Bachelor of Arts in Spanish

at State University of New York College at Brockport USA

Political Science is the study of the state and of power relations within and among states, as they are and as they ought to be. It seeks a better understanding of political and governmental behavior and institutions in order to enable society to use its collective resources more effectively for the general welfare. The principal sub-fields of the discipline are: American politics, comparative politics, international relations and political theory.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Students should have a college level understanding of American Government
• Students should have a fundamental understanding of the politics of at least 1 country/region/ system of government outside of the US
• Students will have a working familiarity with social science methodologies common to PLS/INS (including Theory and Quantitative methods)
• Students should have writing and speaking skills commensurate with BA/BS at SUNY Brockport

An in-depth understanding of mathematics is of great importance to many careers in our technologically complex society. Moreover, the study of mathematics promotes analytical and critical thinking skills, and therefore is a valuable part of any program of study. The major in mathematics is designed to provide the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue graduate study or to support career goals in a range of professions. Recent graduates who have majored in mathematics have found rewarding careers in business, teaching, computing, government, law, engineering, actuarial science and medicine. A study of mathematics is a natural complement to the study of physics, chemistry, biochemistry, biology, earth science, business, economics, computer science, philosophy, and the social sciences. Mathematics is also a fitting major for pre-law and pre-med students.

To complete a major in mathematics, students take 10 required courses that provide a thorough foundation in several central areas of mathematics, a computer science course that emphasizes the design of algorithms, and a minimum of three advanced courses chosen to give special depth in at least one area.

More details concerning the mathematics major, including sample programs of study and information on advisement for majors, student awards, computing facilities, library holdings, and the Mathematics Club, can be found in the department website.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Discuss and utilize mathematics as an intellectual discipline, including its problems, algorithms, and applications.
• Carry out the creative and explorative processes of mathematics, including conjecture, generalization, and the construction of mathematically rigorous proofs.
• Use mathematics to model and analyze real world problems, and utilize technology as appropriate to help solve mathematical problems and judge the reasonableness of results.
• Communicate mathematics effectively.
• Actively engage with mathematics beyond the classroom.

African and African-American Studies offers students a broader and deeper understanding of our world. We promote global and inclusive perspectives—drawing from history, literature, the arts and the social sciences—to explore the realities and life experiences of Africans and African Americans. For students of any ethnic background, a major in AAS offers a uniquely rounded liberal arts education that can lead to a wide variety of career options or further studies.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Articulate the purpose and history of the field of African and African-African American Studies, and its proclivity to offer a corrective to mainstream representations of Africa and Africans.
• Interpret the Africana experience by applying methodologies and perspectives in African and African American studies.
• Identify key themes on how race, ethnicity, class and gender impact issues in African and African American Studies from a variety of disciplinary approaches.
• Analyze the historical experiences of African people on the continent of Africa and in the Diaspora, underscoring crucial themes relevant to their experiences.
• Analyze the literary expressions and contributions of African people on the continent of Africa or in the Diaspora, including analysis of seminal literary treatises from ancient times to the present.
• Analyze the experience of African people on the continent of Africa or in the Diaspora from the perspective of the social sciences.
• Apply the skills and knowledge acquired in their studies to practical use, such as going on for further study or serving as agents of change in their own settings and communities.

The Biology major is designed for students with an interest in aspects of the life sciences, to provide excellent preparation for postgraduate education and careers in biomedicine, health and secondary education, as well as other fields that require an understanding and practice of scientific reasoning and methods.

Students build a scientific foundation for understanding how biological systems function through courses taken during the freshman and sophomore years. In the junior and senior years, students may concentrate in areas such as: pre-professional health, biotechnology, secondary education, or an individualized program. Research opportunities with departmental faculty as well as internships and cooperative programs with public and private organizations afford students the opportunity to apply their skills outside the classroom. Due to the complex biological issues that face modern society, the department also encourages non-majors to take selected courses in the biological sciences.

