Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry (STEM)

at University of New Hampshire - Durham Campus USA

The major in neuroscience and behavior (NSB) offers an interdisciplinary approach to human and non-human behavior, focusing on the evolution and adaptiveness of certain behaviors, as well as their underlying neural mechanisms. Students who have always been fascinated by how the brain functions will be well served by this major, as will those who love wild animals and wish to better understand their behavior. The B.S. in neuroscience and behavior is based on a solid foundation in biology, chemistry, physics, statistics, and genetics (foundation courses). These are followed by a two-semester course sequence that covers the fundamentals of neuroscience and behavior. Students can then pick five or more electives focusing on areas of interest.

NSB students are encouraged to take advantage of research experiences in the laboratories of the psychology and biology faculty in the program. This provides valuable experience with cutting-edge equipment and techniques. Some students may share aspects of a larger project, whereas others may be relatively independent and design their own project under supervision. In either case, important skills are gained by the discipline of gathering data, analyzing and interpreting it, and presenting it to a broader audience.

The curriculum provides most of the requirements and recommended courses for students seeking admission to graduate school and to professional schools in medicine and veterinary medicine. Students who might choose not to go on to advanced degrees are well-prepared for employment as skilled technicians in research laboratories or, if their interests are in animal behavior, as field research assistants or animal trainers. With additional courses in education, the B.S. in NSB also qualifies graduates to teach at the elementary, junior high, and high school levels.

Faculty participating in the NSB major combine a love of teaching and student mentoring with a passion for research, and encourage student participation. Research facilities that students can use include the Integrative Animal Behavior and Ecoacoustics laboratory, the confocal imaging center, the Hubbard Center for Genomic Studies, and the many marine, freshwater, and estuarine laboratories associated with UNH programs. Students can also take summer courses at the Shoals Marine Laboratory.

While completing the philosophy major, students may select the option in Philosophy of Business, Innovation and Technology. This option provides official recognition for those who choose to emphasize the study of the relationships between markets, technology and human well-being. Students will choose courses in the philosophy of artificial intelligence, evolution, neuroscience, biotechnology, business ethics, economic policy, environmental ethics and other high impact subjects. 

The B.A. degree exposes students to the major fields of chemistry but provides more flexibility in course selection than the B.S. degree. The curriculum offers a comprehensive introduction to chemistry's traditional subdisciplines (analytical, inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry) via foundational classroom and laboratory experiences. Undergraduate research is an option, but not a requirement for this degree. The B.A. degree is directed towards students who have interdisciplinary interests and are not planning to either attend a traditional graduate program in chemistry or find immediate employment in the chemical industry. Instead, this degree is geared toward students who plan to attend graduate school in an interdisciplinary field where chemical knowledge will be beneficial, and students who are interested in chemistry but plan to pursue post-graduate degrees in the health sciences, education, business, or other pre-professional programs. With careful selection of elective courses, the B.A. degree may also lead to American Chemical Society certification.

The art history curriculum provides a comprehensive, in-depth study of Western art from the ancient world to the present as well as some exposure to non-Western cultures and artistic traditions. All courses in the program teach basic skills of interpretation and critical analysis within the framework of broad cultural perspectives that connect the visual arts to larger historical developments. They also teach good writing and research skills. In addition, art history majors typically branch out into other fields, such as history, literature and foreign languages. By the time they graduate, most majors are well equipped to pursue such traditional careers in the field as museum and gallery work, teaching, publishing or librarianship. But because art historical education is so broad, it also prepares students for a variety of other, more flexible options, such as law, business or architecture.

The Option in Public Policy and Sustainability (B.A. degree) examines the factors that influence economic, social, and environmental outcomes, such as unemployment, poverty, economic inequality, health disparities, technological innovation, and pollution. Students will develop the institutional knowledge and theoretical perspective to understand the impact that decisions of individuals, firms, communities, and governments have on such outcomes. Students will analyze the impact of specific government policies and potential reforms, theoretically and empirically.

This option is designed for students seeking careers in policy analysis and research positions at government agencies; think tanks such as RAND Corporation, Urban Institute, and Mathematica Policy Research; consulting firms such as Abt Associates; and non-governmental organizations.

The health and physical education (HPE) major provides a foundation for teaching through a four-year program (BS), or the UNH Department of Education fifth-year program leading to a masters of arts in teaching (MAT). Graduates become certified to teach kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) health and physical education in the state of New Hampshire. This licensure is transferable to all other states in the U.S. Extensive supervised practicum experiences that provide teaching skills, including adaptive physical education programming, offers an excellent foundation for preparing high-quality teachers. The combination of health with physical education and adaptive physical education makes graduates highly marketable.

UNH philosophy majors acquire the ability to think systematically and imaginatively about fundamental and enduring issues such as morality, justice, happiness, beauty, gender, race, nature, artificial intelligence, space, time, and the meaning of life and death. Our internationally-renowned professors emphasize discussion, debate and writing in our courses. Wrestling with the “big questions” from diverse and global perspectives will prepare you exceptionally well for a variety of fulfilling careers. A lively and nurturing community personally invested in the success of our high achieving students, we take pride in watching our graduates excel in top law and graduate schools, innovative social justice programs, and various positions from Wall Street to Silicon Valley and beyond that seek hard workers who can think rigorously and communicate clearly.

Paul College’s STEM designated Master of Science in Analytical Economics is a breed apart. The program offers students a choice between an academic track or an industry track. The academic track provides a full year of doctoral-level economic theory, econometric analysis, and research seminar. It is designed for for students whose ultimate goal is to become a Ph.D. economist. Students also have the flexibility of pursuing a mixed track.

The industry track’s curriculum is unlike any other Master’s program in the country. It is interdisciplinary, weaving together economic theory, data analytics, statistical methods, and data modeling. The program’s mix of doctoral-level and applied classes is also distinctive. Students learn economic theory and statistical methods at the doctoral level. They also use economic theory and data to understand a range of business decision problems. Innovative applied classes include Macroeconomic Consulting and Strategy Analysis: Games and Auctions.

Few other Master’s programs in the country provide a toolkit with comparable interdisciplinary range or rigor. Students learn economic theory and econometrics, code in R and STATA, and learn SQL, PowerBI, and Tableau all in one year. Graduates are uniquely trained to help business managers and project leaders not only formulate decision problems, but communicate with IT people on what data and analysis may be needed. People with this training are increasingly in high demand.

Engineering technology requires the application of engineering and scientific knowledge and methods combined with technical skills in support of engineering activities. Graduates may work in a variety of areas including engineering design, manufacturing, field service, testing, and sales and may work in management positions related to engineering, manufacturing, and computer technology.

Nutrition is the study of how nutrients and food components function at molecular, cellular, and whole-body levels to impact human health and disease. Students are grounded in fundamental sciences as they develop nutrition-specific competencies in nutrition and health, foods, nutritional assessment, wellness, life cycle nutrition, and/or metabolic biochemistry.

The nutrition program prepares students for entry-level positions in health care, education, or the biotechnology industry, or entry into post-baccalaureate professional programs. Nutrition faculty have expertise in clinical nutrition, sports nutrition, and food science, as well as assessing risk factors of chronic disease risk (i.e. obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular, cognitive) in diverse populations (pediatric, young adult, older adult).

Students in the Nutritional Sciences option most often enroll in a post-graduate educational degree program (e.g., medical school, graduate school, physician assistant program, etc.) or enter the biomedical/biotechnology workplace.