States is merely a little over one hundred years old, juvenile delinquency, as a social and legal concept has a relatively short history. The purpose of this course is to serve as a broad overview of the basis issues, concepts and problems relating to juvenile delinquency. In effect, the social dimensions of juvenile justice will be examined. Other topics will include, the legal processing of delinquents by police, courts, and correctional agencies, including diversion from the courts and alternatives to incarceration. Students should note that this course is not intended to deal with practical issues of counseling and guidance of juvenile delinquents, but rather is intended to be a sociological examination of society’s response to the perception of adolescent misconduct.
504 Minority Group Relations. (3)
This course is designed to explore the nature and dynamics of minority group relations. We will become familiar with basic concepts and theories related to minority groups. In addition, we will focus on the socio-historical factors contributing to the existence and maintenance of minorities, and how these factors translate into interpersonal relations. The interlocking nature of oppression due to the manifestation of prejudice and discrimination based on ethnicity, race, age, gender, religion, and sexual orientation will be stressed throughout the course. To meet these objectives, the format of the course will incorporate lectures, class discussions, and videos.
505 Child & Adolescent Psychology. (3)
The purpose of this course is to provide students with an understanding of child & adolescent development, which hopefully will include: 1) An understanding of major theories and the strengths and shortcomings of each; 2) Knowledge of both the sequence of development and the processes that underlie it; 3) An appreciation of the impact of context and culture on development; 4) An understanding of the joint contributions of biology and environment to development; 5) A sense of the interdependency of all aspect of development – physical, cognitive, emotional, and social; and 6) An appreciation of the interrelatedness of theory, research, and applications.
515 Behavioral Science Research. (3)
This course provides students an opportunity to gain knowledge or refine their existing knowledge in regards to conducting research. Topics covered include experimental design, survey research, the correlational approach, and single subject designs. Classic research findings are examined including ethics of the research, the findings, and the theoretical implications of the findings.
Educational Leadership Courses (EDEL)
500 Public School Administration. (3)
This course is designed to introduce the student to public school administration. Effective and successful schools research will be examined along with their practical applications to the field of education. A variety of topics relevant to the field of public school administration will be discussed. Twenty (20) clock hours in an elementary setting is required.
560 Action Research Internship in School Administration (Elementary, Middle, Secondary). (3) (Prerequisites: EDUC 520 and 24 hrs. of coursework completion)
The entire emphasis of the internship is to provide a well thought out, planned “hands-on” learning experience for students which bridges the gap between pedagogy and practice. Students need to be able to make sense of what they are learning and to connect the experiences in ways that lead to conceptual understanding of the roles and responsibilities of school administrators. An internship of 215 clock hours must be completed within six months from the beginning of the course.
570 Organization and Management of Public Schools. (3)
This course represents a comprehensive study of the managerial duties and responsibilities of a school administrator in the K-12 setting. This course also examines the organizational structure of the public school system as well as the individual schools. Twenty (20) clock hours in a high school setting is required.
580 Public School Law. (3)
Explores Public School Law as it relates to the theory and practical application of federal, state, and local laws and regulations governing public schools. Emphasis on Constitutional law and the judicial rulings of the Supreme Court, federal district courts, and state appellate courts. Laws and regulations in West Virginia are examined. Twenty (20) clock hours in a PreK-12 setting is required.
590 School and Community Relations. (3)
An analysis of the role of school policy in modern community, community power structure and resources, the social and political context, and the principles of school-community relations in the context of social change, including group processes, multicultural and multiethnic understanding, the needs of exceptional children, interagency cooperation, funding and evaluation. Students are provided opportunities to develop materials for use in their local schools or districts. Twenty (20) clock hours in a middle school setting is required.
Education Courses (EDUC)
510 Models of Curriculum and Instruction. (3)
This course considers current research regarding the teaching and learning processes and explores a variety of instructional models and strategies. Practical application of models to instructional planning and delivery in K-12 classrooms will be emphasized.
515 Supervisory Skills and Practices. (3)
This course is designed to help cooperating teachers develop effective supervisory skills. To meet this general objective it is first necessary to develop the ability to analyze instruction, to become familiar with the research on effective teaching, and to relate the research findings to current supervisory procedures. Once this has been accomplished students will examine techniques through which they can communicate and work with student teachers.
