The Master of Professional Studies-Regents Online Degree Program (MPS-RODP) - Strategic Leadership prepares you to lead in today's rapidly changing professional environment. This graduate professional studies degree consists of 33 hours of interdisciplinary coursework in the areas of leadership, communication, strategic planning and assessment, organizational structure and research/data analysis.
The MPS-RODP brings college to you – at home, at work, on the road, at the library or on vacation; anytime of day and night, including weekends. No more long waits in lines or hours away from your job and family. Plan your education around your schedule, family activities and job demands. You can even register online, purchase your books online, and go to the library online.
The MPS-RODP is designed to affordably and flexibly meet the needs of working adults who are not generally served by traditional methods. This unique program is taught by professors who are best suited to help you develop the skills necessary to excel in your career field.
The MPS-RODP is for full-time professionals who want to gain an advantage for the next promotion opportunity. It is designed to not only jump start your career, but give you the tools necessary to fulfill the needs of today's employers.
MPS-RODP allows you access to high-quality, affordable, student-centered educational opportunities, thanks to the cooperative efforts of the six Tennessee Board of Regents universities.
Faculty teaching in the program will be certified for graduate faculty status by the university teaching the MPS class.
Admission Requirements:
For Full Standing:
• An undergraduate grade point average of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale from an accredited college or university.
• An acceptable score on the GRE, generally at least 400 verbal, 500 quantitative and a 4.0 on analytical writing. Applicants with five or more years of professional work experience may submit a portfolio in lieu of the GRE. The portfolio is to include: a resume; a 500- to 600-word essay detailing the reasons for wanting to enter the MPS program and discussing how the program will help the applicant achieve personal and professional goals; and two sealed letters of professional reference. Other items that an applicant may include in the portfolio include a description of professional responsibilities, professional achievements and professional awards/recognitions. The portfolio material must be submitted as a packet, not mailed separately. Applicant should submit the application and the GRE scores or portfolio to the Graduate School. The admission decision will be based on the entire academic and professional record. Applicants will be granted unconditional admission if the overall record (based on the above variables) indicates a high potential for success in the program.
For Provisional (Conditional) Admission:
• Applicants who do not meet the requirements for full standing might be admitted provisionally (conditionally) if their entire academic and professional records indicate potential for success in the program. Conditions may include, but are not limited to, taking prerequisite undergraduate courses, enrolling in specified graduate-level courses, and achieving a specified grade point average.
Note: During your first semester you must complete all entrance requirements including formal transcripts and any required tests for full admission to the program.
For more information, visit the RODP site .
Follow the Graduate School General Degree Requirements as stated in the Graduate Catalog.
Total credits required for graduation: 33 hours
Major Field Core (9 hours):
• PRST 6100. Professional Environment: Issues and Ethics. Cr. 3.
• PRST 6200. Globalization and the Professions. Cr. 3.
• PRST 6300. Research Methods. Cr. 3.
Concentrations (21 hours): Students will complete seven of the following courses including at least one course from each of the five subject areas:
Leadership Theory :
PRST 6500. Foundations of Leadership. Cr. 3.
LDSP 6000. Current Issues and Cases in Leadership. Cr. 3.
ELPA 6560. Small Group Leadership. Cr. 3.
Research/Data Analysis:
QM 6770. Computer-Based Decision Modeling. Cr. 3.
PRST 6600. Statistical Analysis. Cr. 3.
Organizational Structure and Change:
PRST 6310. Leadership in Organizations. Cr. 3.
PRST 6800. Organizational Skills and Development. Cr. 3.
Communication:
COMM 6110. Leadership and Communication. Cr. 3.
JOUR 6450. Public Relations Management. Cr. 3.
PRST 6700. Conflict Management and Negotiation. Cr. 3.
Strategic Planning and Assessment:
TECH 6105. Project Planning and Scheduling. Cr. 3.
PRST 6040. Human Resources Management. Cr. 3.
Culminating Professional Project (3 hours):
PRST 6998. Professional Project. Cr. 3.
COURSES
COMM 6110. Leadership and Communication. Cr. 3.
This course focuses on leadership as a function of communication behavior. Through discussion, cases and exercises, participants will explore effective communication strategies within an organizational setting. The course will cover team leadership skills, rhetorical sensitivity, charisma and practical suggestions for improving leadership effectiveness.
ELPA 6560. Small Group Leadership. Cr. 3.
Through activities in this course, students will explore their leadership skills specifically related to forming compatible achieving groups capable of completing tasks to complement the organizational vision. Students will examine the classic and contemporary literature on topics effecting groups such as conflict, collaboration, negation, power issues, decision-making, compromise strategies, and team building.
JOUR 6450. Public Relations Management. Cr. 3.
This program is meant to introduce many of the key aspects of public relations management through the readings of and understanding of public relations principles and case studies.
