Master of Arts in Chemistry (STEM)

at Kent State University USA

The Master of Arts degree in Ethnomusicology is designed to offer students a solid foundation in regional studies of music style, performance practice, history and cultural associations in order to prepare students for continued graduate studies at the doctoral level and/or public sector careers in world music. The program integrates theoretical perspectives relevant to the discipline with these practical aims, so that students can communicate effectively with persons within and outside the field of ethnomusicology. While a balanced global coverage is emphasized, Kent State music faculty focus on studies in Central Africa, mainland Southeast Asia, East Asia, the Caribbean, North and South America and the Middle East, as well as popular music studies. Theoretical concerns include sociocultural identity, semiotics, gender studies, politics and power, ritual studies, globalization and hybridity, as well as studies in inter-related arts (e.g., dance and theatre).

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

• Recognize, identify, interpret and discuss theoretical concerns and important contributions of historical figures in the field of ethnomusicology, as well as representative music styles from different historical periods, countries and ethnic populations.
• Demonstrate and apply fieldwork techniques including proficiency with photography, videography and audio recording, interviewing and participant-observation research.
• Demonstrate the ability to plan and execute an efficient and productive lecture presentation in an academic setting for use at professional conferences, concert performances and classroom teaching that includes time management, clear and effective explanation, efficient use of multi-media, and successful question and answer interactions.
• Utilize and discuss theoretical issues related to ethnomusicology and related disciplines, such as socio-cultural identity, semiotics, gender studies, politics and power, ritual studies, globalization and hybridity.
• Identify, explain, and utilize performance pedagogy.
• Analyze compositional forms, appropriate to the specific vocal or instrumental areas of study.
• Display performance and interpretation skills in music.

The Bachelor of Arts degree in American Sign Language presents American sign language as a culture- and community-based language that interacts with other world languages. Through techniques—including immersion and bilingual-bicultural comparison classes, community interaction, research, lab activities and use of digital video technology—students gain documented proficiency in American sign language, validity within the deaf community and networking within the professional community.

The Master of Education degree in Career-Technical Teacher Education serves individuals who desire to continue as classroom and/or laboratory instructors in one of the career-technical service areas. The program offers a special needs specialization, which focuses on coursework and professional experiences related to the study of special needs populations in career-technical education.

The Master of Arts degree in Physics is a highly flexible program consisting of graduate coursework that can be customized according to the academic background and needs of the individual student. This flexibility is a good match for the needs of part-time students who continue to hold full-time employment in secondary education or in industry.

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

• Demonstrate cognitive skills important to a physicist, including to think critically and analytically and define and solve problems in physics.
• Demonstrate a core knowledge and understanding of the foundations of physics.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Mathematics emphasizes the tools most useful in science, engineering and technology applications: mathematical modeling, scientific computing and probability and statistics.

The Applied Mathematics major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Financial Mathematics concentration prepares students for graduate programs in mathematical or computational finance or financial engineering.

The Master of Fine Art degree in Studio Art is designed to prepare students for careers as independent visual arts through the cultivation and refinement of a successful studio practice. The program emphasizes intensive personal investigation and the development of strong aesthetic and conceptual understanding. In addition to time in their own studio, students have opportunities to enhance existing skills and knowledge by observing undergraduate class demonstrations and critiques.

The M.F.A. is the terminal degree in the studio arts and is a requirement for those who intend to teach visual arts in higher education.

