The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) offers advanced degrees designed to build professional success in a variety of organizational settings. With programs in Applied Psychology, Business Communication, Cybersecurity and Homeland Security, graduate programs in CAS focus on refining essential skillsets for data analysis and its critical application, for career advancement and personal growth. A Master's degree from Rider will connect cutting-edge curricula with real-world learning opportunities resulting in a unique and enriching educational experience.
Graduate Programs in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Adult Services and Behavioral Gerontology
This certificate focuses on important issues that individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder—as well as their families and the clinicians who work with them—face across the individual's lifespan from the transition to adulthood through retirement.
Masters in Applied Psychology
The M.A. in Applied Psychology: Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) prepares students to excel in professional careers as scientist-practitioners. By challenging students to use a scientific lens when creating and evaluating clinical interventions, and to use an applied lens when designing research, this program will ensure that students are prepared to achieve success in behavior analytic employment, or to pursue further education upon completion of the program.
Graduate Programs in the School of Science, Technology and Mathematics
Masters in Cybersecurity
The M.S. in Cybersecurity will provide students with the expert knowledge and technologies needed to detect, investigate, and prevent computer-related crimes, and to examine the theory, best practices, and methodologies to conduct computer forensics investigations. Students pursuing this degree will bring to the job a powerful combination of a traditional liberal arts education with foundational knowledge and technical training needed to excel in the cybersecurity field.
Graduate Programs in the School of Westminster Choir College
Choral Conducting
The graduate choral conducting program, generally a two-year program, trains conductors to be marketable and effective musicians. Westminster offers a balance of academic and performance opportunities. Graduate conducting majors take a core of research, literature, conducting, pedagogy and ensemble. Applied study and ensemble conducting offer each candidate the opportunity to work with the conducting faculty. Candidates must successfully complete a comprehensive oral exam before a degree is conferred. Graduate Conducting majors are admitted by audition in order to assure quality conducting experiences and contact with the graduate faculty.
Choral Pedagogy
The Master of Choral Pedagogy curriculum includes courses in voice science, choral rehearsal pedagogy, choral literature, and music education. It emphasizes the process of rehearsing, the psychology of learning, and educational philosophy.
Music Education
The Master of Music Education program is for music teachers who wish to complete graduate study in three to four summers or in two academic years. Students may also combine summer and academic terms to accelerate completion. The degree is for those who hold an undergraduate degree in music education and a teaching certificate. Students do not earn teacher certification through this degree program.
Sacred Music
The graduate sacred music program provides advanced training for church musicians from a wide variety of educational, professional, and denominational backgrounds. It is expected that applicants for this program will bring a thorough grounding of musical knowledge and significant experience in full- or part-time music ministry. The curriculum includes general as well as specialized courses in sacred music studies, theology, history, musicology, and applied skills. A fully online option, Sacred Music Practical Pedagogy, is also available.
Voice Pedagogy and Performance (Pedagogy Emphasis or Performance Emphasis)
This program has two emphases or tracks. The pedagogy emphasis entails private lessons, voice literature, opera, vocal pedagogy, supervised student teaching and a full recital. The performance emphasis entails private lessons, voice literature, opera, vocal coaching, vocal pedagogy, and a full recital supported by carefully researched program notes. For students whose undergraduate work has not included a public recital, presentation of a 30-minute recital is required before work on the graduate recital may begin. Weekly coaching classes as well as studio and performance classes offer frequent performance opportunities.
Graduate students majoring in Music Education may study voice as a primary instrument. The program culminates in a graduate recital of 30 to 50 minutes of singing. Weekly studio and performance classes offer frequent performance opportunities.
Undergraduate and graduate students may elect to study voice for credit toward their degrees if it is not otherwise a specific requirement. Instruction is in the form of private lessons and an extra tuition fee is assessed. There are no specific entrance or jury requirements. Elective lessons are provided on a space-available basis to qualified students.
Voice Pedagogy: Classical Track Online or Musical Theater Track Online
Westminster's Master of Voice Pedagogy program is offered entirely online and is specifically designed to serve the needs of professional singers, voice teachers, school music teachers, and voice coaches who want advanced training in the art and science of voice teaching.
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Undergraduate Students Taking Graduate Courses
Students who are eligible to take CAS graduate courses during their senior year must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Under most circumstances, up to six credits of graduate courses may be taken as an undergraduate and would be included in the regular, full-time tuition fee. These credits may be applied to the undergraduate degree requirements, including in the calculation of undergraduate GPA. Should the student matriculate into the CAS graduate program, these credits, but not the grades, would be subsequently transferred to the graduate transcript.