2006-2008 Catalog of Courses

Interdisciplinary Majors and Minors

The university offers a variety of interdisciplinary curricula to meet the growing need and interest in work beyond collegiate division. The following graduate programs are under the supervision and jurisdiction of several committees, departments, or colleges as indicated. The programs include:

Graduate Majors (M.A.)

Philanthropy and Nonprofit Development

Women's and Gender Studies

Graduate Majors (M.B.A.)

Master of Business Administration

Graduate Majors (M.P.P.)

Master of Public Policy

Graduate Majors (M.S.)

Environmental Science/Technology an Health

Environmental Science Emphasis

Environmental Technology Emphasis

Environmental Health Emphasis

Master of Arts Degree Programs

Major in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Development

The M.A. program in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Development is designed for individuals who have experience in the philanthropy and/or nonprofit areas.  The degree will be solely offered through the Division of Continuing Education with extensive use of the Iowa Communication Network (ICN).  The program is designed to offer professionals the opportunity to continue their study, advancing their knowledge while earning graduate credit in course work targeted toward the following objectives:

1. to develop and enhance professionals' skills and knowledge in the fundraising and nonprofit sectors;

2. to further students' understanding of ethical policy and legal issues as they relate to philanthropy and nonprofit development;

3. to advance students' knowledge of scholarly research, theories and models in the area of nonprofit organizational development, donor relations, grant writing, corporate/foundation relations, advocacy, public funding, and evaluation/accountability; and

4. to enhance students' mastery of skills in the aforementioned areas.

Students interested in the program will submit a complete application, three letters of recommendation, and transcripts of undergraduate and graduate credits to the program director.  It is expected that students will have experience in the field prior to admission.

The Graduate Record Examination (General Test) isnot required for admission to the program.

This major is available on the non-thesis option only.  A minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate course work is required, of whicha minimum of 21 hours of 200-level course work, including 3 hours of 430:299 is required.  Of these hours, 26 semester hours are prescribed below.  The remaining 4 hours require research project/readings work, arranged through the program director.

Major in Women's and Gender Studies

The M.A. in Women's and Gender Studies is a thesis-only program requiring a minimum of 34 semester hours of study; 15 hours of 200-level course work, including 6 hours of xxx:299, is required. Additional non-program hours may be required, if courses on a student=s program of study have prerequisites which instructors choose not to waive.

Successful completion of a final written comprehensive examination is required.

The Graduate Record Examination (General Test) is not required for admission to the program.

The Women's and Gender Studies curriculum is designed to meet the needs of students who strive for analytic clarity and rigor in gender-focused research. Students may employ the skills in reflective and critical analysis as well as the broad base of knowledge that they obtain in the program to

1. prepare for a Ph.D. program with a disciplinary or interdisciplinary focus on gender or,

2. enhance leadership skills for a career in the public or private sector or,

3. satisfy strong intellectual interests and curiosity while pursuing advanced education in the liberal arts.

Through core courses and selected electives, students enrolled in the Master of Arts in Women's and Gender Studies will accomplish several objectives: examine theories concerning the social and historical constructions of gender; explore how gender defines relationships among women, among men, and between men and women; recognize that women's lives have been under-represented in traditional disciplines and investigate previously neglected materials in order to identify women's as well as men's roles in cultural or social endeavors; study, compare, and evaluate an array of disciplinary perspectives on gender, including, but not limited to, cross-cultural, economic, sociological, historical, and literary perspectives; identify intersections of gender with race, class, age, sexual identity, and ethnicity, both locally and globally, both in the present and in the past; and employ new methodological and critical approaches to materials customarily treated in other ways, revising the content and assumptions of particular disciplines to address gender more effectively.

Admission to the program is competitive. Detailed information on admissions requirements and procedures may be obtained from the Director of the Graduate Program in Women's and Gender Studies.

