Professional Studies (PS) courses are designed to cultivate and enrich students’ knowledge and skills for and within the workplace. PS courses all have a strong emphasis on professional development in regard to a wide variety of topics, issues, and practical applications relevant to professionalism in the contemporary workplace.
PS courses are open to all students. There are no prerequisites. For students in the RBA, BLA, and BAS degree programs, PS courses fulfill designated General Studies requirements. For all other degree programs, PS courses are general electives only.
Professional Studies Courses & Descriptions:
PS 250 – Computer use for Professionals [Computer Applications] 3 credit hours
This course educates students in a variety of computer uses which facilitate professional development. In addition, emphasis is placed on proper professional etiquette, protocol and ethics as they are relevant to computer use. Professional usage skills to be developed variously include: word processing applications, keyboard techniques and shortcuts, browser options, search engines, internet usage (including research purposes), professional e-mail usage, professional social media usage, file management, managing data and creating data designs through spreadsheets, and presentation management through presentation software and other programs. (No prerequisite required.)
PS 278 – Special Topics in Professional Studies [General Studies Elective in variable areas] (1 – 3 credit hours)
A course category in the general field of Professional Studies – Students should check the schedule to ascertain what topics are currently being offered and are further encouraged to recommend topical items to the Dean of Professional Studies. (No pre-requisite required)
PS 300 – Professional Portfolio Development (1 credit hour)
Students are instructed in the processes for developing a professional portfolio of their work and life experiences in order to be able to apply for academic credit for those experiences. (No pre-requisite required)
PS 301 – Introduction to Legal Studies for Professionals [Social Science] (3 credit hours)
This course provides an overview of the structure and operations of American law and the American legal system, especially in regard to the law’s application to professional work in for-profit and non-profit organizations. Students are introduced to the ways law shapes professional work and the ways professional work shapes the law. Among other topics relevant to professionals, this course explores definitions and concepts of law, the ways injuries and disputes are mediated, and the concept and importance of workplace rights. (No pre-requisite required)
PS 302 – Retirement Planning for Professionals [Social Science] (3 credit hours)
This course covers the strategies, techniques, and programs for effective retirement planning for professionals from a wide range of fields. Emphases are also placed upon learning to assess retirement lifestyle options which are significantly relevant to retirement financial planning. (No pre-requisite required)
PS 303 – Public Health Issues for Professionals [Social Science] (3 credit hours)
The purpose of this course is to examine public health issues and their impact on professional work. Students will be introduced to various areas of significance in public health, such as epidemic prevention, natural disaster response and recovery, environmental hazard protection and assessing quality and accessible health services. These areas will be understood especially in regard to the ways they affect the professional workplace through interpreting and applying laws, regulations, policies, and procedures that relate to communicable disease reporting. (No pre-requisite required)
PS 304 – The Healthy Professional [Social Science] (3 credit hours)
The purpose of this course is for professionals to learn the basic principles necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle by keeping a variety of variables in balance and understanding the common internal and external forces that tend to disrupt homeostasis. Students will understand the order of magnitude that stress/strains have on their systems and how to reduce them. Students will also discover basic internal decision-making rules to maintain balance and health. (No pre-requisite required)
PS 305 – The Essentials of Professional Grant Writing [Communication] (3 credit hours)
A review of the ideas, sources, general processes and common pitfalls of grant writing in general Additional topics include following the proposal guidelines, determining the focus of and selling one’s project, basic research and design, use of literature citations, collaboration and consultants, proposal organization, formatting and electronic presentation, and scoring and resubmission. Practical experience in developing the aspects of a grant proposal will be emphasized. (No pre-requisite required)
PS 306 – Applied Mathematics for the Professional [Mathematics] (3 credit hours)
This course offers an exploration of real-world mathematics for the professional. Topics include area and volume, probability, functions, compound interest, exponential growth, symmetry and transformative geometry, statistics, ratios, proportions and fractions. All topics draw upon current event-based scenarios and relevant considerations and dilemmas for the contemporary professional. (No pre-requisite required)
PS 307 – Professionalism through Biography [Humanities] (3 credit hours)
Through the study of biographies and autobiographies about a variety of world leaders, top CEO’s, legendary sports coaches, and major culture and arts figures, students will learn about different professional styles and the ways those styles can apply to their own professionalism. Students’ learning will be accomplished specifically through writing a number of short essays, guided class discussions, applied practical exercises, and class presentations. Facilitating the students’ self-discovery in terms of their own professional strengths and weaknesses will be a prime objective. (No pre-requisite required)
PS 308 – Rhetoric and Reasoning for Professionals [Communication] (3 credit hours)
The emphasis in this course is to cultivate students’ skills in rhetoric and reasoning to advance their professional development. Specific topics will include: a survey of the history of rhetoric, the basic principles of rhetoric, the issue of truth and rhetoric, refining reasoning skills for improving rhetoric, and the inter-relationship between reasoning and language. Students will develop their professional reasoning and rhetorical skills through completing a number of various kinds of writing assignments, presentations on topical issues in professionalism, and a series of professionally practical exercises. (No pre-requisite required)
PS 309 – Society, Ethics and Technology for Professionals [Humanities] (3 credit hours)
After a historical survey of the social evolution of technology and various ways of understanding the social impact of technology, students will be familiarized with methods of ethics analysis in order to be able to recognize and evaluate technological ethics issues in the professional workplace. Emphasis will be placed on analyses of topical ethics scenarios and on extended case studies. (No pre-requisite required)
PS 310 – Professionalism in the Non-Profit Sector [Social Science] (3 credit hours)
Professionals with non-profit organizations have a responsibility to contribute to engendering positive change in individuals and society. Students will explore components of non-profit organizations that support this responsibility as well as distinguish non-profits from for-profit businesses. These components include: the importance of defining a mission and a vision statement, understanding 501(c) (3) non-profit status, effective strategies for marketing, innovation, and fund development, measuring performance, the value of relationship building, and the role of a leader. (No pre-requisite required)
PS 311 – Public Administration Principles and Applications for Professionals [Soc. Science] (3 credit hours)
This course begins with an overview comparison/contrast of the basic principles of private vs. public administration, which leads to an examination of how the local, state, and federal bureaucratic systems are organized and how they relate. The course then focuses on two key areas in which a public servant is likely to be involved: public personnel administration and public budgeting. Emphasis is placed upon recruitment, training, promotion policies, position classification, and employer-employee relations. In addition, the politics, techniques, and fiscal schedules of budgeting processes at federal, state and local levels are studied. (No pre-requisite required)
PS 312 – Ecological Issues for Professionals [Natural Science] (3 credit hrs.)
