The MAPCS has both a required integrative experience and a culminating experience. The integrative experience is encapsulated by the final praxis course, Leadership for Peaceful Change, which brings all the students together to share and profit from their individual experiences in internships, thesis research or the project course, to glean additional meanings from the same.
Here students integrate theory and praxis, place themselves within the best practice debates in the field, and develop an advanced understanding of both the ethics of reflective practice and the strategies of networking and coalition building. The course culminates with two key elements. The first is a crisis simulation exercise where students integrate the knowledge and skills they have learned across the program and apply to them a concrete policy problem. Second, students will be expected to develop a career plan for entering and progressing in the profession. We plan to offer this course as a stand-alone online professional development course that can also be targeted at those already working in the field interested in additional training to inform their practice and advance their careers.
In addition, students will choose from one of three culminating experiences available.
- Thesis for 6 credit hours
- Intervention Design & Implementation or Internship for 6 credit hours
- An Internship for 3 credit hours with an extra elective for 3 credit hours
The internship and project course options are designed for those students who seek a more hands on and practical set of experiences with which to develop and integrate their classroom learning. The thesis is recommended for those students seeking to work either in the policy field or continuing to doctoral level work.