With the approval of the thesis advisor, the student individually designs an elective sequence, selecting courses from the humanities, fine arts, social and natural sciences that best contribute to the student's thesis project.

For more information contact the Women's Studies Office, Baker 168, 319-273-7102, or http://www.uni.edu/womenstudies.

Master of Business Administration Degree Program

Graduate study in business at UNI provides a broad-based, integrated program which emphasizes the functional areas of business in order to provide the graduate with a balance between theoretical knowledge and practical business operations. The M.B.A. curriculum is designed to meet the needs of students with undergraduate backgrounds in the liberal arts, sciences, engineering, as well as those with degrees in business. The M.B.A. program is accredited by AACSB International, the primary accrediting organization on management education.

The plan of study prescribed for the degree is structured to develop graduates who will have acquired:

1. an understanding of the theoretical and practical aspects of the process of policy formulation and implementation;

2. a comprehension of environmental factors--economic, legal, social, and political--which affect the individual in the performance of managerial responsibilities;

3. an understanding of analytical techniques and the use of quantitative data in the administration of business controls;

4. the ability to communicate ideas effectively in oral and written form; and

5. a basic knowledge of selected functional areas of business administration.

Admission to the Master of Business Administration program is dependent upon the quality of the applicant's undergraduate record, the score on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), and writing skills demonstrated on the addendum to the application. The GMAT must be taken prior to acceptance into the program.

This program is designed to qualify men and women for creative leadership in business. This program is available on the non-thesis option only. Students who enter the program with the undergraduate requirements of a baccalaureate degree in one of the areas of business will normally require 31 semester hours to complete the program; those who enter the program with an undergraduate degree in an area other than business will be required to complete some Pre-MBA courses in business or show that they have completed equivalent courses in previous academic work. A minimum of 12 hours of 200-level course work is required. Candidates for the degree are also required to successfully complete and pass a business capstone experience at the end of their program of study. The result of this experience is reported in a paper and filed in the M.B.A. office.

Detailed information for the M.B.A. may be obtained from the College of Business Administration, UNI or on the M.B.A. Web site www.cba.uni.edu/mba.

Master of Public Policy Program

The Master of Public Policy is a professional interdisciplinary degree program providing specialized and advanced training for students wishing to assume roles as policy analysts, principally in the governmental and nonprofit sectors of society.

Core courses in the program provide thorough coverage of the contributions of political science, economics, and history to the analysis of public policy. The core also includes methods courses that provide training in the rigorous methods of policy analysis required of professionals in the field.

Focus courses allow a student to develop an understanding of a particular substantive or methodological area of policy analysis. Continuing participation in seminars allows discussion of current practice and development, provides a forum for on-going discussion, and includes philosophical orientation to the ethical questions which arise in policy contexts. An internship with a public policy organization introduces the student to the professional environment and allows application of theory and methods to actual policy problems.

Admission to the M.P.P. program is competitive. Entering students are expected to have acquired introductory level knowledge, from their undergraduate training, of statistical methods, micro-economics, and American governmental process. Courses are available outside the degree program, for students who lack such background (e.g., 920:054, 942:014, and 980:080). The M.P.P. is available on the non-thesis option, and requires 41-45 semester hours. A minimum of 12 hours of 200-level course work is required.

The Graduate Record Examination (General Test) is not required for admission to the program.

M.P.P. students, in consultation with their faculty advisors, select a focus area and the course work needed to complete their study of public policy. They may choose either a substantive area of public policy (for example, urban policy, environmental policy, human services policy, criminal justice policy) or courses that provide them with additional training in public policy or methods of policy analysis.

In 950:208, with the support of the instructor and benefitting from interaction with other students, each student prepares a research paper within the focus area.

If focus courses have prerequisites which instructors choose not to waive, these courses will be in addition to the above degree requirements.

The internship may be undertaken during the summer following the first or second year of classes or during any other approved period.

Successful completion of a final written and oral comprehensive examination is required.