This course begins with an examination of the basic principles of ecological science pertaining to its definition, subject matter, scientific methodology and research protocol. The course then proceeds to study various ecological issues from a scientific perspective in regard to how they impact professional work. Such issues will include ecological engineering and sustainability, restoration ecology, the effects of standard and alternative energy sources, and environmental ecology: conservationism and stewardship. (No pre-requisite required)
PS 313 – Diversity and Disability in the Professional Workplace [Social Science] (3 credit hours)
The course offers in-depth education on disability awareness by focusing on four topical areas, 1) Typecasting: Understanding the Diversity of Disability, 2) Legal Implications: A Synoptic Overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 3) Reasonable Accommodation, and 4) Etiquette: Communication and Interaction. The study of each of these areas will integrate relevant provisions from the five topics of the ADA: 1) Employment, 2) Government, 3) Public Accommodations, 4) Telecommunications, and 5) Transportation. Additional special emphasis will be placed on ADA applications to professionals operating small businesses of 15 to 100 employees. (No pre-requisite required)
PS 314 – Cross-Cultural Studies for Professionals [Social Science] (3 credit hours)
The aim of this course is to educate students in the cross-cultural differences and similarities between people, which are especially relevant to the professional workplace. Emphasis is placed upon cultivating students’ abilities to recognize and respect such differences and similarities, and integrate them into an effective and congenial work environment. (No pre-requisite required)
PS 315 – Organizational Ethics for Professionals [Humanities] 3 credit hours
Basic principles of ethics will be understood and applied to analyze concrete issues in for-profit and non-profit organizations. Emphasis will be placed on establishing the fundamental relationship between ethical conduct and genuine professionalism. (No prerequisite required)
PS 316 – The Science of Natural Disasters and Emergency Responses [Natural Science (Physical Science)] 3 credit hours
Natural disasters can have a substantial negative impact on life, economics, and civil planning. This course will focus primarily on the methods of response to naturally destructive phenomena, as well as the physical mechanisms by which these events are triggered, so as to provide sufficient foundation on which we may come to understand the physical nature of an emergency response to such disasters. (No pre-requisite required)
PS 317 – Personnel Administration for Professionals [Social Science] 3 credit hours
This course will provide clarity with regard to human resource principles by examining values-based concepts, employee retention and turnover, employee engagement techniques, talent management tools, and high performance work teams. By understanding impacts of these principles, students will be able to identify and develop realistic strategies for personal, professional, and career growth. (No prerequisite required)
PS 318 – Leading Change & Communication for Professionals [Communication] 3 credit hours
This course begins with an in-depth exploration of change leadership and will provide guidance for planning, implementing, and managing change efforts. Change Leadership theory will provide a pathway for moving people’s behavior from old ways to new ways, from moving from plans on paper to reality in the workplace. Students will be given the opportunity to learn and practice an effective change leadership process along with the adaptation of several communication tools through analysis of case studies. This course will be a highly interactive experience with practical application of the concepts presented. (No prerequisite required)
PS 319 – Financial Planning for Professionals [Social Science] 3 credit hours
Professionals who practice self-reliance and understand financial planning will be best prepared for life. This course is designed to give students a basic understanding of financial planning. Concepts include career and salary history, money management and budgeting, income and asset protection, investments, retirement planning and estate planning. Student will create their own personal financial plan as a course outcome. (No prerequisite required)
PS 478 – Special Topics in Professional Studies [Gen Studies Elective in variable areas] (1 – 3 credit hours)
A course category in the general field of Professional Studies – Students should check the schedule to ascertain what topics are currently being offered and are further encouraged to recommend topical items to the Dean of Professional Studies. (No pre-requisite required)