The Studio Art major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Ceramics concentration offers an intense focus on artistic development. Through mentorship and a broad spectrum of course offerings, students work closely with faculty advisors to find their own voice as artists. Studio practice is supplemented with art history seminars, visiting artist lectures, summer workshops and travel study programs to New York City, culminating in a solo M.F.A. thesis exhibition.
• The Drawing concentration draws upon contemporary practices and discourse in the field to prepare students for a life in the arts. Students are encouraged to work across disciplines and techniques in order to develop a body of work that reflects their independent investigations in drawing. Studio practice is supplemented with art history seminars, visiting artist lectures, summer workshops and travel study programs to New York City, culminating in a solo M.F.A. thesis exhibition.
• The Glass concentration is based on the belief that successful creative work results from spending time with one’s ideas and receiving constructive and supportive criticism from faculty and peers.  The concentration aims to create an atmosphere where students pursue ideas and engage in an extended scholarly dialogue. While building on the legacy of the American Studio Glass Movement, students are fostered to be leaders in redefining the future of studio glassmaking.
• The Jewelry, Metals and Enameling concentration allows students to build individual research strategies for developing a coherent and distinctive body of work. Investigations of inter-media and interdisciplinary relationships are part of the curricular focus. Students are expected to be conscious of and involved in contemporary practices, discourse and trends, nationally and globally, among the field and within the larger arts/crafts/design movements. In addition to time in their own studio, students have opportunities to enhance existing skills and knowledge by observing undergraduate class demonstrations and critiques. Students are encouraged to use both traditional and contemporary studio practices while having access to an array of metalsmithing equipment, enameling kilns and a digital fabrication laboratory..
• The Painting concentration draws upon contemporary practices and discourse in the field to prepare students for a life in the arts. Students are encouraged to work across disciplines and techniques in order to develop a body of work that reflects their independent investigations in painting. Studio practice is supplemented with art history seminars, visiting artist lectures, summer workshops and travel study programs to New York City, culminating in a solo M.F.A. thesis exhibition.
• The Print Media and Photography concentration aims to strengthen the students’ personal vision through emphasis on the conceptual aspects of the printmaking and photography disciplines. Students have access to studios for lithography, etching, relief, silkscreen and digital media, in addition to a darkroom, press room and digital fabrication laboratory.  Enrollment is deliberately kept small enough to make possible the faculty mentor/student relationship.
• The Sculpture and Expended Media concentration encourages proficiency in foundational methods of making-modeling, carving and assembly. The concentration is a springboard for students to learn how to communicate ideas through sculptural works. Although sculpture classes are rooted in the history of object-making new forms of sculptural practice (installation, time-based practice, sound and kinetic works) are all part of a comprehensive three-dimensional program.
• The Textiles concentration focus on guiding young artists into the world of the professionally active studio artist. Digital design and technology go hand-in-hand with traditional fiber art techniques, while pushing students to think conceptually, experimentally and across disciplines.

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

• Demonstrate advanced professional competence in some aspect of studio art as exemplified by considerable depth of knowledge and achievement of a significant body of work.
• Demonstrate a deep and comprehensive awareness of historical and cultural contents of art production.
• Demonstrate advanced skills of aesthetic judgement and assessment, as well as integration/synthesis and independent thought.
• Demonstrate an awareness of contemporary art making and relevant issues through dialogues with professional artists and curators.

The Bachelor of Music degree in Music is a professional degree. The primary emphasis is on the development of the skills, concepts and sensitivity essential for those wishing to pursue music as a profession.

The Music major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Composition concentration provides preparation for graduate study in the field, a credential for private instruction and the ability to compose and use technology in a variety of musical styles.
• The Instrumental Performance concentration provides preparation for graduate study in the field, a credential for private instruction and the ability to perform as a soloist, in chamber music and in large ensembles. This program is available on the following instruments: violin, viola, violoncello, double bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba and percussion.
• The Piano Performance concentration provides preparation for graduate study in the field, a credential for private instruction and the ability to perform as a soloist, as an accompanist, in chamber music and in large ensembles.
• The Voice Performance concentration provides preparation for graduate study in the field, a credential for private instruction and the ability to perform as a soloist, in opera, in chamber music and in large ensembles.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge of music history and theory
• Demonstrate beginning professional skills in recitals

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics equips students with a variety of skills sought by employers, including conceptualizing and solving problems and locating, organizing and analyzing relevant data.

