Bachelor of Arts in International Relations

at Kent State University USA

The Bachelor of Science degree in Physics is a professionally oriented program that serves as preparation either for graduate work in physics or for entrance into positions in a variety of industries or government service.

The Physics major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Applied Physics concentration prepares students for immediate entry into careers in industry. Course requirements include electronics, introduction to computer programming, and data analysis and computational physics techniques. While rooted in the basic principles of physics, this program is optimized for students concerned with the application of physics in practical devices and systems.
• The Biological Sciences concentration is interdisciplinary and for students with a strong interest in both physics and biology, who may wish to prepare for graduate study in biophysics or for work in a biotechnology company.
• The Chemistry concentration is interdisciplinary and designed for students with a strong interest in both physics and chemistry, who may wish to prepare for graduate study in chemical physics or for work in a high-technology materials-related research and development laboratory.
• The Computer Science concentration is interdisciplinary and provides a foundation in physics while emphasizing the use of computer software in scientific applications. Graduates are prepared for computer-related careers that require an understanding of the underlying science as well as knowledge of relevant computer applications.
• The Entrepreneurship concentration is interdisciplinary and designed to prepare physics majors for various aspects of starting or managing a scientific business.
• The Mathematical Physics concentration is interdisciplinary and provides students with a strong understanding of applied physical theory, its applications and the underlying mathematics. This training, valuable for start-up positions with a number of industries, may also serve as preparation for graduate work in either physics or mathematics.
• The Pre-Medicine/Pre-Osteopathy/Pre-Podiatry concentration is interdisciplinary and designed to prepare physics majors for further study leading to careers in medicine.
• The Research concentration prepares majors for further study at the graduate level. This program trains students in logical thinking and problem solving using both analytical and computational methods. It also furnishes students with a comprehensive understanding of the basic laws and principles that govern the physical world. Academic assessment and GRE scores keep the program up-to-date via curricular revisions. This program is a popular stepping stone to graduate degrees not only in physics, but also in engineering, astronomy/astrophysics and materials science.

The Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting is designed to provide students with a solid foundation in accounting theory and practice necessary for entry-level accounting positions and career advancement. It encompasses a common body of concepts, conventions, principles and theories essential to the professional competency of the certified public accountant, controller, industrial accountant, institutional accountant and governmental accountant.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Given a defined financial accounting transaction, identify and analyze the issue, record the transaction in the books of original entry, and prepare the financial statement disclosure.
• Demonstrate an understanding of managerial and cost accounting with the ability to identify and analyze information useful in decision making.
• Gain a functional understanding of taxation of individuals.
• Understand financial statement auditing.
• Assemble, cleanse and analyze the information provided by information systems, and prepare summary reports useful for business decision-making.

Graduates of all Bachelor of Business Administration programs will be able to:

• Recall strategic frameworks that are used to make business decisions.
• Perform basic calculations using quantitative tools that are used to support business decisions.
• Articulate and deliberate their ideas in writing.
• Articulate and deliberate their ideas orally.
• Identify ethical dilemmas and stakeholders.
• Recommend alternatives and consequences and choose a reasoned conclusion from the alternatives given.
• Identify global factors in making a business decision.
• Analyze global factors in making a business decision.

The Master of Arts degree in Applied Mathematics is emphasizes areas relevant to mathematical applications in the sciences, including engineering, biological, financial and physical sciences. There is no thesis requirement or option. Students in the Ph.D. degree in Applied Mathematics can apply for this M.A. degree after completing the requisite number of credit hours.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Engage effectively in problem solving, including exploring examples, devising and testing conjectures and assessing the correctness of solutions.
• Reason in mathematical arguments at a level appropriate to the discipline, including posing problems precisely, articulating assumptions and reasoning logically to conclusions.
• Approach mathematical problems creatively, including trying multiple approaches and modifying problems when necessary to make them more tractable.
• Communicate mathematics clearly both orally and in writing.
• Teach university-level mathematics effectively.
• Obtain depth in some subdiscipline of applied mathematics.

