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2009-2010 University Catalog
Interdisciplinary Studies, MAIS
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Banner Code: LA-MAIS-ISIN
This program is for students who seek a master’s degree that integrates knowledge from several disciplines. It addresses the rapidly evolving demand for unique graduate study by promoting advanced scholarship that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries.
MAIS offers the following structured interdisciplinary concentrations:
- Community college teaching (in communication, English, information systems, math, Spanish, or TESL)
- Folklore
- Global interaction
- Higher education (administration or student affairs)
- Religion, culture, and values
- Video-based production
- Women and gender studies
- Zoo and aquarium leadership
The MAIS also offers students the opportunity to design an individualized concentration to meet the special needs of their careers.
This program of study is offered by the Interdisciplinary Studies Program .
For policies governing all graduate degrees, see the Academic Policies chapter of the catalog. |
Application Requirements
Students must show a capacity for original thought in cross disciplinary research. Applicants must meet Mason admission standards and application requirements for graduate study. See the Admission chapter of this catalog. Additional requirements vary by concentration. Students will be admitted only if the program can assign a faculty advisor appropriate for the intended course of study. Degree Requirements
Students pursuing this degree must successfully complete 36 credits of graduate course work in one of the following concentrations. Students must submit a curriculum contract that has been approved by their faculty adviser and the MAIS director.
Courses applied to the MAIS degree are subject to these restrictions: a maximum of 6 credits may be earned through independent study or directed readings and research courses; a maximum of 6 credits may be taken through the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area; a maximum of 15 credits may be transfer credits; a maximum of 6 of the transfer credits may be from other accredited institutions (12 for students in the zoo and aquarium leadership concentration).
Transfer credits include credits taken before first enrolling as an admitted degree-seeking student (at another institution, in another Mason graduate program, or in Mason nondegree status) or credits taken at another institution after admission to the MAIS Program (which requires prior written approval of the MAIS program and the dean).
All students complete their work in the program with a project or thesis. Students admitted under this catalog are required to take MAIS 797 Proposal (1 credit) and either MAIS 798 Project (2–5 credits) or MAIS 799 Thesis (5 credits). ▲ MAIS Concentration in Community College Teaching (CCT)
This concentration qualifies students to teach entry-level courses in rapidly growing fields at in community colleges. In addition, it is an appropriate graduate credential for some faculty currently teaching in community colleges.
Students pursuing this concentration must complete 36 credits of course work: 12 credits of courses in college teaching and 21 credits of graduate work in one of the following knowledge areas: communication, English, information systems, mathematics, Spanish, or teaching English as a second language (TESL). Students complete this concentration with a project. Four required courses (12 credits) in college teaching:
Seven required courses (21 credits) in a knowledge area:
Four core courses (12 credits):
Three elective courses (9 credits):
Electives are chosen from graduate-level communication courses in consultation with a faculty advisor. They may include core courses listed above not that are not use to meet 12 credit requirement. Two to three core courses (6-9 credits):
Four to five elective courses (12-15 credits):
Electives are chosen from graduate-level English courses in consultation with a faculty advisor. Three core courses (9 credits):
Four elective courses (12 credits):
Electives must be graduate-level INFS or INFS-related courses chosen in consultation with a faculty advisor. Two core courses (6 credits):
Five elective courses (15 credits):
Electives are from graduate-level courses in mathematics and related disciplines (including statistics) chosen in consultation with a faculty advisor. Three core courses (9 credits):
Four elective courses (12 credits):
At least three electives (9 credits) must be graduate-level SPAN courses, one (3 credits) may be a graduate-level FRLN courses. Electives should be chosen in consultation with a faculty advisor. Teaching English as a Second Language
Six core courses (18 credits):
One elective course (3 credits):
Elective should be from graduate-level courses in linguistics or a related area chosen in consultation with a faculty advisor. ▲ MAIS Concentration in Folklore (FLK)
This concentration explores the processes of tradition that move through multiple expressive forms, such as folktales, folk beliefs, folk medicine, folk art, folksong, and literature. A discipline based on ethnographic fieldwork, folklore offers students a chance to work in communities and collect living traditional materials that are critical to human identity and values.
