Bachelor of Arts, Major in Latina/o/x and Latin American Studies

at Northeastern Illinois University USA

The M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) prepares one to teach English in the U.S. or overseas. Within the United States, our graduates teach ESL in public and private schools, as well as in the city in community colleges and adult education programs. English language learners are the fastest growing group of students in the United States today.

Political Science is central to an understanding of all basic social issues; therefore, an understanding of political life is indispensable for any well-educated person. The department currently offers an undergraduate major, a minor in political science, a minor in public administration, and a graduate program leading to the master's degree.

Areas of political science in which courses are offered include:

• American Politics and Public Affairs
• International Relations and Comparative Politics
• Political Theory

Within each area, major themes are explored (e.g., public policy and administration, political values and change, elite-mass relationships, and political parties and groups).

The B.A. in Art with a concentration in Studio Art introduces students to a wide variety of art and design media, provides a strong foundation in art history and allows a student to have an extended area of emphasis in a single medium. This major gives students breadth and experience with an array of studio disciplines and classes place emphasis on both technique and ideas in their work. All studio courses use critiques as vehicles for discussion, analysis and evaluation and are appropriately tailored to the course level. Students in the Studio Art concentration have the opportunity to show their work in multiple student exhibitions each semester, including the annual juried student exhibition in the Fine Arts Center Gallery. The Northeastern Art + Design Association (NADA), our student art and design organization, frequently plans and implements shows on campus and all majors mount a senior capstone exhibition in one of our student galleries. Studio areas in the department include:

• Art + Technology
• Ceramics
• Drawing
• Graphic Design
• Painting
• Photography
• Printmaking
• Sculpture
• Letterpress (part of the B.F.A. in Graphic Design)

The Master of Arts in Geography and Environmental Studies is a program offered in the evenings and on weekends. The program is designed for students with various academic backgrounds who are interested in a career that spans the human and natural environments -- the social and physical sciences -- and who desire the spatial analytical skills of geography. Graduate students develop an area of proficiency within the broad scope of environmental policy, planning, and management or within the geographic realm of spatial analysis. The program is both theoretical and practical; students gain knowledge, conceptual skills, and technical skills. The program provides a solid basis for a career, a career shift, career enhancement or preparation for post-graduate studies.

Students are expected to:

• Acquire knowledge about human-environmental relations in which the environment is considered as both space and milieu;
• Acquire knowledge of rapidly changing landscapes, synthesizing diverse but interrelated information;
• Acquire knowledge related to locational studies concerning geometrics of movement, size, shape, and distance;
• Acquire knowledge related to environmental resources including interpretation, planning, development, use, and conservation;
• Acquire knowledge related to socio-economic development;
• Use computer cartography and geographic information systems to analyze, monitor, evaluate, and project spatial data;
• Refine skills related to map interpretation, composition, types, and preparation, and in interpretation of aerial photographs, field observation, and satellite imagery;
• Refine skills in collection and analysis of statistical data;
• Develop skills related to computerized data processing;
• Refine computational and oral as well as written communication and research skills.

Geography is the study of space and location; it is a practical discipline which incorporates knowledge from the natural and social sciences to address problems of a spatial dimension. Geographers describe spatial patterns – where things are, where they are not, and why they are distributed that way. They determine optimal locations – for example, where a business should be or where to purchase a home. They also study interactions, such as travel patterns, trade, and migration.

Many geographers use Geographic Information Systems: computer software that merges maps, data, and analysis. The Department’s GIS Certificate Program can be incorporated into their major as electives or may be taken for the Certificate alone, outside of the degree program.  A minor in Geographic Information Science, which results in a Certificate as well, is also available.

In addition to the required courses in geography, students may choose to specialize in urban and social geography or geospatial techniques. The first option focuses on the study of metropolitan areas and the socio-spatial patterns that characterize them. Students are introduced to principles of urban planning and urban design and the dynamics of urbanization. The latter option includes instruction in field methods, computer-assisted mapping, statistics, geographic information science, and interpretation of aerial photos and satellite images.

This Master’s program prepares professionals who will be responsible for the training, education, and development of employee adults in organizations involved in business, health care, human services, and government. The program has been developed especially for those wishing to move into HRD field in a management or planning capacity, as well as for current practitioners desiring more formal training.

The program is designed to develop the ability to:

• Assess the nature of performance problems;
• Apply needs and task/content analysis techniques;
• Assess the relevant characteristics of learners/trainees;
• Design training, education, and instructional programs for adult learners/trainees;
• Determine the effectiveness of training/education/instructional programs;
• Communicate and interact effectively with groups and individuals;
• Consult with managers to address employee and organizational development needs;
• Manage human resource development projects and programs;
• Work effectively across an organization in order to plan, develop and implement performance improvement.

The undergraduate program in Mathematics leads to a bachelor's degree in Mathematics and has been designed to provide the students with options suitable for various career plans. In addition, Northeastern is listed in the Society of Actuaries University and Colleges with Actuarial Programs, in the tier Introductory Curriculum.

CONCENTRATIONS

The choice of concentration determines the set of mathematics courses required, as well as those that can be taken as electives. Concentrations include:

• Applied Mathematics
• Secondary Mathematics

Mathematics provides tools and techniques that can be applied to solve problems in many fields. With a major in Mathematics, students learn to apply these tools, and consequently improve their career opportunities. Our programs are designed to prepare Mathematics majors for jobs currently offered by industry, business, educational and government institutions. The choice of a concentration should reflect the student’s academic interests as well as career plans.

Environmental science integrates a wide range of scientific disciplines necessary to understand the environment and the many interactions among its components.  These interactions include the impact of human activities on the environment and the impact of the environment on humans.

The Environmental Science program promotes the development of problem-solving skills, a broad and solid scientific knowledge base, and it teaches effective team collaboration, because the understanding of and solutions to environmental issues often involve expertise in many scientific areas such as geology, hydrology, biology, chemistry, physics, as well as environmental policy. Team skills, including leadership abilities, are vital to the environmental scientist and are an integral part of the new Environmental Science major. The program will produce graduates who are committed to civic engagement and are qualified for employment with industry, governmental regulatory agencies, environmental consulting firms, and graduate study in Environmental Science or related fields.

To declare a major in Computer Science, a student must fill out the “Declaration of Major Form” available in the Department Office. A student must complete the major requirements in effect when the declaration of major is accepted by the Department. Students should obtain a Computer Science Major handbook in order to be aware of any changes in requirements.

Political Science is central to an understanding of all basic social issues and is one of the most popular liberal arts majors. A political science education gives people the ability to understand the workings of politics and the way it impacts the lives of all of us. A major in this field helps students develop skills of understanding and analysis, and builds competence in oral and written expression. Graduates go on to careers in law, business, journalism, teaching, and government.