Academic Program

Description

Since the School of Professional and Continuing Studies program is based on an accelerated schedule for degree completion, most students enrolled in the complete their degrees in 16 to  24 months. The curriculum for the Bachelor of Science in Human Services degree program is interdisciplinary in nature and is recognized for its strengths in social analysis, critical thinking, communication skills, and leadership for social and economic change. Through a transformational learning process, students have opportunities to reflect on and learn from their own experiences while also studying the theories and practices related to various disciplines that inform practices within the field of human services. Faculty, who are leaders in human services, utilize transformative, student-centered approaches to teaching and learning with an emphasis on the need for self-directed activities, leadership initiatives, and lifelong learning skills for all students.

Students who matriculate generally have a number of transfer credits and/or college-level learning experiences that can be documented through the experiential learning process. In this way, each student’s course of study is specifically tailored to incorporate the student’s existing knowledge, skills and competencies while also meeting the requirements for the major in Human Services. Overall, students must earn a total of 120 credits to graduate, with at least 48 credits taken in residency at Springfield College. In the case of specific concentrations in the bachelor’s degree program, students may be required to complete more than 120 credits to meet concentration requirements. The actual length of time needed to complete the entire bachelor’s degree program varies depending on the number of transfer credits and credit awards that students can earn through the experiential learning process.

Degree Offered

Under the College’s charter, the School of Professional and Continuing Studies degree program leads to the degree of Bachelor of Science (B.S.). The School of Professional and Continuing Studies also offers a graduate program leading to a Master of Science (M.S.) degree and a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree (Tampa campus). Honorary degrees are granted in limited number by the Board of Trustees to recognize preeminent achievement in the fields for which the College is noted.

Degree Requirements

In order to complete a baccalaureate degree at the School of Professional and Continuing Studies an undergraduate student must complete the following requirements:

1. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.000
2. Successful completion of 120 credit hours
3. Successful completion of the General Education requirements.
4. Successful completion of all requirements for the declared major.
5. Fulfillment of residency requirement

Even if all requirements for a baccalaureate degree have been met, the sanctioning of a student pursuant to the Student Disciplinary Policy may prevent the awarding of such a degree.

Instruction

The School employs full-time faculty who are responsible for teaching, service, and scholarship. The practice-oriented curriculum also includes contributions from part-time faculty who are directly involved in agency and community work. The result is that we have a faculty with the flexibility, resources, and expertise required to address academics as well as new developments in human services practice and delivery.

All classes in the School of Professional and Continuing Studies utilize the College’s learning management system called Moodle. Moodle serves as the virtual classroom for instructors and students to engage outside regularly scheduled classroom time in what is called the web-enhanced portion of the course. Moodle is required in all School of Professional and Continuing Studies classes. The Moodle orientation for the School of Professional and Continuing Studies students is provided within your PrideNet account and must be completed and passed as soon as possible in order to register for classes.

Coursework

The School of Professional and Continuing Studies is a trimester program. Classes generally meet for four months each term with classes held on weekends. Each course meets once each month for a full day. Students are required to complete pre-assignments before a course begins so that they will be ready to engage in the course content and process when the first class is held. Students also receive a syllabus for each course so they can plan ahead and stay abreast of classroom activities and course expectations.  In addition, all courses include an online component.   Moodle allows instructors and class members to remain in contact between class sessions by continuing class discussions, researching and completing course assignments and accessing resources.  The School of Professional and Continuing Studies also offers students the option to enroll in full y online courses.  Currently, students cannot take more than 2 online per term.  Online courses required the successful completion of the “Eligibility Assessment” with a score of 70 or greater to register for online classes.

Writing is an important assessment and learning tool across the curriculum because the School values highly both the process and product involved with written communications. The writing-intensive program is designed to enhance students’ ability to write clearly, concisely, and creatively so they can compose reports, correspondence, client notes, grants, and other such materials required in the workplace. Classroom instruction involves lectures, discussions, small group projects, visual presentations, fieldwork, research, reflections, and case studies. Across the curriculum, students have ample opportunities to learn about theory, to practice their skills, and to demonstrate learning outcomes in a variety of ways. Course assignments and learning assessments generally include written papers, research projects, portfolios, and oral presentations. Students receive regular feedback on their classroom assignments to help them improve their performance.

Core Curriculum

The School’s core curriculum provides a common frame of reference, information, experience, and analysis. It is the heart of a learner’s program of study. The diversity of courses reflects a respect for learning that both fosters the integration of theory and practice and promotes the responsibilities of global citizenship. The courses that make up the core curriculum are listed and described in the Course Descriptions.

Distribution of Undergraduate Credits

The minimum credits required for a bachelor’s degree is generally distributed among the General Education curriculum; the requirements for a major; and electives (inclusive of requirements for a minor), if applicable. Students including certain concentrations as part of their course of study may have additional requirements that decrease the number of electives in their program and/or increase their credit requirements for graduation.

General Education Requirements (42 credits)

The General Education program at Springfield College is informed by its century-old Humanics tradition of educating the whole person in spirit, mind, and body, for leadership in service to humanity. These requirements have the goal of developing literate, thoughtful, socially responsible students, and instilling in them a spirit of inquiry into the nature of humankind and the universe. Towards those ends, the requirements emphasize and encourage: the acquisition of knowledge, understanding, and competency essential for the improvement of the human condition in a diverse society; a search for personal and spiritual values; and the development of an understanding and appreciation of physical well-being.  Recognizing that our students will specialize in a variety of specific majors, the General Education requirements ensure that all students will achieve a common set of learning objectives as part of their Springfield College experience. These common objectives embody the college’s definition of an educated person and ensure that our graduates will be able to demonstrate the skills, knowledge, and understanding needed to achieve the mission of the college to educate students for leadership and lifelong service to humanity. The common learning outcomes for all baccalaureate graduates include:

• The ability to provide leadership in service to humanity;
• The ability to communicate effectively in both written and oral form;
• The ability to think critically within and across disciplines, to interpret information, and to develop well-reasoned conclusions;
• The ability to read critically, interpretatively, and empathetically;
• The ability to reason quantitatively and to use mathematical and technological tools for problem solving and analysis;
• An understanding and appreciation of aesthetic, imaginative and creative expression;
• An understanding and appreciation of the scientific process of discovery, critical thinking, and analysis;
• An understanding and appreciation of the social sciences and historical perspective in comprehending the modern world;
• The ability to reflect critically on personal, spiritual, and cultural values in order to live an effective and fulfilling life;
• An understanding and appreciation of the importance of personal wellness and lifelong physical activity in the enrichment of human life;
• An understanding and appreciation of the opportunities and challenges inherent in a world that is increasingly diverse, multicultural, and international.

The following curricular requirements have been established in support of these outcomes. However, none can be fully achieved solely by taking a given course. Therefore, these outcomes will be reinforced across the General Education curriculum and within program majors and minors.

Core Curriculum

The School’s Core curriculum provides a common frame of reference, information, experience, and analysis. It is the heart of a learner’s program of study. The diversity of courses reflects a respect for learning that both fosters the integration of theory and practice and promotes the responsibilities of global citizenship. The courses that make up the Core curriculum are listed and described below:

Concentrations

Several concentrations are available to students in the Human Services program. In some cases, courses required for a concentration may extend the time required to complete the course of study. Students must consult with the campus where they are enrolled to determine the availability and requirements of particular concentrations.

In the case of specific concentrations in the bachelor’s degree program, students may be required to complete more than 120 semester hours to meet general education, core, and concentration requirements.