Bachelor of Science in Outdoor Adventure Leadership

at MSM Group - Montana State University - Billings USA

The criminal justice program at MSU Billings is designed to provide students with an understanding of the principles and practices of the criminal justice system in the United States.  Students will learn about the essential components of the criminal justice system, including police, courts, and corrections.  The program is especially suited for people who are planning a career with a criminal justice agency as well as those who are interested in the study of crime and criminal justice.  A degree in Criminal Justice provides the background for a student to enter a variety of occupations in the criminal justice field such as law enforcement officer at the local, state or federal level, corrections officer, or probation officer.  Students with a degree in criminal justice may also find employment with regulatory agencies, social service agencies, and in business.  The major also prepares students to enter graduate programs in criminal justice, sociology, and public administration.

The Master of Science in Public Relations is designed to provide students with the essential theoretical and practical tools they need to develop their careers in public relations and public communication. Students graduating with the MSPR leave with an enhanced understanding of the processes of facilitating and negotiating communication between individuals, groups, and organizations.

The B.F.A. in Art is considered the professional undergraduate degree in studio art and is designed to provide students with a thorough grounding in fundamental principles and techniques with opportunities for emphasis in one or more specific studio art areas.

Media Studies Option

The Media Studies Option is designed to examine the nature of the mass media through theoretical grounding and applied knowledge with a concentration in (1) the construction and delivery of media messages and (2) the effects of mediated messages and the structures and practices of the media industries on culture, society, politics, the economy, and individual attitudes and behavior.  This approach prepares students for careers as trained media professionals as well as to be critical consumers of media messages.  The study of message construction and analysis is offered in a variety of contexts including news gathering and reporting, public relations, video production, and advertising.  In each context theoretical perspectives are combined with skills training related to print and electronic media.  Career options in the field of Media Studies include public relations, marketing, broadcast news, corporate communications, and advertising.

The curriculum builds students’ understanding of environmental issues as reflections of societal values and behaviors, environmental technologies and sciences, and environmental policies. As an interdisciplinary program, students have course options in beginning and advanced Geographical Information Systems (GIS), advanced ecology, environmental advocacy and applied social media campaigns, historical perspectives of the environmental movement, Native American perspectives on environmental issues, environmental sociology, and artistic and literary representation of the environment, and more.

The Health and Wellness Option will prepare health professionals to seek employment in a variety of agencies such as local, state, national, international non-profit and corporate wellness programs.

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Assess, plan, implement and evaluate individual and community needs for health and wellness education.
• Plan evidence-based, health and wellness programs in healthcare, worksite and community settings.
• Correctly interpret, apply and conduct research in health and wellness
• Effectively communicate to diverse constituencies.

Programs offered through the Department of Biological and Physical Sciences share many outcomes.  Upon program completion students will:

• Understand the basic principles and laws governing our world and have a global awareness of their discipline.
• Demonstrate basic competency in laboratory, field and computer skills related to the sciences.
• Be familiar with accessing and interpreting the scientific literature.
• Be proficient in written and oral communication in the sciences.
• Understand scientific methodology, and conduct scientific investigations using it.
• Be prepared to participate in professional activities.

Organizational Communication Option

The Organizational Communication Option is designed to educate students entering the fields of business and social service as managers, trainers, human resource officers, and corporate communication staff.  This option also provides excellent preparation for graduate study in communication as well as law.  The programs in Organizational Communication enable the student (1) to acquire a mature understanding of interaction and other communication issues in organizational situations; (2) to improve the ability to contribute to productive organizational performance; (3) to increase personal effectiveness related to technical communication concerns; and (4) to apply learning to real-life organizational settings.

Through coursework, research, laboratory, and internship experiences, the Human Performance Option prepares students with a thorough understanding of human movement.

Students in this option are equally well-prepared for work in professional positions in medical, community, corporate, or school settings such as:

• Strength Training Facilities
• Rehabilitation Programs
• Fitness Centers
• Medical Sales

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Accurately assess, plan, supervise, and evaluate a person's health and human performance.
• Critically and ethically evaluate human movement and performance.
• Develop, implement and evaluate evidence-based interventions in health and fitness activities
• Correctly interpret, apply and conduct research in human movement and performance.
• Effectively communicate to diverse constituencies.

The Master of Health Administration program is designed to meet the educational needs of working professionals and others who desire to advance in the field of health administration.  The program consists of a sequence of concentrated online courses which are generally eight weeks long, plus a capstone project and an internship.  Each semester, students attend a professional seminar on the Montana State University Billings campus to extend online learning, develop leadership skills, participate in interprofessional education, consider practical aspects of health services management, and grow relationships with mentors.  The internship is required of students who do not have a strong background in healthcare management or administration.