Bachelor of Arts in Geology (STEM)

at Kent State University USA

The Master of Science degree in Clinical Epidemiology is a STEM-designated advanced degree that prepares students in the epidemiological and biostatistical methods related to clinical trials and clinical research.Students will learn advanced methods of observational and experimental study designs and be able to understand disease prevention, development, prognosis and treatment. In addition, students will master and be able to apply good clinical practices, clinical trial design and management, statistical analysis, study monitoring, pharmaceutical research and regulations related to clinical research.

Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Conduct patient-oriented research to understand and modify health outcomes
• Design and carryout epidemiologic studies
• Analyze clinical data and understand the sources, strengths and limitations of patient data
• Design and perform clinical trials
• Interact with human subjects and describe prognosis, therapies and outcomes

The Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Design and Technology is a terminal degree designed for those who are interested in achieving the artistry and skills necessary to qualify as practicing professionals in the entertainment industry and/or professional theatre educators. The program is a three-year course of study with a flexible curriculum for students to explore areas of special interest.

The Theatre Design and Technology major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Scene Design concentration balances focused classroom instruction with practical design and production experience. Students also study related artisan areas such as digital and traditional rendering techniques, 3D CAD, props, fabrication, scene painting and presentation techniques with particular emphasis on integrating contemporary digital techniques into the design process. The curriculum contains courses in construction theory, rigging, costume crafts and projection/media design.

Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Acquire creative and technical ability to develop the design of a production from concept to finished product.
• Acquire advanced abilities in the unification of all design elements used in professional production.
• Understand analytical or academically oriented theatre studies in areas related to and supportive of the work in the major field such as history, theory, dramatic literature and performance studies.
• Understand information resources associated with theatrical design and production.
• Produce full working drawings for mounted productions.
• Analyze text, music and dance and the ways that historical, critical and theoretical content inform playwriting, acting, directing and design.
• Communicate ideas clearly and effectively to the theatre community, production teams and the public.
• Know the history of their area of specialization and have the ability to integrate that history into production design.
• Know current technology, tools and methods in their area of specialization and have the ability to integrate technology into production design.
• Know health and safety practices associated with theatre production.
• Communicate and navigate effectively within the field of professional theatrical production design.
• Demonstrate an understanding of professional ethics and practice.

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Music gives music majors an opportunity to study music and liberal arts with an optional minor, available in most academic areas of the university, or as a dual degree program with a major in another field. Although not as music intensive as the Bachelor of Music degree, the B.A. degree includes study on a main instrument and ensemble participation throughout the program.

The Music major includes the following optional concentrations:

• The Contemporary Popular Music concentration provides students the opportunity to study contemporary instruments such as electric guitar, electric bass and voice, as well as participate in a variety of styles including rock, pop, Motown and other popular styles.
• The Jazz Studies concentration provides students the opportunity to study jazz improvisation, arranging and composing.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge of music history and theory
• Demonstrate high-level skills in recitals, ensembles or music research

The Master of Education degree in Special Education provides students with advanced understanding of contemporary research and practice issues in special education. Students in the program are typically interested in pursuing enhanced professional competence, career advancement, leadership roles, advocacy and systems change; or they may be wanting to prepare for doctoral-level study. Students do not need to have an undergraduate degree in special education (or in education) to be successful in the master's degree; however, should be motivated to develop a deeper understanding of the field of special education.

The M.Ed. degree program does not prepare students for teacher licensure; however, some of the coursework required for the degree may count toward licensure. Students interested in both licensure and a M.Ed. degree will need to apply and be fully admitted into both the master's degree and the non-degree graduate licensure preparation program.

The Special Education major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Early Childhood Intervention Specialist concentration focuses on needs of young children with or at risk for developmental delays or disabilities, birth to grade 5 (birth to age 10) and their families.

