Bachelor of Science in Mechanized Systems Management (STEM)

at EDUCO - University of Nebraska - Lincoln USA

The goal of any financial system is to allocate monetary resources to those individuals, companies, and governmental units that have the best ideas for usage. The study of finance focuses on the organization and development of capital markets and financial institutions in achieving the optimal usage of funds. As a finance student, you might want to examine how conflict of interest affects managerial performance, how risk influences investment decisions, or how investor psychology can impact the price of stocks and bonds. The finance faculty offer strong support for the exploration of such topics and the curriculum is designed to prepare students in areas of high employment demand.

The finance major offers coursework in the following areas of specialization:

• Banking and Risk Management
• Investments
• General Finance

Finance students must declare one of these specializations as a formal option within their major. Multiple options cannot be chosen. Students are encouraged to meet with their Business Advising and Student Engagement (BASE) advisors on a regular basis. The department chair is also available to answer questions regarding the selection of courses or other questions related to the finance curriculum.

What you will learn
Students will learn to apply the principles and techniques of time value of money, quantify and interpret risk/reward relationships using a variety of metrics, estimate the fundamental value of traded and non-traded assets, identify resources of risk and implement appropriate risk management techniques and analyze market conditions for strategic planning.

The design and technical production option is for those desiring concentrated training/education in scenic, lighting, sound, and costume design, as well as technical theatre production. The training the student receives in this program allows him or her to seek an entry-level position in professional theatre, television or film industries, or pursue further education at a graduate school or internship program. It is the goal of the faculty to give the student the classroom instruction, practical experience, and individual attention needed to form clear goals pertaining to a career in technical theatre.

Construction management (CNST) is a complete undergraduate degree program available to students within the Charles W. Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction located at Nebraska Hall on the Lincoln City Campus and at the Peter Kiewit Institute (PKI) on the Scott Campus in Omaha. Construction is one of the largest and most diversified industries in the country, accounting for approximately four percent of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP). The key professional in this vast enterprise is the “constructor,” a term given to leaders and managers in the construction industry who are responsible for planning, scheduling, and building the projects designed by architects and engineers. These highly-specialized efforts are indispensable in meeting the country’s growing need for new structures, infrastructure and environmental controls that are of high quality and are cost effective, efficient and sustainable.

Construction firms vary in size from large corporations to small proprietorships and partnerships. These are often classified according to the kind of construction work they do—general contractors, heavy and highway contractors, specialty contractors—including mechanical and electrical—and residential builders and developers. Many firms engage in more than one category of work. Some larger companies incorporate the architectural and engineering design functions as part of their role as a design/build firm. Collectively, constructors manufacture our entire built environment—buildings for housing, commerce and industry, highways, railroads, waterways, airports, power plants, energy distribution systems, military bases and space center complexes. Thus, the construction management field is broad, requiring a unique educational background for its professional practitioners.

Although the range of construction activities appears wide and diverse, the general education requirements for construction management are universal regardless of a particular firm’s area of specialization. Since construction is primarily a business enterprise, the graduate must have a sound background in business management and administration as well as an understanding of the fundamentals of architecture and engineering as they relate to project design and the actual construction process in the field. Professional expertise lies in the fields of construction science, methods and management. A working knowledge of structural design, mechanical and electrical systems, methods and materials, soil mechanics and construction equipment is also essential.

What you will learn
Professionals in construction management make up the most diversified industry in the nation. As constructors, these individuals provide leadership for managing, coordinating, and supervising the construction processes during the concept development, design, and construction and facility management stages. Students will spend time at a building site as well as managing the contracts, execution of the building plans, and quality assurance. As part of the college's Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction, students will also enjoy innovative research and hands-on opportunities outside the classroom. There is a high demand for UNL graduates in this area.

A major in sociology within the College of Arts and Sciences provides students with vital intellectual and occupational skills. This includes analytical thinking; creative problem solving; effective written and oral communication; collecting, analyzing and interpreting data; and gaining expertise regarding the impact of social and cultural dynamics on individual and societal trends. Students may pursue broad training in sociology, or they may pursue a specific Focus Area, such as Crime/Deviance, Family, Health, Social Inequality, or Social Research. We also encourage students strongly to seize the opportunities provided for internships and a variety of research experiences, which play a key role in helping students define their career trajectory and build a resumé.

