Faculty Contact Information:
Instructor: Dr. Ken J. Kovach
100 MSS
PSC 37, Box 3414
APO AE 09459
Email: kkovach@faculty.ed.umuc.edu or KJKovach@AOL.com
Phone: Phone (+44) 1353 860 671
Fax: +44 1353 860 671
Course dates: 24 Jan - 15 May 2005
14-27 March 2005 Midterm Break! | |
Consultation:
| Since this is DE format, any consultation can be accomplihsed through the personal Study Group forums or by direct communication. | |
Required Texts and Readings:
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Supplementary Readings:
| All graduate students should be prepared to utilize the UMUC online library to obtain the various resources necessary to develop the Professional Paper. | |
Recommended Journals:
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Course Description:
| Prerequisite: Successful completion of the comprehensive examination. This course is designed to give the student guidance and practice in the preparation and writing of a professional paper in the area of guidance and counseling. The course will focus attention on a review of relevant literature on current trends, issues, and problems with presentations and class discussions. This course is graded Pass (P) or Fail (F) and is normally conducted over two terms. Students may receive credit for only one of the following courses: GUCO 561, PSYC 561, or EDCP 778. | |
Course Goals:
Bowie State University requires all graduate students to complete an advanced research paper. In Europe, this requirement serves as a capstone to the students' programs of study. As such, it is designed to assist students in all degree programs to move beyond the classroom by consulting with experts from their chosen professions and engaging in professional activities. Students are encouraged to participate in the professional associations most likely to either disseminate or publish the results of their advanced research projects. UMUC Europe Graduate Programs faculty and staff refer to these projects as Professional Papers. UMUC Europe Graduate Programs contribute to the professional development of their graduate students by publishing final drafts on a dedicated web site and providing funding to attend professional conferences. Additional information on these initiatives may be found at www.ed.umuc.edu/graduate/.
Definition of a Professional Paper
- A Professional Paper is based on research conducted solely by the author. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Academic, professional, or trade journal articles,
- Case studies,
- Policy analyses, policy proposals, project management reviews, and program evaluations,
- Pre-procurement or pre-implementation analyses of new technologies or best practices,
- Grant proposals, and
- Responses to Requests for Proposals (RFPs). This final example is consistent with the type of papers written for the UMCP M.A. and M.Ed. in Counseling and Personnel Services.
- The length, style, and format of the final draft of any Professional Paper are defined largely by the nature of the audience and the standards employed in that particular segment of the profession. Audiences and venues for publication and dissemination of final drafts may include but are not limited to:
- The readership of academic, professional, or trade journals, including online journals,
- Conferences conducted and organized by professional associations such as ACA or EB-ACA, ASPA, ICMA, AOM, ACM, AITP,
- Political institutions (Congress, state legislatures, regulatory boards, city councils, school boards, state mental health boards, etc.),
- Management teams (government and non-profit agency directors, boards of directors, CEOs and CIOs, schools principals, etc.), and
- Funding organizations (National Science Foundation, National Institutes for Health, National Institute for Mental Health, Rand Institute, Hoover Institute, etc.).
- Any Professional Paper, written for UMUC Europe Graduate Programs, regardless of audience, length, style, or format, uses the APA citation style and reference style.
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Course Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course the student will be able to accomplish the critical tasks of developing a professional paper, including to:
- Identify a relevant research question and developing a strategy to answer that question (see the Professional Paper web site for examples of proposals).
- Identify the audience most interested in the question (examples listed above).
- Identify literature and other sources of expert information on the question.
- Present the research question, the research design, the target audience, and a broad outline of the final paper (called The Proposal) to peers and a subject matter expert.
- Obtain permission from UMUC officials to use human subjects if the research design warrants
- Obtain written permission from the management of the organization(s) involved with the research. Examples include, but are not limited to, military units, government contractors, DODDs schools, and restricted websites.
- Evaluate feedback received and making changes to the proposal as appropriate.
- Execute the research design.
- Write the Professional Paper that clearly and accurately reports the research findings in a format that meets the needs of the audience.
- Present a draft of the Professional Paper to peers and a subject matter expert.
- Evaluate feedback received and making changes to the final draft as appropriate.
- Submit the final draft to the target audience.