An in-depth understanding of mathematics is of great importance to many careers in our technologically complex society. Moreover, the study of mathematics promotes analytical and critical thinking skills, and therefore is a valuable part of any program of study. The major in mathematics is designed to provide the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue graduate study or to support career goals in a range of professions. Recent graduates who have majored in mathematics have found rewarding careers in business, teaching, computing, government, law, engineering, actuarial science and medicine. A study of mathematics is a natural complement to the study of physics, chemistry, biochemistry, biology, earth science, business, economics, computer science, philosophy, and the social sciences. Mathematics is also a fitting major for pre-law and pre-med students.

To complete a major in mathematics, students take 10 required courses that provide a thorough foundation in several central areas of mathematics, a computer science course that emphasizes the design of algorithms, and a minimum of three advanced courses chosen to give special depth in at least one area.

More details concerning the mathematics major, including sample programs of study and information on advisement for majors, student awards, computing facilities, library holdings, and the Mathematics Club, can be found in the department website.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Discuss and utilize mathematics as an intellectual discipline, including its problems, algorithms, and applications.
• Carry out the creative and explorative processes of mathematics, including conjecture, generalization, and the construction of mathematically rigorous proofs.
• Use mathematics to model and analyze real world problems, and utilize technology as appropriate to help solve mathematical problems and judge the reasonableness of results.
• Communicate mathematics effectively.
• Actively engage with mathematics beyond the classroom.

Anthropologists study human behavior and thought in both the past and the present with the goal of improving our world. We holistically draw on sociocultural, archaeological, and biological approaches to engage with humanity’s current challenges: the outcomes of the humanity-environment relationship; human rights abuses and the need for social justice; and the complexities of human heritage and identities. Whether through ethnographic fieldwork, archaeological excavation, biological lab work, or visual and material cultural analysis, our students and faculty collaborate closely to learn and improve our knowledge of human variation. This is an invaluable resource for our students as they prepare for a more complex future.

The Anthropology Major consists of 24 required course credits plus 12 elective credits that allow students to augment their education with a dual major or minor in another field applicable to their goals and needs.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Knowledge base. Students gain an understanding of the broad knowledge base of human biocultural diversity through time and across cultures, as provided through archaeology, biological and cultural anthropology.
• Methods. Students gain knowledge and skills in the different anthropological research methods used in the sub-fields of archaeology, biological or cultural anthropology.
• Theory. Students learn to define and describe anthropological theory as used in current and past practice by anthropologists, in archaeology, biological and/or cultural anthropology.
• Critical Thinking. Students develop the ability to question, reflect and critique the data and arguments upon which evaluations of human diversity, behavior and change are made.
• Analysis. Students learn to apply theories and methods to explain or interpret anthropological problems, including cross-cultural patterns of social behavior, human evolution, and social change over time and space.
• Ethics. Students learn the appropriate procedures and protocols for obtaining informed consent or access permissions, in order to avoid harm or wrong to one’s human or non-human subjects and descendants.

As the nations of the world become more interconnected and interdependent, proficiency in other languages is a vital skill that allows you to engage with the world in a more immediate and meaningful way. Spanish language and culture studies prepare you for future opportunities to compete and succeed in the global economy. Through interdisciplinary instruction and the development of intercultural understanding, our curriculum is designed to help you become proficient in Spanish and prepares you to reach your career aspirations in your chosen field of interest. We encourage our students to double major and to participate in study abroad programs in Spanish-speaking countries sponsored by the Center for Global Education and Engagement.

The Spanish major consists of 33 credits and enables students to acquire an advanced level of proficiency in the language. Literature and culture courses are designed to provide a historical, political and social overview of the Spanish-speaking world. All courses are taught in Spanish.

Recent Modern Languages and Cultures' graduates have gone on to highly competitive Master's and PhD programs in Higher Education Administration, TESOL, French Literature, and Counseling at recognized research universities. Others have joined the workforce as Bilingual, French, and Spanish elementary and high-school teachers in Rochester and around NY state, ESL teachers for adult learners, translators, interpreters for defense attorneys, social workers, law enforcement officers, and health professionals.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of a baccalaureate degree in Spanish, graduates will be able to:

• Narrate and describe using a variety of time frames, extended discourse, and specialized vocabulary.
• Deliver oral presentations on a wide variety of topics, using a variety of strategies to tailor the presentation to the needs of their audience.
• Narrate and describe in all major time frames with good control of aspect and a range of general vocabulary in writing for personal and professional needs.
• Identify the main facts and many supporting details in conventional narrative and descriptive oral texts.
• Identify some of the essential points of argumentative texts in areas of special interest or knowledge.
• Explain key perspectives of  some Spanish-speaking cultures within a comparative framework and connect them to cultural products and practices.
• Interpret and synthesize ideas and critical issues from a wide range of historical and contemporary cultural artifacts.

