Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy

at Northern Arizona University - Flagstaff Campus USA

Computing has become integral to the infrastructure of modern society.  From banking and health to education and business, our world runs on algorithms and computing machines.  Software and hardware are ubiquitous in every aspect of modern life.  This infrastructure is powerful, complex—and highly vulnerable. Small design flaws or less than vigilant safety guards can lead to attacks and exploits that can cost businesses hundreds of billions of dollars and valuable consumer trust, and loss of infrastructure critical to modern civilization.  At the same time there is a shortage of workers with the skills needed to secure these systems.

The Bachelor of Arts in Modern Languages provides students with a socio-cultural and historical background as well as linguistic abilities to engage with French, German, Japanese, and Spanish speaking populations from around the world in a variety of social and cultural contexts. Through linguistic, literary and cultural approaches to the study of the French, German, Japanese, and Spanish language, our students develop speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills that allow them to understand and interact effectively with diverse cultures. Throughout this process the students develop cognitive skills in critical thinking and analysis and recognize the importance of being able to function in a global society. With their linguistic abilities in French, German, Japanese, and Spanish, they are better able to compete for career opportunities in the domestic and global job markets and are prepared to become productive, responsible members of the local, national and international communities in which they live and work.

Emphasis in Japanese

• Create with language to express meanings orally on concrete topics relating to work, school, home, and leisure activities using all major time frames (present, past, and future). They can interact with native speakers unaccustomed to dealing with non-natives, and handle complicated or unexpected communicative tasks. (Speaking skills)
• Identify and use main ideas and details from connected aural discourse involving description and narration in different timeframes or aspects, and about a variety of topics beyond immediacy of the situation for communicative purposes. (Listening skills)
• Identify and use main ideas and details from authentic, connected, longer, written texts involving description and narration in different formats about a variety of topics for communicative purposes. (Reading skills)
• Create with language to express meanings in written form about familiar topics using the major timeframes with some control of aspect. (Writing skills)
• Think critically and analytically in response to socio-cultural, historical, and linguistic issues and/or classic and contemporary literary texts related to the culture of the target language. (Critical thinking and analytical skills)
• Understand the cultural, political and artistic diversity of perspectives, practices and products of the target language populations including how racial and ethnic diversity relates to those perspectives, practices and products. (Globalization - Diversity)
• Recognize, investigate, and produce written and oral discourse in the target language communicating findings about historical and contemporary issues important to life in countries of the target language.
• Explore how historical, political, religious and economic forces have shaped the current world system with its power inequalities and efforts to address them with a focus on the culture of the target language. (Globalization – Global Engagement)
• Analyze the structure and use of the language at the sound, word, and sentence level.
• Summarize different linguistic features observed in different dialects in terms of historical change, geographical location and social variables.
• Explore and analyze the role of human interactions with the environment and its relation to the root causes of many global problems focusing on those occurring in the culture of the target language. (Globalization - Environmental Sustainability)

The MEng in mechanical engineering trains students to become engineers who are capable of finding solutions to complex mechanical and interdisciplinary engineering problems. This program is designed for students with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or in a related field. Students in this program will have the opportunity to take courses and perform a practice-oriented design project in topics ranging from renewable energy to smart materials and structures to biomechanics to robotics.  Students will be trained in advanced applied mathematics, computational tools in engineering, evaluating of the literature in mechanical engineering, designing complex mechanical engineering systems or components, and communicating mechanical engineering theories, methodologies, and solutions.  Graduates of this program will be well prepared to work in a broad range of industries, including but not limited to aerospace, automotive, manufacturing, biomedical, etc., or pursue higher education.

Chemistry is a diverse discipline that encompasses living processes, inorganic interactions, and analytical methods. Chemistry deals with the basic laws of the physical world and the composition and properties of matter. Students trained in chemistry enter careers in academia, research, pharmacy, forensics, medicine, the environment, space exploration, and national defense. Students can select an emphasis that best prepares them for their chosen career path.

The breadth of the field of chemistry requires a wide range of knowledge and skills. The goal of the NAU chemistry degree program is to ensure that our graduates:

• Are well versed in the fundamental principles of chemistry: the atomic theory of matter, the quantum nature of the atom, and the principle laws of thermodynamics;
• Are knowledgeable about frequently encountered elements, compounds, and reactions;
• Understand biosynthetic pathways and modes of action of biomolecules;
• Understand factors controlling the mechanisms of chemical reactions;
• Are knowledgeable about synthesis strategies and can successfully conduct synthetic sequences in the laboratory;
• Understand the principles of chemical analysis and are proficient at using modern instrumentation to carry out analysis;
• Are adept at solving problems independently and contributing to a team effort;
• Able to communicate their scientific results orally and in writing.

The purpose of the Northern Arizona University Bachelor of Business Administration Program is to provide excellent business management and related higher education using the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award standards for education as applied through the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) accreditation. We seek to be a premier provider of Baldrige-Quality business management and related higher education with an emphasis on value and accessibility. We focus on core business competencies within a global context.

Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to:

• Think creatively, analyze and synthesize data from multiple perspectives
• Analyze and use financial information
• Solve problems using decision-making tools and theories,
• Engage others through effective interpersonal skills
• Communicate effectively in oral and written formats,
• Work well in team settings
• Design and implement effective strategies for the global marketplace, and
• Discern the underpinning ethical issues in local and global business decision-making, including those involving social responsibility, environmental sustainability, and profitability.

