Applied Professional Studies (MA)
Program Overview
The master of arts in applied professional studies (MAPS) is an applied professional program with workforce development, organizational leadership and personal development at the core of its vision. The mission of the program is to develop advanced skill sets in multiple subject areas to meet emerging workforce development needs. The graduate degree is designed to provide students an accessible, online, and affordable opportunity to achieve professional and personal goals that align with potential for career advancement and upskilling needs.
This program is an interdisciplinary master's degree combining the academic social sciences and applied professional experience with a common set of Core courses (15 credits) and a self-selected Concentration (15 credits). There are three separate and unique concentrations within the degree for students to choose from: Leadership in Public Service, Content Expertise for the Professional Educator, and an Individualized Degree Plan. In the Individualized Degree program, students have the unique opportunity to select graduate coursework individually suited to their chosen area of concentration.
Goals of the Program
All participating students will integrate theory, research, and practice to render professional judgment and choice in applied contexts. This will result in decisions and actions that effectively and ethically promote the viability of organizations and activities in the private and/or public sector.
MAPS Program Outcomes
Graduates will:
- Evaluate and critique existing structures in the public or private sector
- Produce a problem-solving policy based on evidence, professional inquiry, and decisive action
- Plan effective implementation strategies
Core outcomes:
- Develop strategies to resolve value-based conflict
- Analyze and interpret data in a professional setting
- Consider organizational change in the context of a dynamic society
- Employ effective communication strategies for diverse settings and audiences
Concentration Area Learning Outcomes
Leadership in Public Service
- Apply ethical principles to leadership practice in the public and private sectors
- Conduct successful research in public policy analysis
- Develop a public policy position, taking into account both scholarship and interest group narrative
- Apply critical theory to questions of social justice in community and economic development
- Utilize conflict management and resolution strategies in a variety of situations
Content Expertise for the Professional Educator
- Effectively communicate the subject matter of their discipline with other professionals
- Understand current research approaches in their discipline
- Utilize advanced knowledge in the subject matter of their discipline to address a practical challenge
- Articulate the significance of the subject matter of their discipline in an applied setting
- Demonstrate mastery of the subject matter of the discipline through its integration with other disciplines
Structure of the Program
This 30-credit online degree requires a combination of 1) core courses (15 credits) designed to ensure that all graduates have the basic, requisite skills needed to succeed in the fast-paced, ever-evolving professional world and 2) concentration courses (15 credits). There are three concentration areas (15 credits) where students will have their choice to hone their professional skills further as they relate to their professional career. The concentration areas are Leadership in Public Service, Content Expertise for the Professional Educator, and an Individualized Degree Plan. As part of the Core, all students in the MAPS are required to complete a Practicum, an applied learning opportunity to continue to demonstrate the skills learned in the MAPS. The Practicum is a faculty-supervised project that identifies a business or community partner problem and a solution created by the MAPS student.
Students also have the opportunity to explore graduate-level coursework across the concentrations for an Individualized (self-designed) degree. Students who wish to design their program of study to achieve a Master of Arts in Applied Professional Studies degree can graduate with a unique skill set that does not exist in a current degree program. Students who wish to design their degree program are required to complete the core courses and an additional 15 credits of graduate-level electives within the MAPS program. Self-designed degree programs must be created in consultation with a MAPS advisor and require an approved Individualized Degree Plan.
Degree Completion
Students entering without deficiencies and who enroll full-time can complete all degree requirements within one year of first enrollment. Students may take no more than seven years to complete a degree, beginning with the semester in which they complete their first course as a UW-Parkside degree-seeking graduate student, unless they apply for and receive an extension through the appropriate graduate program.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Evaluate and critique existing structures in the public or private sector.
- Produce a problem-solving policy based on evidence, professional inquiry, and decisive action.
- Plan effective implementation strategies.
- Develop strategies to resolve value-based conflict.
- Analyze and interpret data in a professional setting.
- Consider organizational change in the context of a dynamic society.
- Employ effective communication strategies for diverse settings and audiences.
Declarations have been suspended beginning Fall 2026.
Requirements for the Master of Arts in Applied Professional Studies
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses | ||
| MAPS 700 | Formal Organization | 3 |
| MAPS 701 | Applied Research For Professionals | 3 |
| MAPS 702 | Professional Ethics | 3 |
| MAPS 703 | Professional Communication (Same As COMM 703) | 3 |
| MAPS 705 | Practicum | 3 |
| Concentration Area Courses | ||
| Choose one concentration with at least 15 credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Concentration Options
A course cannot be used to satisfy requirements in more than one concentration.