The English Major Adolescent Education Track leads to initial certification as a teacher of English in grades 5-12. It enables students to prepare for the English CST alone, without the requirements related to the SWD Generalist certification. Students in this track may pursue either the Literature or Creative Writing concentrations.

The English major is designed for students who wish to pursue a passion for reading and writing, and for those who seek a versatile education as they prepare for careers in education, law, business administration, public relations, advertising, government, or any field where analytical excellence and effective use of the English language are essential. English majors choose between a literature or creative writing concentration, where their course work is designed to develop analytical, research, and creative skills.

The major in English Adolescent Education (EAE) includes 36-39 credits of EDI/PRO courses and 36 credits to complete the English major. It is designed so that students can complete the program in 120 credits, including the required 32-35 credits of General Education courses. This allows students the flexibility of taking up to 13 credits of electives. This curriculum meets the requirements for initial certification as outlined by the State Education Department for Adolescent Education (grades 5 through 12). Students will have an assigned advisor in the English department who will work closely with colleagues in the Department of Education.

Student Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of the program,

Creative Writing Track students will be able to:

• Analyze the relationship between literary form and meaning, taking into consideration literary techniques and devices.
• Construct arguments about literary works using historical contexts.
• Apply basic elements of creative writing craft, including such elements as control of form and figurative language.
• Identify reputable and relevant sources, and incorporate the words and ideas of others without misrepresentation and with appropriate documentation practices.
• Write in conformity with standard usage and grammar.

Literature Track students will be able to:

• Analyze the relationship between literary form and meaning, taking into consideration literary techniques and devices.
• Construct arguments about literary works using historical contexts.
• Argue with a command of the rhetorical strategies, terms, and major interpretive methods characteristic of academic writing in the Humanities.
• Identify reputable and relevant sources, and incorporate the words and ideas of others without misrepresentation and with appropriate documentation practices.
• Write in conformity with standard usage and grammar.

Physics is the study of the physical properties of the universe and of the fundamental properties and interactions of matter and energy. Physics has applications in every field of pure and applied science, such as engineering, optics, materials science, space science, and medicine.

The major in Physics Adolescence Inclusive Education is intended for students who want to become certified to teach both high school Physics and Students with Disabilities (SWD). It includes 53 credits in the Physics Content Core and 43 credits of Pedagogy Content offered by the Department of Education and Human Development (EHD). Because of the large number of required credits in this major, students should plan their time at Brockport carefully and consult with their advisors in both Physics and EHD.

The Physics Adolescence Inclusive Education major leads to initial dual certification (see 'Certification' below) under the 'Adolescence Physics Inclusive Generalist' category as outlined by the New York State Education Department (NYSED):

• Adolescence Physics, 7-12
• Adolescence Physics, 5-6 Extension
• Students with Disabilities, 7-12, Generalist

What You’ll Learn

Physics pursues answers to how the Universe works on scales both large and small. High school teachers get to share these answers with their students and spark their curiosity about the natural world.

Your Physics Inclusive Education degree will provide you with the content and skills necessary to become an outstanding educator in Physics and prepare you to teach in today's diverse classrooms. Our program stands apart from those at other schools because you will leave with an initial dual certification in teaching Physics and Students with Disabilities.

The undergraduate Interdisciplinary Arts for Children major is committed to teaching, scholarship, creative expression, and service related to the education of children in and through the arts. This interdisciplinary major is unique to the SUNY system and the nation. It fulfills a major need in providing substantive arts-in-education training to prospective classroom teachers and others interested in the arts. Research shows that arts integration has perhaps the greatest potential to positively affect learning across academic disciplines. An interdisciplinary approach to learning helps students leverage new understandings that could not be obtained through singular discipline studies alone.