May 10, 2024  
2023-2025 Graduate Catalog 
    
2023-2025 Graduate Catalog

About Us



Message from the Dean

Welcome to Coppin State University, an institution with a proud legacy spanning over 120 years. Coppin is a strong dynamic institution experiencing phenomenal growth in academic programming and physical facilities.

Your decision to pursue academic and career goals in our School of Graduate Studies is indeed very wise and commendable. We appreciate the fact that the pursuit of post-baccalaureate education is an important decision. You are focused, determined and committed to academic and career growth. We are committed to assisting in the achievement of those goals. It is our aim to prepare professionals who are poised for leadership with demonstrated competencies in their respective fields.

As an integral partner in the development and achievement of your academic and professional goals we promise you an extraordinary academic experience in a professional setting conducive to learning.

The School of Graduate Studies catalog includes information on Coppin State University’s programs, courses, graduate policies and regulations. Additional information and Graduate Studies updates may be obtained by visiting the web site: https://www.coppin.edu/academics/colleges-and-schools/school-graduate-studies.

Good luck in this endeavor. Thank you for choosing Graduate Studies at Coppin State University.

Sincerely,

 

Ericka Covington, D.B.A.
Interim Dean
School of Graduate Studies

Summary Mission Statement

Approved by the Board of Regents, University System of Maryland

Coppin State University is an urban, comprehensive, and Historically Black Institution. Building on a legacy of excellence in teacher preparation in the metropolitan community, the university offers quality undergraduate and graduate programs in teacher education, liberal arts, health professions, technology and STEM disciplines.

Coppin as an anchor institution, is committed to providing educational access and diverse opportunities for all students while emphasizing its unique role in educating residents of Metropolitan Baltimore and first-generation college students. Coppin is committed to community engagement and partnering with businesses, governmental and non-governmental agencies to meet workforce demands; preparing globally competent students; strengthening the economic development of Baltimore, Maryland and developing stronger strategic partnerships.

As a constituent institution of the USM, Coppin will continue to adopt and support USM’s strategic goals.

History of the University and The School of Graduate Studies

Coppin State University is a model urban, residential liberal arts university located in the northwest section of the City of Baltimore that provides academic programs in the arts and sciences, teacher education, nursing, graduate studies, and continuing education. An HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), Coppin has a culturally rich history as an institution providing quality educational programs and community outreach services. Coppin offers 53 majors, 11 graduate-degree, and 9 graduate certificate programs. A fully accredited institution, Coppin serves Baltimore residents as well as students from around the world, with flexible course schedules that include convenient day, evening, and weekend classes and on-line courses.

Founded in 1900, Coppin was founded in 1900 at what was then called Colored High School (later named Douglass High School) on Pennsylvania Avenue by the Baltimore City School Board who initiated a one-year training course for the preparation of African-American elementary school teachers. By 1902, the training program was expanded to a two-year Normal Department within the high school, and seven years later it was separated from the high school and given its own principal.

In 1926, this facility for teacher training was named Fanny Jackson Coppin Normal School in honor of the outstanding African-American woman who was a pioneer in teacher education. Fanny Jackson Coppin was born a slave in Washington, D.C. She gained her freedom, graduated from Oberlin College in Ohio, and founded the Philadelphia Institute that was the forerunner of Cheyney State University.

By 1938 the curriculum of the normal school was lengthened to four years, authority was given for the granting of the Bachelor of Science degree, and the name of the Normal School was changed to Coppin Teachers College. In 1950, Coppin became part of the higher education system of Maryland under the State Department of Education, and renamed Coppin State Teachers College. Two years later Coppin moved to its present site on West North Avenue.

In acknowledgment of the goals and objectives of the College, the Board of Trustees ruled in 1963 that the institution’s degree-granting authority would no longer be restricted to teacher education. Following this ruling, Coppin was officially renamed Coppin State College, and in 1967 the first Bachelor of Arts degree was conferred. In 1988, the College became part of the newly organized University of Maryland System (now the University System of Maryland.)