Interdisciplinary by nature, folklore thrives on local particularities and compelling global connections. This course of study prepares students for careers in cultural agencies, governmental organizations, and teaching institutions, and advanced study in the humanities.
Students choose a specialization that draws on unique programs throughout Mason, such as museum studies, conflict resolution, nonprofit management, telecommunications, and writing. Internships in the many Washington, D.C., metropolitan area folklore organizations are central to students’ experiences.
Students pursuing this concentration must successfully complete 36 credits of graduate course work with at least 6 credits taken in courses from outside the English Department. Six core courses (18 credits):
Special topics in folklore (9 credits)
Courses may be repeated. Pathways in folklore scholarship (3 credits) chosen from:
Internship in folklore (3 credits)
Research methodology course (3 credits) chosen from:
Specialization (9 credits):
Students choose an area of specialization which must be approved by a faculty advisor. Specialization topics include public folklore (museums, archives, arts and humanities councils, and nonprofit organizations); folklore (ethnicity and immigration); folklore and literature; folklore and the teaching of writing and literature; folklore and history; and folklore and conflict resolution. Students also can opt for open specialization, with courses chosen in consultation with advisor. Possibilities include folklore and editing, applied storytelling, folklore and mythology, folklore and art history, folklore and gender studies, and folklore and communication. One to two elective courses (3 to 6 credits):
Electives require the prior written approval of a faculty advisor. Project (2 credits) or thesis (5 credits):
▲ MAIS Concentration in Global Interaction (GLOI)
This concentration in global interaction is not available on the Northern Virginia campuses. It is aimed at international students who wish to develop professional skills for functioning in English-language international settings, whether of business, government, education, or civil society. The curriculum provides a range of skills in such crucial areas as organizational structures, economic development, legal instruments, and multicultural communications. It does so with an emphasis on the language and topical skills that are basic to work and life in the global English-speaking community, which spans North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The program is explicitly interdisciplinary and multicultural, with an emphasis on course work and thesis development that will help position graduates in this broader global community.
Students pursuing this concentration must complete 36 credits. Four core courses (12 credits):
Three courses (9 credits) of specialization chosen from:
Three elective courses (9 credits) chosen from:
Note:
Courses listed under specialization may also serve as electives subject to advisor approval. ▲ MAIS Concentration in Higher Education (HEDU)
This concentration prepares individuals for administrative and leadership positions in colleges and universities, associations, and government agencies whose activities affect higher education. Within the concentration, students may choose to emphasize administration or student affairs.
Students pursuing this concentration must complete 36 credits. Four core courses (12 credits):
- Three courses (9 credits) chosen in consultation with advisor
One course (3 credits) chosen from:
One course (3 credits) of research methodology
One course (3 credits) of specialization:
Three elective courses (9 credits) chosen in consultation with advisor
Project or thesis (5 credits):
▲ MAIS Individualized Concentration (IND)
This concentration is for students who wish to design a graduate program to meet the special needs of their careers and life plans. Students usually choose this option because traditional graduate programs do not meet their specific goals. Students, with help from faculty advisors, design unique programs of study that include courses from several academic departments.
Students have access to most graduate courses offered by Mason but must meet alll course prerequisites. Each student must submit a curriculum contract approved by the student advisor and MAIS director during the first semester enrolled. Any subsequent amendments must have approval of the student advisor and the MAIS director.
Students pursuing this concentration must successfully complete 36 graduate credits. Disciplinary focus (12 to 18 credits):
Students must complete minimum of 12 and a maximum of 18 credits in one discipline. Complementary disciplines (9 to 18 credits):
Students take 9-18 courses in complementary disciplines. These require the approval of faculty advisor and MAIS director. Research methods (3 credits):
Students take a research methods course approved by faculty advisor and MAIS director. Project (2 credits) or thesis (5 credits):
▲ MAIS Concentration in Religion, Culture, and Values (RCV)
This concentration is particularly applicable to, but not restricted to, students who are interested in careers in law, national and international government, print and media journalism, library sciences, archives and museums, public and social service, teaching, advanced graduate studies, and religious communities and institutions. The Washington, D.C., metropolitan area is rich in the presence of many major religious traditions and their places of worship.