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Russian Literature, Culture and Translation provides a basis for the development of professional-level proficiency in the Russian language, as well as comprehensive understanding of Russian literature and culture, including television and film. Additionally, students are introduced to basic skills for translating a variety of pragmatic texts from Russian into English. Students explore the language and culture of the pre-revolutionary Russian empire, the Soviet Union and contemporary post–Soviet Russia.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Perform tasks at intermediate high and advanced low levels of proficiency as described by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Proficiency Guidelines. Proficiency, in ACTFL terms, is understood to describe a range of qualities rather than an absolute norm and will vary according to task type, language function, topic, skill (listening, speaking, reading, writing) and so forth.
• Contribute to most informal and some formal conversations with sufficient accuracy, clarity and precision to convey their intended message without misrepresentation or confusion.
• Read a wide variety of texts written for native speakers of Russian and not edited or adapted for non-native speakers.
• Compose routine social correspondence and write cohesive summaries, narratives and descriptions of a factual nature in Russian.
• Demonstrate a historical knowledge of Russian history and culture and understand the diverse nature of culture throughout the ages.
• Discuss cultural differences, distinguishing between fact, opinion and stereotype.
• Communicate effectively and sensitively to diverse ethic and cultural groups.
• View concepts, issues, events and themes from the perspectives of diverse ethnic and cultural groups.
• Esteem value.
• Maintain an ongoing assessment of their own cultural values and behaviors.

The Bachelor of Science in Information Technology degree in Information Technology provides students with an applied approach that focuses on supporting end-users in a variety of workplace settings by utilizing a range of computing technologies. The degree program gives students the tools to support computing and network infrastructures and the needs of individuals and organizations, write programs necessary to help them render their tasks more efficiently on their desktop or mobile devices, utilize databases and write the web-based interfaces to pull the data, and code and deploy applications across the cloud.

Graduates are qualified to work in a wide range of computer and network infrastructures in small to large-sized enterprises in such positions as: web or software developer; hardware, network, cloud, virtualization technician or engineer; IT support specialist or consultant; help desk, network, or IT project manager; security or forensic analyst; and systems, network or database administrator in all sectors of business, education, manufacturing, healthcare, non-profit, and government.

The Information Technology major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Application Development concentration provides students with the ability to program in languages typically utilized in contemporary business environments. Students will code in applications such as Visual Basic, C++, Java, C# and other industry-standard applications to develop programs employing event-driven and object-oriented techniques.
• The Cybersecurity and Forensics concentration places an emphasis on security of computer and network systems, including forensic work to prevent and/or determine and correct security issues utilizing cybersecurity devices, procedures, tools, and solutions.
• The Database Design and Administration concentration focuses on skills needed to become a database manager. Topics include relational database design; working with database servers, users, and permissions; SQL statements used for queries and reports; and incorporating databases into programming used in web-based and desktop forms.
• The Health Information Technology concentration provides students with the tools to install, manage, troubleshoot and secure hardware and software systems in healthcare environments. The course of study includes health IT privacy, security, EHR Implementation and support, mobile device management, technology and application life-cycle management, organizational behavior, medical business operations and regulatory requirements.
• The Integrated Information Technology concentration is ideal for students who want a flexible course of study for positions that require IT staff to perform a wide range of technical duties.
• The Internet/Multimedia concentration focuses on scripting, server-side form handling, web database integration, and interactive and dynamic multimedia Internet development.
• The Networking concentration focuses on configuring and maintaining network information systems and components in various network operating system and cloud computing environments that are prevalent in today's businesses. The emphasis is on network administration (i.e. managing Active Directory and network services), servers, workstations, virtualization, security, troubleshooting, installation, and maintenance.

The Master of Education degree in Health Education and Promotion is designed to enable individuals to pursue their diverse interests in the field while addressing the competencies essential to the professional development of health educators

Students in the program utilize theoretical models of attitude and behavioral change in assessing educational needs, designing educational interventions, evaluating the effectiveness of program efforts, and advocating for creative and competent health education opportunities. These skills prepare graduates for various employment positions in local, state and national government; K-12 schools and community colleges; health care facilities; worksite wellness programs; and nonprofit organizations.

