---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Are you looking to study terrorism? Are you hoping to work in the intelligence community? Are you considering graduate school?

Designed for both future practitioners and scholars, START’s flexible and fully online program provides students with advanced education on the causes, dynamics and impacts of international and domestic terrorism. The unique online format enables students to work full or part-time while advancing their education. No pre-requisite knowledge is required, yet our coursework is appropriate for both new and experienced learners.

Program Description
START's Graduate Certificate in Terrorism Analysis aims to train the next generation of scholars and analysts to examine questions related to the behavior of terrorists and terrorist groups, and how societies can best prepare and respond to terrorist threats and attacks. Students also develop the methodological skills necessary to pursue advanced research on and analysis of terrorism. This four-course, twelve-credit, fully online program can be completed in as little as nine-months –  or a more expanded two years. To learn more about the program and courses, visit http://www.start.umd.edu/education/graduate-certificate-online. 

Eligibility
Eligible applicants must have earned a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally-accredited U.S. institution, or an equivalent degree at a foreign university. A 3.0 GPA is preferred, but experience may substitute. GRE scores are not required.

Application Information 

The program accepts applications at two points during the calendar year. This allows upcoming fall, spring, and summer graduates to begin the program soon after they have earned their four-year degree. Applications for spring admission are due December 1 for domestic applicants. More information regarding the application deadlines and term timelines can be found on our website.

Interested? 

An online information session will be held on September 27 at 6:00pm EST. To join the discussion, rsvp to START Education ateducation@start.umd.edu with “Grad Cert Info Session” in the subject line of the email. 

More Information?

Request a virtual information packet by emailing education@start.umd.edu and be sure to check out other opportunities at START, like our internship program and summer/winter courses on our website.

The Political Science Department is accepting applications to the the 68th Annual Student Conference on U.S. Affairs (SCUSA) at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York. This is an excellent opportunity to get involved in international and security debates with a large number of students and experts from around the country.

Every year, the Department sends two students to represent UMBC at this conference. Past participants have found the conference to be extremely rewarding. The Department covers registration fees and transportation to West Point, while the conference organizers provide room and board while there. If you are interested, please send a brief (one paragraph) letter of interest, including why you would like to go, what makes you qualified to represent the Department and your GPA to: Dr. Brian Grodsky,bgrodsky@umbc.edu. All applications must be received by September 19. 

For more information, see below. 

On behalf of Colonel Suzanne Nielsen, the head of the Department of Social Sciences, I would like to extend an invitation to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, to send two student delegates to participate in the 68th Annual Student Conference on U.S. Affairs (SCUSA), hosted by the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. The conference meets from November 9th through November 12th, 2016.  West Point hosts SCUSA every fall, and it is the oldest and largest undergraduate conference of its type in the world. Approximately 200 undergraduate students from over 100 colleges and universities around the world attend SCUSA. Throughout the conference, the student delegates and cadets debate and formulate policy recommendations that realistically model American strategic responses to significant national and global challenges. The highlights of the four-day conference include the opening senior panel discussion on the evening of November 9th, an evening keynote banquet address, four roundtable sessions, and a closing-report session on November 12th. Recent keynote speakers have included Secretary Madeleine Albright, Ambassador Thomas Pickering, Lieutenant General (Ret.) Brent Scowcroft, and Admiral James Stavridis.   Our organizing theme this year is "Democracy & Democratization: Challenges & Opportunities." Beginning the day after the U.S. presidential election, the conference invites participants to consider the challenges and opportunities facing the United States as it responds to key questions concerning the health and future of democracy. Among the questions to be explored are: what are the political, normative, and material limits to promoting democracy in the world? Does democracy confront greater challenges in some countries and regions? How does political radicalism in its many forms challenge democracy? What does the survival of authoritarian and hybrid regimes indicate about the long-term prospects for democracy internationally? Can democracy successfully navigate ethno-religious conflict?   

Octava, a program notes app developed by our own Dr. Linda Dusman, is testing their new app during the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's performances of the Beethoven Symphony No. 5 on Friday, September 23 and Sunday, September 25, and they need your help! Some study participants will be asked to use the application and others will experience the concert as usual. They will also be experimenting with an interdisciplinary approach that explores the integration of science concepts that relate to the music in these pieces. Participants will be randomly assigned to different research groups.

Study participants must be available to attend the concert in its entirety (using the app if assigned to do so) and complete online surveys sent before the concert, shortly after the concert and about a month after the concert. As a thank you for your participation, you will receive $60 at study completion. See the flyer for more details!

Live in New York City. Defend workers’ rights. Get paid and earn college credits.

New York Union Semester is a full-time intensive academic and internship program that provides students with an opportunity to put their passion for social justice to work, both inside and outside the classroom. The Spring 2017 semester runs from January 30 to May 26, 2017.

When should students apply for New York Union Semester?
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and early applicants are given priority. Apply now! Final deadline for Spring 2017 is November 1, 2016.

Do Union Semester interns get paid?
New York Union Semester students receive a stipend of $7,000 over the course of semester to cover tuition and living expenses. 

Where are New York Union Semester interns placed?
New York Union Semester has partnerships with a variety of unions, worker organizations across the five boroughs. Students intern four days a week for fifteen weeks. We try to pair students’ interests and experience with the needs of our partners.

What is the academic program?
During the evenings and all-day on Fridays, students take classes with the renowned Labor Studies faculty at the Murphy Institute. Students who successfully complete NY Union Semester earn a total of 16 undergraduate credits or 12 graduate credits. Students are responsible for tuition and fees, but pay tuition at the in-state resident rate.

How do students apply for New York Union Semester?
Go to www.unionsemester.org and start an application today!

To speak with the NY Union Semester Coordinator, Sarah Hughes, call (212) 642-2075 or email unionsemester@sps.cuny.edu

www.unionsemester.org

Dear LLC friends.

We invite you to participate with the 2nd LLC graduate student conference entitled #IAM, Intellectual Activist Movements: Reconnecting University Scholarship and Community Action on Saturday, October 1, 2016.

Patricia Hill Collins defines intellectual activism as “the myriad ways that people place the power of their ideas in service to social justice” (On Intellectual Activism, Introduction, p. x).  In our program, we have an ongoing dialogue about the value of being an intellectual/activist. We offer this conference as a space of reflection and dialogue about the value of being an intellectual/activist: on lessons learned, on unanswered questions, on how changing socio-cultural landscapes interact with our work, and on what it means to be an intellectual activist in 2016 in Baltimore, the U.S., and internationally. The conference presents an opportunity to examine how your work enters this conversation as we ask: In what ways do our intersectional identities inform our work? What can we learn from earlier social movements that can further contextualize our current perspectives and methodologies for social change?  What is different today in our cultural and social landscapes, and how does that impact our work? How might we reimagine university-community connections in ways that respect the different but essential roles of thinking, writing, and acting, and the dynamic interactions between them?  

We really want to connect LLC students across cohorts, and we see our conference as an opportunity to facilitate our meeting and sharing of our research, community involvement and doctoral experiences. You can participate in a variety of ways: 

1. attend the conference and social hour; 
2. present your research or research interest as a micro talk; 
3. share an Art as Protest piece for that session;
4. volunteer to serve at the conference.

We really would love your participation on Sat. Oct 1st, 2016. You can visit the conference website at https://llcconference.wordpress.com/. If you are planning to come, please register at http://tinyurl.com/zchouas Breakfast and lunch will be provided at the conference site. If you are willing to participate in any form in the conference or if you have questions, please email us at llcgradconference@gmail.com.  We look forward to seeing you all there!