Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with Concentration in Citizenship

at State University of New York at Albany USA

Are you ready to make a difference? Perhaps you'd like to counsel children with behavioral difficulties or work with seniors, run a homeless shelter or treat addictions, promote workplace diversity or change social welfare policy - all to help people function at their best in society. That would make you an ideal social welfare major or minor.  

The undergraduate social welfare program at UAlbany teaches you how to advance social, economic and environmental justice and to serve people who are vulnerable, marginalized, and oppressed. You will gain firsthand experience working with individuals, families, groups, organizations and/or communities to create change and improve social conditions. 

Learn how governments, political organizations, individuals, and nations act to create and realize public values and goals. You’ll prepare for responsible and effective citizenship, political participation, and advanced academic or professional studies. You will also learn to understand and appreciate different political values, institutions, and processes that operate in local, national, and international systems.

The political science bachelor's program allows you to focus on the subjects that interest you most, with upper-level concentrations available in American politics; citizenship; equality and inequality; global politics; law and institutions; political theory; political economy and development; public law; security and statecraft.

Located less than one mile from the New York State Capitol, it’s easy to get a head start on a career in law or government as political science major at the widely respected Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy.

Security & Statecraft
International conflict and security dominate the politics of most areas of the globe and are key components of our foreign policy conversations. Courses in the concentration focus on the expanded understanding of the concept of security as states and non-state actors develop new strategies, tactics and tools to challenge the established order. You will study patterns of political violence, migration politics, and how nations and the international organizations respond to modern-day threats.

If you are seeking a career in computer systems design or research, or are interested in pursuing graduate programs in computer science, the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science-Combined program at the University at Albany can help you achieve your goals.

This bachelor’s program will teach you to design, build, and test sophisticated software systems and install them on computer platforms; work with and design software systems involving databases, modeling, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, communication, and information retrieval; and solve problems by working with programming languages, data structures, and algorithm analysis.

Study the impact of animal, botanical, geological, and atmospheric poisons on human health.

The Master of Science in Environmental Health Sciences program gives you the opportunity to work closely with faculty actively working on major environmental public health research projects.

Learn how to collect and analyze environmental public health data and gain advanced skills through hands-on research on the Health Sciences Campus and in the Wadsworth Center labs of the New York State Department of Health.

Study the social, political, economic, and cultural forces that influence definitions of crime, explain offending and crime rates, sway societal reactions, influence policy, and shape the criminal justice system. With a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice you will be qualified to pursue careers in law enforcement, government, research, and non-profit agencies. You may also consider graduate or law school as your next step.

Support individuals and families in their quest for emotional well-being with an accredited master’s in mental health counseling that's approved by the New York State Office of Professions as preparation for licensure.

The 60-credit program integrates behavioral science studies with acquisition of practical counseling skills in supervised settings. Learn how to facilitate personal growth and development by focusing on client strengths and by using therapeutic methods that prevent and remediate individual and interpersonal conflict.

Graduates pursue careers in human service agencies, wellness companies, health care organizations, schools, community-based nonprofits, and independent professional practice after becoming state-licensed mental health counselors (LMHC).

Gain an advanced understanding of the criminal justice system and criminology. Whether you want to further your role in law enforcement or become active in public policy, you will acquire the knowledge for a successful career in areas like policing, law, crime analysis, and research with a master's degree in criminal justice from the University at Albany.

Build connections and put your knowledge to practice through internships at national, state, and local agencies. Tailor your studies to match your career goals through a general track or select a concentration.

Through diverse course offerings you will learn about the structure of criminal justice systems, theories of crime, and evaluation of effective policy and practice using enhanced research and statistical skills.

You will have the option to pursue a general track or focus your studies with a concentration in:

• Information Technology
• Crime Causation, Prevention, and Intervention
• Justice Systems
• Problem Solving and Analysis

Justice Systems
The study of how societies respond to crime through policy and practice, and the value systems that underlie those responses (examples include courses on behavior of police, courts, and corrections agencies; law and social control; juvenile justice; international responses to crime).

If you recently earned your bachelor's degree and want to enhance your knowledge before entering the workplace; or if you have been working and want to make a career change, the Full-Time MBA program at the University at Albany is the right program for you.

In your first year, you learn fundamental concepts in finance, accounting, marketing, operations, human resource management, organizational behavior, and information technology. You will also travel abroad and participate in an international consulting project.

During your second year, you work closely with research faculty and regional business leaders as you develop leading edge knowledge and practical skills in your concentration area through hands-on experiences in real business settings.

Concentration options include cybersecurity, entrepreneurship, finance, human resource information systems, information systems and business analysis, and marketing.

Create useful applications and solve practical data management problems with interdisciplinary skills in information technology and computer science taught in the bachelor's program in informatics.

Through team-based activities and hands-on exercises, you'll learn how to store and retrieve data, employ emerging technologies, and build user-centered systems – all of which are embedded in the day-to-day operations of every organization.

From relational databases to client-based web technologies, and internal computer architecture to networking fundamentals, you'll be prepared to lead complex digital projects from start to finish.

To support the well-being of individuals and communities, you need to understand the psychological, social, cultural, and biological aspects of human development and learning across the life span.

In the interdisciplinary bachelor's in human development, you work toward your long-term career goals by personalizing your course of study with a concentration in your specific area of interest.

Graduates are employed as behavioral specialists, at-risk youth counselors, child development consultants, program evaluators, academic advisors, and institutional research analysts.

Common workplaces include schools, social services, pediatric hospitals, juvenile justice systems, wellness clinics, disability support providers, VA hospitals, and mental health agencies.

Higher Education Concentration
Gain leadership skills to prepare for administrative jobs in universities and other post-secondary education institutions.