Master's Degrees
Education
The Certificate of Education Specialist (EdS) in Curriculum & Instruction is a program that provides in-depth opportunities for further professional growth and specialization for certified teacher leaders and administrators who have completed a master’s degree from an accredited college or university. Beyond a core set of courses, the program is individualized depending on the participant’s area of interest.
Specializations are available in the following areas:
The Master of Arts degree is open to students with a bachelor’s degree who meet the Graduate School and school entrance requirements. It does not function as a certification program. Minimum course requirements include 36 semester hours; both thesis and non-thesis options are available.
Specializations are available in the following areas:
Applied Research, Measurement & Evaluation
The Applied Research Measurement & Evaluation program consists of a minimum of 37 hours. At least one-half of the minimum credit hours must be in courses at or above the 7000 level. Six credits taken outside of the School of Education may be applied toward this degree. Students must take and pass a Comprehensive Examination.
Curriculum Studies draws upon education and learning principles to prepare students to become leaders, scholars, and agents of change in educational, community and human service settings. This specialization serves students in a wide variety of disciplinary backgrounds who are pursuing a wide range of goals from PhD admission to furthering professional development in a variety of educational fields including social foundations, museum education, nursing education, community activism and policy studies.
The online specialization in Educational Technology is designed to prepare leaders and practitioners in cutting-edge areas including technology integration, digital transformation, technology-enabled academic innovation, online education, training, and professional development. These in-demand skills can be applied to many professional settings, including K-12 schools, higher education institutions, business, healthcare, the military, and government.
Higher Education Administration
The specialization in Higher Education & Student Affairs draws on the rich, interdisciplinary field of Higher Education. While there is no specific academic preparation for student affairs administration at the undergraduate level, any baccalaureate degree provides sufficient preparation. Current students hold bachelor’s degrees in a variety of fields, including business, communications, liberal arts, and sports management. Most students pursuing graduate education in higher education/student affairs are actively involved in campus life or are working at a college/university in a student services or related area.
Elementary Education Grades 1 - 5
The Elementary Holmes Program is a one-year master’s program for candidates who have completed an undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from LSU. In the second semester of one’s senior year a series of Holmes pre-requisite courses are taken once admitted into the Holmes Program. The graduate year is designed to give candidates thoughtful experiences with practice and theory with a focus on preparing candidates to be 21st century educators. Successful candidates are awarded a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) and teacher certification in grades 1-5. The coursework completed for the Holmes Program may lead toward additional certifications.
Secondary Education Grades 6 - 12
This program is a rigorous 15-month graduate program leading to a Louisiana teaching certificate in grades 6 – 12 and the Master of Arts in Teaching degree. Established in 1990, this program prepares teachers at the graduate level in grades 6 - 12 subjects (English, mathematics, social studies, biology, chemistry, physics).
Students take much of their course work in intimate subject-area cohorts. Upon enrolling in an MAT program, students will apply for a full-time teaching job with provisional licensure (PL3). You will be teaching full-time (and receiving a salary) during the fall and spring while completing your course work.
The Master of Education (MEd) is designed to advance the knowledge base of certified teachers, provide preparation for individuals interested in leadership positions in schools and school districts, and prepare school counselors.
Program areas include educational leadership; gifted education, special education, counseling with concentrations in clinical mental health counseling and school counseling; and curriculum & instruction with specializations in early childhood education, elementary education, English education, foreign language education, language arts/children’s literature, mathematics education, reading/literacy, science education, social studies education, and special education.
Once enrolled, students have five years to complete all degree requirements.
The Counselor Education program prepares students to function as professional counselors in a variety of human service settings such as schools, college counseling centers, mental health treatment facilities, and private practice. Our program prepares students to meet the mental health needs of clients in the state of Louisiana and nationally. Our goal is to prepare students to master the knowledge and skill areas specified by current preparation standards and best practices in the counseling profession. Graduates use their knowledge and skills to help individuals, couples, and families from diverse populations to enhance life adjustment, foster personal growth and wellness, promote social justice and advocacy, and expand competencies in coping with environmental demands across the lifespan.
The specialization in Early Childhood Education is designed to advance the knowledge base of certified teachers working in early care environments, including preschool, kindergarten, and primary school settings. Students will gain a theoretical and practical understanding of child development, evidenced-based interventions and pedagogy specific to young children, and research and evaluation skills necessary for evaluating the effectiveness of instruction.
The specialization in Elementary Education provides certified teachers with advanced coursework to extend their knowledge beyond initial teacher preparation and/or alternative teacher preparation by focusing on advanced coursework in foundations, philosophies, research, content disciplines, pedagogical methods, and materials.
