GPS Courses

This class will provide a broad background for thinking about issues of education in historical and philosophical context. As the introductory course in the Thomas College Masters of Education program, it will help prepare students for subsequent courses in the areas of curriculum, instruction, and assessment of learning.

This course will give participants an opportunity to develop a balanced literacy framework addressing reading, writing, speaking and listening. It is designed to provide opportunities to acquire concepts and skills for application to the literacy curriculum development process in schools. The strongest elements of a balanced literacy program guide students toward proficient and lifelong reading; consequently, participants will engage in inspecting and evaluating several literacy curricula and planning elements for the individual classrooms, school and whole district.

This course acts as an introduction to concepts and teaching practices associated with teaching English as a second language across the K-12 grade span in the mainstream classroom. Concepts covered include theories and applications of best practice in working with those who are learning English as a second language, culturally sustaining pedagogy, and applied linguistics. Students will take away theoretical foundations in what works with ELLs in the classroom that can be applied to the classroom settings.

This course is about understanding schools as organizations and how to change them to improve learning for all. It draws on literature about organization theory, organizational behavior, culture, change, leadership, and professional learning communities. It is designed to promote critical thinking about and planful action toward creating schools that are true learning organizations. The course begins with an overview of diverse models of organizations and moves to a focused examination of culture and its impact on organizational behavior. Frameworks for understanding organizational change and resistance to change are then explored, followed by critical examination of leadership capabilities and skills necessary to lead successful school change efforts, including shared vision, inquiry-based use of data, and broad- based involvement and collaboration.

Course This course analyzes the use of accounting as a managerial tool. Topics include budgeting, systems building and evaluation, inventory valuation, fixed asset valuation, and analysis and interpretation of financial reports from internal and external sources. Upon completion of this course, a student will be able to: Analyze, interpret, and evaluate the financial statements of an organization and assess its financial position. Evaluate internal financing decisions from an investment standpoint utilizing such concepts as time value of money, and financial statement analysis.

This course introduces students to the multinational business environment. Through case studies and the analysis of various organizational designs, students will investigate topics such as international competition, multinational leadership and communication, and multinational corporate responsibility.

This course analyzes marketing functions, institutions, and policies dealing with consumer and industrial products and services in both profit and non-profit organizations. Strategic marketing plans are formulated by students through the use of case analysis. Decision-making, dealing with product/service development, pricing strategies, distribution methods, and promotional activities are stressed.

Cybersecurity, information assurance, and computer security deal with virtual and remote risks that continue to evolve rapidly. Losses frequently remain undetected for a year, even in sophisticated environments across most industry sectors. An incident can sweep through an organization gaining access to thousands of assets within minutes. Technologists, managers, and leaders need to make use of leading techniques, to deploy defenses and respond to incidents quickly, and prepare for new adversaries on a continual basis. They need to convince their Board to provide appropriate resources to manage risk within a general enterprise risk strategy.

Provides an understanding of the technology used to deliver safer hardware, software, and external links. Technologies includes IoT, cloud computing, asset control, authentication, access controls, models, controls and countermeasures, assessment of vulnerabilities in the light of threats and their mitigation, cryptography. The diverse areas lead to solution designs, practical execution of security assessments, and comprehensive solution testing strategies.

This course examines the philosophical underpinnings of criminology and the various theories that exist in the field of criminology. Additionally, we will examine the major methods of measuring crime. The course will allow the student to think critically and independently about theories behind criminology as well as their contextual understanding and applicable issues relating to crime and victimization. This will includes but is not limited to: Classical School; Positive School; Chicago School; Differential Association; Anomie; Subculture Theories; Labeling; Conflict Theory; Social Control; Social Learning; Rational Theories; Strain Theories; and Feminist Theory.

This course provides a brief review of elementary statistics and introduces students to more advanced analyses appropriate for data-driven decision making in the social sciences. Analyses include independent and repeated measures one-way ANOVAs, completely between, completely within, and mixed 2-way and n-way ANOVAs, and multiple regression. The selection of appropriate analytical procedures and the interpretation of analytical output are emphasized.

