Stephanie Foote, director of Master of Science in First-Year Studies and professor of Education, announced that Kathryn Wilhite successfully defended her thesis on March 3.

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Wilhite presented her research titled, "An Exploratory Study of the Impact of Language on the Transition and Success of Students in their First College Year," said Foote. Her thesis committee was comprised of Foote, Jim Davis, associate professor of Theatre and Performance Studies, and Jennifer Keup.

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In the fall of 2015, University College launched its first online graduate degree program in First-Year Studies, the first of its kind in the country. The Master of Science in First-Year Studies (MSFYS) is a fully online graduate program that encompasses the theory and study of factors affecting the initial college experience, including foundations of students' transitional experiences and research on various programs that promote a successful transition. Grounded in decades of research, this is the only graduate degree program dedicated to the discipline of first-year studies.

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Through an innovative curriculum, students in the MSFYS graduate program develop skills and knowledge needed to create and manage curricular and co-curricular programs and engage in research that extends the collective understanding of first-year and transition studies. The MSFYS program is designed for anyone interested in working with or teaching first-year college students, including residence hall directors, academic advisors, teaching staff, faculty, and administrators.

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Wilhite’s thesis defense is the first for the MSFYS program, so this is truly a milestone in the history of the program. "This is the first milestone. Hundreds more will follow over the next several decades,” stated John Gardner, President of the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education. “The original Kennesaw visionaries got it right. There was and is a need for this advanced educational opportunity. The program founders and now this inaugural graduate have shown the way.”

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To learn more about the MSFYS graduate program, please visit: uc.kennesaw.edu/msfys.

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