Bachelor of Arts, Major in Sociology and Anthropology with Concentration in Sociology

at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth USA

The economics department offers a bachelor of arts degree in economics with a concentration in applied economics. Applied economics uses economic theory and empirical analysis to address real-world problems. You will learn the underpinnings of economic decision-making, identifying and analyzing the costs and benefits of financial and social decisions. You will also be trained in econometrics, statistical methods and software specifically for economic data. With this knowledge and these skills, the concentration in applied economics prepares students for entry-level analytical positions in finance, government, healthcare, consulting, and other fields.

As a student in the applied economics program at UMass Dartmouth, you'll learn how to:

• Collect and analyze micro and macroeconomic data
• Evaluate findings from data analysis
• Formulate recommendations for business decisions and policymakers
• Interpret and forecast market trends
• Research economic issues and evaluate policy solutions

Economists pursue careers in business, economic journalism, finance, government, insurance, management, public policy and real estate. Your studies will also prepare you for graduate study in areas such as business, policy, and law.

Money, time, and risk: these are the fundamentals of finance. Finance is the study of funds management, and how money is spent and budgeted. Financial decisions determine the economic viability of any enterprise, whether a corporation, multinational company, limited partnership, private company, or nonprofit organization.

Your professors—leading experts in their field—will introduce you to the discipline's analytical tools, which bring together concepts from economics, accounting, and mathematics. Internships in corporations and financial institutions will help you discover the many career opportunities available in finance.

Finance majors prepare for careers in brokerage firms, corporations, financial institutions, investment banks, and government in positions such as:

• Budget analyst
• Financial analyst
• Financial manager
• Financial planner
• Mortgage officer
• Portfolio & mutual fund manager

As global markets expand, international opportunities for finance professionals will also increase.

Mathematicians are problem solvers and precise thinkers, applying their knowledge and skills in academia, government, industry, research, and technology.

UMass Dartmouth's mathematics program provides a foundation in both the theoretical and applied aspects of mathematics, preparing you for a variety of careers, including: actuary, algorithm design, biostatistician, computer information systems, data science, defense analyst, economics, education, finance, game developer, government, insurance, manufacturing, medicine, mathematical modeling consultant, psychology, science computing, software development, and statistician.
You'll also be well-prepared for graduate studies in math or in areas that emphasize math, such as economics, engineering, and the sciences.

We offer both BA and BS degrees in mathematics, a degree in applied and computational mathematics, as well as a degree in data science that is jointly taught by the mathematics department and the College of Engineering. All degrees require completion of 120 credit hours of overall coursework.

At UMass Dartmouth, the data science major is an interdisciplinary, integrating mathematics and computer science with disciplines such as business, engineering, healthcare, planning, science, and sociology.

Data scientists manage, mine, and analyze big data across multiple disciplines—and use computational thinking to gain new knowledge and solve real-world problems of high complexity.

As a data science major, you’ll build a strong foundation in information theory and in the methods and tools of mathematics and computer science. You’ll gain skills in complex problem solving, data-driven discovery, decision support, machine learning, predictive and visual analytics, and statistics.

You’ll be prepared for leadership positions in data analytics, discovery informatics, information management, and knowledge engineering. Businesses, government, healthcare, and the natural and social sciences need more data scientists to explore and explain complex information.

The Electrical & Computer Engineering Department offers a bachelor's degree in computer engineering with a concentration in cybersecurity: the application of measures to protect computers and computer systems from unauthorized access and attack.

With the expanding threat of cyber attacks, cybersecurity is one of the fastest growing fields in computer engineering.

As a concentration within UMassD's computer engineering major, your program of study will explore the foundations of cybersecurity—including hardware, software, and information systems—as well as contemporary issues in software reliability, security risk, internet of things, and smart and connected cities.

Your course work will cover:

• computer forensics: detection and prevention of digital criminal activity; ethical and legal issues in the collection, analysis, and reporting of digital data
• cyber threats and security management: trustworthy systems, security life cycles, social engineering, risk assessment
• design and implementation: real-time embedded resource management systems
• network security: defense of network resources, cryptography, models

As a computer engineering major, you'll be prepared to meet the changing high-technology needs of industry and to continue with graduate studies.

