Special Education

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Minor in Special Education

The minor in special education provide a basic introduction to the teaching and learning processes as they relate to students with disabilities. This minor is recommended for anyone interested in teaching students with disabilities and other special education- or disability-related careers.

No more than eight credits towards the minor can be transferred in from other institutions. For information about transferring courses from other institutions, please contact the Educational Studies department chair.

Completion of the EDSP minor or equivalent course work is a prerequisite for admission to the elementary special education MAT certification track but does not guarantee that a student will be admitted to the program. These are specific content courses required for special education teacher certification in Maryland. Students who are considering the MAT should meet with their advisor or an educational studies faculty member about course selection. For a complete list of these courses for each certification area, please contact the Educational Studies department chair.

Students who complete the Special Education minor are not eligible for the Educational Studies minor.

Business

Materials Science

Materials Science is an interdisciplinary field combining physics (fundamental laws of nature), chemistry (interactions of atoms) and biology (how life interacts with materials) to elucidate the inherent properties of basic and complex systems. This includes optical (interaction with light), electrical (interaction with charge), magnetic and structural properties of everyday electronics, clothing and architecture. The Materials Science central dogma follows the sequence: Structure—Properties—Design—Performance. This involves relating the nanostructure of a material to its macroscale physical and chemical properties. By understanding and then changing the structure, material scientists can create custom materials with unique properties.

The goal of the materials science minor is to create a cross-disciplinary approach to fundamental topics in basic and applied physical sciences. Students will gain experience and perspectives from the disciplines of chemistry, physics and biology. The minor places a strong emphasis on current nanoscale research methods in addition to the basics of electronic, optical and mechanical properties of materials.

Any student with an interest in pursuing the cross-disciplinary minor in materials science should consult with the coordinator of the minor. Students are encouraged to declare their participation in their sophomore year but no later than the end of the junior year. Students also should seek an adviser from participating faculty.

MAT

Master Of Arts In Teaching (MAT)

Our Maryland Approved Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree allows aspiring teachers to take full advantage of the rich undergraduate curriculum available at our college – to spend a semester abroad, to complete a double major, to take elective courses in many diverse areas, to try interdisciplinary courses – and then synthesize that richly textured content background with graduate courses in education so they can better serve their future students.

The MAT builds on students’ grounding in their major and in the breadth of their Core Curriculum requirements and provides a seamless transition into professional coursework. The MAT provides instruction in pedagogical strategies, assessment, curriculum development, discipline and management, and other specific elements of the professional educator’s knowledge base.

Certification programs exist for grades 1 through 6, with an option to add a credential in early childhood education; English, math, history/social studies, social studies, biology, chemistry, and physics for grades 7 through 12; and art, music, theater, and world languages (Chinese, French, Spanish) for K-12.

All certification programs have program approval from the Maryland State Department of Education and lead to reciprocity for certification in all other states. Our program completers have an 100% pass rate on the PRAXIS exams, and our hiring rate for those who choose to teach is also near 100%.

The MAT is a full-time, year-long program requiring participants to intern in St. Mary’s County public schools from the beginning of the program. The mentor teachers at the school sites provide support and expertise that will prepare aspiring teachers to meet the challenge of teaching, translating theory into practice.

Admissions Process

Information about the admissions process can be found here.

Program Prerequisites

MAT program participants must successfully complete a minor in educational studies at St. Mary’s or comparable coursework, as well as deep study in their intended area of teaching. A complete listing of required courses can be found here. All applicants must have a 3.0 minimum GPA. Please consult with the department chair of Educational Studies at mat@smcm.edu with more questions.

Program Completion

MAT participants who successfully complete the program coursework with a 3.0 average GPA or better, successfully complete all aspects of the internship, complete edTPA, present their masters research projects, and achieve passing scores on the required PRAXIS tests will be eligible for teacher certification in Maryland. Names of program completers will be sent to the Maryland State Department of Education, after which individuals may apply for their teaching certificate. Maryland has reciprocity with all other states; a Maryland teacher certification allows teachers to work all over the US, though additional paperwork requirements vary by state.

