Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Languages and Literature, Specialization in French

at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville USA

If you have diverse academic interests that span the disciplines and would like to turn these interests into a cohesive program, then the integrative studies program could be for you! Working professionals can also earn a baccalaureate degree to better position them for opportunities for advancement where a baccalaureate degree is required.

Integrative studies is an interdisciplinary program geared toward meeting each student’s personal, academic and career goals, as well as providing knowledge and skills to meet the needs of emerging professions. This program provides students the opportunity to embrace their individuality and widen their perspectives by exploring and making connections between different fields of study. Students design their own program of study, in consultation with a professional advisor and a faculty mentor, and in doing so take responsibility for their education and career planning.

What can I do with a degree in Integrative Studies?
Students graduating with an undergraduate degree in integrative studies will be well prepared to pursue career opportunities in a variety of professional settings, such as advertising, public service, military, sales, human services, ministry, sports promotion, higher education, public relations, and youth development, among others. Graduates will also be prepared to pursue a master’s or professional degree in various fields.

The study of history begins with questions about the past; how things came to be as they are or were. These questions can contribute to a greater understanding of ourselves, others and the world in which we live.

Historians approach the study of the past from various perspectives, but all analyze the patterns and causes of change in human thought and action across space and time and the consequences of those changes. Some, working within or across national histories, focus on the trajectory of particular social institutions, such as the family, government, business or religion. Alternately, historians can investigate the historical development of ideologies or of cultural concepts such as race or gender. Historians borrow investigative strategies freely from other disciplines. For some historians, the methodologies of the social sciences become critical tools for the study of the past, while others prefer a historical approach involving the methods of the humanities and literature. Most adopt some mixture of methodologies.

In the College of Arts and Sciences at SIUE, the Department of History emphasizes the study of primary sources beginning with our freshman-level survey labs, through the senior research projects. We also provide numerous opportunities for hands-on learning through class projects and internships at many venues in the greater St. Louis region and in the Metro East. A specialization in applied historical methods is also available for those interested in museums, editing and digital technology. The social science secondary education minor for licensure in teaching is housed in the Department of History.

What can I do with a degree in History?
Traditionally, a bachelor’s degree in history was thought to primarily provide a knowledge base for two careers: licensure in teaching, or as a foundation for attending law school. While teaching and attending law school are still viable options for students with a degree in history, the degree is becoming broadly recognized as a foundation for many other careers. Students are pursuing careers in local, state and federal government, including the Foreign Service and city or town management; nonprofit organizations; politics, including political advising; curatorial and archival management in libraries, museums and art galleries; media, public relations, digital editing and film consulting; and business, in corporate training and development.

Electrical engineering and computer engineering disciplines are concerned with the development and application of electrical and computer technology to enhance and enrich all life. Electrical and computer engineers, as part of this mission, are engaged in a wide variety of activities that include:

• Space exploration and remote sensing
• Process control and automation
• Automatic control systems for use in robotics, missiles, aircraft, and manufacturing plants
• Electric power generation and distribution, environmentally responsible generation and use of energy
• Audio- video- and data-communication systems, and satellite communications
• Digital processing of signals and images using the computer
• Design and manufacturing of faster and more capable microprocessors for the computers of tomorrow
• Applications of technology in the healthcare field through computerized ultrasound, radiology, tomography and imaging systems, computer-aided diagnosis and treatment, and tele-surgery.

The applications listed above require a solid foundation in mathematics and physics, thus requiring electrical and computer engineering students to go through a substantial set of courses in these areas. In addition, today’s engineers also must be aware of a wide variety of global, social, ethical, economic and environmental issues that are relevant to the systems they design and build. Our bachelor’s degree programs include courses and projects designed to build this awareness. The electrical and computer engineering program mission is consistent with the mission of the University and the School of Engineering.

What can I do with a degree in computer engineering?
Electrical and computer engineers find employment in a wide variety of manufacturing companies such as aerospace and aircraft, electric manufacturers, computer circuit (a.k.a.: “chip”) manufacturers, and medical equipment manufacturers. They are employed in the fields of research, design, manufacturing and sales. Many public utilities, which include power companies and telephone companies, employ both computer engineers and electrical engineers. Other potential employers include oil companies, railroads, food processing plants, chemical and biological laboratories, chemical plants, various branches of federal government, and many consulting engineering companies.

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.

Cybersecurity
The cybersecurity specialization prepares students for entry into professional careers in cybersecurity, information security and security management. The specialization is designed to provide students with a solid foundation of information systems management knowledge coupled with specialized skills in cybersecurity. In addition to learning how to protect valuable information assets for a firm, students will also obtain a broad range of business skills in accounting, economics, finance, management, and marketing. Students in the cybersecurity specialization must maintain a 2.5 GPA in all CMIS courses.

