Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies

at Arkansas State University USA

Our innovative program offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Business.  Graduates from our program are trained to work in the ever changing world economy and acquire enhanced marketability for a wide range of careers.  Our curriculum provides a common body of knowledge for students in Agricultural Economics and Business Administration while combining core courses from Agricultural and Applied Economics with business courses in Accounting, Marketing, Management, Finance, and Business Law to provide a strong foundation for careers in management of agricultural businesses.  In addition, our program includes application courses in business finance, marketing, commodity trading analysis, real estate appraisal, international trade, and natural resource economics.  Emphasis is placed on internship opportunities with public and private Agricultural Businesses where students gain experiential hands-on training in their chosen emphasis area.  Students in our undergraduate program may pursue graduate studies if they choose to do so.

Emphasis areas
Two emphasis areas are available:

• Agricultural Economics and Finance
• Agricultural Marketing and Management

The M.A. in English requires 30 semester hours of course work without a thesis or, optionally, 24 hours plus a thesis. The program gives students the opportunity to broaden their academic background and to develop expertise in specialized areas.

Our program is by and large a literature program preparing students for teaching at the community college level or for entering doctoral programs in English, although our graduates do go into many other fields.

A limited graduate enrollment assures a student-professor ratio conducive to a mutual exchange of ideas outside as well as within the classroom. Each student is assigned an adviser who makes every effort to draw the student into the scholarly community. This has proven to be one of the program's  greatest asset.

Graduate students in English are offered the opportunity to work as editorial assistants for Arkansas Review, with the possibility of moving up to editorial positions. Tasks fulfilled by editorial assistants include typing and proofreading of copy, managing business correspondence, meeting weekly with the general editor, assigning book reviews, screening manuscripts, preparing mailings, delivering copies to the post office and local bookstores, working with authors, and attending regional and statewide conferences and festivals to promote the journal. The experience gained as an editorial assistant can prepare a student for work at other scholarly journals or in the commercial magazine and other publishing areas.

The multimedia journalism program prepares working journalists and news practitioners to generate, research, write, and produce newsworthy content across the spectrum of news media. Through hands-on instruction, practical workplace experience and conceptual coursework, students learn how to create and distribute content for print, radio, television, digital, interactive, social and mobile media.

Multimedia journalism is designed to develop news judgment and storytelling skills applicable to a variety of professions and media outlets and talent for performance and teamwork. The curriculum is designed to be flexible and meet student interests.

The flexible curriculum allows students to gain further expertise and experience in areas such as:

• Broadcast Journalism
• Digital Journalism
• Print Journalism
• Photojournalism

The M.S. degree is particularly attractive for students who do not plan a career in basic research, but who want to work in the field of chemistry or a closely related field.

Majors in the Department of Criminology, Sociology, and Geography are prepared for many professions including teaching, government service, law, business, research, cartography, and community planning; and for professional careers within the criminal justice system such as police, truancy and probation officers, parole officers, and correctional and research personnel.

The focus of the B.S. Mathematics degree program at Arkansas State University is to provide students with the opportunity and the direction to pursue the intellectual challenges of mathematics; and to provide the mathematical knowledge necessary to function competently in graduate school and/or in a career requiring mathematical skills.  Students graduating with the B.S. Mathematics degree will have a strong foundation in the fundamental notions of mathematics, including rigorous proof, and will possess valuable skills in problem solving, critical thinking, and the effective communication of mathematical concepts and models.  Coursework includes exposure to physics, programming, and electives that allow students to explore various topics in applied and pure mathematics and statistics.  The flexibility within the B.S. Mathematics degree allows for optimal preparation for graduate study in mathematics or statistics and prepares B.S. Mathematics students for pursuing careers as an actuary, mathematician, operations research analyst, or statistician; and for other jobs in business, industry, or government that have math as an essential job skill.

The Coordinated Program (CP) in Dietetics at Arkansas State University – Jonesboro is administered by the Dietetics Program in the College of Nursing & Health Professions. The program provides for the achievement of knowledge and performance requirements for entry-level dietitians through integration of didactic instruction with a minimum of 1080 hours of supervised practice and a minimum of 120 alternate supervised practice experiences, as established by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). The supervised practice experiences occur in foodservice, community and clinical settings. The program features a “clinical” concentration, which allows students to build upon foundation knowledge and competencies for future proficiency in the clinical area of dietetics.

Students apply for admission to the CP after they have finished the sophomore year. The CP requires two years to complete the didactic instruction and supervised practice rotations. Students must have reliable transportation for travel to various practice sites for the rotations. A Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics is granted to students upon completion of the program. Upon graduation, students are eligible to take the national credentialing examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) to become registered dietitians. In addition to RD credentialing, many states have regulatory laws for dietitians and nutrition practitioners. Frequently these state requirements are met through the same education and training required to become an RD.

The Radiologic Sciences Programs are administered by the Department of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences in the College of Nursing and Health Professions. The program is designed to produce Radiologic Science professionals who are clinically competent, advanced level radiologic sciences practitioners. The program is a "1 plus 1" model, meaning all students begin their sophomore year in radiography, then choose one of six "tracks" for their senior year.

Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Provides students with the skills necessary to operate sonographic equipment and control images through various enhancements.

Program Mission Goals & Outcomes/Radiography
The Radiography Program at Arkansas State University exists to produce competent, entry-level technologist for the practice of radiologic technology.

Students will be clinically competent:

•  Outcomes
  • Students will provide appropriate patient care
  • Students will practice proper radiation safety
  • Students will produce quality radiographs

    Students will develop critical thinking skills.

• Outcomes
  • Students will adapt to varying clinical experiences and equipment
  • Students will critique images and recommend corrective action for sub-optimal radiographs

    Students will demonstrate communication skills.

• Outcomes
  • Students will demonstrate written communication skills.
  • Students will demonstrate oral communication skills.

    Students will model professionalism.

• Outcomes
  • Students will demonstrate professional work ethic
  • Students will summarize the value of life-long learning

The major in economics provides an excellent background for a wide variety of careers in business and government. In addition to acceptance into their management training programs, many businesses employ the economics major to forecast economic trends and to relate changes in economic activity to the individual business. Economists are employed by various governmental bodies to conduct research into all phases of the economy.

Training in economics provides an excellent foundation for further study. Many students enrolled in the nation’s most prestigious law schools and graduate business programs selected economics as their undergraduate major. Also, the economics degree is viewed favorably by graduate school admissions committees in various disciplines including finance, political science, history, anthropology, statistics, public policy and urban studies.

Economics degree holders go on to exciting careers as corporate executives, commercial and investment bankers, brokers, professional money managers, commodity traders, small business entrepreneurs, journalists and authors, government officials, and many more.

Optional Emphasis
The following emphasis is available for this degree:

• Pre-Law

The M.S. Mathematics degree program provides advanced study in the theoretical and applied aspects of mathematics and statistics.  Students gain a deep foundation and core competency in at least three sub-disciplines of mathematics and broad exposure to other areas through elective courses in pure and applied mathematics or statistics.  Students graduating with the M.S. Mathematics degree are prepared for a number of possible objectives, including careers in industry and government; teaching at two-year and four-year colleges; or further study toward a Ph.D. program.  Through the thesis option, students gain experience in advanced problem solving through research in the mathematical sciences.  Upon completion of the program, many of our students go on to earn doctoral degrees and conduct research in a variety of fields in pure and applied mathematics and statistics.