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Ugrad Advising Appts
College of Education
MSU
Copyright ©
Michigan State University
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M.S.
Expectations for
Professional Growth
Approved
3/4/05
The Department of
Kinesiology has expectations for master of science (M.S.) degree
students in three areas: (a) progress toward degree completion; (b)
professional expertise and involvement; and (c) knowledge and skill as a
consumer of research. Students who intend to pursue doctoral study or
research careers are also expected to develop ability to plan, conduct,
and disseminate research. These expectations are individualized for
students during advising and guidance committee meetings. Therefore,
M.S. students are encouraged to discuss these expectations with their
advisors early in the degree program to seek a shared understanding of
personal expectations.
Progress Toward Degree Completion
The Department of
Kinesiology expects full-time M.S. students to complete their degrees
within two years, and part-time students within five years (the MSU
deadline is within 5 years following the first semester of enrollment).
We strongly encourage students to become familiar with the
M.S. degree requirements
and academic progress guidelines
for M.S. students. Students should consult with their advisors and
guidance committees to develop a
program plan during the first year of study to facilitate timely
degree completion.
| Fact:
Graduation data for KIN master's degree students during the
1999-2004 academic years showed that 66% of the students
completed the M.S. degree within two years. Most students
who took a longer period of time were part-time students.
Two years was the modal number of years to degree completion. |
Professional Expertise and Involvement
The M.S. degree in
kinesiology is more than the sum of course work and capstone
experiences. We expect M.S. degree students to become leaders in their
chosen fields through experiences that develop content expertise,
professional responsibility, and ability to share knowledge with others.
The nature of the learning experiences and criteria for demonstrating
professional expertise and involvement are determined by the student in
collaboration with her/his advisor and guidance committee.
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We expect students to
become content experts in their respective concentrations through a
variety of experiences including course work, field work, capstone
experiences, volunteer experiences, literature reviews, conference
attendance, etc. This expertise will be demonstrated, in part, by
performance on the master’s certifying exam, internship, project, or
thesis. |
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We expect students to
develop competence in the “tools of the trade” relative to their
professional goals such as: (a) teaching, coaching, or counseling
skills; (b) athletic training methods; (c) laboratory techniques and
procedures; or (d) movement analysis, depending upon the nature of
their career goals. |
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We expect students to
attain the relevant certifications in their respective
concentrations when appropriate. Some examples include PACE
certification in coaching, ACSM certification in health fitness
instruction, NSCA certification in strength and conditioning, and
NATABOC certification in athletic training. |
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We expect students to
become involved in professional organizations within their chosen
disciplines as demonstrated by memberships, conference attendance,
and in some cases by presenting at professional meetings and
contributing to committees and projects associated with professional
organizations. |
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We expect students to
learn about and abide by the codes of conduct or ethics associated
with professional organizations in their chosen disciplines.
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expect students to develop increasing skill in scholarly writing,
public speaking, and use of technology. |
Research
We expect all graduates of
the KIN M.S. program to be informed consumers of research, and in some
cases to become researchers. Therefore all students are required to
successfully complete KIN 871. Also, we expect students to further
develop and practice their skills in critiquing and interpreting
research in other KIN graduate courses and in the context of
lab/disciplinary meetings, departmental seminars, thesis/dissertation
proposal and defense meetings, and conference presentations. Students
will demonstrate their skills as informed consumers of research as part
of the capstone experiences for the master’s degree, namely the
certifying examination, internship, project, or thesis.
We recognize that a
segment of the M.S. student body needs skills in planning, conducting,
and disseminating research to prepare for doctoral studies or careers
that involve scholarly inquiry. We expect these research-active M.S.
students to:
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Attend
lab/disciplinary meetings, departmental seminars,
thesis/dissertation proposal and defense meetings, and professional
conferences. |
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Complete an additional
course in statistics or research methods (in addition to KIN 871) to
prepare the student to conduct research in his/her disciplinary
area. |
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Assist with faculty
and graduate student research projects to acquire knowledge and
skills related to responsible conduct of research, writing research
and grant proposals, data collection, data analyses, scholarly
writing, and presentation and publication of results. |
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Choose a capstone
experience that involves conducting publishable research, namely KIN
899 Master’s Thesis Research or KIN 897 Project in Kinesiology. |
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Choose a research
problem that is mutually acceptable to the student and advisor. Note
that advisors have differing perspectives about topic selection. |
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Present research
findings at a professional meeting within 12-18 months following the
thesis or project defense. |
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Submit research
findings for publication within 12-18 months following the thesis or
project defense. |
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