Other Important Information

Students who apply to the MAT program by the priority deadline listed on the website are given first consideration for scholarship awards and placement opportunities, particularly for content areas where there may be limited internship opportunities in the local school system (e.g., Chinese, Physics)
The MAT program begins in early July and is completed in May the following year. There are four sessions within the graduate program, and students are billed in four equal installments prior to the start of each session.
There may be on-campus living options for MAT students during the regular academic year; if available, accepted students will be notified the spring prior to the start of the MAT program.
All internship experiences will be fulfilled in St. Mary’s County public schools.
Current program capacity is 35 students.
The program is a full-time, in-person cohort program; there are no electives and no options for part-time enrollment or online learning.

International Languages and Cultures

View International Languages and Cultures Department website

The Department of International Languages and Cultures is committed to the study of particular societies around the world, with the aim of bringing forth an understanding of the world view and cultural perspective of peoples who live outside the English-speaking world. As human beings we are increasingly confronted with the need to live in a globalized context. Patterns of international economic, political, social, and cultural exchange increasingly define how we are to live, work, and relate to one another. One of the major challenges facing our society is to understand and learn how to work collaboratively with other societies in search of common interests. We are increasingly in need of professionals who have both linguistic and cultural literacy that extends beyond the English-speaking world.

To develop both linguistic and cultural literacy, in the Department of International Languages and Cultures we use humanistic approaches to analyze the cultural production—including literary traditions—and the cultural agents of the societies we study. Language is one of the main mediums through which human beings express their specific cultural identity in relationship to humans across the globe. For this reason, in order to understand a culture on its own terms it is necessary to approach it through its own linguistic framework. We need to study languages besides English in order to understand other cultures from their own internal perspective.

The International Languages and Cultures major offers concentrations in Chinese, French, German, and Spanish languages and cultures, as well as Latin American Studies. Through our department students can gain exposure to a wide variety of cultures from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. The Latin American Studies concentration allows students to study this important region of the world through a multidisciplinary approach.

We strongly advise majors to spend time abroad to gain both linguistic and cultural fluency and confidence. The experience abroad can be pursued in various manners: study abroad with our partner programs (programs we have pre-approved) or with those of other colleges and universities; internships with international organizations or governmental agencies abroad, or “au pair” or other work-related experiences. Some of the experiences noted above can be pursued for credit, others not. It is important that students begin to think about experiences abroad as early as possible during their time at St. Mary’s, and that they discuss their interests with a faculty adviser within the department.

Every ILC major must complete a St. Mary’s Project. This project may either be in ILC or in another major discipline or a study area. The guidelines established in the selected area apply. The student should consult with the chair of ILC to discuss how the St. Mary’s Project requirement will be fulfilled.

Theater, Film, and Media Studies

View Theater, Film, and Media Studies Department website

The field of theater, film, and media combines studies in history, theory, and critical analysis with practical experiences in production techniques and creativity. Its scope includes diverse representations in dynamic time and space, whether on stage or screen. Among its shared subjects are visual culture, performance studies, and techniques for directing, designing, writing, and performing for stage and screen media. Because visual culture plays an ever-increasing role in the production, distribution, and reception of knowledge, studies in theater, film, and media are integral to an undergraduate curriculum in the liberal arts.

Students may focus their studies in theater or in film and media. Both focuses are fundamentally collaborative and multidisciplinary; they thrive in a liberal arts context that promotes breadth and integration of learning. Majors will complete a core of regularly offered courses that exemplifies the diversity of subjects and cultures entailed in this field. The two focuses, theater studies and film and media studies, share some courses that are fundamental to both curricula, but each focus includes opportunities for advanced work in specialized areas of scholarship and artistry. Above all, majors will benefit from an array of course work that emphasizes the reciprocal enrichments of combining scholarship and creative activity. Visiting guests and special topics or experimental courses supplement the regular curriculum.

The curriculum in theater, film, and media studies encourages students to interrogate representations on stage and screen toward an understanding of their historical, cultural, and artistic significance. Additionally, we provide opportunities for students to produce their own works and to collaborate on projects with faculty members and other students. Majors will be prepared to undertake graduate work in related disciplines or careers in related professions.

The department offers minors in theater studies, film and media studies, and dance/movement. Students interested in fulfilling a minor in any of these areas should consult with a faculty member in TFMS. Students may combine a major in either TFMS focus area with a minor in any other TFMS minor area.