The Master of Music degree in Conducting is designed for current teachers of middle, junior and senior high school music ensemble programs; for professional church musicians; and for pre-professionals, including students continuing after completing undergraduate degrees. The program prepares post-undergraduate students for such paths as high school or college teaching, conducting positions and doctorates in conducting.

The M.M. degree in Conducting emphasizes development of skills, knowledge and background in the following areas: literature and repertoire; conducting technique; rehearsal technique; score study; choral and/or instrumental performance pedagogy; historical performance practices; interpretation and expression.

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

• Recognize, identify, interpret and conduct representative literature from different historical periods, countries and composers.
• Demonstrate and apply advanced conducting techniques, including baton technique, use of hands/arms, facial expressions and body language.
• Plan and execute an efficient and productive rehearsal, including managing time, setting achievable goals, detecting and correcting errors and providing motivation and inspiration for expressive performance and focused work ethic.
• Utilize and discuss score study techniques such as keyboard score reading, transposition of instruments, instrumental/vocal score order, compositional structure, analysis of chord and melodic structures and audiation skills.
• Identify, explain and utilize performance pedagogy appropriate to the specific vocal or instrumental area of study.
• Identify, associate, differentiate and utilize performance practices appropriate to the literature of the various stylistic periods.
• Display interpretation and expression in music through discussion in conducting lessons, explanation in rehearsals and demonstration in rehearsal and performance settings through conducting gestures and the resulting musical product.

The Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Computer Information Systems provides students with a focus on the creation and supervision of the information systems that are commonly used in organizations of all types and sizes. There is a primary emphasis on problem-solving involving cloud computing systems and infrastructure, creating intuitive systems, business modeling and agile design, data management and business intelligence, cloud systems integration and project management and business experience.

Examples of information systems include airline reservation systems, mobile apps, bank automated teller systems, trading systems for stock exchanges, social media platforms and accounting/auditing systems.

Students can select electives to complement their knowledge base and interests such as in application design and development and other computing infrastructure that focus on the creation and maintenance of application used in smart phones and similar technologies and prepares students for careers as development engineers and system analysts. Students learn to use and manage cloud-based platforms to support and manage business processes and operations in organizations. Some material taught in courses correlate with the knowledge needed to pass professional certification exams.

Students participate in an internship, which involves a summer or a semester of paid professional experience in industry. Internship experience helps show the relevance of on-campus courses to professional work, helps students focus their career plans and often enables students to secure better jobs upon graduation.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Actuarial Mathematics prepares students for the actuarial profession. Actuaries are professionals who manage risk. They predict the likelihood of future events and model the financial impact of future scenarios. They find creative ways to mitigate the undesirable effects of future events. Although most actuaries are employed in the insurance and financial industries, many others work in the transportation, environmental, medical and manufacturing industries, as well as in government.

The Actuarial Mathematics major is highly interdisciplinary, integrating substantial coursework in business, computing and communications with a solid core of mathematics and statistics. Kent State University is one of only four institutions in Ohio to receive the Universities and Colleges with Actuarial Programs-Advanced Curriculum designation from the Society of Actuaries. The Kent State program prepares students for the first four of a series of examinations to receive professional certification as an actuary.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Reason mathematically by using precise definitions, articulating assumptions and reasoning logically to conclusions.
• Engage effectively in problem solving by exploring examples, assessing the correctness of solutions and interpreting solutions in an actuarial context.
• Define, interpret and apply standard actuarial notation, terminology and formulas.
• Analyze various streams of cash flows, both certain and contingent.
• Apply methods from probability, statistics and stochastic processes to the solution of problems in actuarial science, finance and economics.
• Communicate solutions of mathematical problems clearly, both orally and in writing.
• Employ commonly used computer programming languages and software packages to solve problems in actuarial science, finance and economics.
• Demonstrate fundamental knowledge of finance, economics and accounting.

