Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies

at Wright State University USA

Industrial and Human Factors Engineering (IHE), a highly customizable degree in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, prepares working professionals towards effective design and operation of a variety of systems in healthcare, manufacturing, aerospace, distribution, retail, and many others. While industrial engineers utilize the tools of simulation, optimization, computing, and statistics to design and improve modern technology-laden systems, human factors engineers design systems that effectively integrate human abilities/limitations and machines/tools.

The Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience was developed by an interdisciplinary team of Wright State University faculty, and emphasizes how physics, biology, chemistry, psychology, and mathematics are integrated to become the field of neuroscience. Courses are designed so that the majority of the time, students are doing rather than listening. The program’s coursework focuses on the cell biology and physiology of neurons and neuronal circuits. It includes training in research techniques, and opportunities to assist faculty with their research. Students will be competitively prepared for health-related preprofessional programs, scientific research, and other career paths.

Program Learning Goals and Skills

The Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience program is focused on in-depth neuroscience content knowledge centered around four main learning goals:

    Organization – There is an expansive, yet repetitive, organization to the nervous system, that matches structure with function.
    Cellular Neurophysiology – Neurons are cells with dynamic and excitable membranes. Specialized receptors and channels underlie all chemical and electrical signals in the nervous system.
    Information Processing – The effectiveness of communication between neurons is highly modifiable and is critical for regulating the flow of information within neural networks. Information is also encoded in the timing of signals.
    Neural Networks and Behavior – The average adult brain contains approximately 100 billion neurons with 100 trillion connections, that make a multitude of connections with each other in an organized fashion. This connectivity serves as the link between structure and function, dictating our behavioral responses to various innocuous and traumatic stimuli.

Biomedical Engineering (BME) is the application of engineering principles and methods to solve problems in the medical and biological areas. Students in this program work with living systems, apply advanced technology to complex problems in medical care, and observe how their work directly impacts the delivery of human health care. Specialized areas of BME include bioinstrumentation; biomaterials; biomechanics; cellular, tissue, and genetic engineering; clinical engineering; medical imaging; orthopedic engineering; and systems physiology.

The Bachelor of Arts in physics degree is designed for students who wish to couple a solid foundation in physics to a non-technical and creative arts field, such as writing, philosophy, political science, or other College of Liberal Arts majors. Likewise, students can obtain technical background in physics along with obtaining a background in business for those interested in business development opportunities.

The Department of Physics offers programs leading either to a Bachelor of Science degree or a Bachelor of Arts degree in physics. Students in secondary education may earn the Bachelor of Arts degree in physics and enter the Professional Year Experience program of the College of Education and Human Services for licensure in physics.

To study religion is to understand ourselves. We learn how different peoples have imagined their world, their place in it, and the ideal ways of living in it. We explore how religion unifies and divides human communities; shapes political views and gender roles; produces great intellectual achievements and horrific acts of violence. We study how religion has influenced our history, culture, values, and beliefs, and read the great texts that define different faith communities.

Why Choose Comparative Religion?

• To learn more about the history of your own religious tradition.
• To learn about the religious beliefs and practices of diverse traditions.
• To study how religion shapes human society and culture.
• To study how religion informs human values.
• To study how religion shapes American politics and foreign policy.
• To understand the global community in which we live.
• To develop the skills of critical thinking and effective writing employers demand.
• To develop the cultural awareness necessary to succeed in a global economy.
• To prepare for graduate school in religion at a university or seminary.

Crime and justice studies (CJS) is an interdisciplinary and incredibly varied field of study. Knowledge specific to the discipline relies upon research from fields as varied as sociology, law, history, psychology, and political science. It encompasses analysis of federal, state, and local entities that seek to understand, control, and deter crime. The principal agencies charged with these responsibilities are law enforcement, the judiciary, and corrections. More fundamentally, however, crime and justice studies examines questions of social justice—concerns related to equality, fairness, freedom, security, and social order. If you are interested in understanding the causes, responses, and consequences of crime for the individual as well as the larger society, consider this program.