520 Educational Research. (3)
This course introduces a student to the various types of quantitative and qualitative research. Course content will focus on the research process including evaluations of existing educational research as well as analysis and application of the findings.
525 Educational Trends and Issues. (3)
This course explores the trends and issues in society that affect education and lifelong learning. The course will approach trends and issues that both external and internal to education, but continue to influence the institution of education. The course study will include a focus on (1) social trends and their potential impact on education, (2) educational trends and their impact on the classroom, and (3) planning for the future. Some key concepts explored and how these affect education include inclusion, professional development schools, legal policies and procedures, social-demographic changes and factors, socio-economics status, and technology. This course will also include planning for the future, forecasting, theories of change, and change agentry.
530 Integrating Technology in the Teaching and Learning Process. (3)
This course aligns content-specific standards with ISTE’s National Educational Technology Standards and state technology standards to assist teachers in integrating technology in K-12 classrooms through participation in and development of project-based learning activities. Learning activities focus on the use of technology as a tool to foster higher level outcomes in content-specific curricula. Teachers will have a better understanding of how technology enhances instruction and student learning.
535 Theories of Educational Leadership. (3)
A general course for students of education in public and private schools, this course is devoted to a consideration of administrative theory and its practical application. Course content will include purposes and nature of theory in educational administration and the application of organizational theory to education. The content is drawn from many areas of scholarly concern and generic concepts applicable in a variety of organizational settings will be discussed. Examples drawn from a number of fields will be considered. Theories of decision-making, communication, leadership, climate, power, conflict, change, morale, and motivation will be included.
540 Assessment & Evaluation. (3)
Application of measurement principals in the assessment of learning in educational environments. Topics include: formative, summative and diagnostic testing, instructional objectives and classroom tests, judging complex performance, and social and political issues with the administration and interpretation of evaluation instruments.
550 Seminar and Special Topics in Education. (3)
This course provides an opportunity to examine and discuss current educational practices and issues in depth. Emphasis will be placed on analysis and synthesis of primary/current research as well as classroom application and practice. Possible courses might include preparing for National Board Certification, Grants and Grant Writing, and Electronic Resources for the Classroom. Course topics may vary each semester.
560 Action Research in Education. (3) (Prerequisites: EDUC 520 and 24 hrs. of coursework completion)
The course provides a foundation for qualitative inquiry with a focus on case study research, ethnographic description, designing and conducting qualitative research. The course includes collecting and analyzing data and reporting qualitative analysis.
Geography Courses (GEOG)
502 Political Geography. (3)
A study of the role of geographic conditions and considerations in local, national, and international politics. Special attention is given to political problems and topics of current interest.
510 Urban Geography. (3)
The class examines social and environmental issues facing America’s cities. The class culminates with a trip to Washington, DC for a week of seminars with experts from government, academia, the media, and community organizations.
514 Physical Geography. (3)
Physical geography is the study of the nature of how earth’s environments have affected human land use and occupancy patterns; and of how human activity has impacted and altered earth’s natural environments.
517 Learning with Maps. (3)
This course is designed to prepare teachers to introduce K-12 students to maps and mapmaking. The course develops an understanding of grade-appropriate cartographic material and cartographic teaching techniques. The course also focuses on implementing methods for teaching the construction of maps. A third emphasis of the course involves exploring methods of using maps to communicate a variety of central environmental and social topics. Finally, in addition to cartographic techniques, students will learn principles of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and GIS teaching methods.
518 Cartography. (3)
Cartography is the study of maps and mapmaking. Students will learn how to read and make various kinds of maps. Cartography has become a computer oriented field. This orientation will be represented in this class and students will use computers to make maps.
519 Advanced Cartography. (3)
Advanced Cartography is a continuation and amplification of GEOG 518. Advanced cartographic techniques including transformation between raster and vector image formats, warping, and three-dimensional mapping are covered. The course also examines advanced thematic mapping methods and design.
520 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems. (3)
This course will enable students to develop the necessary skills related to geographic information. Students will develop skills to analyze and manipulate geographic data by demonstrating the use of GIS functions and cartographic proficiency. Students will use the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA) Core Curriculum.
521 Advanced Geographic Information Systems. (3)
Students will learn to think critically about GIS in various terms other than the technical. Course topics include determining which GIS to use, to explore various projects using GIS, societal issues of GIS, managing a GIS, Meta-Data and the future of GIS.