Accelerated Master of Public Policy Program

1. Upon declaration of an undergraduate major, any UNI student may apply to the director of the program for entry into the preparatory phase of the Accelerated M.P.P. program.  A student must have at least a 3.40 GPA in order to be considered for this program.

   
   

2. The following four courses are eligible to be included in the preparatory phase of the program: 920:117, 920:125, 942:153, and 942:173. All of these courses have prerequisites which must be completed before the student may enroll in them. Other courses may be included with the approval of the director, and with the approval of the department in which the course is taught.

   
   

3. In order to count one of these courses toward accelerated completion of the M.P.P., the student must sign a contract with the instructor to do the same extra work that is required by that instructor for students to receive graduate credit for the course. No graduate credit will be awarded, but the student will be allowed to waive the course upon entering the M.P.P. program.

   
   

4. In order to count one of these courses toward the accelerated M.P.P., the student must receive a minimum grade of B in the class. In addition, to be considered for admission into the graduate portion of the accelerated M.P.P., students must maintain a minimum of 3.00 GPA in all of their undergraduate work.

   
   

5.  After completion of the preparatory phase, the student will be considered for admission to the graduate portion of the accelerated M.P.P. program. Enrollment in the graduate program requires the completion of the B.A. degree.

   
   

6. In order to complete the M.P.P. in one additional year after the B.A., students will also need to enroll in 7 hours of graduate work in the final semester of their senior year, as currently provided for in this catalog.

   
   

7. All other degree requirements for the regular M.P.P. program also apply to the Accelerated Program.

Master of Science Degree Programs

Major in Environmental Science/Technology and Health

The curriculum in the Environmental Science/Technology and Health program provides academic and research opportunities for students seeking terminal master's degrees. The curriculum emphasizes environmental related course work in the various disciplines (biology, chemistry and biochemistry, geology, industrial technology, physics, and environmental health) as well as additional courses selected from university offerings at large to assure a high level of competence in the student's area of major interest. Working in cooperation with the sciences, industrial technology, and health departments, graduate students are afforded excellent opportunities for field, laboratory, and industrial research through association with a large staff of scientists studying environmental issues.

Students interested in enrolling in the program must complete an application and be admitted to the program. Applications should include three letters of recommendation and transcripts of undergraduate and graduate credits. Students wishing to pursue the Environmental Technology Emphasis must hold or be eligible to obtain a bachelor's degree in engineering or industrial technology. UNI students may enter this program at the end of the junior year under the B.A./M.S. or B.S./M.S. programs offered in biology, chemistry, geology, or physics (see below).

The Graduate Record Examination (General Test) is not required for admission to the program.

This program is available on the thesis option only. A minimum of 30 semester hours is required. A minimum of 18 hours of 200-level course work is required. Successful completion of a final written and oral comprehensive examination is required. Beyond the required courses, the graduate advisory committee for each student will select additional course work tailored to the interests and research of the student.

Environmental Science Emphasis:

Environmental Technology Emphasis:

Environmental Health Emphasis:

Combined B.A./M.S. or B.S./M.S. Environmental Science/Technology and Health

Students interested in the B.A./M.S. or B.S./M.S. in Environmental Science/Technology and Health should declare their intent by the middle of the junior year. An Application for Admission to Graduate Study should be completed and the student's interest in this program indicated on the form itself.

Once admitted to the program, undergraduate students (who are classified as seniors), may register for graduate credit as a senior, with the approval of the department head. The student presents a signed Student Request form (with appropriate signatures), when registering for graduate credit as a senior. The combined total of course credits, both undergraduate and graduate, may not exceed 15 hours in a semester or 8 hours in a summer session. Graduate work completed on the early admission basis will be counted as graduate credit only if the student actually earns the bachelor's degree at the end of the semester or summer session in which the course work is taken. Actual admission to graduate study and classification as a graduate student commences the semester after the student has completed the baccalaureate.