Master of Professional Studies

School of Professional Studies

Thomas A. Michaud, Ph.D., Dean

The School of Professional Studies (SPS) is located at the Highlands Center, just outside Wheeling, West Virginia. Through the SPS, WLU offers the Master of Professional Studies graduate program with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership. This degree is for students seeking career advancement and personal and professional enrichment. The degree consists of a core plus an area of emphasis in Organizational Leadership.

Mission Statement

The School of Professional Studies (SoPS ) is dedicated to serving adults, both undergraduate and graduate learners. All of the SoPS’ degree programs emphasize applied learning, learning which is practically relevant to professional work. SoPS faculty are broadly experienced in the fields which they teach and develop their courses with the working knowledge they have acquired. The faculty, moreover, respect the experiences of their adult students and aim to facilitate student learning by relating to and drawing on the work-based learning the students already possess.

Admission Requirements

For admission to the MPS Program, the following requirements must be met:

  1. Completed admissions application.
  2. Official transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate coursework to verify a bachelor’s degree, in any field, from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum 2.5 overall undergraduate grade point average.

International Student Requirements

In addition to the requirements listed above, please submit:

  1. Proof of English Proficiency: Please submit one of the following test results that has been completed within the past three years: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Minimum acceptable scores 595 (paper test), 195 (computer based test) or 70 (internet test) for graduate study or Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) – The minimum acceptable score is 82% for graduate study or a minimum score of 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) for graduate study.
  2. Credit Certification: Have all your coursework and credits from institutions outside of the United States evaluated by a credential evaluation service provider [e.g., World Education Services (WES), Global Credential Evaluators (GCE), Association of International Credentials Evaluators (AICE), American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), etc.]
  3. Proof of Financial Support: Submit adequate documentation of financial support for one academic year (nine months). [e.g., official bank statement, sponsorship award letters, scholarship awards, Affidavit of Support (DHS Form I-134), etc.]
  4. Copy of your ID page in your passport
  5. Immunization shot records

Graduation Requirements

The 30 credit hour Master of Professional Studies (MPS) requires:

  • 9 credit hours in the Master of Professional Studies core
  • 21 credit hours in a concentration area
  • With at least a B in each course

Required MPS Core Courses (9 hours):

MPS 500Rhetoric Reasoning & Comm

3

MPS 501Prof in Ethics in Digital Age

3

MPS 502Organizational Dynamics

3

Choose One Concentration (21 hours)

Organizational Leadership Emphasis

The structure and curricular design of this Emphasis will emphasize learning directly relevant to leadership in professional employment, namely management and supervision in for-profit and non-profit organizations.

Required:
MPS 503Methods of Applied Research

3

MPS 504History of Modern Leadership

3

MPS 505Essen of Leadership Operations

3

MPS 506Legal Environ of Org Leadershp

3

MPS 507Applied Research Proj Proposal

3

Choose 6 hours from the following:
MPS 508Lead Org Chg, Creat & Divrs

3

MPS 509Org Risk Assess & Decis-Making

3

MPS 510Understand Ldrship Thru Biog

3

MPS 511Current Issues in Leadership

3

MPS 578Special Topics in Prof Studies

3