Sam Houston State University’s (SHSU) post-baccalaureate professional and graduate degree programs are progressively more advanced in academic content than undergraduate programs. Such programs are structured to include knowledge of literature relevant to the discipline and to ensure that students are engaged in appropriate research and/or professional practice and training. SHSU ensures progressively more advanced curriculum content with the appropriate rigor and academic quality through the combination of the program approval process, the pursuit and attainment of college and/or disciplinary accreditation, and the qualifications of the graduate faculty. Comparison of course requirements of undergraduate and graduate course syllabi with similar course names and/or descriptions demonstrates progressively more advanced curriculum. Program and course prerequisites are further evidence of the progressive nature of the post-baccalaureate and graduate programs, as are the relative overall degree requirements. All graduate courses at SHSU require either post-baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral classification as a pre-requisite to student enrollment. However, the respective academic dean may allow an undergraduate student with recognized abilities to enroll in a graduate course.
The graduate curriculum at SHSU is designed to ensure that graduate students obtain knowledge of the literature and engagement in research and/or professional practice. The “Degree Requirements and Academic Guidelines” section of the graduate catalog informs prospective students of the nature of graduate studies:
Graduate programs are typically regarded as either research or professional oriented programs. Research programs have a major research component. At the master’s level, the research component may be included in a series of courses, a research product, and/or a thesis. At the doctoral level, the research product is a dissertation. Professional programs at the master’s level may include an internship and/or a practicum in lieu of a research product.
Graduate studies tend to be more focused, provide greater depth of study within the chosen field, foster independent learning, and promote knowledge of the literature. All of the graduate programs at Sam Houston State University require an assessment of knowledge retention toward the end of the academic program. The assessment may be incorporated as a comprehensive exam, in written and/or oral format, and/or a comprehensive capstone course.
Regardless of the type of program, the academic expectations placed on graduate students far exceed those experienced at the undergraduate level. To maintain academic good standing at Sam Houston State University, a graduate student must maintain an overall grade point average of at least 3.0 on all graduate coursework attempted [1].
All graduate programs require students to demonstrate knowledge of the literature and ensure ongoing student engagement in research and/or appropriate professional practice and training experiences through a combination of coursework, research projects, comprehensive exams, comprehensive capstone courses, portfolios, and theses or dissertations. As is supported by course descriptions and syllabi, all graduate programs have courses that promote knowledge of the literature and research. Sample syllabi are provided from programs in each college in the support documentation [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]. Additional syllabi and links to course descriptions may be accessed from the Faculty Credentials Roster within this report. Approximately 40% of the master’s programs at SHSU either require or provide the option for a thesis. All of the doctoral programs require a dissertation. By the very nature of these requirements, students writing a thesis or dissertation must demonstrate knowledge of the literature and engage in research.
To ensure that students receive training from faculty who are proficient in the current literature and research, membership on the graduate faculty requires evidence of recent scholarship [16]. The curriculum vitae for faculty nominated for membership on the graduate faculty are reviewed by the departmental chair; academic dean; the Graduate Council, comprised of faculty from each college; and the Dean of Graduate Studies.
All graduate programs at SHSU have a curriculum that ensures ongoing student engagement in research and/or appropriate professional practice and training experiences. Illustrations of how the curriculum addresses engagement in research are provided above. Many venues are used in the curriculum to address professional practice and training experiences, including case studies, internships, and practicum experiences. Examples of professional practices and experiences include training at the Psychological Services Center for clinical psychology students [17], training in the Counseling Center for graduate students in the Counseling and Counselor Education programs [18], the opportunity to work in a fully functioning national press preparing manuscripts for print for students in the English program [19], and internships in the program in Dietetics [20]. Sample syllabi illustrating professional practice and/or training experience(s) are provided from programs in each college in the support documentation [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28]. Additional syllabi and links to course descriptions may be accessed from the Faculty Credentials Roster within this report.
Approval Process for Graduate Programs
The progression of academic content from the baccalaureate level to the graduate level is initially addressed during the development of any new graduate program. The curriculum process ensures that new graduate courses and programs provide advanced study in the discipline, currency in the literature and research, and/or professional practice. The content of a proposed program is created by the departmental faculty and subsequently reviewed by the appropriate departmental curriculum committee, college curriculum committee and dean, and University Curriculum Committee prior to submission to the Academic Affairs Council, the Provost, the President, the Board of Regents of the Texas State University System (TSUS), and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). Any proposal for a new program is submitted using the THECB’s Proposal for a New Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree Program or Proposal for a New Doctoral Program. The proposal for new programs includes, but is not limited to, an extensive description of the program, courses, accreditation requirements, admissions standards, curriculum, assessment, faculty, and resources. Sample new degree program requests recently submitted by SHSU to the THECB for review and approval are provided [29] [30].