The student will receive 3 semester hours of credit toward the Master of Educaton in Guidance and Counseling upon successful completion of the course. The role of the student is to:
- Initiate and complete each of the critical tasks in a timely manner,
- Be the sole executor of the research design and author of the Professional Paper,
- Cite all sources of expert information according to the APA style guide,
- Present and defend the proposal, progress reports, working drafts, and the final draft in a timely manner,
- Engage in discussions with the subject matter expert, the classroom instructor, and graduate student peers in a professional manner,
- Evaluate feedback received and make appropriate changes to the proposal, the research design, the literature review, the report of findings, the discussion, and the recommendations,
- Evaluate feedback received and make appropriate changes to the length, style, and format of the Professional Paper, and
- Provide Graduate Programs with an electronic copy of the final draft of the Professional Paper and the documentation from the subject matter expert.
- Counseling students in the UMCP M.Ed. in Counseling and Personnel Services are required to use a member of the Counseling faculty as their subject matter expert.
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Grading Information:
This course is graded on a Pass or Fail basis only. Students who successfully complete the work in this course receive a Pass, which indicates a minimum grade of B, or 80 points or higher. Students who do not successfully complete the requirements receive a grade of Fail.
Graduate school at the master's level focuses on helping students obtain the education needed for success as professionals in their chosen fields. Thus, UMUC-Europe Graduate Programs and Bowie State University share the common goals of promoting excellence in academic scholarship through thoughtful inquiry and the skillful application of knowledge and theory for the betterment of society.In order to maximize your graduate educational experience in general and this course in particular, you are required to:
The grade F(a) is used to designate academic failure. F(n) is used to designate failure for non-completion. Grades of Incomplete or Withdrawal are governed by UMUC-Europe policies. For further details, please refer to the available online at UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog. Hard copies of the catalog are available in your local Education Center. | |
Course Requirements:
Graduate school at the master's level focuses on helping students obtain the education needed for success as professionals in their chosen fields. Thus, UMUC-Europe Graduate Programs and Bowie State University share the common goals of promoting excellence in academic scholarship through thoughtful inquiry and the skillful application of knowledge and theory for the betterment of society.
In order to maximize your graduate educational experience in general and this course in particular, you are required to:
Develop a Research proposal 10 pts Develop a literature review and research assumptions 10 pts Present and submit a draft of the final paper 15 pts Identify appropriate venues for publication or dissemination 5 pts
Develop and present a Final draft of the paper 40 pts
Peer reviews-Obtain reviews 10 pts
Participation- Classwork throughout the course 10 pts
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Description of Course Requirements:
A research paper that defines the problem or research area tutorially, clearly explains current issues, elaborates on the relevance of the topic in relation to current affairs, and provides some indications of what will happen in the future. Evaluations will be based on content, presentation, and quality of expression. Papers are expected to meet or exceed accepted graduate-level English and scholarship standards. Papers must conform to the APA documentation style with minor modifications. To aid the student in succeeding, the course provides the student with multiple checkpoints and opportunities to receive feedback from the instructor and other students.
Research Proposal: The Research Proposal will contain a clear statement of the:
topic; title; purpose of the research; research questions, research approach (Qualitative, Quantitative, or Mixed approach); design of the study; research question or research hypothesis for qualitative or null and alternate hypotheses for quantitative; outline of the research sub-topics; and preliminary reading list.
The Proposal can be presented in a Powerpoint format or as a Word or text document that has the headings of the above items. It is a brief identification of each item and does not need to be in narrative format.
Literature review and research assumptions: A 5 – 6 page paper summarizing the academic and professional literature most relevant to the student’s topic and making explicit the student’s theoretical and conceptual assumptions. The significance of this report is to provide identification of the main sources of information, to include a review of the content. It is not the literature review itself, but a summary of what will be used and why.
Peer Reviews: Students are expected to discuss their interim results (first drafts) with the group or those considered knowledgeable and accept/provide constructive criticism from/for other group members in the course of paper preparation (peer reviews), and develop the report in proper format. While every detail is not required to be presented (e.g., one may indicate that Table 1 would be used but not actually present the Table yet), it is to be organized in proper format and technically correct in presentation.
Identifying appropriate venues for publication or dissemination: Prior to the first draft, the student must decide on the Venue to be used. A specific association, organization, or authority must be the focus for the report. If none is selected, then the American Psychological Association (APA) will be considered the venue. The APA form and style will be followed, along with various UMUC requirements determined by the instructor (e.g., Table of Contents, no running head, insert of tables and figures, etc.).
