Master of Education in Cultural Foundations

at Kent State University USA

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 Costume Design and Technology concentration prepares students for careers in the entertainment industry, professional theatre or theatre education. Students study both design and technology, including related areas such as dye techniques, costume crafts and wigs and makeup. Students also design costumes for main-stage departmental productions. The curriculum includes core classes in theatre history, dramatic theory and historical periods.

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 Master of Fine Arts degree in Acting is intended for the returning professional and mentors seasoned professional performers who wish to focus on refining and articulating their acting process, while gaining sound pedagogical practice in performance. The two-year terminal degree provides  candidates with a set of core classes centered around a variety of techniques and theories, within a flexible pedagogical laboratory model. Returning professional students are offered ample opportunity to hone performance and explore teaching skills as they earn a terminal M.F.A. degree in pursuit of employment.

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Classics provides a foundation in the Western humanities while sharpening a student’s analytical skills and English vocabulary though the systematic study of the ancient languages. Colloquia are offered regularly, covering such thematic topics as violence, gender, sexuality and ancient Christianities.

The Classics major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Greek concentration offers opportunities for students to read original Greek texts by such authors as Plato and Homer to enrich their knowledge of classical languages. Students may select from a list of culture courses dealing with the art, archaeology, history, mythology and literature of the classical world.
• The Latin concentration offers opportunities for students to read original Latin texts by such authors as Cicero and Vergil to enrich their knowledge of classical languages. Students may select from a list of culture courses dealing with the art, archaeology, history, mythology and literature of the Classical world. Students in the Latin concentration are eligible to pursue teacher licensure at the secondary level.
• The Classical Civilization concentration is designed for students with a broad interest in the Classical world. The major offers a wide variety of diverse subjects, including the literature, art archaeology, history, law, religion, sport and mythology of the Classical world. The coursework is all in English, but students may take coursework in ancient Greek or Latin beyond the elementary level. The program provides students with a strong, general liberal arts education appropriate to many pursuits after college, including law, medicine, business, writing and publishing.
• The Religion Studies concentration is founded on the study of the ancient multicultural traditions of the Mediterranean peoples, whose multiple worldviews gave rise to religious traditions that, together with the classical heritage, shaped successive Western civilizations. Students begin with a core of classics courses, in order to understand the cultural context within which the traditions of Second-Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism and early Christianities arise. Concentration requirements form an introduction to the content of classical world religions, including major Eastern traditions and Islam, and to the study of religion as an academic discipline. Courses examine the classical and Western traditions in greater depth, explore the reception of and discourse about Western traditions with medieval and modern societies, or take a comparative approach to the examination of non-Western traditions. The program emphasizes critical thinking skills and provides a liberal arts education especially well-suited for those planning on careers as religious professionals.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Systems Engineering Technology prepares graduates to enter careers in the design, installation, manufacturing, testing, evaluation, technical sales and maintenance of aeronautical/aerospace systems. Students gain technical expertise in engineering materials, statics, strength of materials, applied aerodynamics, applied propulsion and electronics. Graduates  have strengths in the analysis, applied design, development, implementation and oversight of more advanced aeronautical/aerospace systems and processes.

Information on the program’s education objectives and student enrollment and graduation data can be found on the college website.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Apply knowledge, techniques, skills and modern tools of mathematics, science, engineering, and technology to solve broadly defined engineering problems appropriate to the discipline.
• Design systems, components, or processes meeting specified needs for broadly defined engineering problems appropriate to the discipline.
• Apply written, oral, and graphical communication in broadly defined technical and non-technical environments; and an ability to identify and use appropriate technical literature.
• Conduct standard tests, measurements, and experiments and to analyze and interpret the results to improve processes.
• Function effectively as a member as well as a leader on technical teams.

The Master of Arts degree in Speech Language Pathology educates competent speech-language pathologists to critically evaluate communication disorders and the methods used in the habilitation and rehabilitation of those disorders.

The Bachelor of Integrative Studies degree provides maximum freedom for students who wish to take a multidisciplinary, individualized approach to the design of an educational program while maintaining a focus on career and professional goals. The Integrative Studies major has a General concentration, and a Two Minors concentration. These concentrations may have the most appeal for students near the end of their academic careers (senior-level students) who are re-evaluating their academic and career choices. It is a program in which the student undertakes the responsibility for the research and design of their program, in consultation with an advisor.

The Integrative Studies-General concentration allows students to choose a minimum of 30 credit hours from interrelated programs that support their career aspirations.

The Integrative Studies-Two Minors concentration allows students to complete two university-recognized minors and/or certificates. A minimum of two academic departments in which to select courses are chosen and a rationale for the ways in which these courses support the student's career goals is developed.

The Master of Healthcare Design degree is a post-professional degree and one of the very few in the country focusing on the design of healthcare facilities. The MHCD program equips students with the knowledge and skills required to design spaces that are conducive to safety, satisfaction, and efficiency for all end users, including patients, staff, and caregivers. The MHD program is also designed for those professionals who want to have a deeper understanding of not just healthcare design, but of other drivers of healthcare innovations such as public policy, reimbursement, emerging technologies and what patient-centered care really means from the perspective of patients and families.

Upon graduation, our alumni are employed in healthcare-focused architecture and design firms. Kent State University's Healthcare Design program is also a member of the AIA's Design & Health Research Consortium.

Program curriculum is diverse by complementing required courses with electives from Colleges of Public Health, Nursing, and beyond. Connecting with professionals in the field is one of the core missions of the program, expanding students’ network and exposure to real-world projects.

To earn the degree, students must complete a master's project by designing a healthcare environment of their choice. Students will develop research-based design guidelines for their individual projects to guide their designs. The program takes one and a half or two years to complete, depending on course load.

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 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 concentration:

• 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.

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 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.