The mission of the environmental sciences graduate program is to cultivate students’ perspectives of environmental issues and provide students with refined knowledge of environmental issues at the local, regional and global scale. The program will increase the student’s technical competence in addressing and analyzing these issues, their origins, ramifications and resolutions. The environmental sciences graduate program at SIUE is designed to enhance and promote professional education and career opportunities in a wide area of interests.

What can I do with a degree in Environmental Sciences?
Students completing the graduate program in environmental sciences have career opportunities with governmental agencies, private industries, consulting firms and educational institutions. Areas of responsibility may include environmental field or laboratory research and analysis, environmental policy and law, environmental remediation, solid and hazardous waste management, groundwater pollution control, water management, air quality management, environmental and ecological risk assessments, and restoration environmental engineering.

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.

The art education program at SIUE, offered through the Department of Art and Design in the College of Arts and Sciences, is a K-12 teacher licensure program in visual arts education for the state of Illinois. The program is built on an understanding and application of skills in the fields of art studio, art history, and the role and function of art to general education and to the culture it serves. Our program is grounded in the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior knowledge base, which promotes the “Teacher as an Inquirer-Professional.” The program is based on the initial level for teacher preparation in the areas of knowledge application and development, instructional process, context and foundations of education, learners and learning, interpersonal relation skills, and professional relationships. At SIUE, our students are engaged in inquiry and reflection, which are necessary components in the development of successful learning environments in various contexts. Our students observe and interact with a wide variety of art education professionals in diverse art program settings in order to understand the role of each program to the needs of their future students and instructional objectives.

The art education program at SIUE stresses the development of the student as an artist-teacher, the student as a professional teacher and the development of the student’s teaching skills in school. Students at SIUE have access to excellent facilities and a variety of equipment for creating art. These facilities and equipment allow students to obtain hands-on experience in creating art, presenting lessons and writing curriculum. Our students are prepared for their future careers as artist-teachers with a broad, general background in intermediate-level courses in studio art, art history, art education and professional education. To complete the art education program, students participate in intensive student teaching for one semester in two school settings at K-12 public schools throughout Illinois.

What can I do with a degree in Art Education?
Graduates of the art education program at SIUE are prepared to successfully compete for career and graduate education opportunities. Our students pursue advanced Master of Fine Arts (MFA) and Master of Arts (MA) degrees in visual arts education and studio art, and gain employment with area public and private schools, teaching in K-12 classrooms.

Mechanical engineering is based on the application of physics and mathematics. It is challenging, rewarding, and is one of the most diverse disciplines among engineering programs. In the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at SIUE, mechanical engineering students develop skill sets necessary for a number of engineering jobs, including applications in aerospace, automotive, biomedical, robotics, energy and more.

Mechanical engineers are problem solvers, critical thinkers and designers. Mechanical engineers design and create complex machines that can impact every facet of human life. They work in teams to design and operate robots, engines, machine parts, medical devices and much more. In the School of Engineering at SIUE, you will gain an expertise that will remain with you throughout your engineering career and will enable you to make a difference in society.

What can I do with a degree in Mechanical Engineering?
At SIUE, earning an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering is only the beginning for our students. Our graduates have a wide variety of opportunities available to them upon graduation, and are prepared to contribute to society through professional practice in industry or governmental positions. Some of our students may also choose to pursue careers in related areas such as business, law or medicine.

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.

Philosophy is the attempt to think carefully, critically and systematically about the most challenging questions that face humanity. Philosophy is the oldest academic discipline, with roots that trace to ancient Greece and to thinkers who asked probing questions about themselves and the world around them. Philosophy is called, “the queen of the sciences” because every major academic discipline—from math to psychology—was part of philosophy at one time. Philosophy continues to spawn new cutting-edge fields, such as cognitive science.

At SIUE, pursuing a degree in philosophy allows you to follow your interests. Classes are centered on discussion so you can be an active participant every day. In order to develop your abilities to solve complex problems, generate ideas, communicate clearly, respond to others, adapt to change, and think creatively, faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Philosophy will challenge you throughout your course of study. Being challenged helps students develop deep analytical skills that will translate into everyday life, as well as their chosen profession.

What can I do with a degree in Philosophy?
The focus on clear thinking and writing prepares students for a wide range of careers, including law, medicine, bioethics, finance, diplomacy, journalism, public relations and business. Philosophy students tend to score higher on the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) and the verbal and analytical writing portions of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) than students from other majors, and are among the highest scorers on the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). Famous philosophy majors include: Steven Colbert, Angela Davis, Carly Fiorina, Mary Higgins Clark, Carl Ichan, Bruce Lee, George Soros and David Souter. The skills developed by philosophy majors help ensure they will thrive wherever their interests take them.