The Health Education and Promotion major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Community Health concentration provides background for those who will be involved in positions of leadership in a wide variety of health-related community settings, as well as for those who plan to pursue doctoral work in fields related to health education and health promotion. Students in the concentration can pursue certification as a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) or Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES).

The Master of Science degree in Athletic Training prepares graduates for the athletic training profession. The program emphasizes both ethics and research across the curriculum to integrate theory to practice, and is designed to facilitate inter-professional practice as athletic trainers engage actively with professionals across the health care disciplines.

The Athletic Training major is a two-calendar year program with summer academic work. The curriculum focuses on building clinical and didactic knowledge and skills anchored in evidence-based practice, while developing strong research skills by developing not only critical analysis skills, but also investigative research skills. Students are exposed to and actively engage with state-of-the-art equipment in professional health care facilities and are mentored by highly recognized professionals. The program fosters inter-professional collaboration to promote professional development for the students who will be practicing and researching in inter-disciplinary teams. Students have the ability to critically evaluate and complete scientific research at the end of their academic program, in addition to preparing for the Board of Certification national credentialing examination.

The Master of Science degree in Computer Science provides students with an educational and research environment to develop career paths through necessary training with emerging technologies. Graduates have the technical knowledge and skills necessary for success within the information and high technology industries.

The M.S. degree in Computer Science has two culminating options: thesis or non-thesis. Students planning to pursue a Ph.D. degree an/or academic research should select the thesis option. Students planning to pursue applied research and development in industry may select the non-thesis option. The thesis option requires original research and a written thesis. The non-thesis option requires a capstone project and an optional industrial internship.

The Computer Science major includes the following optional concentrations:

• The Computational Data Science concentration prepares students to process big data. In a spectrum of real-world applications, the collected data (from such sources as mobile devices, GPS, sensor/RFID networks, Internet, social media, etc.) is so large and complex, the traditional data processing tools cannot efficiently and effectively handle it. This concentration focuses on algorithms development, machine learning, computation techniques, network and computing infrastructure and software.
• The Computer Engineering concentration prepares students to meet the need of computer engineering professionals in the industry for designing and managing emerging smart devices and computer-integrated physical systems with programmable intelligence. Students learn the hardware-software co-design principles and theory, architecture of the associated software and hardware, devices and sensors communication protocols and the interfaces to effectively design, build and evolve such smart devices and computer-driven intelligent physical systems.
• The Computer Security concentration exposes students to a wide range of topics on the security of computer systems. Students study the vulnerabilities in software and networks and develop algorithms and software to protect data, using digital encryption coding, protected databases and protected computer networking techniques.

Students opting to not pursue a concentration will create a 12-credit hour individualized plan of study with their advisor.

Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Demonstrate breadth-of-knowledge and understanding of essential facts, concepts, principles and theories relating to advanced topics in computer science.
• Conduct literature searches, comprehend advanced research materials and uncover connections between related work and critical evaluation and synthesis.
• Perform research, discovery and integration by applying advanced knowledge of computer science.

The Master of Arts degree in Political Science focuses broadly on the dynamics surrounding representation, equity, conflict, human rights, development and conflict resolution. Students delve into the scholarship on these dynamics (among others) in an interdisciplinary and theoretically sophisticated way, thinking about how the political process and government policy-making affect the lives of citizens, and how citizens influence those processes.

The Political Science major comprises the following concentrations:

• American Politics and Policy
• Conflict Analysis and Management
• Transnational and Comparative Politics

Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Understand the theoretical underpinnings of political science and be able to address real world issues and problems.
• Attain research and methodological skills that will further their research and make them attractive to future employers.
• Effectively communicate research findings and implications to a range of audiences including scholars, practitioners and citizens.