Bachelor of Arts in Communication - Organizational Communication

at Northwest Missouri State University USA

Recreation majors at Northwest is the study of play and leisure in an individual’s life and methods to improve quality of life. Student can emphasize in:

• Recreation and Park Management which prepares students for program leadership and development, and budget and facility management;
• Corporation Recreation/Wellness which involve programs related to a person’s physical well-being;
• Therapeutic Recreation which prepares students with the skills to assess and evaluate the needs for individuals with special needs; and
• Sport Management prepares students for leadership roles in professional, collegiate and community sports organizations.

Animal Science is the study of the production with livestock. Coursework focuses on three core areas: science, research and experiential learning. Science refers to students learning the anatomy, physiology, hormones and appropriate nutrition for livestock; research teaches students how to conduct research; and experiential learning provides student with opportunities for experience at the R.T. Wright Farm including annual procedures such as pregnancy tests on cows, castration and vaccination.

If students are interested in becoming a veterinarian, the Animal Science (Pre-Vet) program is an option. This is a rigorous program that emphasizes in anatomy, physiology, chemistry, organic chemistry, physics and histology.

The Applied Health Science major at Northwest prepares students for careers in the health, fitness, and wellness industry and for graduate studies in areas such as athletic training, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. Students graduating from the program are prepared to develop and deliver comprehensive health and wellness programs that enhance physical, cognitive, and psychosocial well-being of individuals and the community as a whole.

Courses in the Applied Health Science program include content such as human anatomy, the positioning and function of bones, and muscles, and their relationships within the human body; human physiology, the study of the interrelationship between organs and organ systems; exercise science, how the body reacts and performs with physical activity; promoting health, teaching health-related and disease prevention concepts to the general public.

Computer science powers modern society. Whether you make a purchase on Amazon, do a search on Google, send a tweet, or check your email on a smartphone, you are leveraging the power of computer science. There is literally no area of human endeavor in which computer science does not play a major role. Agriculture, banking, healthcare, social media, everywhere you look, computer science is there. It is transformative.

Our program teaches both the theory and practice of computer science, preparing students for a career in computing or a path to graduate school. Students learn the essential theory that underlies the discipline, knowledge that makes them well-rounded and informs them as they develop software. On the practical side, students learn how to discover and document what end-users need; develop algorithms to solve those problems; assess the efficiency of those algorithms; and finally how to implement those algorithms in various programming languages.

Students can get a general degree in computer science, or focus on one of three emphasis areas: Information Security and Assurance, Data Management or Mobile Computing.

The art education major is designed for students who want to teach in schools, museums or community centers. This interdisciplinary program focuses on children’s artistic development, skills-based learning with two- and three-dimensional art, critical thinking regarding images in pop culture including logos, advertisements, television shows and memes; and issues-based learning that promotes problem-solving.

Chemistry Education majors at Northwest study the chemistry curriculum and learn methods to applying it in the classroom. This major prepares students to teach all chemistry courses at the secondary education level (grades 9-12).

Like all Northwest chemistry majors, students study of the science of matter and it’s transformations from one form to another. Faculty focus on providing practical laboratory experience and foundational knowledge in organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, physical chemistry and analytical chemistry.

In education courses, faculty incorporate practical teaching knowledge where students learn to implement a curriculum in the classroom, create a positive classroom environment, methods of effective communication, and techniques of assessing learner’s progress in the classroom.

The comprehensive major in strategic advertising focuses on the business side of advertising. Students learn about creating and selling advertisements, as well as study marketing, management, consumer behavior and business-focused topics. Faculty ensure students are skilled in the areas of writing, designing, communicating and understanding the impact of the location of a message.

When students graduate, they will be capable of working in marketing or advertising departments of large brand and media companies. They’ll have well-rounded business skills focused on marketing, with the specific skill-sets related to planning, buying and creating advertisements.

Students in the mathematics major will recognize, represent, and use patterns to creatively address problems in a wide variety of settings. At Northwest, students will see and explore the beauty and utility of mathematics from a diverse faculty of highly qualified and nationally recognized mathematicians.  Upon graduation, students will be able to compete successfully for jobs in business, industry, and government or continue in graduate studies.

Students majoring in mass media with an emphasis in broadcasting and production gain critical thinking and communication skills that aid in learning processes and techniques for pre- and post-production, recording techniques, microphone and camera operation, script writing and legal and regulations of public radio and television. Students have opportunities to participate on the staffs of Northwest’s award-winning radio and television stations as soon as the first semester of their freshman year.

Northwest’s Master of Science in Information Systems is a 16-month program that focuses on information systems analysis and design, cybersecurity, database design and development, human-computer interaction, financial decision making for information systems, business intelligence and management of IT projects. Additional coursework provides students with hands-on experience in today’s major platforms including Java, modern database engines and current project management tools.

A capstone Information Systems Development project is designed to expose the students to real world IT practices, enhancing their communication skills and preparing them to enter the job market.