Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice Studies

at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville USA

The mass communications program in the College of Arts and Sciences at SIUE prepares students to succeed in careers in one of the fastest growing and most dynamic areas: the mass media.

The Department of Mass Communications at SIUE is accredited by the highly selective Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC). This means our students get one-on-one attention from their instructors due to small class sizes and curriculum that keeps with changes in the media industry. Our students have access to state-of-the-art facilities and faculty members who dedicate themselves to serving the professional and intellectual needs of the students.

The Department of Mass Communications offers three sequences: journalism, media production, and advertising and strategic media. While most of the curriculum is a shared experience by all majors, students take advanced courses specific to their chosen sequence. This approach is in keeping with the converged nature of today’s media industries. At its heart, our department is all about teaching students how to tell stories, whether in the form of advertising campaigns, news stories, documentaries, or any of an almost limitless use of this major. Students who major in mass communications but choose not to enter the media industry will be well-prepared, thoughtful and effective communicators.

What can I do with a degree in Mass Communications?
Graduates of the Department of Mass Communications choose various career paths. Our graduates have become reporters, editors and photojournalists for newspapers, magazines, and online publications. Others work in radio and television, for advertising agencies, and in marketing and communications positions at major corporations and non-profits; many become the social media experts in their positions. Some graduates take an entrepreneurial approach and create careers as independent videographers, event planners, graphic designers, web developers, and freelance communications specialists.

The SIUE School of Engineering offers a Master of Science in industrial engineering within the Department of Industrial Engineering. There are four areas of concentration: systems optimization, manufacturing engineering design, enterprise and production control, and quality engineering. Core courses are offered in the areas of engineering optimization, quality control, production planning, and manufacturing design.

What can I do with a degree in Industrial Engineering?
More professionals are earning graduate degrees, adding to the competitive nature of the marketplace. It is imperative to explore graduate education as an avenue to achieve a higher level of career success. Whether students want to move up the ladder, find a niche teaching in higher education or pursue consulting opportunities, they can leverage themselves with a graduate degree in industrial engineering from SIUE. Companies like The Boeing Co., Emerson Electric and Covidien hire many SIUE graduates. A graduate degree places students in a network of highly skilled and educated professionals who work in the region, across the country and around the world.

Graduates of the computer science program at SIUE will typically find careers as software engineers. However, some pursue careers as research scientists, technology infrastructure specialists or technology consultants. In recent years, 80-90% of graduates have accepted a career position before graduation day. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that demand and salaries for computer scientists and software engineers will continue to increase in the coming decade.

The study of communication involves the development of theories and research tools to analyze, explain and improve human interaction. The applied communication studies program is offered in the College of Arts and Sciences through the Department of Applied Communication Studies. Departmental courses focus on two-person interaction, small-group decision making, communication patterns in organizations and other complex systems, public relations, and speaker-audience interaction in public speaking.

What can I do with a degree in Applied Communication Studies?
In America, employers increasingly recognize the need for more effective communication. As a result, job opportunities for graduates trained in applied communication studies are prevalent in business and industry, government agencies, educational systems, nonprofit organizations, and community-based resource centers. Graduates often have several career choices. Examples of communication careers departmental graduates have entered are: teaching and administration; management, training and consulting in organizations; public relations; human relations and employee assistance programs; sales; and government service. Graduates find employment in various types of for-profit and nonprofit organizations locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. Applied communication is also an in-demand minor for students majoring in areas such as, business, mass communications, political science and sociology. Our graduates are also well-prepared for graduate school.

Track Option: Corporate and Organizational Communication
Students who choose the corporate and organizational communication track focus on communication within the context of businesses and other organizations. Effective communication in organizations is necessary both for the attainment of organizational goals and for individual productivity and satisfaction. This track is designed for those who will work in organizational settings and who want to become more effective in their interactions with others for a more successful and fulfilling work life. This knowledge is especially important now that the "world of work" is undergoing such rapid change. In addition to learning, understanding, and applying organizational theories and research, students will develop important organizational skills such as conflict management, decision making, goal setting and team building. Students completing this track will be prepared for careers in a wide variety of organizational settings and roles (sales, management, human resources and training), as well as for graduate study in communication or business.

Economics is a social science that examines the decision-making process regarding the use of scarce resources such as land, raw materials, labor, machinery, physical structures, etc. At SIUE, students choosing to major in economics will pursue a core program of courses designed to provide a thorough grounding in economic theory. This core program of study is followed by more specialized study in such areas as money and banking, labor and industrial relations, international economics, public finance, industrial organization, and antitrust policy. Our economics students also receive strong training in data analysis, and most upper-level courses involve a project in which students solidify their economics knowledge and research skills. Students develop their programs with the counsel of a faculty advisor.

Students pursuing economics at SIUE will complete a course of study designed to lay a foundation in both microeconomics and macroeconomics. Supply and demand, pricing, and the tools utilized to predict the effects of government interventions and regulations on the markets are only a few of the questions that can be answered through the study of microeconomics. The examination of the national economy, including economic growth, unemployment, and factors that affect inflation, fall under the area of macroeconomics. Also included in the study of macroeconomics are domestic factors, such as monetary and fiscal policies, as well as international factors, such as trade and exchange rates.

