Program Description and Degree Options

The Master of Arts Program at Alaska Pacific University welcomes year-round applicants with  creative projects ready to benefit from academic mentoring in an accredited, low-residency graduate degree. Classroom teachers seeking an individualized master’s degree for personal and professional development are encouraged to apply. Students enrolled in APU’s K-8 Certificate Program are qualified to transfer APU education credits to the Master of Arts Program for expedited MAP degree completion. See the end of this catalog entry for more on the K-8 Certificate-to-MAP degree path.  

MAP is 36-credit degree suited to self-directed learners capable of working productively on a capstone project under the one-on-one supervision of mentors and the MAP director. Applicants whose graduate-level transfer credits satisfy APU policy may apply up to 12 credits to the Master of Arts degree.  

MAP is a humanities-based degree for students eager to contribute to a field of study while deepening their knowledge through project-based coursework. The program accommodates a range of goals: Some MAP students complete projects for career change or advancement. Others graduate from MAP and continue on to doctoral programs. Still other students are lifelong learners seeking to explore a self-identified topic with project mentors.  

All MAP coursework beyond the required first-year seminar is organized according to individualized study plans developed by students working with the program director and project mentors, often APU faculty members. There are no seated MAP courses, affording students both a flexible schedule and a path to steady progress in one of two degree options:

• Students pursuing capstone projects that demonstrate mastery of an ability to identify a unique, self-assigned topic and deliver scholarly research, writing and oral communication choose Degree Option 1.
• Students pursue Degree Option 2 for capstone projects that demonstrate an ability to deliver a unique, self-assigned, evidence-based work product accompanied by a written narrative of research consulted.

Degree Option 1 is suited to students whose capstone is a formal academic thesis, such as may be sought by programs beyond the master’s level. Degree Option 2 is suited to students whose capstone involves action research and applied learning, such as may be completed by classroom teachers for personal and professional development.

MAP Learning Outcomes 

The Master of Arts Program offers students a significant opportunity to complete individualized creative projects involving evidence-based learning in a field of study.

Key attributes of the program develop a student’s ability to –

• Form and articulate a self-assigned research question for individualized coursework that rewards intellectual curiosity and adds to knowledge  
• Engage in effective written and oral communication that demonstrates disciplinary understanding of theories, principles and concepts proposed by authorities in the field of study 
• Identify productive research methods and activities for gathering and presenting information ethically and accurately in the field of study 
• Work collaboratively with mentors and the program director to design and investigate an evidence-based capstone project demonstrating mastery of the self-assigned research topic  
• Synthesize and apply information ethically in a real-world setting and assess results accurately to refine the research question and capstone project 
• Document capstone project learning by completing an academic thesis (MAP Degree Option 1) or an applied work product accompanied by a narrative of research consulted (MAP Degree Option 2).

Applying to MAP

Qualified MAP students possess a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from an accredited college or university. The program welcomes applicants with broad life experience.  

Applications are accepted throughout the year. Students may begin MAP coursework in the summer, fall or spring academic session. For general requirements for enrollment in APU graduate studies, see the Admissions section of this catalog.  

Applications to MAP include:  

• Three letters of recommendation from academic or professional acquaintances qualified to comment on your readiness to benefit from graduate study on a self-assigned topic under the supervision of a project mentor. Recommendation letters should address your capacity for analytical thinking and effective written and communication. Recommenders must provide a telephone number, postal and email address, and say how the applicant is known to them. Letters should not be more than a year old. 
• An informal writing that introduces you by explaining why enrolling in the Master of Arts degree now is a good fit considering your personal or professional goals, or both. Use this writing to describe the knowledge, experience, skills and talent you will bring to MAP. Demonstrate graduate-level ability to organize ideas clearly. Label this writing “Personal Vision Statement.” Aim for about 500-800 words.  
• An informal writing that states the self-assigned research question or problem you will investigate in your capstone project demonstrating mastery. Treat this writing as in-progress planning subject to refining throughout your time in MAP. Say what you want to learn and why you want to learn it now. Explain methods you could use to explore your research question or problem. Say why addressing this question or problem is important to you and the world around you. Label this writing “Learning Proposal.” Aim for about 800-1,000 words.  
• Up to three samples of recent work demonstrating your capacity to plan and complete a self-assigned project. Work samples to consider may include a well-researched paper submitted for an upper-division college course; songs, artwork or heritage-based items made by you; published or unpublished writing or video stories on a topic of significance to you; evidence-based classroom lesson plans developed by you; workplace materials such as tutorials developed by you.