Computer engineers with a background in cybersecurity will find exciting and challenging work in a variety of fields including banking, communications, e-commerce, government, the military, and social media.

Computer engineers apply electrical engineering techniques and computer science concepts to develop dependable, cost-effective hardware and software systems and components.

Computer engineering is a rapidly growing discipline and is also one of the highest-paid engineering fields. Specialty areas within computer engineering include:

• Computer architecture
• Computer networks
• Cybersecurity
• Embedded systems
• Mobile devices
• Wireless sensors
• Internet of Things

As a computer engineering major, you'll be prepared to meet the changing high-technology needs of industry and to continue with graduate studies. Our program prepares you for this evolving field by providing a strong background in science, mathematics, and engineering.

Computer engineers work in a variety of fields such as aerospace, automotive, biomedical, communications, consumer electronics, medicine, power, and space. As a computer engineer, you may work as a designer, researcher, scientist, educator, consultant, entrepreneur, executive, public official, or in the military.

The emphasis of computer and information science is on software, the methodologies of computing, and the study of powerful programming.

The computer science curriculum is programming intensive, supported by substantial laboratory components, and directed toward modern software development. Your studies are supplemented by work in specialized labs and a network of state-of-the-art workstations.

You will be prepared to work in the computer industry and in business, in careers that have high growth and earning potential. You may work as a computer scientist, software engineer, software developer, database administrator, computer support specialist, or system administrator. You'll also be well-prepared to continue your studies at the graduate level.

The Computer & Information Science Department also offers a bachelor's degree in computer science with an option in software engineering: the systematic approach to the development, operation, and maintenance of software systems used in business, medicine, science, engineering, entertainment, and other fields.

Illustration is the interpretation and translation of text and narrative into visual form. As you pursue your BFA in Art + Design: Illustration, you'll explore the art of telling a story through images.

A BFA is a professional degree with concentrated areas of specialization, so you will take more art courses than you would in a BA program. At UMass Dartmouth, you also have the advantages of a university education where you can diversify your studies and expand your career opportunities.

Your studies will focus on the understanding and application of meaning as it applies to visual communication. You will be introduced to specialized areas such as book illustration, character development, concept art, and documentary illustration and will gain experience in the fundamental principles of color, composition, drawing, and rendering.

As you develop your own personal style, you'll build a professional portfolio and learn about the business aspects of illustration. A degree in illustration will prepare you for careers in animation, illustration, multimedia design, scientific visualization, as well as for graduate study.

As a photography major, you will gain expertise in both traditional and digital techniques and explore photographic imagery in all contexts. When you pursue your BFA in Art + Design: Photography, you will develop your own photographic vision and deepen your expressive communication.

The BFA is a professional degree with concentrated areas of specialization, so you will take more art courses than you would in a BA program. At UMass Dartmouth, you also have the advantages of a university education where you can diversify your studies and expand your career opportunities.

Your studies will include:

• Black & white darkroom photography
• Color digital imaging & printing
• Large format photography
• Studio lighting
• Video
• The history of photography
• Contemporary practice

Your work will culminate in a gallery exhibition and a portfolio that demonstrates your individual style, technical proficiency, and aesthetic sophistication.

A degree in photography will prepare you for a career as a fine art and commercial photographer, photojournalist, videographer, photo editor, gallery or museum director, curator, image consultant, multimedia designer, photo educator, photo archivist, studio manager, filmmaker, web designer, lab technician, and professional printer.

The major in communication provides students with 21st century written, oral, and visual communication knowledge and skills grounded in rhetorical theory and critically engaged with diverse social, environmental, and technological perspectives.

Students develop important skills and gain experiences that will support their learning and professionalization during their time at UMass Dartmouth and beyond. Students will apply communication concepts and theories to real-world problems and issues within one or more communication industries.

Upon completing the degree, students will be able to:

• Create written texts using appropriate supporting materials and theories in communication and rhetoric
• Communicate ideas orally within multiple contexts
• Use information design principles to produce texts appropriate for an audience, purpose, and context
• Summarize and apply key concepts in communication and rhetorical theory
• Evaluate the historical and/or cultural contexts of communication practices and describe their ethical, social, or environmental implications
• Evaluate messages from a variety of media and technologies using methodologies in communication and rhetoric