Production Opportunities

The Department of Theater, Film, and Media Studies supplies the resources for a diverse range of production work on stage and screen. Live performance opportunities include stage productions and dance concerts directed by faculty members, guest artists, and students, performed in a variety of spaces, including the Bruce Davis Theater (main stage), the dance studio, and the White Room. Performance roles, design, and technical positions are open to all students, regardless of their majors. Theater production seasons are formulated to maximize opportunities for working on or attending productions that represent the diversity of theatrical activities across cultures and history.

TFMS resources in media production provide students with access to a variety of video production and post-production technology. Production classes and St. Mary’s Projects have access to Canon GL-2 Mini-DV cameras, Smith-Victor lighting kits, and Audio-Technica microphones, along with supporting production equipment. Post-production equipment in the Montgomery Hall Pro-lab includes 10 22” Intel iMacs w/Mac OS 10.5, Adobe CS3 Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Dreamweaver, Fireworks), Maya 2008 Complete, Quicktime Pro, and Final Cut Studio (Final Cut, Motion, DVD Studio Pro, Soundtrack, Compressor) with dedicated JVC SR-DVM600 3-in-1 MiniDV, 40GB hard disk drive, and DVD player/recorder combo decks. The adjacent Montgomery Hall Learning Lab is equipped with 20 17” Intel iMacs w/Mac OS 10.5, Adobe CS3 Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Dreamweaver, Fireworks), ProTools LE, and several flatbed scanners. Students also have access to a smaller, two-station TFMS editing room that includes two G-5 editing stations w/Mac OS 10.5 and Final Cut Studio (Final Cut, Motion, DVD Studio Pro, Soundtrack, Compressor). TFMS editing lab work stations also include dedicated Mini-DV decks and NTSC output monitors. Additional training and production opportunities are also available at Media Services on the third floor of the College library.

Detailed, regularly updated information about our theater and arts seasons and about production opportunities is available on the department website.

Public Policy

View Political Science Department website

Public policy decisions touch nearly every aspect of daily life, although we often fail to recognize or understand their impact. Daily, we are exposed to the policy proposals and preferences of those in or seeking office and they are in turn influenced by the preferences of the public and the pressures of organized interest groups. Given the impact that policy choices can have on our lives, it is essential that we have an understanding of how policy choices are made and how we might evaluate those choices. Why do we need this knowledge? Policymakers are more responsive to the demands and interests of an active and informed public.

The purpose of the public policy major is to equip students with sufficient competence in analytical skills supported by social science theory to prepare them for graduate or professional study. Majors should be sufficiently prepared to seek positions in organizations which deal with public policy issues: business firms, trade associations, lobbying organizations, and government agencies. The major provides students with the factual, analytical, practical, and theoretical skills necessary for contemporary policy design, implementation, and evaluation.

Public policy is interdisciplinary in nature; it is affected by social and economic conditions; political as well as cultural values; and the structure of government. The study of public policy requires the integration of knowledge from multiple disciplines to understand and critically assess public problems and potential solutions. The public policy major draws upon the knowledge and experience usually available through separate majors such as anthropology, economics, sociology, and political science. Only through a coordinated exposure to these fields can a student understand how they interact in the world of public policy. The interdisciplinary nature of the major makes it a good choice for students considering a double major in related disciplines such as political science or economics.

Public policy students may choose from two disciplinary tracks within the public policy major – American public policy or International public policy. A student who chooses to major in public policy should select an adviser from the political science or public policy faculty, and in conjunction with the adviser, plan a program that is appropriate to the needs and objectives of the students.

Students who have questions about the public policy major should consult Todd Eberly, coordinator of public policy studies.

Music

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We provide students, majors and non-majors, with a full range of musical opportunities, academic and performance, guided with a high level of personal attention. We offer instrumental and vocal instruction (private and class), the opportunity to participate in a variety of excellent ensembles, and coursework that supports an understanding of music in its wider historical, social, cultural and geographical contexts. Our numerous college-level and professional-level performance activities provide a substantial educational foundation and serve as an important cultural resource for our region. The unique summer international and orchestral programs offer students the opportunity to expand horizons and deepen understanding of worlds beyond their own by engaging in conservatory-like, pre-professional training here and abroad. Taken together, these endeavors prepare our students for advanced training and careers in a variety of fields such as performance, composition, music scholarship, education and arts administration.