Crime and justice studies is a liberal arts degree and therefore, our focus is on providing you with a well-rounded, critically engaged, and scientifically informed understanding of the field. While practical experience is a vital component of our curriculum, our larger mission is that, when you graduate, you will be an innovator and leader in your chosen occupations and will utilize scientific reasoning and sharply honed analytical skills on your path to success. You will be prepared for positions in a variety of occupations, including local and federal law enforcement, probation and parole, civil, criminal and juvenile courts, research, corrections, teaching, forensics, and a variety of other fields.

While crime and justice studies is an exciting and challenging major, it is not for everyone. Unfortunately, if you have a prior criminal record or a drug or alcohol dependency it will be difficult for you to obtain employment in the field once you graduate. Further, it is a field that generally requires not only keen analytic and technical skills but also the ability to empathize, establish strong interpersonal boundaries, and, most importantly, maintain fundamental respect for the rights and dignity of others.

Sociology is concerned with social relations:

• How people relate to each other as individuals, in families, and in other groups
• How they interact within various social institutions, including the workforce and government
• How their behavior is judged socially acceptable or deviant by others

The Bachelor of Arts Program in sociology trains you to observe and analyze social interactions, predict likely outcomes, and determine how we can develop programs
for the good of individuals and society.

To help prepare for future work and service, you will be required to take five or more upper-level courses designed to develop your writing and critical thinking skills.

The program’s strengths include a unique blend of faculty expertise, well-equipped computer science and engineering laboratory facilities, and a balance of theory, practice, hardware, and software. The M.S. degree in Cyber Security, and its NSA/DHS certified CyberDefense Concentration, are designed for individuals who want to develop skills to identify and resolve cybersecurity threats.  The degree is focused on developing knowledge and skill applicable to protecting computer systems and computer networks. Students with backgrounds in computer science, computer engineering, information systems or electrical engineering may apply to the program. Professionals working in the industry who have a strong technical background and related work experience are also encouraged to apply.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• The ability to integrate and apply graduate cybersecurity knowledge to solve complex cybersecurity issues and challenges.
• The ability to understand and integrate new knowledge within the field of cybersecurity into their professional activities.
• The ability to recognize the need for, and engage in, life-long learning.
• A deeper understanding of the breadth and depth of cyberspace and the inefficiencies and shortcomings of our existing evaluation systems to deal with cybersecurity threats.
• An understanding of the unique characteristics of cyberspace and how these unique characteristics affect/influence cybersecurity threats.
• The ability to identify social, political, and economic factors/impacts of cyber threats and be able to identify and discuss ethical issues related to cybersecurity and privacy.
• Recognition of the basic concepts of cybersecurity defense and be able to use software tools for malware identification and elimination, data encryption and transmission, and key-based authentication.

The Organizational Leadership major and minor are multidisciplinary, focused on the people side of organizations and managing others. An education in organizational leadership can provide you with a broad perspective to prepare for complex social, cultural, and professional issues that are sure to be encountered.

Organizations have an increasing demand for those who have mastery in:

• Interpersonal communication
• Problem-solving
• Building effective teams
• Critical thinking
• Decision-making
• Coaching and training
• Conflict management

The Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering offers a graduate program leading to a Master of Science in Aerospace Systems Engineering (MSE). The graduate program is non-traditional by requiring an interdisciplinary minor in an aerospace relevant area.

The Master of Science in Aerospace Systems Engineering (M.S.A.S.E.) program is designed to provide graduate study opportunities focused on theoretical study and practical experience in aerospace systems engineering that will effectively prepare them for the job markets or further doctoral study. The M.S.A.S.E. program differs from traditional Aerospace Engineering programs in that it requires breadth via requirement of cross disciplinary study modeled after our highly ranked PhD program and thus forms both the strongly needed systems understanding required in modern aerospace programs as well as a natural stepping stone for a PhD  program.

Program Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate a knowledge of fluid or structural systems related to the aerospace field.
• Demonstrate competency in a type of numerical methods related to the aerospace field.
• Demonstrate engineering competency in one of the following sub?specialties:  Industrial and Human Systems, Sensors and Signals, Materials and Nanotechnology, Controls and Robotics, Computer Science, or Medical/Biological Systems
• Recognize the need for life?long learning.
• Demonstrate their ability to communicate engineering ideas and techniques.
• Demonstrate a mathematical competency above that of an undergraduate engineering student.