Our majors pursue careers in a variety of fields that reflect their substantive expertise, such as:

• Social-Justice Related Activism
• Law and Criminal Justice
• Education and Social/Human Services
• Research—especially public health and medicine, public opinion research, market research/marketing, as well as occupations requiring data collection, analysis, and project direction skills (e.g., nursing, policy work, journalism, engineering, computational sciences)
• Public Service/Government and Administration
• Private-sector for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations
• Management and Human Resources

We also encourage students to combine their interest in sociology with one of the many interdisciplinary programs/certificates offered in the College of Arts and Sciences and beyond. This includes but is not limited to Conflict Resolution, Environmental Studies, Ethnic Studies, Global Studies, Human Rights, Humanities and Medicine, Public Policy, Women’s and Gender Studies, plus the Center for Great Plains Studies and the Center for Civic Engagement.

An actuary is a mathematically-oriented business person who will most likely be a manager or supervisor at some point in their career. A major in actuarial science is an excellent educational background for prospective actuaries.

The actuarial science program is designed to prepare students for the current industry demands. Because the demands change on a regular basis, oftentimes the number of hours, the sequencing of courses, and the specific requirements change for this major. Students should continue to consult with the department for the appropriate selection and listing of course requirements.

All actuarial science students are encouraged to visit the actuarial science program’s website and an actuarial science program faculty advisor for more information about the program, including the Actuarial Science Club, sequencing of courses, scholarship opportunities, and the requirements for achieving professional actuarial designations.

Economic analysis is useful in many decisions made by individuals, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and governments. In addition to opportunities in teaching, economists are employed in many branches of government and on the staffs of corporations in manufacturing, insurance, banking, brokerage, and financial services. Economists often serve as consultants, either individually or in consulting firms. Today's economists deal with problems ranging from monetary and fiscal policy, monopoly and competition, environmental improvement, labor relations, regional development, urban reconstruction, economic development, and international business and finance. Economics is also a popular major for students planning to enter professional and graduate programs, particularly in law, foreign service, labor relations, business administration, or policy analysis.

The broadcasting major offers courses leading to a wide variety of careers in the broadcasting and media industries. Building on a solid base of instruction in radio, television, mobile and online journalism, the major has broadened its curriculum in response to advancing technology across the broad range of media. Broadcasting offers courses in news gathering and dissemination, videography, data visualization, Web design, sales, management, and other specializations including the use of audio, video and mobile technology. Courses are designed to develop both a comprehensive understanding of theoretical principles and professional skills. Most courses involve extensive practical laboratory work in addition to classroom lectures and discussions.

Many of the broadcasting faculty members have extensive industry experience at major television and radio outlets in Columbus, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; San Francisco and Los Angeles, California; Kansas City, Missouri; and Omaha, Nebraska. The faculty continues to be connected to the industry, and its members are actively involved in professional media organizations. Students, likewise, are encouraged to further their professional goals through participation in student organizations such as a chapter of the National Broadcasting Society, Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association, and the Radio Television Digital News Association.

The graphic design major prepares students to integrate creativity with visual communication to create a wide variety of print and digital products. The School of Art, Art History and Design offers two undergraduate degrees for this major. Both include a solid base of knowledge in the principles and history of art and design. The bachelor of arts (BA) degree, with nearly fifty percent of its courses in the major, requires students to complement this foundation with another area of study. The bachelor of fine arts (BFA) degree expands on the basic coursework by providing additional experience in graphic design and related studio art areas. This intensive degree holds seventy percent of its courses in the major and is intended for those who want to work in a design career or pursue graduate study in graphic design.

The Department of English seeks to help students develop their critical reading, writing, and thinking skills. In addition, we hope to foster imaginative reasoning, which we define as the ability to use the imagination to think hypothetically about the world in all its diversity—the past, present, and future, the local and the global. Such an ability, learned through the study of diverse literature and film, the critical analysis of language, and the generation of creative work, enables students to thoughtfully engage with social, cultural, and political phenomena. It allows students to re-envision what is possible and to dream audacious solutions to seemingly insoluble problems. Imaginative reasoning, both as a value and as a skill, connects us to one another and leads us to look beyond boundaries, including the boundary of our own selves and our most immediate communities.

The courses we offer, our teaching methods, and our departmental culture further several core goals: the pursuit of social justice, the celebration of diversity, the creation of a broad array of communities based on empathetic understanding, the fostering of a sense of belonging in all of our students, and the development of a desire for civic engagement and responsibility.

A degree in agricultural education is designed to prepare students with the necessary communication and interpersonal skills, leadership training, and knowledge of technical agriculture to be a teacher of agricultural education at the secondary or postsecondary level, or accept employment in agribusiness leading to positions in training and/or development. The degree provides good preparation for work in agricultural extension, positions in foreign service, and agricultural educators in business and industry. Many students graduate with a dual degree in agricultural education and another degree in the College. Agricultural education students may elect to follow the teaching options or the leadership option.