Students who graduate with a major in music will have achieved college-level proficiency in:

General musicianship (ear training, dictation, keyboard competency)
Music theory
Music history
Performance in their chosen instrument(s) or voice

Skills in these areas of music will be demonstrated in:

Classroom work and examinations
Public Performances

The final project (St. Mary’s Project) will show, in addition to the above, proficiency in:

Writing
Research
Critical thinking

The major in music incorporates a high degree of flexibility beyond the core of required courses. All students pursue electives in music, and additionally, some students undertake double majors or minors in other subjects. This helps students prepare for careers and graduate study in a wide variety of musical areas.

NOTE: Some music requirements may be waived (by the department chair in consultation with the music faculty) for transfer students or for students with experience or knowledge equivalent to the material of a particular course.

Asian Studies

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The cultures of Asia are among the world’s oldest and most enduring, and they also play an increasingly important role in modern-world affairs. Emigrant peoples of Asia have reshaped the cultures of the rest of the world in profound ways, expanding what is thought of as Asia beyond national and continental boundaries to include diaspora cultures in North and South America, Europe, Australia, and Africa. Asia’s many distinct and interrelated civilizations are thus both ancient, dating to the Neolithic era, and widespread, geographically spanning the globe. The economic and political centers of Asia include the two most populous nations in the world and two of the three largest economies in the world. Thus, Asian Studies challenges students to explore some of the most influential and widespread cultures on the globe.

Because of this wide-ranging historical and geographic scope, Asian Studies must employ an interdisciplinary approach. The core requirement for the major in Asian Studies is a team-taught, interdisciplinary course, which offers students an opportunity to explore the breadth of disciplinary approaches to this study area. Further Asian Studies courses may be found in the departments of political science, economics, history, English, international languages and cultures, philosophy and religious studies, art history and theater, film and media studies. This “area studies” approach demands that students take an active and conscious part in designing their major in Asian Studies.

The Asian Studies faculty strongly recommends that students anchor their study of Asia in language study and study abroad. In addition to Chinese language offerings on-campus, St. Mary’s offers study-abroad programs at Fudan University in Shanghai, China; Lingnan University in Hong Kong, China; Akita University in Japan; and Kerala University in India. Students may pursue the study of other Asian languages through study-abroad programs in other Asian countries, or students may choose to attend language programs at other universities and colleges in the U.S. No study of Asia and its cultures is complete without the study of an Asian language.

In addition to broadening student horizons in the liberal arts, Asian Studies provides excellent preparation for a future career in the U.S. Foreign Service, the United Nations, international non-governmental organizations, multi-national business, and advanced academic studies.

African and African Diaspora Studies

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The African and African Diaspora Studies program is designed to help students explore, examine, and critically analyze the African presence in a global context. This presence stretches back to antiquity in Europe and Asia, and for centuries in the Americas, but serious and sustained efforts to understand the profoundly rich, dynamic, and complex contributions to the world’s civilizations have been lacking. Students are provided background and tools to investigate the agency, experiences and movements of African and African Diaspora people that span time and place and bridge academic disciplines. The program is a cross-disciplinary study area with course offerings in anthropology and sociology, economics, history, political science, fine arts, literature, language, psychology and philosophy that address the black experience in Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the United States. The broad goals of the program are to investigate the historical and cultural linkages between African and African Diaspora people and between people of the Diaspora and other groups in the cultures where they live; to examine theories of race and ethnicity; and to explore critical issues and contributions of Diaspora people in major fields of knowledge and aspects of life.

The foundation of the program is the core course AADS 214, Africa and the African Diaspora, which serves as a gateway to the field of African and African Diaspora Studies and a common experience for all students in the program. The course includes scholarship produced by African and African Diaspora scholars that recognizes the intellectual and cultural histories of black people. It introduces students to a broader range of scholarship to provide a thorough grounding in the experiences of peoples of African origin.

The required core course is offered every spring semester and provides a broad overview of the peoples, languages, culture, history, and institutions across the African continent and the African Diaspora. Any student with an interest in pursuing study in this particular area should consult the program coordinator. Formal declaration of intent to complete the program’s requirements must be preceded by completion of the core course. Students may declare their minor at any time prior to the final semester of their senior year, but are encouraged to declare their participation and seek curricular advising as soon as possible.