Master of Science in Biological Sciences

at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee USA

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry curriculum provides a thorough undergraduate education for students planning careers as research scientists, industrial chemists, and educators in universities or in secondary schools. In addition, department courses provide a foundation in the basic science of chemistry to students majoring in biological or physical sciences, students planning a career in medicine or other health-related fields, students in the College of Engineering and Applied Science, and students in the liberal arts. Especially in its graduate programs, the department stresses interdisciplinary approaches, as exemplified by the Laboratory for Surface Studies and the Great Lakes WATER Institute. It also cooperates with chemists of the Milwaukee area’s industrial and scientific community.

The worlds of journalism, advertising, and public relations are changing at a rapid pace with the integration of social media, mobile apps, amateur photography and video, and instant feedback. UWM's Department of Journalism, Advertising, and Media Studies (JAMS) is a great place to learn about the tools used today and to obtain the skills to adapt to the channels of tomorrow.

The Department of Journalism, Advertising, and Media Studies (JAMS) teaches students about the role of media in culture and society and offers hands-on experience in journalism and advertising/public relations. The JAMS major blends liberal arts education in media studies with professional training for work in media fields.

As the area's leader in executive education, the Lubar School of Business STEM-Designated Executive MBA (EMBA) program offers business professionals a transformative 17-month educational and life experience designed especially for the experienced manager. The Lubar EMBA builds deep professional relationships with corporate executives and managers, and with an active network of successful Lubar Executive MBA alumni.

Medical laboratory scientists are trained in the theoretical and practical aspects of laboratory medicine, which are critical to the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases. Medical Laboratory Science offers a wide variety of career options, including hospitals, clinics, independent laboratories, public health facilities, business, industry, research, sales, and marketing. Students also may use this major to prepare for medical or graduate school. Students successfully completing this program are eligible to sit for a national certification exam offered by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP-BOC). The UWM Medical Laboratory Science Program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS).

The MS-Taxation concentration prepares students to provide expert guidance on tax matters to business organizations and individuals. In this highly specialized curriculum, students develop technical competence in current tax laws, the ability to evaluate tax consequences of business and investment decisions, and understanding of the impact of tax policy on the economy and specific industries.

The Urban Studies major draws from classes in sociology, geography, history, political science, economics, urban studies, and urban planning to explore issues related to cities, suburban communities and metropolitan regions such as transportation, education, housing, population shifts, crime, discrimination, and more.

The Department of Urban Studies develops students analytical and critical thinking abilities through an examination of the history and growth of urban centers and the challenges they face today and into the future. Our faculty includes international specialists, but much of our curriculum focuses on American cities, and Milwaukee in particular. Our home city is unique, vibrant, and a wonderful place for hands-on study and research.

The Department of Health Informatics and Administration offers the Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) to provide evidence-based training in micro and macro theory and practice to advance the health of individuals and communities—local, national, and international. The program enables students to understand the complex interrelationships between health organizations, societal and cultural contexts, and biological systems, and emphasizes the well-being of the individuals and populations affected by these complex interrelationships. The UWM MHA program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) and is the only CAHME-accredited MHA program in the State of Wisconsin.

The Department of Geography offers both master’s and doctoral programs of study across a range of systematic, regional, and technical fields, with innovative energy in the doctoral program for studying urban environments. The department’s overall strengths are aligned along a theme of “Changing Environments,” with three major axes, each responsive to areas with strong demand for new professionals:

• Urban Environments: This area emphasizes the spatial interactions of economic systems as well as political, social, cultural, environmental, technological, and other forces that influence the people, identities, landscape, development, and dynamics of urban areas. With the world’s population becoming increasingly urbanized and globalized, courses examine the continuing challenges of urban growth and change, race, ethnicity, and gender in the city, immigration and identity politics, and spatial aspects of urban planning processes and political decision-making.
• Physical Geography and Environmental Studies: This area addresses the interactions among natural forms and processes on the earth’s surface, the impact and implications of global climate change, and human connections with those natural phenomena. Courses discuss and analyze the distribution and processes of earth surface landforms (geomorphology), soils (pedology), plants and animals (biogeography), water (hydrology), and long-term atmospheric conditions (climatology). Overlapping emphases include phenology, water resources, conservation, natural hazards, natural resource scarcity, and the mounting challenges of global environmental change.
• Geographic Information Science (GIS): This area emphasizes using geospatial technology to further understanding of spatial interactions among natural and social forces at multiple scales across the Earth’s surface, and exploring the impacts of using such technology on social and cultural interactions. Courses examine geographic information collection (including remote sensing), data analysis and geocomputation (spatial analysis), information presentation (cartography), and societal implications. Our program emphasizes applications of GIS in urban, regional, and environmental planning, policy making, and public health.

The Department of Art History offers a graduate program leading to a Master of Arts degree. The graduate program prepares students for either a career in the arts or for PhD-level work at other universities. Course offerings cover the full range of western art, including film studies and electronic arts. Non-western courses in Pre-Columbian, Asian, Islamic, and African art are also offered.

The MA in Women’s and Gender Studies is designed for students who intend to pursue additional academic degrees and students who seek graduate credentials to further their career goals. The degree combines advanced Women’s and Gender Studies courses in feminist theory, research methods, global feminisms, and selected topics with graduate-level courses in many disciplines. Over forty faculty members at UWM are Women’s and Gender Studies affiliates and offer graduate courses that are cross-listed with Women’s and Gender Studies.

Students completing an MA in Women’s and Gender Studies will:

• Gain an understanding of Women’s and Gender Studies as an interdisciplinary field of study and research.
• Demonstrate an advanced understanding of feminist theory and research methods.
• Develop critical thinking skills that will enable them to analyze competing perspectives and integrate various bodies of knowledge across academic boundaries, paying particular attention to gender-based assumptions and their consequences on individuals, social and cultural groups, and institutions.
• Demonstrate an awareness of women’s diverse experiences based on factors such as age, race, sexuality, gender identity, class, religion, and ability status.
• Acquire the background necessary for entry into PhD programs in Women’s and Gender Studies. The MA also prepares students for further graduate studies in many fields of the humanities, social sciences or professions, as well as career fields that require an advanced degree.