Bachelor of Arts in Integrative Studies, Specialization in Environmental Sciences and Applied Communication Studies (STEM)

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 graduate curricula provide advanced preparation for professional work as a teacher and/or performer. Students must successfully complete placement examinations in music theory and music history/literature (or the review courses MUS 500a, b) and a performance audition (if required for the student’s specialization). Certificate degrees are designed to appeal to teachers seeking additional professional training and career opportunities. Many students choose to pursue a certificate alongside an MM, with certain courses counting toward both degrees.

How does a statistician design an experiment to test a new drug? What is an efficient algorithm to solve a differential equation, and when does it work? How do you determine a fair price for an annuity? Given a complex network of nodes and edges, what is the shortest path from one vertex to another? How can you teach problem solving in a diverse high school classroom?

These are only some of the questions to be explored in our five undergraduate study options in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. In the College of Arts and Sciences at SIUE, we have a faculty-to-undergraduate major student ratio of five to one, so our students receive personalized attention from faculty recognized for outstanding teaching and excellent research.

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

Applied Mathematics
A concentration in applied mathematics focuses on using mathematical theories to solve real-world problems, such as those related to structural stability, chemical interactions or wave propagation. Applied mathematics encompasses the use of probability theory, numerical and data analysis, modeling, algorithm development, and simulations to explore the connections between mathematics, science, and our environment.

Applied mathematics is used extensively in the fields of physics, geology, engineering and technology. Several emerging career paths have been identified by the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, including bioinformatics, materials science, computer animation and digital imaging, finance, climatology, and ecology/environmental organizations.

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.

Our comprehensive program, offered through the School of Engineering, allows students to pursue a graduate degree in civil engineering while gaining expertise in the field. Students may choose a concentration in environmental/water resources, geotechnical, structural or transportation engineering. Whether students are working professionals or full-time students, the graduate program introduces them to the skills and knowledge they need for professional advancement. Students will have opportunities to conduct field and lab-based research, and learn from highly qualified faculty who are experts in their respective fields.

Why earn a master's in Civil Engineering?
Future professional engineering (PE) licenses might require a Master of Science. Our program prepares students to meet engineering education requirements established by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

Improve your ability to take and pass the Practices and Principles of Engineering exam.

• Our graduate program allows you to complete one year of experience toward your PE license, a benefit that does not apply to an MBA. (Learn more.)
• Learn materials relevant to the PE exam.
• Take advantage of courses to refine your study skills for preparing to take the PE exam.
• Textbooks from your master’s courses are useful references for the PE exam and to build your personal library.

What can I do with a degree in Civil Engineering?
A graduate degree in civil engineering from SIUE opens doors for students in a variety of areas. Potential employers consist of consulting engineering companies, government agencies, industries, or academia. With the right experience and advanced education, students can become self-employed consultants. An education from SIUE prepares students for advancement opportunities and places them in a better position to get the job they want in a competitive employment market.

Transportation Engineering
Transportation engineering focuses on the design of facilities that enable the mobility of travelers. These include designing highways, traffic signals and pavements. Transportation engineers consider factors such as pedestrian and traffic safety, evacuations, pavement management and intelligent transportation systems.

Students pursuing the Master of Science (MS) in chemistry through SIUE's College of Arts and Sciences explore advanced topics in chemistry and become proficient in lab techniques and problem-solving skills. The Department of Chemistry is housed in the recently built Science Building West. Our students have access to state-of-the art equipment and laboratories. The MS program can be completed within a two-year timeframe.

What can I do with a degree in Chemistry?
Students earning a master’s degree in chemistry will be well-prepared to pursue a variety of careers. Our graduates learn skills in the classroom and in research laboratories that ensure they are productive problem solvers throughout their career. SIUE graduates are frequently sought after by local employers.

According to the American Chemical Society, the fields employing the most chemists include biochemistry, analytical chemistry, organic chemistry and physical chemistry. 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.

How does a statistician design an experiment to test a new drug? What is an efficient algorithm to solve a differential equation, and when does it work? How do you determine a fair price for an annuity? Given a complex network of nodes and edges, what is the shortest path from one vertex to another? How can you teach problem solving in a diverse high school classroom?

These are only some of the questions to be explored in our five undergraduate study options in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. In the College of Arts and Sciences at SIUE, we have a faculty-to-undergraduate major student ratio of five to one, so our students receive personalized attention from faculty recognized for outstanding teaching and excellent research.

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

Industrial engineers design, produce and deliver quality products (parts or services) to customers at affordable prices in a timely manner. This process involves not only designing and producing value-added products, but also planning and managing people, processes, systems, equipment and other resources efficiently and cost-effectively. In the Department of Industrial Engineering within SIUE's School of Engineering, students learn the knowledge and skills necessary in engineering and management and are uniquely positioned to work in a variety of industries, such as automobile and aircraft manufacturing industries, healthcare organizations, shipping and logistics, and business.

What can I do with a degree in Industrial Engineering?
SIUE graduates of the industrial engineering program are employed as industrial engineers, manufacturing/production engineers, quality engineers/managers, operations/system engineers/managers, and process design engineers at various major corporations. These corporations include Boeing, Caterpillar, Inc., Pepsi, Pinnacle Foods, Schnucks, Kraft Foods, Eaton Corporations, Nestle Purina, Lockheed Martin, Lowe's, GM, Mallinckrodt, Bayer, Chrysler, Emerson Electric, Motorola, American Airlines, USPS, Intelligrated Systems, Anheuser-Busch InBev, BJC Health Care, AT&T and MasterCard, among other reputable companies.

At SIUE, we take our students out into the world and bring the world to our students. Our program curriculum includes subject areas focusing on the languages, literatures, cultures and histories of diverse regions and countries. Our K-12 teacher certification program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (CAEP/ACTFL).

Language learners are brought together in a variety of settings including classroom, language lab, study abroad destinations, language conversation hours and student organizations. While offering opportunities to study many different languages from around the world, we provide a balance between delivering courses to students majoring in foreign languages and literature, and contributing to general education course requirements. Study abroad opportunities are offered in countries all around the world.

In addition to our concentration areas in French, German and Spanish, language courses are offered in Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Italian, Latin and Yoruba. Interdisciplinary minors are available in African studies, Asian studies, classical studies, European studies and Latin American studies.

What can I do with a degree in Foreign Languages and Literature?
Increasing diversity in the United States requires more professionals have diverse language skills and cultural awareness. Students graduating with knowledge of one or more foreign languages will have a competitive edge in today’s high level of globalization in the world economy. Some recent graduates from the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature hold positions with companies such as Alloy Holdings, Boeing, Express Scripts, Deloitte Tohmatsu, Anheuser-Busch, the AIDS Foundation and Wells Fargo.

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.