LDSP 6000. Current Issues and Cases in Leadership. Cr. 3.
Based on a global and cross-discipline perspective, this course provides a study of the current trends and practices in public and private sector leadership. Students will read and discuss current news, research, and case studies and will be required to complete independent and collaborative projects. Instruction will be provided on where to track trends in leadership and how to use the case method. Specific topics may vary depending upon the current trends but will generally include personal mastery and leadership development, leading organizations into the future, values-based leadership and corporate citizenship, collaborative leadership, global leadership and diversity, stakeholder relations, knowledge management, a comparative study of the roles of leaders in business, public and nonprofit (civil society) organizations, leadership at the grassroots and board levels, the impact of technology on leadership.
MGMT 6040. Human Resources Management. Cr. 3.
Analysis of theories, policies, procedures, practices and regulations relevant to attracting, retaining and directing a competent work force. Analysis of the basic personnel function with emphasis on the fact that all managers are “personnel managers.” Integration of scientific theory, procedures, instruments, and federal regulations into personnel selections, placement, and security programs.
PADM 6310. Leadership in Organizations. Cr. 3.
This course is structure in survey format in order to inform the student about organizational theories and administrative behavior practices pertinent to organizations in America. The purpose of this course is to familiarize the student with a theoretical base for understanding organizations in America. Furthermore, this course will attempt to instruct the student on how to apply organizational theory to the practice of everyday life experiences within their respective organizations. Students will be expected to display their knowledge of “why” and “how” organizations look and function the way they do in various discussions, presentations, papers, and examinations.
PRST 6100. Professional Environment: Issues and Ethics. Cr. 3.
Overview of ethics in general, with practical tools for assessing ethical dimensions of professional life, diagnosing or identifying the moral issues at hand, and then developing reasonable options to address particular moral and ethical issues.
PRST 6200. Globalization and the Professions. Cr. 3.
The purpose of this course is to assess the impact of globalization on professional life. The course examines globalization as it relates to commerce, information flow, mass media, government, health care and education.
PRST 6300. Research Methods. Cr. 3.
The student and application of research methods appropriate to professional studies. The course will provide a general introduction to research methods, as well as providing practical exposure to Problem Statements, Literature Reviews, Writing the Research Proposal, and Organization of the Research Report. Quantitative and Qualitative Research methodologies will be covered.
PRST 6500. Foundations of Leadership. Cr. 3.
Students will study leadership from a historical and contemporary perspective. Topics cover historical development, leadership theories, personal assessment, values and ethics, motivation, power, followership, group dynamics, diversity, controversy with civility, change process, and citizenship.
PRST 6600. Statistical Analysis. Cr. 3.
Prerequisite: PRST 6300. Analytical decision making including statistics, quantitative methods, and other optimization and simulation models.
PRST 6700. Conflict Management and Negotiation. Cr. 3.
Negotiation and Conflict Management presents negotiation theory—strategies and styles—within an employment context. A different topic will be presented each week. In addition to the theory and exercises presented in class, students practice negotiating with role-playing simulations in threaded discussions and chat. Students also learn how to negotiate in difficult situations, which include abrasiveness, racism, sexism, whistle blowing, and emergencies. The course covers conflict management from two perspectives. From a first party perspective you will be directly engaged. As a third party, you will develop and enhance your skills in helping others deal directly with their conflicts, mediation, investigation, arbitration, and helping the system change as a result of a dispute.
PRST 6800. Organizational Skills and Development. Cr. 3.
Analysis of theory, practice and skills involved in leading organizational change, including: aligning change with the organizational strategy, understanding changes as part of a system, understanding the dynamics of and managing resistance to change, creating a vision to inspire others to become a part of the change process, the use of goal setting, feedback and incentives to promote change, and aligning individual's roles to support change. The course will blend learning from the texts and skill building.
PRST 6998. Professional Project. Cr. 3.
The Professional Project is the last requirement for the MPS Degree, serving as the integrative culmination of the program of study. It should be a substantial piece of independent research or a significant professional project that is logically consistent with the theme and content of the program of study. Student's work should demonstrate familiarity with and understanding of a body of professional literature related to a specific topic. The Project should grow out of the program of study and should demonstrate the student's ability to use the knowledge gained from this program of study.
QM 6770. Computer-Based Decision Modeling. Cr. 3.
Prerequisite: PRST 6300. This course is about modeling and analyzing managerial problems on spreadsheets. The spreadsheet modeling experience in this course will enhance not only analytical problem solving capabilities but also spreadsheet skills of even an experienced Excel user. This course will introduce and apply some of these advanced tools.
TECH 6105. Project Planning and Scheduling. Cr. 3.
Contemporary methods used in project planning and scheduling; emphasis on critical path method (CPM) with computer application; solution of actual problems stressed. This graduate level course has a required text that includes a trial version of MS Project software that will be used during the semester. The course is project based.Page last updated: 4/23/08