02-04-2024 EDU - Flipbook - Page 4
4 The Baltimore Sun | Sunday, February 4, 2024
Stevenson’s new online crime scene investigation and forensics science program is highly regarded.
Accessible technology programs
Graduate students enjoy opportunities and convenience
By Lisa Baldino, Contributing Writer
T
echnology education continues to
emerge through new programs and
specializations that are designed
with both highly dedicated content
and student accessibility in mind.
At the University of Maryland’s Robert
H. Smith School of Business, full-time MBA
students can earn a specialization in AI, with
a program that has been updated to focus on
what’s at the forefront of business. According
to Balaji Padmanabhan, professor of decision,
operations and information technologies at
the school, “We wanted a specialization that
is forward-looking and current. This specialization has four components that will dive
into AI’s capabilities, design, applications and
governance for business.”
The first component, the foundation of
AI, focuses on understanding the capabilities
of AI and providing context for the companies
who want to use the technology. The second
component is AI design. This portion of the
program addresses questions like, “How do
you build on today’s AI capabilities to design
solutions that combine what AI has to offer
with human capabilities and other business
assets?” Padmanabhan says businesses need
to think about human- and problem-centered
design, not just automation.
Solution and governance, the last two
components, focus on solving problems in a
financially responsible way. “AI tackles problems in social media, digital marketing and
other applications in finance and supply chain
management,” he says. The last course covers
governance strategy content for AI, and it,
too, is design-focused, looking for the best
way to solve a problem.
Rosellina Ferraro, associate dean of MBA
programs at the Smith School of Business,
says the specialization will train students
to consider the short term and long-term
benefits and consequences of the technology.
“We want our MBA students to be champions
of this, but we don’t want them to think it’s
magic,” she says.
The Smith School is among the early
adopters in business schools to focus on AI.
The unique program enlists a strong, highly
proficient staff of experts in the domain. The
school hosted a new AI Symposium on Jan. 23
that included thought leaders from the business world sharing their knowledge on the
ecosystem for AI technology.
Universities are also taking note of the
convenience factor for attracting students
in a competitive marketplace. Kelly Keane,
director of educational technology for Loyola
University Maryland, says enrollment is
declining among the traditional master’s candidates who are in the K-12 sector. Her team
believes that the way to survive in a saturated
market is diversification. “We are turning to
educators beyond K-12,” she says, citing professional markets like human resources and
team training. “We will be showing potential
candidates that it’s good to have an instructional design background.”
The master’s degree in educational technology at Loyola focuses on ethical uses of
technology for learning, social justice and
instructional design. In addition to expanding use of technology in the classroom, this
degree gives teachers the opportunity to
become technology leaders – locally, regionally and nationally.
Balaji Padmanabhan, professor of Decision,
Operations and Information Technologies at the University
of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business.
Rosellina Ferraro, associate dean of MBA programs at
the University of Maryland's Smith School of Business.
MBAs at the University of Maryland now can earn a specialization in Artificial Intelligence.
There are myriad job paths for Stevenson's graduate students in forensic science.
As Loyola moves forward with a focus on
instructional design, Keane says the expanded audience will touch the business community even further.
“It’s a unique program in that it connects to the Loyola Jesuit affiliation with
courses that emphasize social justice. It’s part
of the Loyola tradition,” Keane says. While
the program is fully online, the students are
hands-on in the final internship. Already top
executives in leadership positions at their current jobs, the last required project for those
focusing on instructional design is creating
interim systems within their own offices, such
as maker spaces. Keane says there is a full
spectrum of job possibilities when students
earn this degree, such as e-learning specialist,
casino developer, learning information coach
and branch manager.
Ever wanted to be a crime scene investigator? Now you can, with the new, numberone-ranked online crime scene investigation
and forensics science master’s programs at
Stevenson University. While the program is
recommended for students with science backgrounds, it also can provide opportunities to
those looking to change careers or break into
a new market.
The graduate certificate and master’s programs at Stevenson develop skills to evaluate
crime scenes by documenting, collecting,
preserving and processing evidence. The fully
online program, including a series of home
or virtual labs, can be completed in as little as
two years or as many as seven.
Tracey Mason, director of forensic science and crime scene investigation, says the
graduate program has been well-received and
enrollment is good. She attributes part of that
success to Stevenson’s 4+1 Master Option
program that provides qualified Stevenson
undergraduates an opportunity to take courses in the master’s program. Undergraduate
students are required to have 75 credits and
they can apply two of the master’s classes to
undergraduate studies. “They can get a B.S.
in criminal justice and a master’s in crime
scene investigation and finish their degrees in
a shorter period of time,” Mason notes.
Natalie J. Wasicko, who is both an undergraduate and master’s recipient at Stevenson,
says she was able to complete her degree in
five years. “I gained a lot of time management
skills from this program, which is something
that is hard to learn but a necessity for being
successful.”
The other reason for the program’s success
is the team of 18 adjunct faculty members
who instruct the classes. “One hundred percent of the instructors are either working in
the field or have retired from it. They all have
master’s or doctorate degrees, and they help
develop the curriculum,” Mason says.
Wasicko notes that having field practitioners as instructors gave her a better picture
of what to expect from a job in these fields.
Wasicko recently joined the Maryland State
Police as a forensic scientist. “I use analytical
thinking every day. Getting the background
and analytical thinking from the hard sciences (biology, chemistry or biochemistry)
is vital for getting a job in forensic science,”
she says.
Additionally, incoming students have
access to a dedicated success coach for their
years of study. The success coach helps students plan out their classes and guides them
toward career goals. Among the many jobs
for which these students will qualify are
crime scene investigator, crime scene photographer, crime scene technician, evidence
technician, fingerprint and DNA specialist,
forensic chemist and forensic scientist.
Technology education at its finest.
