Bachelor of Science in Mathematical Studies (STEM)

at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville USA

Faculty in the Department of Music believe students in undergraduate academic programs in music should receive a comprehensive musical background that includes cultural knowledge through the general education program, individual performance, ensemble performance, scholarly studies in music theory and history/literature, and where applicable, teacher education courses. The intent is to develop skilled and informed musicians, able scholars, and excellent and enthusiastic teachers.

The Bachelor of Music curriculum prepares students for professional careers and advanced graduate study in music performance and music education. The Bachelor of Arts, designed for students who wish to specialize in music within a liberal arts curriculum, may serve as the foundation for advanced studies in music.

Music Theory and Composition
The theory and composition specialization at SIUE allows students to gain experience in creating their own music and in understanding and explaining the principles and structures of music. In addition to the core curriculum, students specializing in theory and composition take advanced courses in analysis, arranging, and modern music, as well as private lessons in composition. Over four years, our students build a portfolio of their music while working directly with faculty and guest artists, and receive opportunities every semester to hear their music performed. Classes in music theory and composition are taught exclusively by full-time professors, and composition lessons are always one-on-one with a professor.

The focus of this specialization is to prepare students for graduate study or immediate employment, with a nearly 100% placement rate. The rigorous curriculum emphasizes fundamentals of form, harmony, orchestration, notation and musicianship applicable to any style or genre of music, from traditional concert music to film and game music.

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.

SIUE's College of Arts and Sciences offers the art history specialization through the Department of Art and Design. At SIUE, art history students study art and architecture, both as expressions of human creativity and as uniquely informative historical documents, to promote an understanding of its cultural and social value. Art history students gain a greater aesthetic appreciation of art and a deeper understanding of its purposes in different times and places through extensive study. An understanding of the historical development of art contributes significantly to our students’ comprehension of the overall development of human culture through the ages.

The art history curriculum at SIUE is designed such that students gain an understanding of broad historical traditions in the visual arts as well as specialized knowledge in one or more specific areas in the field of art history. Our students are also challenged to think critically and reason logically in written and verbal analysis of the visual arts. Three of our faculty members are art historians who offer courses on a broad range of topics from prehistoric to contemporary art, at both the introductory and advanced levels. Art history courses are taught in two smart classrooms, housed in the newly built Art and Design West building. Students also have access to the Art History Resource Room, which provides a variety of supporting research materials, including videos, books, magazines and a digitized image database.

What can I do with a degree in Art History?
Students specializing in art history at SIUE are prepared for a wide variety of careers, including work in museums, art galleries, cultural institutions, and academia, as well as graduate school. Recent graduates have pursued advanced degrees at Washington University in St. Louis; University of Illinois, Springfield; and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Our students have gained employment at area institutions such as the Pulitzer, the Saint Louis Art Museum, and Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. Many of our graduates also pursue the certificate in museum studies at SIUE, which is an interdisciplinary post-baccalaureate certificate that offers those students with an interest in exploring a museum career an opportunity to gain expertise that will aid in their career advancement.

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.

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.

Environmental/Water Resources Engineering
Environmental engineering includes the design and operation of water distribution and wastewater collection systems, water and wastewater treatment facilities, managing biosolids and solid waste, as well as preventing pollution. Water resources engineering includes designing and maintaining stormwater facilities to manage both the quantity and quality of runoff. Facilities could include green roofs, permeable pavements, retention basins, infiltration basins and many more.

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: Public Relations
Students in the public relations track will study under a model program, designed to meet and exceed national guidelines for undergraduate public relations education described in Public Relations Education for the 21st Century: A Port of Entry, sponsored by the Commission on Public Relations Education. This track stresses written, oral, graphic, and technological applications of communication skills. Elements of the program are designed to keep entry-level students in touch with upper-division students, and past graduates in touch with all students. In addition, students will experience the "paired course" concept, an idea that helps students integrate materials across their sequence of study. And finally, students may join SIUE's award-winning chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), which is affiliated with the national professional association, Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

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.

Marketing
The marketing specialization is designed to enable students to analyze the problems of providing consumer and industrial goods and services to a wide variety of markets. The curriculum prepares students for positions in sales, advertising, promotion, research, product management, and marketing management. Further, the study of dynamic problems that affect all enterprises in communicating with their constituencies prepares students for careers in commercial, governmental, and service organizations that serve the public in ways other than producing tangible goods

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.

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 Master of Science in computer science program in the School of Engineering includes applied and theoretical aspects of advanced computing topics. Courses within the Department of Computer Science include advanced operating systems, computer architecture, computer networks, bioinformatics, artificial intelligence, database systems and information assurance. Students who choose to complete a thesis directly engage with faculty to develop a deep understanding of the research topic.

What can I do with a degree in Computer Science?
Graduates with a degree in computer science are prepared for positions such as software developer, consultant, systems programmer, project leader, and application software specialist. Graduates also pursue careers as research scientists, technology infrastructure specialists or technology consultants. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts continued high demand and high salaries well into the next decade for computer scientists and software engineers. Students who choose to complete the thesis program during their course of study will be well-prepared to enter a PhD program.