522 North America. (3)
This course examines people and cultures of North America by sub-regions. Course topics include the physical environments, agriculture, religion, language, popular culture, city life, geopolitics, perceptions and the economic geography of North America.
523 Southeast Asia. (3)
This course provides students with an in depth study of SE Asia and surrounding countries. It approaches SE Asia from the perspective of environments, culture and geo-politics.
524 Geography of Latin America. (3)
The course will be a systematic introduction to the human geography of Latin America.
525 Geography of the US-Mexico Borderlands. (3)
The course is a systematic introduction to the geography of the US-Mexico borderlands.
526 North Africa and the Middle East. (3)
This course analyzes the physical processes and the cultural elements of this region.
550 World Cultural Geography. (3)
This course systematically surveys people and their environments by regions. It is an introduction to the concept of culture and the themes of geography. It introduces the idea of cultural connections between people and places across the globe. Course topics include human origins, human /environment interaction, population, agriculture, language, religion, political patterns, urban life, and economic systems.
551 Advanced Cultural Geography. (3)
This course is thematic in nature. It offers an in depth study of human geography and culture through the topics of human origins, population, agriculture, political patterns, language religion, folk societies, ethnicity, landscape, and urban life. There will be an emphasis placed on popular culture.
552 American Indians. (3)
This course focuses on the American Indian from prehistoric to contemporary times. Topics include the peopling of the Americas, Indians and the environment, Indian movement (s), Indian culture and government relation. A goal of this course is “demystify” the American Indian. Students should come to see Indians as a minority people.
553 Geomorphology. (4)
This course examines basic environmental concepts and the processes behind our physical landscapes. Students will develop an understanding of environmental philosophies and the importance of human/environmental interaction.
554 Geographic Alliance Summer Institute. (3-6)
This course is an intensive 14-day course that meets for 90 plus hours. It includes lecture and field trips as it introduces students to geography as a discipline in which critical thinking application and contemporary technological skills play a significant role. The basic focus is the study of spatial patterns in human and natural phenomena. The expected outcome is that students will appreciate and think critically about the relationship of people and the environment. The Alliance Summer Geography Institute schedule follows the educational outcomes outlined by the West Virginia DOE.
555 Special Topics/ National Geographic Workshop. (3)
This course provides students with an opportunity to do advanced study in geographic topics. Made be taken more than once for credit. Possible topics might include any of the National Geographic Workshops.
Health Promotion (HLTH)
500 Foundations of Health Education & Health Promotion (3)
This course is designed to provide the graduate student with an overview of general principles and concepts of health education and promotion applicable to traditional work settings.
510 Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obsesity (3)
Obesity is now ranked as one of the most critical public health threats of the 21st Century. Physical activity and nutrition play primary roles in weight management. This course will examine the nature, extent, and consequences of obesity in the US, and how social, environmental, genetic, cultural, and other factors influence its increased prevalence. The direct relationship with physical activity and dietary intake will be examined, and lifestyle changes necessary to reverse the trend identified.
515 Advanced Content in Health Promotion (3)
A content driven course that will allow the practitioner to better understand the framing of most health related programming. Topical overviews will include; ATOD use, misuse, and abuse, stress management, social interactions, concepts related to holistic health, and human sexuality.
520 Program Planning and Evaluation (3)
In this course, students will develop knowledge and skills required to effectively plan, implement, and evaluate programs that address public health problems for defined populations in a variety of settings.
530 Health Interventions for School-aged Children (3)
This course will examine health promotion strategies and programs that are effective with children in the school setting, including before and after school, as well as community-based settings. The critical issue of the involvement of parents, school faculty, and others in the community will be discussed. Selected interventional strategies for various age groups of children will be reviewed and evaluated, and new interventions will be developed for implementation. Prerequisite HLT H520.
540 Epidemiology (3)
Introduction and overview of principals related epidemiology. To include major study designs, statistical gathering techniques, epidemiology of infectious and chronic diseases, data interpretation, and measures of mortality and morbidity.
550 Health Trends and Issues (3)
This course will focus on current trends including advocacy strategies, national initiatives, current empirical research, grant writing, and public policy.
555 Graduate Seminar (1)
Selected topics in the health education and promotion, including curriculum development, instructional processes, supervision, research, and evaluation. This course may be repeated up to three times.