Final Draft and Presentation of Research: Each student will present his or her research findings and conclusions to the Assignments folder and class Conference.
Class Participation: The essence of a seminar is the exchange of information among peers. Thus, members of the group will be expected to interact on each other's research areas in class plus via the forum. That interaction should also involve positive comments and recommendations on how research topics can be strengthened.
First Draft: Students are expected to discuss their interim results with the group and accept/provide constructive criticism from/for other group members in the course of paper preparation.
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Course Schedule:
Module 1: DevelopmentWeek One – Complete Conferences required and present any draft proposals for review.Week Two - identify subject matter expert for approval by your Program Director, and submit draft Proposal. Module 2: Refinement and InitiationBy Week Four - present revised proposal to classroom along with the comments from the SME. Module 3:ExecutionBy Week Eight or Nine - present working draft/lit review to classroomBy Week Twelve - present complete draft to SME and submit to instructor Module 4:ConclusionBy Week Fourteen - present summary or complete comments from peers to instructorBy Week Sixteen - present final report to Assignments with SME approval.
Time Frame:
Draft proposal – 6 Feb
SME selection/approval – 13 Feb
Final Proposal- 20 Feb
Venue selected – 20 Feb
Preliminary Literature Review – 28 Feb
Peer Review report – 3 Apr
Report Draft- 24 Apr
Final Report – 15 May
24 –31 Jan Review all course requirements. Complete Conferences established.
1 –6 Feb Review course Content and all course requirements. Develop draft proposal. Consider Subject Matter expert (SME) and request support for your study.
Request your Program Director to approve your SME.
7-13 Feb Identify SME approved. Complete course activities as above.
14-20 Feb Submit completed Proposal to Assignments. Select Venue and provide to Assignments.
21-28 Feb Complete Preliminary Literature Review and submit to Assignments.
1-6 March Continue to work on your Study and review forum information.
7-13 March Same as previous items.
14-27 March Break! Break! Midterm break!
28 Mar – 3 Apr Submit Peer Review report to Assignments. Complete all required work and reviews.
4-10 April Continue work on report.
11-17 Apr Same as above.
18-24 Apr Submit Final Draft to Assignments
25 Apr – 1 May Continue work on report.
2-8 May Same as above
9-15 May Submit Final Report to Assignments with SME comments.
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Bold Items are Grading items. Participation also counts for 10% of the course grade. A total of 80% or more is required for a Passing grade.
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Academic Policies:
Note: Any written assignment in this course may be submitted to TurnItIn.Com. This statement constitutes prior notice.
The official university policy on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty can be found at http://www.umuc.edu/policy/aa15025.shtml. Section I.C. states: "Faculty may determine if the resubmission of course work from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC), partially or in its entirety, is acceptable when assigning a grade on that piece of course work. Faculty must provide this information in their written syllabi. If the resubmission of course work is deemed to be unacceptable, a charge may not be brought under this Policy and will be handled as indicated in the written syllabi."
Please refer to Description of Course Requirements for specific information on how resubmissions will be treated in this course and to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog for information on the following:
Academic Integrity
Course Load
Exception to Policy
Grade Appeal Process
Make-up Examinations
Nondiscrimination
Students with Disabilities
Hard copies of the catalog are available at your local Education Center. | |
Faculty Bio:
Ken J. Kovach has been a faculty member for the University of Maryland University College since 1993 and also has taught research, statistics, and managerial courses for several other universities. Since 1981, he has taught 460+ graduate/undergrad courses in a variety of subjects. Ken previously served 23 years in the U.S. Air Force, first enlisted and then commissioned, in logistics, plans, operations, transportation management, aerial delivery, command staff, and airborne command positions.
Within distance education, he has continually taught over the Internet since 1995 after developing three university programs for Embry-Riddle and one business management certificate program for the National Business Aviation Association. He has developed research guidelines for various universities and serves mainly as the chair on graduate research project committees. Ken is active in various professional associations, to include the American Counseling Association, American Statistical Association, and Transportation Administration. His recent publication was Corporate Aviation Management. Ken's bachelor of science was from the University of Tennessee in business, Master of Arts in guidance and counseling from Wayne State University, and doctorate in higher education from Nova University. He has a British wife, Sally, and two daughters, Katie and Chris.
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