Department of Professional Studies

Professional Studies

KRISTINE CULLEN, M.A., Assistant Dean

MISSION:

Marist offers an interdisciplinary degree that can be customized to tailor an educational experience that meets an adult learner’s personal and professional objectives while earning either a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree.

A Professional Studies major has three main components: the major credit component, the core credit component, and the elective credit component.

The Professional Studies major offers flexibility in the major credit component of the program. The major credit component requires a minimum of 45 credits. Of these 45 credits, all but 12 upper-level credits (i.e., 300 and 400 level courses) can be transferred in from another college. Any remaining transfer credits may be applied to the core and elective credit components following general college guidelines. Earning a Bachelor’s degree with a Professional Studies major allows students the flexibility, with advisement, to design their major credit component. The major credit component can be divided between 2 or 3 areas of study or concentrations, each with a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 24 credits. Some popular areas of study and concentration within the Professional Studies major are (but not limited to) the following:

American Studies
Behavioral Studies
Data Center Facilities Management
Enterprise Computing
Information Technology Management
Management Studies
Organizational Communication
Organizational Leadership
Paralegal Certificate
Professional Administration
Project Management
Public Management

Students can choose courses from the many additional areas of study offered by Marist and design a unique program based on their own previous experience and personal and professional goals.

BA/BS Options

The Professional Studies major can be a BA or a BS degree, depending on the number of liberal arts credits. For the BA degree the student’s program must include a minimum of 90 credits in the liberal arts and sciences. For a BS degree a minimum of 60 credits in the liberal arts and sciences is required.

Procedures

Advisement:

Once an accepted student notifies Enrollment Services they intend to enroll, the student is contacted by an academic advisor in the School of Professional Programs. The advisor assists the student in developing a degree plan and enrolls the student for their first semester courses. Every student is assigned a designated academic advisor to assist with course selection for every subsequent semester.
Degree Plans may be revised and reassessed at any point; any course change must be approved by the Assistant Dean for the School of Professional Programs.