Leadership in Public Service
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| MAPS 720 | Foundations of Public Service | 3 |
| MAPS 721 | Public Policy 1 | 3 |
| or MAPS 741 | Smart Policy-Making | |
| Elective Courses | ||
| Select three courses from the following: | 9 | |
| Global Warming Policy and Governance | ||
| Strategic Decision Making | ||
| Institutional Racism in America | ||
| Advanced Program Evaluation | ||
| Smart Cities & Communities | ||
| The Global City | ||
| Public Policy 1 | ||
| Social Justice and Public Service | ||
| Special Topics in Public Service | ||
| Smart Policy-Making 1 | ||
| Public Private Partnerships | ||
| Civic Technology | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Total Credits | 15 | |
- 1
A course can be applied to only one requirement within the concentration.
Content Expertise for Professional Educators
This concentration is designed to assist educators in developing deeper content expertise in a specific subject area.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Choose one content area | 15 | |
| Political Science/Government | ||
| Required Course | ||
| Public Policy 1 | ||
or MAPS 741 | Smart Policy-Making | |
| Elective Courses | ||
Select four courses from the following: | ||
| Global Warming Policy and Governance | ||
| Strategic Decision Making | ||
| Institutional Racism in America | ||
| The Global City | ||
| Foundations of Public Service | ||
| Public Policy 1 | ||
| Special Topics in Public Service | ||
| Smart Policy-Making 1 | ||
| Special Topics in Content Expertise for Professional Educators: | ||
| Exploring Place-Based Education | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Sociology | ||
| Required Course | ||
| Social Justice and Public Service | ||
| Elective Courses | ||
Select four courses from the following: | ||
| Institutional Racism in America | ||
| Advanced Program Evaluation | ||
| The Global City | ||
| Foundations of Public Service | ||
| Public Policy | ||
| Special Topics in Public Service | ||
| Human Machine Interface | ||
| Special Topics in Content Expertise for Professional Educators: | ||
| Exploring Place-Based Education | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Total Credits | 15 | |
- 1
A course can be applied to only one requirement within the certificate.
Individualized Degree Plan
Students who wish to design their degree program are required to complete the core courses and an additional 15 credits of graduate-level electives within the MAPS program. Self-designed degree programs must be created in consultation with a MAPS advisor and require an approved Individualized Degree Plan.
University Requirements for Master’s Degree Programs
To receive a master’s degree from UW-Parkside, students must meet the following minimum requirements (note that individual programs may impose more stringent requirements):
- Complete at least 30 graduate credits, of which no more than 12 may be transferred from another institution.
- Have an overall GPA of at least 3.00 for all graduate work taken at UW-Parkside that is applicable to the degree program.
- Satisfy all requirements of the graduate degree program.
Students may take no more than seven years to complete a degree, beginning with the semester in which they complete their first course as a UW-Parkside degree-seeking graduate student, unless they apply for and receive an extension through the appropriate graduate program. Some programs may impose a shorter time limit. To graduate, students must file a request for graduation. The request form, signed by the student’s advisor and filed in the appropriate graduate program office, initiates the final review of the candidate’s records. Students also need to apply to graduate with the Office of the Registrar.
Admission applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Applicants are required to have an undergraduate degree with a cumulative GPA of 2.75, or if the applicants have a graduate degree, the GPA requirement is waived. Applicants are also required to submit all undergraduate and graduate transcripts, a current resume/CV, and two letters of recommendation, preferably one from a current supervisor if employed.
For applicants who do not meet the admission criteria, admission with probationary status may be granted after taking into consideration the applicant’s special qualifications and circumstances. Students admitted on probation will be on probation for their first 9 semester credits. A student who is admitted on probation is required to attain a minimum GPA of 3.00 on the first 9 credit hours of coursework completed at UW-Parkside. For continuing students, refer to the Graduate Academic Standing Policy. Students who do not meet the above requirement will be dropped from the program.
Applicants are not required to take the GRE or MAT assessment for admission to the program.
International students from non-English-speaking countries must demonstrate proficiency in English.
Official TOEFL scores must meet or exceed the requirements below:
- Paper-based: a minimum score of 525
- Computer-based: a minimum score of 197
- Internet-based: a minimum score of 71
Official IELTS scores that meet or exceed the requirements below:
- A minimum score of 6.0
For students from English-speaking countries, no English Proficiency Examination Scores are required.