MAP Degree Path

The Master of Arts Program is an individualized, project-based degree accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Students in their first year enroll in a three-credit MAP Graduate Seminar, delivered asynchronously online, to review graduate-level expectations for research, project design, and critical thinking and writing. The seminar introduces students to peers and faculty; it offers practice in identifying research methods suitable to a student’s self-assigned project while also reserving time for individualized degree planning.  Students have up to seven years from their enrollment date to complete the Master of Arts degree. MAP observes the university’s 12-week academic session calendar for coursework completed in summer, fall and spring. 

MAP coursework beyond the graduate seminar matches students with a one-on-one project mentor, typically identified by the program director in consultation with MAP students and APU faculty members. MAP students are encouraged to recruit mentors from their personal and professional networks. Students may retain one project mentor throughout their time in MAP or they may choose a series of mentors.

MAP studies after the graduate seminar are clustered in three stages: research, application and mastery. Coursework in each stage is documented in contract-learning study plans, directed by a project mentor and supervised by the program director. Project mentors guide their student’s progress by meeting regularly in the academic session. Mentors comment meaningfully and promptly on work submitted, offer guidance for next steps in research activities, and asses work at session’s end to recommend a final grade. MAP coursework is graded “credit” or “no credit,” where “credit” represents a graduate-level grade of B or better.  

MAP students meet four times a year, once at the start and once at the end of the fall and spring sessions, for half-days at the APU campus. Onsite gatherings are a time for students to informally network and exchange observations about their progress, discoveries, queries and upcoming studies. Capstone oral presentations in partial fulfillment of MAP degree requirements are delivered at MAP onsite gatherings. Students present a minimum of two graded presentations during their time in MAP.

MAP Coursework Stages 

Students in Degree Option 1 and Degree Option 2 complete directed-study coursework in each of three MAP stages.

Stage 1: Research 

Under the supervision of the program director and project mentor, students in the Research Stage gather information to discover, understand and synthesize the best and most important insights, conclusions and questions developed in a field of study through the ages. Coursework is documented in a study plan, prepared in advance of each academic session by the student and project mentor in cooperation with the program director. Research Stage study plans take the place of a course syllabus and become part of a student’s academic record. 

Research Stage study plans bear the MAP62000 course number. Students earn from nine to 15 credits in MAP62000 in partial fulfillment of degree requirements. With approval, students may earn MAP62000 credits for graduate-level work completed in other courses.

Stage 2: Application 

Under the supervision of the program director and project mentor, students in the Application Stage put their MAP learning into practice in real-world situations such as collecting or reviewing data, completing a practicum, developing and refining a curriculum, or revising project methods based on information gathering. Coursework is documented in a study plan, developed in advance of each academic session by the student and project mentor in cooperation with the program director. Application Stage study plans take the place of a course syllabus and become part of a student’s academic record. 

Application Stage study plans bear the MAP64000 course number. Students earn from three to 15 credits in MAP64000 in partial fulfillment of degree requirements.

Stage 3: Mastery

Under the supervision of the program director and project mentor, students enrolled in Mastery Stage coursework pursue one of two MAP degree options. Students in Degree Option 1 complete coursework terminating in a formal academic thesis. Students in Option 2 complete coursework terminating in an evidence-based work product accompanied by a narrative of research consulted.

In each degree option, Mastery Stage coursework demonstrates a student’s capacity for graduate-level research, reflection and learning that adds to knowledge. Mastery Stage thinking, writing and oral communication in each degree option demonstrate graduate-level capacity to synthesize learning gained in prior MAP stages. Mastery Stage capstone projects are approved by the program director whose signature indicates satisfactory completion in partial fulfillment of degree requirements.  

Coursework completed in the Mastery Stage is documented in a study plan, developed in advance of each academic session by a student and project mentor in cooperation with the program director. Study plans take the place of a course syllabus and become part of a student’s academic record. 

Mastery Stage study plans bear the MAP68100 course number. Students earn from nine to 15 credits in MAP68100 in partial fulfillment of degree requirements.  

MAP Study Plans and Student Evaluations

Coursework in the Master of Arts Program is undertaken in the 12-week academic session in summer, fall and spring. Coursework is documented in the study plan, developed cooperatively by the student and project mentor working with the program director for academic advising. Study plans state learning goals, methods, outcomes, activities and an evaluation scheme for session-by-session study. Each plan includes a reference list.  