Students will analyze instructional methods that help all children learn and progress using a variety of approaches, including guided reading and writing, “read-alouds” and other word study opportunities in the classroom, small group and one-to-one settings. A comprehensive balanced literacy approach addresses reading, writing, speaking and listening. According to the National Reading Panel’s findings the five essential areas of literacy instruction include the teaching of phonemic awareness, phonics, comprehension, fluency and vocabulary. Students will have the opportunity to build their knowledge base in these areas and implement strategies and instructional techniques in their own classrooms.

This course provides an introduction to the concepts, principles, and practices related to designing and administering effective assessments in education. Teacher-designed assessments and standardized achievement tests are examined.

This course provides a working knowledge of Maine and Federal school law as it applies to major issues that have affected and continue to impact public education. Discrimination, first amendment rights, due process, and academic freedom will be addressed. Through classroom activities, conversations, weekly assignments and research of relevant case law, students will explore the theoretical underpinnings of social reform and public policy. School law students will consider their rights and responsibilities as educators, the rights of students and families, as well as the scope and limitations relating to public policy relating to public schooling in the U.S.

Through current research and best practices, reading development and instruction across a variety of texts and contexts from early childhood through adolescence will be explored in this course. Students will assess and implement a variety of instructional strategies to address the literacy acquisition process of students from diverse backgrounds.

This course will be designed around current ideas and issues in today’s educational world. The instructional model will allow for students to talk about a piece of text regarding various issues through a critical examination, learn from each other through conversation, and apply learning to their own work environment. Topics will be selected by both instructor and students and could include the dynamics of distance/remote learning, mindfulness/self-care, student wellness and other relevant, contemporary themes facing educators today.

This course presents a survey of relevant current economic trends in the rapidly changing modern world. The subject matter is divided into three broad areas including macroeconomic issues, microeconomic issues, and analysis of emerging global systems. The method of analysis combines the use of economic history, theory, and development with a critical analysis of current economic issues and events. The objective is to learn to assess the impact of regional, national, and global economic trends on business and society. Upon completion of this course, a student will be able to: Assess the impact of regional, national, and global economic trends on business and society.

This course addresses advanced issues in ethical leadership to provide the student with tools to recognize and address social and ethical issues as they arise in the corporate setting. Emphasis is placed on corporate social responsibility and global business citizenship as well as ethical decision making with institutional stakeholders.

This course involves a comprehensive analysis of behavioral theory and practical, analytical techniques for dealing with day-to-day problems in work situations. The specific objective is to develop the action-taking ability and the administrative capacity and know-how to handle the human problems of organizations within an appropriate policy framework.

This course builds on introductory project management skills to form a solid grounding in the nine project management knowledge areas and five process groups as detailed by the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). Topics include the following: initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, closing, integration management, scope management, time management, cost management, quality management, human resource management, communication management, risk management, and procurement management. Cost, scope, quality, and procurement receive special emphasis in this course. Students will align topics to attain project objectives within resource constraints. The course is relevant to any project management field. Prerequisite: PM Major or approval

Complex business situations are analyzed in this course, with particular attention given to the development and analysis of strategic business plans. MBA core courses must be complete and this must be one of the last three classes completed.

This course is designed to provide a graduate-level introduction of corporate information systems, including investigations in the role of technology for communications, decision making, management, and planning. Students will demonstrate competency in utilizing information technologies on the managerial level and adapt technology to business scenarios and leadership decisions.

Provides a foundation in digital forensics and investigations in general. The course includes forensics acquisition methods for computers (physical as well as virtual), mobile devices to include cell phones, network intrusions, and cloud storage. It will include forensic analysis and validation, examine e-mail, social media investigations.

This course explains the political, legal, and social settings which shapes public administration. Also, examined is public administration accountability and responsiveness to elected executives, legislatures, the judiciary, the media, interest groups, and the public.

This course provides a comprehensive overview of relevant 21st century challenges faced by the juvenile justice system and the philosophical shift toward restorative justice. Trends will be identified and contemporary issues such as detention, waivers, mental health and substance abuse, risk assessment, family-based treatment, gangs, childhood abuse, gender and racial disparities, and institutional influences will be analyzed.