Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies

at State University of New York College at Brockport USA

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 Department of Dance at SUNY Brockport seeks to provide a rigorous and nurturing environment for the development of artists, scholars, choreographers, and educators. We support creativity through conceptualization and performance. The Department of Dance comprises artists, scholars, and educators who train dancers on the graduate and undergraduate level for a wide variety of careers in the arts.

The department has some of the best dance facilities in the country, including its own fully equipped proscenium dance theater, a large-space studio theater, five studios, a body-conditioning lab, costume and scene shops, and computerized music and design studios. Faculty and professional staff are nationally and internationally recognized in their areas of expertise and are leaders in professional organizations such as CORD, NASD and NDEO.

Undergraduates with a strong foundation of dance training are invited to participate in the program by auditioning to enroll as dance majors or minors in the BA or BS programs, and are eligible to apply to the BFA program in the second semester. Additionally, the department offers three graduate degrees, and serves a large number of students through courses that fulfill General Education requirements.

Student Learning Outcomes:

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

• Apply artistry through qualitative and rhythmic phrasing, dynamic range & individual expressivity.
• Embody consistently clear physical knowledge, movement accuracy and technical expertise of contemporary dance idioms.
• Create choreography that integrates imaginative and structural concepts.
• Articulate an understanding of aesthetics through dance-making and/or oral and written forms.
• Analyze human movement from varied theoretical and experiential perspectives.
• Identify individual interests and abilities in order to situate within the larger dance field.
• Exhibit appropriate professional conduct throughout choreographic process, performance, collaboration, and production.

The 30-credit Master of Arts in Mathematics provides students with a solid foundation in the major areas of mathematics, an appreciation for the structures and theories of advanced mathematics, and a deeper understanding of the role of mathematics in applications. The department strives to produce graduates who exhibit knowledge, comprehension and creativity in the practice of mathematics as they pursue their careers in college/high school teaching, business or government, or as they pursue doctoral studies. Please note that the information in this document is subject to change. For the latest information on our courses, please contact the department.

Student Learning Outcomes

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

• Apply the methods of three major areas of mathematics to rigorously solve problems and carry out proofs that are typical to each of these areas.
• 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.

This major is designed to prepare students for initial certification (single certification) as a French teacher for grades 7-12 with extension to teach in grades 5 and 6. As with all other undergraduate degrees, students in this major must also complete the General Education program. Students who plan their schedules carefully and take courses that count for general education as well as the major or teacher certification requirements may be able to also pursue a minor or participate in a study abroad program in a French-speaking country. Students may have the opportunity to student teach in Alaska or abroad.

What You’ll Learn

Upon completion of the program, students 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 French-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

Develop the knowledge and skills required of a public health professional with exciting courses in programming planning and evaluation, health communication, leadership, and a full-semester professional internship.

Undergraduate students in the Department of Public Health & Health Education can choose from one of two programs:

• Public Health
• Consumer Health

Student Learning Outcomes

The Public Health Education program is aligned with the seven Areas of Responsibility as defined by the National Commission on Health Education Credentialing.

Public Health Major

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

• Assess individual and community needs for health education
• Plan health education strategies, interventions, and programs
• Implement health education strategies, interventions, and programs
• Conduct evaluation and research related to health education
• Administer health education strategies, interventions, and programs
• Serve as a health education resource person
• Communicate and advocate for health and health education

Consumer Health Concentration

The Consumer Health concentration is aligned with three of the seven Areas of Responsibility as defined by the National Commission on Health Education Credentialing.

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

• Administer health education strategies, interventions, and programs
• Conduct evaluation and research related to health education
• Serve as a health education resource person

Geology majors must earn a minimum of 42 credits in required core courses and complete two semesters each of physics, calculus and chemistry. This major offers sound training in the study of the earth and its resources, and equips the student for pursuit of careers in geology leading to professional licensure, and for graduate studies in geochemistry, petroleum exploration, paleontology, hydrogeology, ground water, environmental geology, or sedimentology/stratigraphy.

Student Learning Outcomes

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

• Explain the manner with which variables and data, relevant for geology, are properly collected using discipline appropriate methodology (fieldwork, instrumentation, remote sensing, or derived products from models).
• Properly interpret geology data using discipline-accepted qualitative analysis.
• Properly interpret geology data using discipline-accepted quantitative analysis.
• Define a scientific question and develop a methodology for answering it.
• Locate, evaluate and interpret primary source scientific literature.
• Effectively express geology concepts and research results following the accepted written format for the discipline.
• Explain geology concepts and communicate research results following the accepted oral format for the discipline.

The 30-credit Consumer Health program within the Department of Public Health and Health Education provides students with foundational knowledge of public health. The Consumer Health Concentration can complement a related second major, such as Psychology, Recreation and Leisure Studies, or Women and Gender Studies.