Study plans approved by the student, mentor and program director are submitted before the start of an academic session. Study plans take the place of a syllabus and become part of a student’s academic record. Study plans commit a student to consistently meet graduate-level expectations for written and oral communication; critical thinking, research, analysis and synthesis; content knowledge; and the capacity to apply theoretical concepts in a field of study.

Project mentors are guided by study plans to assess their student’s progress and to recommend a final grade. MAP final grades are rendered as “credit,” representing a 3.00 grade of B or better, or “no credit,” when coursework does not meet academic standards of the university or the study plan or both. “No credit” is recorded on the transcript and no academic credits are awarded. Final grades are accompanied by an evaluation narrative, supplied by the project mentor. MAP grading narratives become part of a student’s academic transcript.

MAP Project Mentors

MAP students in Research, Application and Mastery stages work one-on-one with project mentors chosen for their ability to organize and direct a student’s learning. Project mentors are APU faculty members or they may be knowledge bearers recruited from the ranks of a student’s personal or professional network. Students may retain one mentor throughout their time in MAP or work with a series of mentors. Students completing a capstone project may elect to be supervised by up to two project mentors.

MAP Degree Path Requirements

Coursework toward the Master of Arts degree is organized in three stages – Research, Application and Mastery – involving students at each point in individualized coursework leading to a capstone project. Degree Option 1 students complete an academic thesis demonstrating mastery of a research topic in a field of study. Degree Option 2 students deliver an evidence-based work product accompanied by a written narrative of research that supports and develops conclusions presented in the work product.

MAP students complete mentor-supervised contract learning, documented in directed study plans, for a minimum of 36 credits in partial fulfillment of degree requirements. Study plans typically are built in three-credit increments where each one credit commits a student to a minimum of 45 hours of time on task over a 12-week academic session. The MAP degree path involves students in one required seminar and three contract-learning stages:

• MAP 60000  Graduate Seminar (3 credits)
• MAP 62000  Contract Learning: Research (9-15 credits)
• MAP 64000  Contract Learning: Application (3-15 credits)
• MAP 68100  Contract Learning: Mastery (9-15 credits)

Students amass credits by satisfying terms of approved study plans. While plans in each stage will bear the same course number, each study plan is submitted session by session and features unique learning goals, outcomes, methods, activities, evaluation schemes and reference lists. For instance, a student may choose a degree path calling for nine credits in MAP62000 Research. The student could satisfy this requirement by earning research credit over non-consecutive academic sessions where each study plan is worth three credits and designated MAP62000.

MAP Flexibility

The Master of Arts Program is a three-stage degree involving students in periods of research, application, and a project demonstrating mastery. The program is designed to accommodate real-world demands on students’ time, energy and resources. For instance, personal or professional contingencies may prompt a student to pursue 12 credits one semester and six credits the next. Similarly, the capstone project’s scope and range may lead a student to focus proportionally more credits on the Research Stage and fewer in the Application Stage. Another student whose MAP learning will benefit from trainings, seminars or other professional development may seek approval for degree credit for these efforts. Study plan variations require approval from the program director and APU registrar.

Graduate-level credits not completed at APU may qualify for transfer to the Master of Arts degree when coursework meets the university’s Admissions policy and –

• directly applies to a student’s proposed MAP field of study
• aligns with MAP course designations and stages of study
• is pre-arranged and approved by the MAP director and APU registrar.

Teacher Education K-8 Certificate-to-MAP Degree Path

Students who satisfactorily complete APU’s K-8 Certification may qualify to transfer up to 27 education graduate credits toward the Master of Arts degree. Students must meet admission and prerequisite requirements for both programs. K-8 Certificate-to-MAP students must satisfy requirements and outcomes for both programs, including the MAP capstone project demonstrating mastery in Degree Option 1 or Degree Option 2.

Students who enter MAP after completing the university’s K-8 Certificate program typically need only nine MAP credits to complete the Master of Arts degree. See below for K-8 courses with a B-grade or better that qualify for transfer credit to MAP.

Throughout their time in the K-8 program, students who anticipate applying to MAP meet with the MAP director for academic advising. K-8 Certificate students are encouraged to develop research skills, aptitude for applied learning, and written and oral communication skills in preparation for the Master of Arts degree.