The Master of Landscape Architecture I degree in Landscape Architecture is a professional program that prepares graduates for active, creative and leadership roles in landscape architecture profession through inclusive and interdisciplinary design methodologies that are focused on issues surrounding urban landscapes, ecologies and social concerns.

Students are engaged in issues — ranging from hydrology in the Great Lakes and Ohio River Basins watershed to the role of urban landscapes associated with industrial cities. In addition, they study matters of global significance relating to the role of landscape and design relative to reclamation of urban vacancies, infrastructural systems, natural resources, climate change, water quality for health and social justice and cultural landscapes.

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

• Pursue careers in landscape architecture
• Synthesize higher-level learning necessary to practice landscape architecture; and develop critical understanding through increased independent, collaborative, interdisciplinary and course-based research.
• Establish a design process that is firmly based upon research, technology and artistic expression.
• Appraise and understand geo-cultural differences and develop skills to engage local phenomena.

The Master of Public Health degree in Public Health is designed to help students develop real-world knowledge and skills needed to pursue success in the public health industry.

The Public Health major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Biostatistics concentration prepares students in the quantitative science of health data collection, storage, retrieval, analysis and interpretation. Graduates are equipped to use statistical methods to design and analyze health-related surveys and experiments for improving health. The college’s faculty research interests include applying biostatistical analysis to understand critical health problems. Graduates in biostatistics are in demand at hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, state and local health departments, federal health agencies and biotechnology companies to analyze the effectiveness of new drugs and interventions, identify risk factors for disease and develop effective prevention strategies.
• The Epidemiology concentration prepares students to analyze the distribution and determinants of disease, disabilities and death in populations. Graduates are able to apply quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate disease outbreaks, determine causal relationships between environmental and biological factors, and conduct studies to project health trends in populations. Students benefit from public health faculty research agendas in bio-preparedness, public health surveillance systems, chronic disease, cancer and infectious disease epidemiology. Career opportunities for graduates include research positions in universities, medical schools and pharmaceutical companies; disease prevention specialists in hospitals; and surveillance managers in state and local health departments.
• The Health Policy and Management concentration prepares students to address public health risks and develop effective health services delivery models. This concentration incorporates health services research, health policy analysis and health care planning and management. Given the active research of the college’s faculty in identifying service gaps and in developing evidence-based practices and policy analysis, students emerge with strong skills in health services management, alternative models of service financing and strategies for improving services. Career opportunities for graduates include administrative and management positions in hospitals, clinics, state and local health departments, nursing homes and mental health facilities; policy analyst positions in health planning organizations and governmental agencies; and planning and management positions in health maintenance organizations and health insurance companies.
• The Social and Behavioral Sciences concentration provides students with an interdisciplinary approach to improve health in populations across the life course. Students learn to apply theoretical principles to design, implement and evaluate effective programs that include behavioral and environmental approaches. Graduates are able to design and evaluate public health interventions intended to improve health for families, workplaces, communities and other settings. The active research of the college’s faculty—particularly in the areas of childhood obesity, violence and injury prevention, substance abuse prevention and chronic disease prevention—provides students the opportunity to work on large-scale externally funded prevention research. Students are prepared for careers in health promotion; program design and evaluation; and prevention program development for state and local health departments, workplace health promotion programs, hospitals, international health agencies, mental health centers and non-profit organizations.