Any new course included in a proposed program must have an accompanying Form B, Request for Addition of a New Course [31]. This process requires that the intended audience (student classification) and prerequisites be identified and set for each new course. Any course designed to be an upper level course must have greater rigor than a lower level course. Similarly, post-baccalaureate and graduate courses demand a higher level of sophistication than do undergraduate courses, and as such require a graduate student classification prior to enrollment. The Course Content section of Form B requires the completion of a proposed 15-week course schedule, allowing the respective committees to ensure the course meets the rigor expected of post-baccalaureate and graduate courses. Examples of recent Form Bs are provided in the support documentation [32] [33] [34].
Upon approval from the TSUS Board of Regents, program proposals proceed to the THECB. All academic degree programs offered by public institutions of higher education in Texas require THECB approval. THECB rules 5.45 and 5.46 govern the review of new master’s and doctoral programs [35] [36]. For both master’s and doctoral programs, the THECB review ensures that the proposed curriculum is “up-to-date and consistent with current educational theory.” Furthermore, “professional programs and those resulting in licensure must also be designed to meet the standards of appropriate regulatory bodies.” The THECB requires that doctoral program proposals face an additional review and site visit from an external team of peers. As with all public institutions of higher education in Texas, the degree programs at SHSU have received THECB approval and can be found on the THECB’s website in its list of approved programs [37].
Admission/Program Requirements, Course Numbering, Descriptions, and Content
The progressive nature of post-baccalaureate and graduate programs is evident in the admission requirements of each of the graduate degree programs. Many graduate programs require that, in addition to a baccalaureate degree, qualified applicants have a baccalaureate degree from a specific discipline or a minimum number of specific undergraduate coursework hours to prepare the student for the progressive nature of the post-baccalaureate or graduate program. If a qualified applicant does not possess the necessary baccalaureate background to be sufficiently prepared for the advanced academic rigor, preparatory coursework is required of the student. Examples of programs in the arts, business, sciences, and social sciences that require baccalaureate work in a specific discipline to prepare graduate students for the progressive nature of the program are provided [38] [39] [40] [41].
SHSU utilizes a course numbering sequence that is indicative of progressive academic content. Undergraduate courses use a course number in the 1000 to 4099 range while graduate course numbers range from 5000 to 8099. The graduate catalog states the following: “A graduate course is an advanced course requiring critical analysis and study. Typically, courses with numbers of 5000- or 6000-level are master’s-level courses and 7000-level or higher are doctoral-level courses” [42]. In individual cases and by application, a student may use 4000-level courses at SHSU for graduate credit. Students taking such courses must complete additional work to elevate the amount, content, and rigor to that expected in graduate courses [42]. The number of 4000-level courses taken for graduate credit that are allowed to count toward a graduate degree is typically limited to between three and six hours [43] [44].
Comparing the course descriptions and content between baccalaureate and graduate courses with similar titles provides further evidence that the academic content progresses from baccalaureate to graduate programs. For example, the Department of Biological Sciences offers a course in genetics at both the baccalaureate and master’s levels. The baccalaureate course, BIOL 3450 Introductory Genetics serves as a prerequisite for the graduate course, BIOL 5391 Advanced Genetics. The course descriptions and objectives for BIOL 3450 and BIOL 5391 reveal that the graduate course demands greater analytical skills, technical expertise, and research capabilities [45] [46]:
BIOL 3450 Introductory Genetics. Study is made of the physical bases of inheritance and principles of heredity and variation. Topics include Mendelian genetics, cytogenetics, molecular basis of genetics, gene expression and regulation, and DNA technologies. Two-hour laboratory. Fall, Spring. Demonstrated college-level readiness in reading, writing, and math. Prerequisite: Minimum grade of C in BIOL 2440, CHEM 1311, CHEM 1111 or CHEM 1411, and CHEM 1312, CHEM 1112 or CHEM 1412.
BIOL 5391 Advanced Genetics. This is an advanced study of the principles of heredity and the nature and function of the gene. Emphasis will be on molecular genetics with special attention to recent advances in DNA technologies. Laboratory studies include completion of a mini-research project and preparation of a scientific paper. Two-hour laboratory. Prerequisite: Introductory genetics with grade of C or better and organic chemistry.