  • In 1972, a graduate program in Rehabilitation Counseling was begun, leading to a Master of Education (M.Ed.) Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling.
  • In 1992, the Board of Regents of the University System of Maryland (USM) and the Maryland Higher Education Council (MHEC) approved the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program. This program is designed to prepare persons with a liberal arts degree for a career in teaching. When students successfully complete the MAT program, they are eligible for certification in elementary education or secondary education. This program has Interstate Certification Compact (ICC) approval, assuring graduates of reciprocal certification without transcript evaluation in the ICC member states.
  • In 1999, USM and MHEC approved the Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction (Distance Learning), Master of Science in Nursing (Family Nurse Practitioner) and Master of Science in Human Services Administration. The Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction program is designed as a non-traditional
  • approach to the delivery of instruction to meet the needs of a population of adult learners. It is delivered via a distance-learning format to assist adult learners in continuing their professional growth in a flexible manner while avoiding scheduling and personal conflicts that plague many adult learners today.
  • The purpose of the Master of Science in Family Nurse Practitioner program is to prepare practitioners to provide advanced primary health care to the underserved population in the urban setting.
  • The Master of Science program in Human Services Administration is a fully collaborative joint program between Coppin and the University of Baltimore. It is designed to prepare students for professional careers in the field of human services administration in a variety of settings (corporate, governmental, nonprofit and community).
  • In January 2000, the Board of Regents for the USM and MHEC approved the Master of Science in Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counseling. As a human services program, it matches the institution’s mission and enhances its portfolio of human service programs to meet the needs of the citizens of Baltimore and the surrounding metropolitan area. Upon successful completion of the program, persons are prepared for professional careers in alcohol and substance abuse counseling.
  • In 2001, the Master of Science in Reading was approved by the Board of Regents and MHEC. This program was designed to prepare reading specialists to competently meet the challenges and standards of providing excellence in reading instruction.
  • In 2003, Dr. Stanley F. Battle was appointed the third president of Coppin State College.
  • In 2005, the institution’s name was changed to Coppin State University and reorganization of academic programs resulted in the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Professional Studies, the School of Education, the School of Nursing, the School of Graduate Studies and the Honors College.
  • In 2015, Dr. Maria Thompson became Coppin State University’s seventh president.

For more information on the history of Coppin State University, please visit our web site at http://www.coppin.edu/info/200737/

Mission Statement

The School of Graduate Studies at Coppin State University offers professional programs and prepares students for advanced graduate work. The major goal is to provide a learning environment conducive to the development of skills, attitudes and competencies, which are applicable to growth and development in an urban setting and global environment.

The School of Graduate Studies has a strong commitment to excellence and makes a continuous effort to make its programs relevant to the changing needs of students, to the professional communities it serves, and to society. Applied research and public service endeavors are encouraged in keeping with the University’s overall urban mission.

The School of Graduate Studies offers Master’s degree programs through the departments of Instructional Leadership and Professional Development, Teaching and Learning, Criminal Justice, Nursing, Psychology, Counseling and Behavioral Health, and Applied Social and Political Sciences as well as a variety of professional advancement sequences in education and human services. All programs provide learning experiences which develop, in students, varied bodies of knowledge designed to enrich their lives, foster a commitment to ethical, intellectual, and social values, and encourage the pursuit of life-long learning.

Organization and Objectives

The Dean of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Council are responsible for the administration and supervision of all programs leading to the Master’s degree, Post Master’s certificates, and post- baccalaureate studies and for establishing and maintaining the requirements for degrees and certificates in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Board of Regents of the University System of Maryland (USM) and the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC).

The various departments provide courses of instruction for graduate students, direct their studies, conduct examinations, maintain requirements, and make recommendations for advancement to degree candidacy and graduation. Admission to graduate study is granted through the School of Graduate Studies Admissions Committee. The Office of the Registrar supervises academic transactions involving registration and awarding of degrees.

The objectives sought by the School of Graduate Studies are:

  • To broaden and deepen the understanding of concepts and competencies in the areas of specialization.
  • To develop a comprehensive knowledge of the research process and the ability to conduct scientific research.
  • To provide a humanistic approach to the development of professionals in the specialized areas served by the School of Graduate Studies.
  • To place appropriate emphasis on affective and cognitive development in the various specialized programs within the School.
  • To deepen students’ understanding of professionalism and their commitment to it.
  • To enhance the development of behaviors that will enable students to make productive contributions to their chosen professions and the larger community.