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

• Explain public health history, philosophy and values
• Identify the core functions of public health and the 10 Essential Services
• Explain the role of quantitative and qualitative methods and sciences in describing and assessing a population’s health
• List major causes and trends of morbidity and mortality in the US or other community relevant to the school or program
• Discuss the science of primary, secondary and tertiary prevention in population health, including health promotion, screening, etc.
• Explain the critical importance of evidence in advancing public health knowledge
• Explain effects of environmental factors on a population’s health
• Explain biological and genetic factors that affect a population’s health
• Explain behavioral and psychological factors that affect a population’s health
• Explain the social, political and economic determinants of health and how they contribute to population health and health inequities
• Explain how globalization affects global burdens of disease
• Explain an ecological perspective on the connections among human health, animal health and ecosystem health (eg, One Health)
• Apply epidemiological methods to the breadth of settings and situations in public health practice
• Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context
• Analyze quantitative and qualitative data using biostatistics, informatics, computer-based programming and software, as appropriate
• Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy or practice
• Compare the organization, structure and function of health care, public health and regulatory systems across national and international settings
• Discuss the means by which structural bias, social inequities and racism undermine health and create challenges to achieving health equity at organizational, community and societal levels
• Assess population needs, assets and capacities that affect communities’ health
• Apply awareness of cultural values and practices to the design or implementation of public health policies or programs
• Design a population-based policy, program, project or intervention
• Explain basic principles and tools of budget and resource management
• Select methods to evaluate public health programs
• Discuss multiple dimensions of the policy-making process, including the roles of ethics and evidence
• Propose strategies to identify stakeholders and build coalitions and partnerships for influencing public health outcomes
• Advocate for political, social or economic policies and programs that will improve health in diverse populations
• Evaluate policies for their impact on public health and health equity
• Apply principles of leadership, governance and management, which include creating a vision, empowering others, fostering collaboration and guiding decision making
• Apply negotiation and mediation skills to address organizational or community challenges
• Select communication strategies for different audiences and sectors
• Communicate audience-appropriate public health content, both in writing and through oral presentation
• Describe the importance of cultural competence in communicating public health content
• Perform effectively on interprofessional teams
• Apply systems thinking tools to a public health issue

The Master of Arts degree in English offers students broad learning in English studies while providing concentrated study in one area. The English major comprises the following concentrations:

The Concentration for Teachers is for educators interested in advanced study of literature and writing. Coursework focuses on current scholarship and approaches to literature and writing. While not a degree in literary and composition pedagogy, the concentration is designed to encourage the application of current literary and writing research to the work responsibilities of the practicing teacher.

The Literature and Writing concentration prepares students for further graduate study in English and related fields, for professional training in such fields as library and information science, and for careers in teaching. The program achieves this goal with distribution requirements, electives and a required focus in either literary traditions, critical theory or rhetoric and composition.

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

• Demonstrate the ability to think critically about the literary texts they read and interpret.
• Demonstrate how to write coherently and clearly about research topics and other topics.
• Demonstrate an understanding on how disciplines are interconnected.
• Apply appropriate research methods to objects of study.
• Demonstrate effective teaching skills and knowledge of appropriate teaching theories, if on appointment.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Biology is for students who are interested in pursuing an in-depth specialization as a biologist or wish to pursue a medical or health care career.

The Biology major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Molecular and Cellular Biology concentration is the study of biological processes within and between individual cells, allowing for a better understanding of biological principles in normal and diseased states. The focus of this program includes concepts related to the genetic basis of life, regulation of gene expression and cellular functions.
• The Organismal Biology concentration allows students to examine organisms in their natural environment and address fundamental principles of survival and adaptation in discrete micro-environments and entire ecosystems. While basic concepts of biological and chemical functions are covered, the focus of this concentration is comprehensive aspects of the whole organism.
• The Pre-Medicine/Pre-Podiatry/Pre-Dentistry concentration prepares students for careers in medicine and health care. The curriculum provides the courses necessary for admission to advanced degree programs in healthcare and biomedical science professions.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Understand the fundamental biological principles.
• Acquire the fundamental skills necessary for laboratory and field investigations.
• Conduct proper experimental design, analyze biological data and communicate research results.
• Know and appreciate the role that biology plays in societal issues, such as those related to the environment, biodiversity, ethics, human health and disease.