Graduate Learning Outcome Statement
Master of Science in Applied Sociology

Mission
The Master of Science in Applied Sociology program at the University of North Florida prepares students to employ sociological analysis to investigate, interpret and evaluate social systems, institutions and processes in both applied and non-applied settings. We accomplish these goals through our focus on rigorous and dynamic instruction in social theory, research methodology, and principles of program evaluation. The faculty are committed to excellence in teaching and research, and to providing individualized and focused mentoring for students in a variety of subfields within the discipline. Our courses and practicums strive to promote the efficacy and relevance of sociological research and the sociological imagination, and to enhance students' appreciation of the complexity and diversity of human societies. Our faculty are dedicated to the constant improvement of the program through the use of assessment tools that ensure responsibility and accountability to the department, the college, the university, and the discipline.

Students who graduate from the MSAS program will be able to:
• Apply insights from sociological theories when evaluating or conducting sociological research.
• Use sociological literature to identify and frame research questions and hypotheses.
• Critique and analyze the papers, books and reports found in various social science literatures.
• Design original research using quantitative and/or qualitative methodologies, and to collect, analyze, and interpret such data.
• Produce well conceived and executed reports and/or papers that feature applied sociological concepts.

Assessment Strategy
The MSAS program will assess student mastery of these outcomes through the following exit options:

1. Comprehensive Examination. Students who elect to take a comprehensive examination will be tested on their ability to apply sociological theory and methods in a simulated applied scenario. Based on their required and elective course work, students will be asked to use the theoretical and conceptual tools of the discipline to construct research questions that suggest specific data collection or analysis protocols, analyze quantitative data using leading statistical software packages, and present findings and make arguments in writing that is clear, cogent, and concise. Exams will be evaluated by the members of the sociology graduate program committee. The exam will be assessed against an evaluation rubric designed for the exam. Students will be given one of three grades on the exam: pass, revise and resubmit, and fail. At the completion of each academic year, the department's graduate program committee will meet to consider the content and quality of each comprehensive exam, and determine if changes are needed to the exam's format, the evaluation rubric, the program's learning outcomes, or any combination of these.

2. Thesis. Students choosing the thesis option will produce an original work of scholarship that uses sociological theory and existing research literature to frame and present a research question relevant to the field of applied sociology. At the proposal stage, students will be asked to demonstrate how their thesis project will meet the program's learning outcomes outlined above. The MSAS thesis will demonstrate the student's ability to analyze primary and/or secondary sociological data, position the findings from these data within the corpus of sociological literature, and present results in a clear and cogent manner. The thesis will be evaluated by a committee of two faculty members, with one serving as the chair of the thesis committee. At the end of each academic year, the department's graduate program committee will meet to consider the content and quality of each completed thesis, changes are needed to the thesis proposal process, the program's learning outcomes, or both.

3. Practicum. Students choosing the practicum option will carry out an applied research project within an agency or organization that uses sociological theories and existing research literature to address program outcomes and/or processes on behalf of that the organization in question. At the proposal stage, students will be asked to identify a participating agency, demonstrate how their Practicum will assist the agency in addressing a specific program outcome or need, and will work with a Faculty advisor to design the research approach and carry out the Practicum Project. The MSAS Practicum will demonstrate the student's ability to design a basic applied research project, collect and analyze appropriate data needed to assist the agency or organization "client," position the findings from these data within the corpus of sociological literature, and present results in a useful, clear and cogent manner to the external organization. The Practicum will be directed by a faculty member in the Sociology program, with a second faculty member serving as a reader for the project. At the end of each academic year, the department's graduate program committee will meet to consider the content and quality of each completed Practicum, what potential changes are needed to the Practicum process, or both.