In their junior year, students learn microeconomic and macroeconomic theory and take an econometrics class to learn data analysis skills. Students then take a series of electives that deal with vital current topics relevant to many careers in which these theories and skills are applied, such as the U.S. financial and banking system, economic relations between the United States and foreign countries; government spending and taxation policies; and the U.S. health system and policy options.

In their senior year, students take a capstone course that utilizes and applies the theory, skills and institutional knowledge learned in the program.

In addition to the B.A. degree in the College of Arts and Sciences, a B.B.A. degree in Economics is offered in the College of Business Administration.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Technology focuses primarily on the applied aspects of science and engineering and prepares graduates for practice in that portion of the technological spectrum closest to product improvement, manufacturing, construction and engineering operational functions.

The Engineering Technology major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Electrical/Electronics concentration allows seamless articulation with technical associate degrees for students who wish to advance their careers in the electrical/electronic engineering field. Electrical engineers and technologists design, develop, test and supervise the manufacturing of electrical equipment, such as electric motors, radar and navigation systems, communications systems, and power generation equipment. Electronics engineers design and develop electronic equipment, such as broadcast and communications systems-from portable music players to global positioning systems (GPS).
• The Green and Alternative Energy concentration refers to energy sources that have no undesired consequences, for example, fossil fuels or nuclear energy. Alternative energy sources are renewable and are thought to be "free" energy sources. They all have lower carbon emissions, compared to conventional energy sources. These include biomass energy, wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, and hydroelectric energy sources. Combined with the use of recycling, the use of clean alternative energies such as the home use of solar power systems will help ensure man's survival into the 21st century and beyond. By 2050, one-third of the world's energy will need to come from solar, wind, and other renewable resources, according to British Petroleum and Royal Dutch Shell, two of the world's largest oil companies.
• The Integrated Engineering Technology concentration permits graduates from a variety of associate degree backgrounds to formulate a program of advanced study in upper-division technical courses, chosen with a faculty advisor, to gain additional technical depth or breadth.
• The Mechanical/Systems concentration allows seamless articulation with technical associate degrees for students who wish to advance their careers in the mechanical or manufacturing field. Mechanical engineering technology is one of the broadest engineering disciplines. Mechanical engineers and technologists design, develop, build and test mechanical and thermal devices, including tools, engines and machines. Graduates of this program can expect to work mostly in engineering services, research and development, manufacturing industries, and the federal government.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations can take students from corporate boardrooms and creative agencies to sports arenas, the halls of Congress, global nonprofits, hospitals, fashion runways, and beyond. Students graduate with a grounding in the practice of responsible advocacy and a firm grasp of the inclusive communication practices.

Kent State boasts the only public relations program in Ohio that is both certified by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC).

This degree is rooted in professionalism, with a focus on developing writing, critical thinking, digital and visual communication skills, as well as analytics and strategic multimedia storytelling. Students learn to deliver messages through social media, websites, podcasts, videos, press releases and other media tools, events, public policy and more.

Classes routinely involve researching, creating and presenting a public relations plan for real clients. Students will build a strong portfolio through hands-on learning opportunities, including two student agencies, a required professional internship, and public relations campus jobs. Kent State’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and its members consistently win awards at national conferences, placing the chapter in the top tier nationwide.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Demonstrate critical thinking, grounded in a legal and ethical framework.
• Gather information, analyze it and make informed judgments using methods and tools appropriate to their professions.
• Demonstrate the ability to apply theory and research appropriate to their professions, including quantitative and qualitative methods.
• Demonstrate the ability to apply basic ethical principles to their professional work.
• Demonstrate the ability to apply laws and regulations applicable to their professional work.
• Write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for the communications professions, audiences and purposes they serve.
• Demonstrate understanding of how media and their professions evolved historically, their role in societal development and their global interaction today with institutions and individuals.
• Demonstrate appreciation for diverse cultures and individual differences, and reflect that appreciation in their work.