Students pursuing this concentration must complete a minimum of 36 credits. Two core courses (6 credits) chosen from:
Two or three courses (6 to 9 credits) in religious studies chosen from:
One course in research methodology (3 credits) chosen from:
Two or three courses in a specialization (6 to 9 credits):
Specialization in religion, culture, and communication:
Specialization in religious traditions and conflict analysis and resolution:
Specialization in religion, culture, and ethics:
Specialization in religion, values, and international politics:
One to four elective courses (3 to 12 credits):
Electives are chosen in consultation with the student’s advisor, bearing in mind the student’s specialization, project, or thesis topic. Any of the courses listed under the specializations listed above or courses from other disciplines listed below may be used as an elective. Project (2 credtis) or thesis (5 credits):
▲ MAIS Concentration in Video-Based Production (VBP)
The concentration emphasizes video production and its components including videoconferencing, multimedia, and editing. As low-end, high-quality video equipment becomes more affordable, more organizations (for profit and nonprofit) are investing in in-house production studios and staff. Their needs include traditional videography, videoconferencing, web design, multimedia, and linear editing.
Four academic units offer courses relevant to the concentration: Within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Communication Department offers courses in the theory and practice of video production, and the English Department offers a course in film theory. College of Education and Human Development offers courses in interactive and distance learning, which provide a background for pedagogy and a wide spectrum of interactive skills. Within the College of Visual and Performing Arts, the Art and Visual Technologies Department offers courses on computer-mediated visual applications, including the study of multimedia tools and design, digital and electronic art, animation, and virtual reality.
Students must have a basic knowledge of video production. Students with little or no video experience must take COMM 590 Seminar in Video Production within the first 9 credits of the program. Students with video experience who wish to waive this requirement must provide a videotape of their past work.
Students pursuing this concentration must complete graduate 36 credits. One required introductory course (3 credits):
This requirement may be waived by the director for students with a video production background. They take an additional 3 credits of electives. Five required core courses (15 credits):
Three to five elective courses (9 to 15 credits):
The number of elective credits will vary depending on whether required introductory course is waived and whether the student chooses to do a 2-credit project or a 5-credit thesis. Project (2 - 5 credits) or thesis (5 credits):
▲ MAIS Concentration in Women and Gender Studies (WGST)
This concentration is for students who wish to explore gender and women’s issues from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. The program combines graduate courses in women and gender studies with courses in a discipline of interest, such as history, literature, sociology, communication, health, education, or public policy. Expertise in the study of gender is increasingly applicable in a variety of professional and academic settings.
Students pursuing this concentration complete 36 credits. Two core courses (6 credits):
Disciplinary focus (12 credits)
Students complete 12 credits in one discipline chosen in consultation with a faculty advisor, including 3 credits in a course cross-listed with WMST. Elective courses (9 to 12 credits)
- Must take at least 6 credits in courses cross-listed with WMST that are not part of the disciplinary focus
Research methods (3 credits)
- Selected in consultation with advisor
Project (2 credtis) or thesis (5 credits):
▲ MAIS Concentration in Zoo and Aquarium Leadership (ZAL)
This program prepares students for advanced careers in modern professional zoos and aquariums. The curriculum is designed to enhance relevant social and analytical skills involving critical thinking, problem solving, information technology, and group interaction, as well as advance necessary skills in leadership and fiscal and personnel management.
Applicants to this program must be members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (aza.org).
Students pursuing this concentration must successfully complete 36 graduate credits. Four core courses (12 credits):
Three cognate courses (9 credits):
The cognate courses are chosen in consultation with a faculty advisor and require the prior written approval of the director of the ZAL program. Elective courses (9 to 12 credits)
- Approved by advisory committee and selected in consultation with faculty advisor
Proposal (1 credit):
Students must complete a minimum of 24 credits before enrolling in proposal. Project (2-5 credits) or thesis (5 credits):
Note:
Admitted students who wish to take a course at another accredited institution and apply the credit to this concentration must receive prior approval from the ZAL program director, the MAIS program director, and the dean. |
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