What can I do with a degree in Economics?
Many career opportunities are available to students graduating with a degree in economics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that opportunities for well-prepared economists will grow 14% through 2022. Career opportunities will be best for students with strong analytical skills, related work experience, and those who choose to further their education and attend graduate school or pursue a PhD. Although most students will go on to pursue graduate and doctoral education, some entry-level opportunities, primarily in the federal government, are available for those with a bachelor’s degree.

The Department of Chemistry, in the College of Arts and Sciences, offers several degree programs and active research opportunities in order to satisfy the diverse career goals of our students. At SIUE, students will learn from faculty members who have earned national and international reputations in their respective areas of expertise. The department also has well-equipped laboratories where students can expect to gain experience in the many different disciplines in chemistry and biochemistry. Through the department’s research programs, students may also gain experience in the most current techniques.

What can I do with a degree in Chemistry?
Students earning a degree in chemistry will be well prepared to pursue a variety of careers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for a chemist with a bachelor's degree was $79,300 as of May, 2020. Chemistry majors work as analysts, environmentalists, criminologists, librarians, patent examiners, production foremen, researchers, writers and teachers. Chemists also find work in sales, and for private companies that produce items such as fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, plastics and semi-conductors. Careers in the public sector can be found in local, state and federal governments, as well as hospitals, high schools, colleges and universities.

This program, which is held within SIUE's School of Education, Health and Human Behavior, is intended for students who seek master's-level training appropriate for clinical work with primarily adult clients. This training often leads to employment in organizations providing clinical psychological services (e.g., community mental health agencies, hospitals, mental health facilities) or continued education in doctoral training programs. The clinical psychology program in the Department of Psychology is a full-time program only, with most courses offered during the day in seminar rooms and clinical settings.

What can I do with a degree in Clinical Psychology?
Many of our graduates enter doctoral programs in clinical psychology, counseling psychology or other fields, either immediately after graduation or after some time in the field. Those who enter the workforce immediately after graduation have obtained positions in psychiatric hospitals, research institutions and various types of clinical agencies.

Sociologists are interested in changing the world. But, we do so by systematically studying society rather than using our biases or assumptions. Once we understand the larger social forces that influence our own behavior and that of others, we can create policies, organizations, and even families that benefit the majority of people rather than the powerful few.

At SIUE, we focus on application. Students in the Department of Sociology participate in hands-on experiences so they can apply what they learn in their classes. Students pursuing general sociology work in communities helping gather data and provide suggestions on how to make those communities stronger. Diversity and social justice students complete internships in nonprofit organizations learning to write grants and help groups find resources. Students specializing in employment relations complete internships in organizations where they help uncover how to make workers more committed and productive. Through systematically gathering information from different groups, sociology can be a powerful tool for the betterment of communities and organizations.

Diversity and Social Justice
The specialization option in diversity and social justice prepares students for work in social movement/nonprofit organizations that focus in the area of gender/sex, sexuality, race, environment, class, disability, and other areas where injustices occur. The goal is to apply sociological knowledge to understanding theories for why social inequalities occur and for constructing logical and practical solutions for such inequalities.

The business administration program is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International, and provides a broad education in the functional areas of modern business, the behavior of organizations and decision-making processes, as well as analytical methods for solving basic problems affecting commerce and business practices. Our students find that the combination of knowledge acquisition and skill development is appealing and rewarding. Students in the School of Business will also learn about the ethical and global issues facing today’s businesses, while refining their communication skills and abilities. They will also learn to make leadership decisions based on quantitative data using analytical tools.

What can I do with a degree in Business Administration?
Graduates of the business administration program are well prepared to become business professionals who understand the environment in which business operates, and can analyze how business operations are impacted by economic, social, political and legal environments. Graduates of the program are prepared for careers in administration or management of business firms, in banking and insurance, and in federal, state, and local government agencies, as well as a variety of other settings where knowledge of business functions and practices is required. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in business and financial operations occupations is projected to grow 5% through 2029.

Economics
The specialization in economics provides students with knowledge of analytical methods for solving basic problems affecting profit and growth of the business organization. In addition, economics offers courses that are fundamental to forecasting, planning, and budgeting. Graduates of the program are qualified for careers in administration and management of business firms, in banking and insurance, and in federal, state and local government agencies.

At SIUE, we have a graduate student-to-faculty ratio of two-to-one, so our students receive personalized attention from faculty recognized for outstanding teaching and excellent research. The Department of Mathematics and Statistics at SIUE provides learning and research opportunities in many areas and students are exposed to various cultures from diverse faculty members in the College of Arts and Sciences.

What can I do with a degree in Mathematics?
Professionals holding positions as mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries consistently rank their careers at the top of surveys on job satisfaction and security. According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook in these fields remains strong, and growth is projected at 25% over the next 10 years.