Comparison of the course objectives for the undergraduate and graduate courses in Literary Criticism and Theory, ENGL 4390 and 5368, provides another example of the progression from providing a broad understanding of the subject matter at the undergraduate level to developing independent readers, scholars, and teachers who will contribute significantly to the profession of literature and language at the graduate level [47] [48].
The undergraduate and graduate courses on International Relations, POLS 3380 and 5373, illustrate that the undergraduate course is introductory in nature while the graduate course is designed to analyze and critically evaluate foreign policy options and challenges. In the undergraduate course, the students are introduced to theories and have to “examine how political scientists approach the study of world politics,” while in the graduate course students “[delve] deeply into major debates within and across these paradigms . . . thoroughly [engage] these literatures. . . [and] contribute to scholarly research in the field of Political Science” [49] [50].
Accreditation
An external confirmation of the progressive nature of the academic content in the graduate programs at SHSU is recognition as an accredited program. Although not all academic disciplines have the opportunity to seek a discipline-specific accreditation, SHSU has sought and obtained accreditation in most disciplines with an accrediting body. The following departments and/or graduate programs have sought and successfully obtained accreditation:
College of Business Administration
The College of Business Administration’s undergraduate and graduate degree programs are accredited by AACSB International, The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
College of Criminal Justice
The Master of Science in Forensic Science is accredited by the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC).
College of Fine Arts and Mass Communication
The School of Music’s undergraduate and graduate degree programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).
College of Health Sciences
The Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) at the undergraduate level and the Dietetic Internship (DI) Program at the graduate level in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences are currently granted accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606-6995. (312) 899-0040, ext. 5400. Website: www.eatright.org.
The Interior Design Program in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences is granted accreditation by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) and by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
The Doctoral Program degree in Clinical Psychology is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA).
The Specialists degree in School Psychology is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists to ensure high quality school psychology training and services. Any individual interested in reviewing the official document listing the accreditation, approval, or licensing of SHSU will have access to such material in the Reference Department of the Newton Gresham Library.
College of Education
The College of Education’s Educator Preparation Program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). As one of only thirteen universities in Texas with CAEP accreditation, the educator preparation program stands out among the top programs in the nation. The college’s educator preparation certification programs are also accredited by the Texas Education Agency.
Many of the college’s graduate programs are also recognized by their respective Specialized Professional Accreditors (SPA). The following professional educator preparation programs have been nationally recognized by their respective SPAs: Library Science by the American Association for School Librarians, Educational Diagnostician by the Council for Exceptional Children, Principal by the Educational Leadership Constituents Council, Superintendent by the Educational Leadership Constituents Council, Reading Educator by the International Literacy Association, and Instructional Technology by the International Society for Technology in Education. Additionally, the Clinical Mental Health Counseling, M.A.; School Counseling, M.Ed.; and Counselor Education, Ph.D. have been accredited by the Council of Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs.
College of Science and Engineering Technology
The American Chemical Society recognizes the Department of Chemistry as having adequate faculty, facilities, library, curriculum, and research for training professional chemists.
Graduate Program Review
In addition to external confirmation of the progressive nature of graduate programs at SHSU, the Graduate Program Review process ensures that SHSU’s graduate programs are demonstrating sufficient quality and rigor. In accordance with Texas Administrative Code, Rule 5.52, Review of Existing Degree Programs [51], all graduate programs at SHSU engage in an external review process. This graduate review process is governed by the THECB and is overseen at SHSU by the Dean of Graduate Studies [52]. On a rotating, 7-year cycle [53] graduate programs complete a self-study, which includes the completion of a self-study document [54], an external review [55], and the development of an action plan for improvement [56]. The process represents a rigorous review of the program curricula, graduate faculty, program resources, assessment, and student success.
Support for Student Research
Further evidence that the graduate curriculum produces knowledge of the literature and research capabilities lies in the fact that many graduate students present research or creative works at professional conferences, exhibitions, or community events each year. The Office of Graduate Studies sets as one of its objectives the promotion of student research [57]. The Office of Graduate Studies provides travel funding for students presenting at professional meetings. During the course of the last five years, the totals have been as follows:
Graduate students are also encouraged to present their research on campus. The Graduate Research Exchange program, organized by the Office of Graduate Studies, provides opportunities for masters and doctoral students from across campus to share their progressing and/or completed research projects. To accommodate increased participation and time demands, the event became 3MT (3 Minute Thesis) in 2017. This competition trains students to deliver 3-minute public presentations explaining their research in clear, marketable terms.