The program consists of Required core courses and content electives focused on various dimensions of health. Students interested in becoming a public health educator or sitting for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) Exam should speak with an advisor about our professional program in Public Health Education.

Student Learning Outcomes

The Public Health Education program is aligned with the seven Areas of Responsibility as defined by the National Commission on Health Education Credentialing.

Public Health Major

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

• Assess individual and community needs for health education
• Plan health education strategies, interventions, and programs
• Implement health education strategies, interventions, and programs
• Conduct evaluation and research related to health education
• Administer health education strategies, interventions, and programs
• Serve as a health education resource person
• Communicate and advocate for health and health education

Consumer Health Concentration

The Consumer Health concentration is aligned with three of the seven Areas of Responsibility as defined by the National Commission on Health Education Credentialing.

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

• Administer health education strategies, interventions, and programs
• Conduct evaluation and research related to health education
• Serve as a health education resource person

Recreation management, therapeutic recreation, and tourism are some of the most exciting and diverse human service professions. The field provides opportunities to work with all types of people in a variety of settings, to strengthen communities and improve quality of life through recreation. Students are required to choose one of three concentrations.

• Students studying recreation management will prepare for employment in a variety of settings including municipal parks and recreation, non-profit recreation services, and commercial recreation.
• Students studying therapeutic recreation will prepare for employment in community agencies and clinical settings, such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools, transitional or residential centers, treatment centers, physical medicine and rehabilitation and psychiatric institutions.
• Students pursuing the tourism management concentration will prepare for professional positions in resorts, attractions, destination marketing organizations, and wedding and event planning.

All of the concentrations provide students with academic and experiential opportunities that foster an enriching undergraduate experience and launch an exciting career.

Student Learning Outcomes

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

• Students graduating from the program shall demonstrate the following entry-level knowledge: a) the nature and scope of the relevant park, recreation, tourism or related professions and their associated industries; b) techniques and processes used by professionals and workers in these industries; and c) the foundation of the profession in history, science and philosophy. (COAPRT 7.01)
• Students graduating from the program shall be able to demonstrate the ability to design, implement, and evaluate services that facilitate targeted human experiences and that embrace personal and cultural dimensions of diversity. (COAPRT 7.02)
• Students graduating from the program shall be able to demonstrate entry-level knowledge about operations and strategic management/administration in parks, recreation, tourism and/or related professions. (COAPRT 7.03)
• Students graduating from the program shall demonstrate, through a comprehensive internship of not less than 400 clock hours and no fewer than 10 weeks, the potential to succeed as professionals at supervisory or higher levels in park, recreation, tourism, or related organizations. (COAPRT 7.04)

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.

The study of philosophy is excellent preparation for a career in any field that requires clear, analytical thinking, writing, and speaking, including law, government, teaching and education, the ministry, business and management, publishing, and many other fields. Philosophy is traditionally considered the premier major for those planning to apply to law school. Philosophy majors score on average significantly higher on the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) than do the majors in any of the humanities or social sciences, including political science, history, and English; and philosophy majors on average are accepted to law school at higher rates than are students majoring in many other popular pre-law fields. Philosophy is also an excellent double major.

The Department of Philosophy sponsors the College's chapter of Phi Sigma Tau, the International Honors Philosophy Society, which recognizes student academic excellence. The Department also operates the Center for Philosophic Exchange, which sponsors free public guest lectures on campus by distinguished philosophers and publishes the on-line journal, Philosophic Exchange.

Student Learning Outcomes:

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

• Present a philosophical problem, by (1) concisely and precisely stating a philosophical problem to be resolved by an argument or essay, (2) explaining why the problem is significant, (3) explaining the scope of the problem, (4) defining any terms necessary for understanding the problem.
• Explicate the meaning of a philosophical theory by (1) correctly deducing the logical implications of that theory, (2) describing those implications in terms of specific examples, (3) recognizing when another statement or theory contradicts the relevant theory explicitly, (4) recognizing when another statement or theory contradicts the relevant theory implicitly.
• Demonstrate understanding of evidence by (1) correctly stating what counts as relevant evidence for a philosophical position, (2) correctly stating what counts as relevant evidence against the argument for a philosophical position and recognizing that evidence as such, (3) explaining why any cited evidence is relevant or irrelevant to a philosophical position, (4) distinguishing evidentiary claims about a philosophical position from rhetorically persuasive but specious claims about a philosophical position.
• Demonstrate knowledge of logic, by (1) recognizing arguments, (2) constructing good arguments, (3) evaluating arguments, (4) avoiding fallacies (e.g. begging the question).
• Demonstrate knowledge of dialectical method in philosophy, by (1) formulating possible objections to the thesis of an essay, (2) formulating possible objections to the argument for the essay's thesis, (3) responding to possible objections to the essay's thesis by showing that they are mistaken, (4) responding to possible objections to the argument for the essay's thesis by showing that they are mistaken.