Bachelor of Science, Major in Physics

at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth USA

Ranked by the American Physical Society as one of the top physics master's programs in the U.S., the MS in Physics is designed to:

• Advance your understanding of the concepts of modern and classical physics
• Develop your ability to apply these concepts to solve practical problems

We are interested in working with inquisitive and enthusiastic students who plan to pursue:

• Professional careers in research and teaching
• Applied areas of industrial research and development

The Physics Department offers a range of graduate courses in:

• Astrophysics
• Computational physics
• Electrodynamics
• Fluid physics
• Mathematical physics
• Nuclear physics
• Quantum mechanics
• Relativity

The department also offers courses emphasizing research—including thesis research and independent study in special topics.

You'll be encouraged to participate in faculty research in areas such as theoretical and computational physics—including atomic physics, relativity, high-energy and gravitational physics, and traffic modeling. Most students are supported by teaching or research assistantships.

Under the guidance of a graduate advisor, you will follow a course of study and research that is in harmony with your own background and goals. The size of our program fosters close personal contacts among students and faculty.

English is an exciting discipline that challenges you to explore both literature and writing. Pursue your interest in literature by choosing the literature and criticism option. You'll learn how to:

• Read and think critically
• Engage with literature—and the world—thoughtfully and analytically
• Identify and analyze formal literary genres and schools of literary criticism
• Communicate effectively through literary analysis, persuasive argument, critical exposition, and presentation

Our award-winning faculty members specialize in a wide and diverse range of fields such as creative nonfiction, drama, fiction, poetry, world and British literature, and many more.

The skills you'll develop as an English major are essential in today's competitive job market and can lead to rewarding careers in communications, editing, freelance writing, grants writing, journalism, public relations, publishing, teaching, technical writing, screenwriting, and many other fields. You'll also be prepared for graduate study across many disciplines, such as creative and professional writing, education, law, and library/information science.

The Crime & Justice Studies (CJS) program brings together the fields of criminology, criminal justice, and justice studies. Bridging the social sciences and humanities, CJS specializes in the study of the criminal justice system's history, policies, politics, and procedures.

Our multidisciplinary program meets the needs of undergraduate students interested in entering the fields of law enforcement, the courts, corrections, probation, parole, social services, youth services, public policy, research, non-profit, and non-governmental or community organizations.

All students are required to complete a senior year internship to explore career options, gain real-world experience, network, and develop professional skills.

Students pursuing the BA in Crime & Justice Studies:

• Develop comprehensive perspectives on the various and, at times, conflicting expectations that exist within the institutions and agencies that comprise and work with the criminal justice system
• Engage in cross-agency dialogues within the classroom before they enter the workforce
• Learn to identify and analyze structural, institutional, and transnational violence
• Gain knowledge and skills toward understanding and transforming injustice
• Prepare themselves to contribute to the improvement of their communities and society

Our graduates have careers in law enforcement, courts, corrections, public administration, law, social services, youth services, nonprofit or non-governmental agencies, and community organizations. A growing number of CJS graduates have gone on to complete graduate degrees in law, master's, and various doctoral programs.

Civil engineering is the engineering of the constructed facilities we encounter every day:

• Buildings, bridges, tunnels, and dams
• Waterways, railways, and highways
• Water power, irrigation, drainage, and water supply
• Wastewater and hazardous waste disposal
• Environmental health systems

As a civil engineering major, you'll learn how to plan, design, construct, and manage public and private infrastructure and facilities. You'll also be prepared to address emerging engineering issues related to sustainability, climate change, and new energy resources. You will be prepared to pursue a career in industry, government, research, or academia. Frequent interaction with the public is unique to the field of civil engineering.

The BFA in Art + Design: Drawing offers professional, studio-based training in the visual arts with all the advantages of a university education.

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.

You will learn fundamental skills and contemporary drawing practices through a wide spectrum of drawing course offerings such as:

• Representation
• The human figure
• Architecture & perspective
• Concept-development
• Mixed media
• Abstraction
• Time-based media
• Installation

You will develop cross-disciplinary sensitivity—with the possibility of combining drawing with painting, printmaking, photography, digital media, textiles, sculpture, time-based media, installation and other disciplines in contemporary art making. You will also be able to explore fields across the university, such as business, engineering, and science.

Art history is the study of visual artifacts that express the values of cultures and societies. As an art history major at UMass Dartmouth, you'll learn to recognize, analyze, and interpret works of art from around the globe and across the centuries.

As you explore art, architecture, and the culture of history, you will develop your analytical, communication, critical thinking, research, and visual skills—skills that are applicable in a wide range of career paths.

Your studies in art history will prepare you for professional options in areas such as appraisal, arts administration, conservation, corporate arts management, education, preservation, publishing, research, and writing—and for positions in archives, galleries, libraries, and museums. You will also be ready for graduate study in art history and related fields.

Students with a degree in Art History will be able to:

• Demonstrate the critical thinking and analytical skills necessary to engage with an increasingly visual culture
• Apply the concepts, terminology and theoretical perspectives of art history, visual studies and film and media studies to a diverse set of visual artifacts
• Articulate the relationship between visual artifacts and their stylistic and cultural contexts
• Design and implement exhibitions using contemporary curatorial theories and methods
• Apply knowledge in the broader community through meaningful partnerships
• Formulate and pursue research questions using scholarly methods and sources
• Form cogent, well-researched arguments in written and verbal form

English is an exciting discipline that challenges you to explore both literature and writing. We offer two options for English majors—creative and professional writing or literature and criticism.

With either option, you'll learn how to:

• Read and think critically
• Write to move audiences
• Engage with literature—and the world—thoughtfully and analytically

The skills you'll develop are essential in today's competitive job market and can lead to rewarding careers in communications, editing, grants writing, journalism, public relations, social media, technical writing, web publishing, teaching middle or high school English, writing for general and specialized audiences, and many other fields. You'll also be prepared for graduate study across many disciplines, such as creative and professional writing, education, law, and library/information science.

The Music Education program develops skillful teachers who are in demand throughout New England and across the country.

We take a global approach to music education, encouraging you to explore the world's musical heritage and bring diverse experiences to the classroom. You'll receive thorough training as both an instrumentalist/vocalist and as a teacher of music at the elementary and/or secondary levels.

The program emphasizes how to develop and conduct vocal and instrumental ensembles, methods for teaching music, music education's historical foundations, and up-to-date electronic teaching tools. Your supervised field experiences will culminate in a semester of student teaching.

The Music Education program leads to the Massachusetts Initial License to teach in schools and is approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

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.

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