The specialization in English Education is designed to advance the knowledge base of certified teachers. Students enrolled in this program complete core coursework that helps to expand their knowledge and abilities in areas to stay current and at the forefront of their field. Students collaborate with peers and instructors in areas of curriculum studies, research methods and practices, technological integrations in the field of education, and humanistic and behavioral studies with a focus on diversity and fostering multicultural classroom environments.
This degree is designed for the professional development of teachers seeking a master’s degree and preparation as teachers of the academically gifted. The program is flexible enough to accommodate both full-time and part-time graduate students, while maintaining a cohort model. Most courses are offered on a 12–month cycle. The program requires six hours in research and assessment, 18 hours in gifted education, nine hours of electives in one content/teaching field, and a three-hour practicum in gifted education.
The specialization in Mathematics Education provides certified teachers with advanced coursework in mathematics and mathematics education to enhance their teaching expertise and/or in preparation for a PhD program in mathematics education. Students collaborate with peers and instructors in areas of curriculum studies, research methods and practices, technological integrations in the field of education, and humanistic and behavioral studies with a focus on diversity and fostering multicultural classroom environments.
The specialization in Reading/Literacy Education provides certified teachers with advanced coursework to extend their knowledge beyond initial teacher preparation by focusing on coursework that targets literacy foundations, philosophies, research, methods, and materials. This includes required courses to earn the Reading Specialist endorsement in Louisiana.
The specialization in Science Education is designed to advance the knowledge base of certified teachers. It meets national and state standards. Students enrolled in this program complete core coursework that helps them to expand their knowledge and abilities in areas that allow them to stay current and at the forefront of their field. They collaborate with peers and instructors in areas of curriculum studies, research methods and practices, technological integrations in the field of education, and humanistic and behavioral studies with a focus on diversity and fostering multicultural classroom environments.
This specialization in special education program extends knowledge beyond initial teacher preparation by integrating knowledge and skills in assessment and evaluation or in instructional and behavioral support. Guided by the strong conviction that effective instruction for students with disabilities must be child centered, data driven, and outcome oriented. This includes required courses to earn the Educational Diagnostician endorsement in Louisiana.
Human Development & Family Science
Human Development & Family Science
The Master of Human Development & Family Science degree program prepares highly competent, effective, and ethical individuals to serve children and families within communities, schools, hospitals, nursing homes and social service agencies in national and international contexts.
The program empowers graduate students to explore child and family theory, empirical research and research methodology, policy and child and family development through the lens of diverse social contexts.
Information Studies
Master of Library & Information Science
The Master of Library & Information Science degree equips library and information professionals with the skills needed to help diverse communities access, understand, and use information resources. The 36-hour program offers a career-focused curriculum that will prepare you to bridge the gap between people, information, and technology.
The MLIS program at LSU is the only ALA-accredited program in the state and has been continuously accredited since 1931. The program is 100% asynchronous online with no on-campus requirements.
Kinesiology
Master of Science in Athletic Training
The Master of Science in Athletic Training is built around 60 credit hours of required clinical and classroom coursework to satisfy: the program’s accreditation requirements set forth by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE); and for the student to meet eligibility requirements to sit for the Board of Certification, Inc (BOC) examination and state licensure requirements to practice as an athletic trainer upon graduation.
Master of Science in Kinesiology
Master of Science in Kinesiology is the study of human movement and the practice of helping people understand how their body performs, how to maintain proper physical health, and how to maximize their body's potential.
Specializations are available in the following areas:
Exercise physiology is focused on the genetic, biochemical, and clinical evaluation of physiological alterations to exercise training and detraining in both human and animal models. This focus is centered on modifications in the muscular, cardiorespiratory, and immune systems from an aging, disease, or peak performance perspective.
Online Health Promotion & Sport Performance
Students in the specialization in Health Performance & Sport Performance will learn how to effectively plan, implement, and evaluate health behavior programs, interventions, and policies in diverse populations. This degree is designed to provide an understanding of best practices regarding sport performance, healthy behaviors, and avoiding preventable risks. Upon completing this program, graduates will understand how to synthesize and apply evidence-based approaches that enhance sport performance, facilitate healthy behavior, and address public health challenges.
Engaging in research focused on the learning and performance of coordinated movement, the Motor Behavior specialization also prepares students for careers as practitioners, researchers, and scholars.
Pedagogy & Psychological Sciences
The specialization in pedagogy and psychological sciences enhances student preparation for careers in a variety of physical activity professions and also provides a foundation for further study in doctoral programs. Pedagogy and Psychological Sciences Specialization focuses on factors that influence teaching and learning in a broad range of physical activity settings, acquires and advances knowledge regarding the social-cognitive determinants of physical activity and exercise. Specific areas of study include: pedagogy, sport pedagogy, psychology of physical activity.