560 Action Research in Health Promotion (3)
This course will focus much attention on utilizing action research to identify a problem or issue within your work setting and systematically collecting and analyzing data, and most importantly utilizing the data to inform decision making, policy, and/or pedagogical processes. In addition students will be asked to identify the leading professional organizations in their field and to explore presentation and publication options available to professionals in the field.
History Courses (HIST)
512 The Civil War and Reconstruction. (3)
This course will enable students to identify and analyze the causes of the Civil War; the election of 1860 and the initiation of the secession crisis; the political, economic and social structures and the dynamic changes to them in the course of the war both for the Federal Union and the Confederate States; the military effect of the war on leadership, strategy, tactics, logistics, battles, and home front conditions; and the post war Reconstruction period including the success and failures of Reconstruction.
520 The Enlightenment: Reason and Revolution. (3)
Immanuel Kant asserted that the motto of the Enlightenment was “Dare to Know!” That the period represented an attempt to substitute one’s own reason for the dictates of authority figures. In this class, we will examine this period and its thought from several angles: considering the historical and philosophical background to this “revolution ,” the varieties of thought on issues such as the possibility of knowledge, religion , value theory, the state and society, and the effects of these ideas on Enlightenment and contemporary society. At the same time thinking, discussing and writing, and in the analysis of primary and secondary source documents.
529 American Foreign Affairs. (3)
This course serves as:(a) an intensive survey, (b) an analysis of concepts, and (c) a study of policy-making in the foreign affairs of the United States from the colonial period to the present. As an additional component (d), we’ll be looking at the often-synergistic interaction between American foreign affairs, and domestic conditions and cultural concepts.
Philosophy Courses (PHIL)
560 The Scientific Revolution. (3)
Examines the emergence and growth of modern science from the late Middle Ages to the early eighteenth century, particularly in light of contemporary cultural developments. Attention will focus on the shifting place of science in Western culture and the emergence of new scientific ideas. Incidents in Early Modern science will also be used as test cases in the examination of theories on the nature of the scientific endeavor and scientific change.
Political Science Courses (POSC)
502 American Government. (3)
This course explores the roles, functions, structures, and activities of American governing and linkage institutions at the federal, state, and local levels. This course builds on a thorough understanding of the theory and practice of American government. Through detailed examination of many historically influential political theorists, this course will seek to facilitate independent and critical analysis of informed participation in the American political system.
504 Public Administration. (3)
This course explores the young and changing discipline of public administration and provides a solid foundation for further study of and/or employment as public administrators. This course will examine the theory and practice of public administration, with particular focus on the distinct approaches recommended by managerial, political, and legal perspectives. Historical readings and contemporary cases will be used to explore enduring debates regarding the appropriate roles, responsibilities, and goals of public administrators.
Reading Courses (RDNG)
510 Foundations of Reading. (3)
This course is designed to be an advanced study on the theoretical foundations of reading and the bases for reading instruction. The course focuses on the theories and beliefs that underpin literacy instruction and the moral virtue in being sensitive to learner differences.
520 Reading and Writing in Content Areas. (3)
Theories of the reading process and of reading and writing to learn in content areas are explored. Emphasis is upon practical strategies and techniques for acquiring knowledge through literacy in a variety of content areas.
530 Reading Assessment. (3)
This course is designed to be an advanced study for the diagnostic assessing of readers to provide information that will enable appropriate instructional plans to be developed especially for non-proficient readers.
540 Research in Reading and Literacy Education. (3)
Study of research in reading and literacy learning, emphasizing interpretation, critical analysis and application of research for the improvement of instruction.
550 Methods for Teaching Reading and the Language Arts. (3)
This course is designed to be an advanced study of instructional methods and strategies for teaching reading and language arts. The course provides prospective teachers with opportunities to develop and broaden their knowledge of language arts, to become informed in the strategies used to teach language arts, and methods used in the implementation of those strategies.
560 Action Research in Reading Education. (3) (Prerequisites: EDUC 520 and 24 hrs. of coursework completion)
The course provides a foundation for qualitative inquiry in reading with a focus on case study research, ethnographic description, designing and conducting qualitative research. The course includes collecting and analyzing data and reporting qualitative analysis.
570 Reading Practicum. (6) (Prerequisites: RDNG 530 and RDNG 550)
The Reading Practicum is the culminating experience of the master’s in reading. The focus of the course is intensive diagnosis, assessment, and instruction of real learners in a clinical setting.
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