Master of Social Work

at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee USA

The Biomedical Sciences Department offers a program of graduate education providing an advanced level of study for students interested in biology as it relates to human health, medicine, and disease. Major emphasis in the program is placed on developing an understanding of the mechanisms involved in human diseases and providing broad-based training in both basic and applied biomedical sciences. In-depth training is offered in selected areas of emphasis, such as immunology, the pathogenesis of infectious diseases, toxicology, pharmacology, neurodegeneration, and cancer biology. The MS degree has two tracks.

• Thesis Track requirements include a thesis based on hypothesis-driven research conducted by the student to enhance problem-solving abilities and the student’s capacity to function more effectively in the biomedical field.
• The Non-Thesis Track is designed for students who want to gain knowledge in the biomedical sciences by taking courses focused on human health and disease without a research component. This track may be suitable for a variety of students, including those who currently work in a laboratory setting and wish to obtain a higher degree and those requiring a degree beyond the bachelor-s level to teach.

Spanish is spoken by 400 million people worldwide and is an official language in 21 countries and a number of international organizations. Spanish is among the three most spoken languages in the world and, by some estimates, has more native speakers than English. Fluency in Spanish opens countless career opportunities for students.

A Spanish major provides exceptional preparation for students interested in a career in business, international affairs, social services, government, health care, communication, translation, marketing, teaching or any profession that requires bilingual written or oral communication skills and cultural understanding. Whether you already have some Spanish communication skills or are starting at the beginning, you will develop both your language capabilities as well as your cultural competence as part of our major. Classes focus on not only language, but literature, linguistics, customs, values, and culture so that students leave UWM ready to speak, read, write and understand Spanish in business and social contexts. Students are strongly encouraged to utilize our Center for International Education to take advantage of study abroad experiences available in Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Spain. Some students go short-term such as a week or two while others choose to stay abroad for a summer program, a semester or a year.

The Department of English offers master’s and doctoral degrees in several areas of specialization: Literature and Cultural Theory; Rhetoric and Composition; Creative Writing; Professional and Technical Writing; and Media, Cinema, and Digital Studies. Students apply for admission to a specific area or concentration, but are encouraged to take classes in others.

Our program includes a multi-cultural history of textiles, contemporary fiber artists, and the integration of traditional techniques with digital media. Students will develop an understanding and appreciation of fibers and its visual language, while learning its traditional processes and contemporary applications.

The BA in Animation will prepare graduates to secure positions as animators and multimedia artists in the moving image production industry.

Graduates of this program will be able to:
1. Apply knowledge of artistic principles, conventions, methods, and practices through the creation and production of animated works of art;
2. Utilize the core concepts, capabilities, and tools of animation technology;
3. Apply critical and creative thinking skills in a variety of contexts;
4. Identify ways in which animation can be utilized in both creative and practical contexts;
5. Assure high quality production values in the work that they create; and
6. Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively, produce projects individually and collaboratively, engage fully in the entire production process, from concept to distribution.

This concentration is designed for the music student with an undergraduate degree in piano who wishes to specialize as a collaborative pianist in the vocal repertoire.

While prospective students are not required to submit Graduate Record Examination scores, they are strongly advised to take these tests before or early in their graduate work if they wish to be considered for a UWM Distinguished Graduate Student Fellowship or if they plan to continue their graduate work after completing a master’s degree at UWM.

The Department of Health Informatics and Administration in the College of Health Sciences offers the Master of Science in Health Care Informatics degree. Health care informatics focuses on the use of information technologies, data analytics and automation to improve health care. Professional expertise in health care informatics is needed by hospitals and other health care providers, medical centers and facilities, medical software companies, pharmaceutical companies, public health organizations, health insurance companies and medical research institutions. The master's program is designed to meet the demand for highly trained health care informatics professionals. The curriculum covers several areas including: systems analysis and design, database design and management, clinical decision support and computer programming. Students also get exposed to cutting-edge research in areas such as big data, predictive analytics, natural language processing, medical knowledge representation and information retrieval, which are rapidly becoming indispensable for improving health care.

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.

Computer science is the study and design of computer systems, networks, software, and computing techniques. But more importantly, it is a dynamic field with a growing impact on the world today. A report on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce forecasts 51% of STEM occupations will be computer occupations by 2018.

Concentrations:

• Artificial Intelligence
• Programming Language Design and Implementation
• Software Engineering
• Computer Networking
• Algorithm Design

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.