The global context for the core competencies will be addressed in all relevant classes across the curriculum. We provide online and hybrid classes for learning through the application of technology, as well as opportunities to study as part-time students. We provide opportunities for students to apply leadership skills through Phi Beta Lamda, as well as competitive challenges involving other business programs in Arizona and nationally. We collaborate with other universities globally and within the region to provide direct international experience. We facilitate regional business development through our innovative incubator program.

The Bachelor of Science in Multidisciplinary Engineering provides students learning opportunities in multiple engineering disciplines and complemented by other disciplines across campus. The program supports a customizable curriculum that includes a capstone experience focused on multi- and inter-disciplinary teamwork. Specific combinations of coursework are formulated in several named emphases that provide unique opportunities and inspires students to build their own unique engineering pathways.

The core of the program is a design sequence with loose commonality across most of NAU’s engineering programs.  All students, regardless of emphasis, engage in contextualized engineering design and project management courses. This core is supported by foundational math, computer science, and physics coursework.  The design sequence also becomes the scaffolding for integrating and synthesizing coursework across several disciplines and content areas.

Students who do not select an emphasis area may work with either an advisor or a faculty mentor to select course work in the plan that supports their own personal engineering aspirations and interests. Students who get an MDE degree have many general engineering career opportunities.  This includes areas such as engineering sales, engineering management, engineering communication, or an engineering technician.

Students who select the Engineering Design emphasis take specialized coursework in engineering design and art.  This allows students to learn how to design for practical specification and utility while also learning the aesthetic foundations of design and creativity.  This emphasis is intended to support students interested in becoming product or industrial design engineers.

The Bachelor of Science in Political Science degrees provide students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to understand and participate in the political systems of the United States and the world. This degree provides a broad perspective on experiences, international and domestic, from both theory and practice.

These degrees build a strong foundation in the basic knowledge of the political world, including contemporary political thought and public policies, and enables students to be able to use key concepts and analytical approaches from Political Theory, U.S. Government and Politics, Comparative Politics and International relations.

Building upon this fundamental knowledge, our curriculum ensures that students can define, design, and implement effective research projects in political science.  In addition, they will be able to make clear and effective demonstrations of their work in writing and in public presentations.  Students will also leave this program ready to understand, and be able to meet, the expectations of professionalism and citizenship.  Students in the BA degree will also leave with an ability speak, read, and write in a second language.

Our goal is to train students to be active, engaged, and informed participants in the global system who cannot only understand the world around them but also shape and influence it.

The Bachelor of Arts in English prepares graduates for any future that demands proficiency in literature, language, and writing, as well as general excellence in resourceful, well-informed communication. Our graduates recognize the close weave of logical thought and effective expression, strive for more persuasive or more creative uses of English, possess the sense and insight to appreciate the value and quality of literature, have developed their historical and cultural imaginations by studying the marks of other times and diverse peoples in language and text, and recognize the global contexts of English as well as the social, civic, and environmental responsibilities that come with a liberal education. Our graduates have attained the high-level literacy skills and have practiced the research methods needed to compete in graduate and professional schools and to succeed in the workplace. With our help, they have prepared themselves to become productive, responsible members of the communities in which they live and work.

The Rhetoric and Professional Writing Emphasis engages students with a curriculum that prepares them as writers and scholars. The program emphasizes the importance of critical reading, reflection, writing, digital media, and spoken language to educate knowledgeable citizens who understand and appreciate their civic, professional, and personal responsibilities in an increasingly global community. We specialize in preparing students for intercultural and interdisciplinary communication practices in digital and traditional work settings to further global engagement, diversity, and social participation. Students gain experience with rhetorical theory and persuasive argumentation, social media literacy and multimedia writing, and professional workplace writing through theory-based application projects. In addition, our courses provide a foundation for M.A. programs in rhetoric, writing, digital media, communication, and composition studies.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Psychological Sciences enables students to develop an understanding of and knowledge about human behavior from several perspectives in psychological science, the ability to apply and synthesize that knowledge within specific psychological domains, and the research methods skills necessary to become critical evaluators and producers of knowledge of human behavior. The BS in Psychological Sciences is distinct from the BS in Psychology because it provides students with the opportunity for focused study in behavioral science through four emphases and one certificate program, and trains students in the more advanced research skills necessary for scientific inquiry within this discipline and for entry into a Ph.D. program in Psychology, if a student chooses to continue in an academic track. Psychological Sciences majors complete a core sequence of courses including introductory psychology, a set of lower division breadth courses, introduction to statistics, research methods in psychology, a set of upper division depth courses, and a capstone course.  Psychological Sciences majors also receive additional research training through completion of an advanced research methods course and a minimum of 6 units of research experience. Additionally, Psychological Science majors have the opportunity for in depth study in a specific area of psychology through completion of a certificate in human resource management, or an emphasis in social/personality, neuroscience, clinical/health, or developmental psychology.

Clinical/Health Psychology
Students will complete advanced coursework and engage in research that applies scientific knowledge of the interrelationships among behavioral, emotional, cognitive, social and biological components in health and disease to the understanding, promotion and maintenance of health. Graduating students will be able to:

• Demonstrate depth in their knowledge and application of psychological concepts and frameworks to complex problems in clinical/health psychology.
• Demonstrate mastery of critical thinking and research skills through completion of a research placement in the area of clinical/health psychology.
• Produce a research study or other psychological project related to clinical/health psychology that meets writing standards of the profession, explain scientific results, and present information to a professional audience.

The program is designed to provide the foundational skills for continuous learning and to adapt to the fast changing information technology environment.  This program also includes competency-based and hands-on learning modules to enhance acquired business skills.  Parts of the curriculum are designed around highly valued certifications.  Students will also augment their IT skills.