Bachelor of Science in Applied Communication Studies, Track Option: Corporate and Organizational Communication

at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville USA

The environmental sciences undergraduate program, in the College of Arts and Sciences at SIUE, is interdisciplinary, and is designed to cultivate students' perspectives of environmental issues, and to provide them with refined knowledge of environmental issues on a local, regional and global scale. The curriculum within the Department of Environmental Sciences will increase students’ technical competence in addressing these environmental issues, their origins, ramifications and resolutions. The program will promote experiential learning and professional education to prepare students for career opportunities in a wide variety of workplaces.

What can I do with a degree in Environmental Sciences?
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment of environmental scientists and specialists is projected to grow 8% through 2028, which is faster than the average for all occupations in the U.S. Graduates with a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts with specializations in environmental health, environmental toxicology and environmental management will have career opportunities in their areas of interest. For example, a licensed environmental health practitioner can be employed for inspection, sampling and reporting for sanitary, food safety, sewage and waste disposal, drinking water, pest control, or industrial hygiene.

Environmental Management
The environmental management specialization prepares students for careers in management and protection of natural resources, and for providing services related to environmental quality and sustainability. The curriculum offers an interdisciplinary approach to deal with various environmental management issues, including:

• Pollution control
• Regulations
• Remediation
• Hazardous waste disposal
• Sustainability

The program also includes hands-on technical training, such as geographic information systems (GIS) and environmental risk assessment. Examples of careers for graduates include environmental consultants; environmental educators; social and environmental impact analysts; resource policy analysts; natural resource planners; managers of wildlife, parks, forests and rangelands; conservation officers; watershed managers; soil conservationists; and sustainability officers.

The biological sciences encompass the study of all life on Earth. Biological sciences programs are offered through the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences. At SIUE, our diverse programs of study include specializations that allow students the opportunity to pursue any areas that are of interest to them. Students can customize their academic program in order to better prepare them for their chosen career.

What can I do with a degree in Biological Sciences?
Many careers are available for people with basic or advanced training in biology. There are opportunities in botany, ecology, education, fisheries, forensics, forestry, genetic engineering, horticulture, medical technology, microbiology, molecular biology, parasitology, physiology, wildlife management and zoology. Technical and supervisory positions are available in federal, state, industrial and university laboratories. Environment and health-related occupations almost always require sound, basic training in biology. Most students entering schools of medicine, dentistry, optometry, osteopathy, veterinary science, chiropractic and podiatry are biology majors. Basic training in biology is essential for careers in allied health sciences, including nutrition, pharmacy, occupational therapy and physical therapy.

Genetics and Cellular Biology
Genetic engineering and cellular biology are rapidly expanding fields in biology. Genetic engineering is a defined method for producing genetic changes in a variety or organisms in the laboratory. Cellular biology is a field that studies all aspects of gene regulation, protein trafficking, cell physiology, and apoptosis. A large number of industrial companies and many research laboratories use genetic engineering and cell biology techniques in their work. Job opportunities are numerous and growing in number. Students with training in genetic engineering and cellular biology may be employed in diverse laboratory settings including plant breeding, insecticide development, and the production of pharmaceuticals.

The fast change of pace in our society is creating new career opportunities for individuals trained in multiple disciplines. The Master of Arts in integrative studies allows students to access expertise from two or three areas and integrate courses into a degree that meets the needs of an emerging career field.

Consider integrative studies if:

• You have diverse interests that span two or three academic disciplines and you want to blend these interests into one cohesive program
• You have a career interest in an emerging field that crosses academic disciplines, such as cultural heritage and resources management or marketing communications
• You want to advance in a non-traditional sector or start your own business

What can I do with a degree in Integrative Studies?
A Master of Arts in integrative studies can lead to a multitude of career paths as well as entry into doctoral programs. The degree will meet the needs of students seeking knowledge for advancement in a specific industry, looking to move to an emerging field that is multidisciplinary or starting their own business. Employment outlook and salary information for these careers vary widely. A carefully designed plan of study will provide students with a unique combination of skills and knowledge that will be advantageous in the job market.

Cultural Heritage and Resources Management
Cultural heritage includes intangible resources (ceremonies, oral history and customs) and tangible resources (architecture, artifacts and landscapes) inherited from past generations. The program includes coursework in ethical and legal issues with management of these resources, as well as practical skills, such as mapping and GIS, methods of survey and excavation, document and map analysis, artifact and art duration. Students take courses in two of the participating departments: Anthropology, geography and history.

