Applied Professional Studies
The master of applied professional studies (M.A.P.S.) is an interdisciplinary graduate program in The Graduate School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. M.A.P.S. serves students on campus and in the community who need a graduate degree that is tailored to meet their unique career goals. At the core of the M.A.P.S. program is a series of courses in leadership and business fundamentals designed to provide students with essential professional skills.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must meet Graduate School admissions requirements, which includes the minimum requirement of a bachelor’s degree completed before graduate study before graduate study begins or its international equivalent with an accredited institution, and an average grade of B (cumulative GPA 3.0) or better. The GRE is not required. Additional details can be found on the M.A.P.S. admissions page.
Master of Applied Professional Studies (M.A.P.S.)
The master of applied professional studies (M.A.P.S.) is an interdisciplinary graduate program that provides students pursuing career advancement, workforce expertise, professional development, or career changes with a solid foundation and the resources needed to create a comprehensive degree that is individualized to meet his or her unique career goals.
Length of Program
The program of study includes 30 credits of academic coursework, including an introductory course in professional studies, applied professional skills curriculum, elective courses from two programs and tailored based on academic and professional interests, and a capstone experience. Students may choose to enroll full-time or part-time and will have five years to complete the degree, using a mix of in-person and online courses.
Curriculum
The curriculum, designed by the student and the master’s program director, is intended for students who wish to focus on professional development and skill attainment tied to industry needs through specific learning tracks.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Requirements | ||
| GRAD 757 | MAPS Introduction | 3 |
| GRAD Core Courses - applied professional skills curriculum | 9 | |
| Elective courses from two programs, tailored based on academic and professional interests 1 | 15 | |
| MAPS Capstone experience (GRAD 992) | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
- 1
With a maximum of nine credits from one program.
At the core of the M.A.P.S. program is a series of courses in leadership and business fundamentals designed to provide students with essential professional skills. All students are required to complete an introductory course in professional studies (GRAD 757) and a capstone experience (GRAD 992). Students are also required to complete nine hours in Graduate Studies courses and 15 hours of electives in two or three programs, with a maximum of 9 credits from one program. Further information on the M.A.P.S. curriculum may be found online.
Courses
Introductory Core Course
MAPS: Introduction to Applied Professional Studies explores and expands upon the student's goals and intentions in relation to their career objective and its impact on the workforce. MAPS: Introduction to Applied Professional Studies strives to build a solid foundation in which students engage in self-assessment, meaningful exploration of values, reflection on career trajectory, analysis of workforce trends, and the impact of their professional development on the workforce.
MAPS Core Courses
Effective leadership begins with understanding your capacity to influence others and galvanize them around positive change. This course examines your current leadership behaviors and addresses the relationship of those behaviors to leadership development opportunities including influencing team dynamics, building productive relationships and managing change as a professional and a leader.
This course focuses on practical project management principles and techniques, demonstrating their effectiveness in the workplace. Key topics include frameworks and methodologies, planning and monitoring projects, risk management, stakeholder management, managing your team, and time and cost management. This course will include group work.
This course will teach the basics of Financial Accounting, including the Balance Sheet, the Income Statement, and the Statement of Cash Flows and Budgeting. The final presentation will incorporate financial skills and knowledge that can be used to support a future project proposal to business managers in an organization.
Business Communication is a 7-week course and development series designed to provide Carolina graduate students strategies and tactics for: (1) clearly, concisely, and convincingly communicating their ideas in business settings; and (2) operating with a client (eg, internal, external) focus. Students will explore some of the fundamentals of business writing, including practices for writing common business documents.
Building effective job search strategies, materials, and a strong online presence is essential for career success inside and outside the academy. Work with professionals with expertise in all areas of the job search process to develop your brand including a LinkedIn profile, resume/CV, cover letters and identify your job values and job skills and develop a Professional Development Plan. Interactive sessions will provide the setting to develop/refine your materials and your career approach.
In this experiential course, students will explore the activities and tools needed to make actual investment decisions for emerging companies. The course is offered in collaboration with Carolina Research Ventures (CRV), which supports companies engaged in commercializing technologies and other assets emanating from the University and UNC Health. Students will learn principles of rigorous and reproducible due diligence and market research; learn key components to the conduct of thorough due diligence on early-stage companies.
Provides a skill-driven curriculum for trainees interested in the fundamentals of launching and financing startups, including university spinouts. Led by a different subject matter expert each week, course topics will include fundraising strategies for your startup, preparing for due diligence and how to effectively pitch to your investors. Insights and skills gained from this course will enable students to work effectively with startup companies and entrepreneurs.
The course covers the fundamental skills required in consulting: defining the problem, gathering relevant information, analyzing data, synthesizing findings, drawing conclusions, developing recommendations, and communicating those recommendations.
This course provides an overview of the fundamental first steps of technology commercialization, with a specific emphasis on university technology commercialization (aka technology transfer). The course will cover the following topics: Market Assessment, Intellectual Property, Technology Development, Licensing, Commercial Development, and University Startups. Permission from the instructor required.
The Digital Revolution is transforming the way we live and work - from technology-driven to human-centered; from point solutions to end-to-end; and from fragmented to integrated. The course is designed to provide an overview and introduction to transformational principles for individuals, organizations, and industry ecosystems. Students will explore new models of engagement, persona discovery, value mapping, and systems thinking to anchor them to the critical attributes of the digital revolution.