Leadership & Human Resource Development
Master of Science in Leadership & Human Resource Development
Change is the new normal for all types of organizations. For-profit Fortune 500 companies, state and national government organizations, non-profit community organizations, and civil society organizations are all increasingly challenged to respond to changes in social values and adapt to dynamic social, ecological, economic, and technological factors. As a result, there is a large and growing demand for professionals who can facilitate and lead positive change.
Our program leading to an MS degree in Leadership & Human Resource Development (LHRD) is an applied program designed to develop in students the leadership, planning, analytical, problem solving, and change management capabilities that today's globalized organizations need to be successful.
The Master of Science in Leadership & Human Resource Development with a concentration in Workforce Development provides the same fundamental knowledge and skills for understanding human resource development challenges, training and development needs, and change management approaches offered in the MS LHRD degree program, but supplements this knowledge with expertise in identifying, analyzing, and planning for broader workforce development trends that affect employee-employer dynamics in the workplace.
Social Work
The Master of Social Work degree attests to the graduate’s preparation for social work practice and achievement at a level of competence sufficient to serve as a basis for a professional career. The LSU School of Social Work is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and has been offering graduate education since 1937. The MSW degree requires 60 hours of study and students admitted to the MSW program must elect to enter either on campus or online.
The first 30 hours of the program is termed the generalist year, and the second 30 hours of study is termed the specialized year. The generalist year of the program is structured to provide the knowledge, skills, and values required for all social work practice. This includes courses in social work practice, social work history, research methods, social policy, human diversity, human behavior in the social environment, and generalist-year field internship. The specialized year provides instruction in advanced direct practice, advanced social policy, program evaluation, twelve hours of electives, and specialized-year field internship.
The School of Social Work has an Advanced Generalist Practice concentration in the specialized year to allow our students to work with many populations in a variety of social work settings. The field education office places students in an internship that will provide a good educational experience in a supervised setting for both the generalist and the specialized years. The period of study for the MSW cannot exceed four years. No academic credit is granted for work or life experiences.
Social Work Dual Degree Programs
Master of Social Work / Master of Public Health Dual Degree Program
The LSU School of Social Work and the LSU Health Sciences Center (HSC) in New Orleans offer a concurrent degree program through which a student may receive both the Master of Public Health (MPH) and a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree. Students successfully completing the concurrent degree program receive two separate degrees: the MSW awarded by the School of Social Work and the MPH awarded by the Health Sciences Center. The MSW-MPH dual-degree program will provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote health, prevent disease, and enhance the delivery of evidence-based health and social services in the community. Upon completion of the MSW-MPH dual-degree program, graduates will demonstrate knowledge of the breadth of each field and their interface, as well as have ability to incorporate interdisciplinary skills in public health and health-related settings. The MSW-MPH dual-degree program is designed to prepare graduates for work in a variety of interdisciplinary health and health-related settings and, for some, may provide a basis for future doctoral study. MSW-MPH dual-degree students will satisfy the requirements for 60 MSW credit hours and a minimum of 45 MPH credit hours in which students will complete a minimum of 92 credit hours. This degree program is only for campus based students. Applicants should keep in mind the LSU HSC is in New Orleans.
Master of Social Work / Juris Doctor Dual Degree Program
The LSU School of Social Work and the LSU Law Center offer a concurrent degree program through which a student may receive both a Juris Doctor (JD) and a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree. Students successfully completing the concurrent degree program receive two separate degrees: a JD awarded by the Law Center and a MSW awarded by the School of Social Work. Although the two programs remain independent, the concurrent program accelerates the completion of both degrees because of each school’s recognition of credit hours earned for course work completed in the other program. The Law Center accepts 9 credit hours completed in the School of Social Work as elective credits toward the JD degree and the School of Social Work accepts 9 credit hours completed in the Law Center as elective credits toward the MSW. The recognition of concurrent credit allows students to earn both degrees in approximately four years of full-time study (including summers). This degree program is only for campus based students.
Sport Management
Master of Science in Sport Management
The Master of Science in Sport Management is a non-thesis degree program offered through a curriculum which encourages students to develop their own degree experience through the established core curriculum, elective courses, and interdepartmental collaboration. The core courses focus on sport-related organizational behavior and theory, strategy (i.e., solving problems), finance, economics, social issues, and law. Unique among graduate-level sport management curricula, LSU’s MS degree program fosters interaction within the highly respected E.J. Ourso College of Business and supports engagement with the Manship School of Communication among other well-renown academic units at LSU. Our goal is to help students acquire the information and skills they need to be successful in their desired career path.