Criminal justice studies at SIUE, offered through the Department of Criminal Justice Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences, is a multidisciplinary degree program with a strong academic foundation in the liberal arts. Among the general topic studies are theories of crime and delinquency; the origins and development of criminal law and procedure; the functions and operations of criminal justice agencies in America, including the criminal justice response to juvenile offenders; the prevention of crime and delinquency; privatization in corrections and policing; the nature, meaning and purpose of criminal punishment; the nature and impact of criminal justice policy; and the relationship between criminal justice and human diversity.

The Department of Art and Design, in the College of Arts and Sciences at SIUE, provides an excellent studio art program for its majors, minors and postgraduate students in recently built and renovated facilities offering state-of-the-art technology. While students are encouraged to develop their creative, intellectual and technical potential in the visual arts, they also have the opportunity to pursue minors in diverse areas such as anthropology, business, geography, history and more. Emphasis is placed on the development of conceptual and visual vocabulary, as well as the ability of students to discuss their work within historical and contemporary contexts. At SIUE, the Department of Art and Design offers a core foundation of skills that students can build upon in order to produce meaningful and engaging works with diverse objectives. Our students are challenged to view themselves as professionals on the first day they step into a classroom.

What can I do with a degree in Studio Art?
Students specializing in art studio at SIUE will be prepared for a wide variety of careers, including work in museums, art galleries, cultural institutions, and academia. Our students are also well prepared for graduate school. Some of our recent graduates are pursuing advanced degrees at Indiana University, the University of Nebraska, Maryland Institute College of Art, The State University of New York at Albany, University of Wisconsin at Madison, Syracuse University, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Rhode Island School of Design, among others.

The graduate program in speech-language pathology from SIUE's School of Education, Health and Human Behavior combines classroom instruction, research and practical experiences. A full range of courses and practicum opportunities prepares students to work with a variety of individuals with communication needs in various work settings. The program is typically completed in five to six full-time semesters. For the past several years, 100% of our students have achieved a passing score on the PRAXIS examination. Courses and clinical experiences are provided during the day with some evening offerings. This program is completed entirely on the Edwardsville campus.

The speech-language pathology program within the Department of Applied Health offers unique opportunities for practicum experiences on-and off-campus. The program has agreements with nationally and internationally known hospitals, agencies, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and educational facilities. The program can provide students with exceptional experiences with children and adults with neurological disorders, hearing impairments, autism, speech and language impairments, aphasia, stuttering and voice disorders.

Why Speech-Language Pathology?
A career as a speech-language pathologist is extremely rewarding, and the need for professionals in these fields is expected to increase over the next decade. Opportunities in various work settings are numerous and include educational facilities, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, home health, colleges and universities.

What can I do with a degree in Speech-Language Pathology?
The career outlook for speech-language pathologists continues to be very positive. One hundred percent of students graduating with a master’s degree in speech-language pathology from SIUE are employed within the first year of graduation and many students are employed before they graduate. In addition to a positive career outlook, most of our students complete the program within the expected time frame and pass the national PRAXIS examination.

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.

The Master of Arts in history program in the Department of History contributes to the personal enrichment of students, as well as lifelong learning skills and recognition of responsibilities as members of a society composed of many communities of memory. Graduates of the program, housed within the College of Arts and Sciences, leave SIUE with a firm education in the liberal arts and with excellent communication and critical thinking skills. Students can also gain crucial hands-on experience in documentary editing, digital history projects and archival research.

What can I do with a degree in History?
The master's in history serves as important preparation for the pursuit of a variety of career opportunities. Some students choose to pursue careers as history instructors, while others choose to pursue careers in various other 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.

The Master of Business Administration (MBA), accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International, is designed to develop the professional capabilities of managers working in business. The central objective of the curriculum in the School of Business is to enhance quality and innovation in the analysis, interpretation, and use of information for formulating, communicating and implementing managerial decisions in business organizations. The ethical management of resources in a global environment is emphasized through the curriculum. Required courses in quantitative analysis, and decision making will sharpen the ability of students to apply models and skills, and integrate knowledge across disciplinary areas. Students can select a specialization in business analytics, healthcare administration, management information systems, project management, or a general specialization comprised of four elective courses that will fit their specific career objectives.

What can I do with an MBA?
Students completing the program should be prepared to engage in managerial careers leading to advancement through middle-and upper-level positions in business and nonprofit organizations. Additionally, graduates of the program are qualified 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 is required.

Business Analytics
Students may choose a specialization in business analytics as preparation for a career that requires knowledge of business analysis, competitive intelligence, and information security.