Bachelor of Science in Data Science - Business

at Northwest Missouri State University USA

Geography is a holistic discipline that studies the relationship between humans, the unique cultures of construct and the environments in which they live. This major prepares students for a wide range of careers in varied areas of geography and culture. This major offers three different areas of focus:

• Culture and Society
• Environmental Geography
• Geographic Information Science

Each emphasis allows students to specialize in one of these fields and tailor classes within that emphasis to fit their interest beyond the core courses within the program.

As a student majoring in geography at Northwest, you learn the importance and impacts of space, the uniqueness of places and regions, and how humans and environment interact.

The major focuses on culture and regional geography with a wide range of tropical and regional courses available. Students will develop physical geography expertise in areas like geomorphology, atmospheric processes and sustainability. The major also teaches skills in analyzing, planning and critical thinking to prepare you for success in your career.

Finance majors at Northwest focus on three areas: financial services, corporate finance and finance management.

• Financial Services prepares students for the financial services industry. This comprises the professions of brokerage, insurance, real estate, and banking. In this business sector the students will need to understand the products customers purchase and how to relate this information to the customer.
• Corporate Finance provides students with the tools to work within the corporate structure under the chief financial officer, where accounting and financial information is used to make corporate decisions. Students will communicate with both the financial and accounting personnel and identify accounting information and financial models for decision making.
• Financial Management permits students to prepare for a position in management rather than a staff position in finance under the corporate treasurer. This option blends the knowledge of finance and management so the student is prepared to make management decisions that require an understanding of finance. Almost all decisions in business require a balance of interests from all functional business areas, using the decision-making process and the tools of finance to guide the corporation to the achievement of its goal.

Mathematics with an emphasis in data sciences is the study of mathematical tools to analyze data for the purposes of modeling and prediction. Students learn to

• Extract and clean data
• Manipulate data
• Visualize data
• Identify patterns in data
• Use the model for prediction and forecasting
• Use models to summarize and describe values

Art majors with an emphasis in printmaking gain skills and techniques in many areas of printmaking such as monoprinting, intaglio, relief and digital processes. Faculty ensure students have experience with all methods of printmaking and the ability to print editions in each medium.

The Agricultural Science major at Northwest is an interdisciplinary program that prepares students for a career in a variety of agricultural-related occupations and farm operations. This major provides an opportunity to explore interests in agriculture. Students will gain the fundamental skills in agricultural economics, plant science, animal science and soils.

Earning a Political Science degree at Northwest prepares students for multiple employment opportunities in public service and private sectors including federal, state and local government, law, criminal justice system, municipal planning, city management, urban affairs, education, non-profit administration, campaigns and elections, public policy analysis and internal development and relations.

The major has three areas of emphasis: the american institutions (formerly criminal justice) emphasis provides an understanding of legislatures, police prosecutors, public offenders and courts and corrections; the public administration emphasis focuses on the decision making process and job opportunities in public organizations and local, state, federal and international agencies; and the global affairs emphasis studies the global trends and events, and enhances intercultural understanding.

Biology Education majors at Northwest study the curricular content as well as methods to apply it into a classroom. This major prepares students to teach all biology courses at the secondary education level (grades 9-12).

Students take courses in the biology curriculum that focus on botany, zoology, physiology, cell (molecular) biology or bio-chemistry, evolution and diversity, genetics and ecology. 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.

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 business education major provides hands-on, cutting-edge courses in the areas of business, technology, marketing, accounting and economics while providing the core principles of effective education. This major is designed to prepare students to teach at the secondary level (grades 9-12). The business education major is recognized nationally and by the state as an outstanding business education program, and Northwest is the only public institution in Missouri north of I-70 that offers a business education program.

At the high school level, teachers are trained to educate students on more specialized content such as the theories of business, marketing, accounting and technology. At the middle school level, teachers focus on the basics of keyboarding, computer applications, introduction to business and money management.

The elementary education program focuses on ensuring that teacher candidates are proficient in the use of instructional strategies, teaching methodologies and classroom management techniques that engage all children in a variety of settings. The program emphasizes diverse field experiences and teaching opportunities beginning in the first semester of classes. The School of Education is dedicated to ensuring students are career-ready and prepared for a successful career as an educator.

Graduates of the elementary education program are certified to teach first through sixth grades and have completed a 21-hour concentration in a content area of their choice. Concentrations can be completed in language arts, social studies, science, mathematics, physical education, special education, technology or other content areas of choice.