Bachelor of Scienece in Integrated Science Studies (STEM)

at Wright State University USA

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.

Computer scientists do not just design software for computers. They work with the software and software systems that allow the day-to-day use of any computing system. Concepts and theory are the focus of this major.

Program Outcomes
Students who complete the B.S. in computer science will have an ability to:

• Analyze a complex computing problem and to apply principles of computing and other relevant disciplines to identify solutions.
• Design, implement, and evaluate a computing-based solution to meet a given set of computing requirements in the context of the program’s discipline.
• Communicate effectively in a variety of professional contexts.
• Recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles.
• Function effectively as a member or leader of a team engaged in activities appropriate to the program’s discipline.
• Apply computer science theory and software development fundamentals to produce computing-based solutions

Philosophy is worth studying because, as Socrates is credited with saying, the unexamined life is not worth living. By challenging you to analyze concepts clearly and evaluate evidence and arguments critically, philosophy hones your analytical reasoning skills, stimulates your intellectual creativity, and enriches your understanding of yourself, others, and the world. It makes your life more intellectually interesting and rewarding.

• You love discussing life’s fundamental questions: What is reality? What is human consciousness? What is knowledge? Does God exist?
• You love discussing ethical questions: How should we live? What are the values that make life meaningful? How should society be organized?
• You want to read what the great philosophers have written about these questions, and try to formulate your own answers.
• To develop the skills of critical thinking and effective writing employers demand.
• To improve research skills.
• To prepare for law school or graduate school in philosophy.

The urban affairs major is right for you if you want to make communities better places to live, if you want to fix problems such as vacant housing, decaying infrastructure, access to healthy food, ensuring safe neighborhoods, reducing homelessness, city planning, economic development, and equal education and job opportunities for future generations.

In the 1960s, national foundations asked universities to create teams of faculty from diverse disciplines, such as political science, sociology, geography, and economics, to solve the nation’s urban problems. These initiatives led to new social programs, new curriculum, and new academic degrees. The first Wright State urban affairs major graduated in 1971 and this major remains a strong reflection of Wright State's commitment to contribute to healthy, sustainable communities in our region and beyond.

The urban affairs major prepares you for professional positions in a broad range of fields, including government, nonprofit organizations, and private sector businesses.

Students graduating with the B.A. in urban affairs will be able to:

• Apply analytical tools to analyze problems relevant to the public sector or the nonprofit sector.
• Use critical thinking skills to analyze and evaluate local, national, or global political, legal, or social issues.
• Communicate effectively in writing.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the value of diversity and multicultural competence in today's global environment.

Economics is a social science that studies how people manage resources and how they can make the best use of available resources.  Economics majors learn to make decisions that are vital to the success of government agencies, businesses, and nonprofits.

An economics degree is widely regarded as one of the most versatile of all collegiate majors.  Economics students are well prepared for a wide array of occupations, giving them many career options and tremendous flexibility on the job market.  This versatility is especially valuable in a constantly changing world and is demonstrated by our graduates’ ability to be placed and pursue careers in many occupational fields including economics, government, financial services and banking, marketing and demand forecasting, management, analytics, and supply chain management.  Some graduates pursue graduate studies in economics, business, law, or public administration.

Economics students learn a logical and ordered way of looking at problems faced by individuals, private organizations, government, and society.  The field of economics teaches students critical and analytical skills that are valued by most professions.  Studying economics also exposes students to a broad spectrum of economic and social issues, providing a valuable perspective to their professional and personal lives.

Economics graduates are able to make or help make most of the key administrative decisions that are faced by modern government and business organizations.  Examples include: leading a cultural nonprofit to maximize its community impact; balancing resources for a county’s poverty programs; improving the production efficiency of a small business; or initiate a large company’s effort to identify new markets for its products.

The Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering offers a program of graduate study leading to a Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.) degree with a major in Renewable and Clean Energy. This increasingly critical field of engineering focuses on alternative energy technologies that hold promise of becoming a substantial source of energy for the United States. The Renewable and Clean Energy program includes courses on many types of alternative energy systems, in addition to courses on fundamental concepts related to energy. Included in this program are courses on fuel cells, solar energy, wind power, hydrogen fuel, energy conversion, energy materials, energy efficiency, thermodynamics, etc. The intent of this program is to train the next generation of renewable and clean energy engineers and to develop research in the area of renewable and clean energies.

The Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering offers a program of graduate study leading to a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (M.S.). The M.S. program is broad in scope and emphasizes portable concepts in the design and analysis of complex physical systems using modeling, synthesis, and optimization techniques, and bridges interdisciplinary engineering areas such as controls, robotics, electronics, and communications.

The Master of Science program, leading to the M.S. degree, gives the student a broad base of fundamental theory and concentrated study in a particular area of specialization. This program is designed for the student who either desires a career in industry or government or wants to pursue further graduate study. Each student does experimental or theoretical research in an area of interest and writes a thesis.

Athletic Trainers (ATs) are health care professionals who collaborate with physicians to provide preventative services, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. Students who want to become certified athletic trainers must earn a degree from an accredited athletic training curriculum. Accredited programs include formal instruction in areas such as injury/illness prevention, first-aid, and emergency care, assessment of injury/illness, human anatomy and physiology, therapeutic modalities, and nutrition. Classroom learning is enhanced through clinical education experiences." — NATA web site, 2015

The athletic training program prepares you to sit for the national Board of Certification for the Athletic Trainer examination which meets the certification in Ohio as regulated by the Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board.  Licensure and certification requirements vary from state to state, and we have not determined if this program meets educational requirements outside of Ohio.  If you are planning to pursue professional licensure or certification in a state other than Ohio, please contact the appropriate licensing entity in that state to seek information and guidance regarding that state’s licensure or certification requirements.

The objective of the accountancy major is to educate students for professional careers in public, industrial, governmental, and not-forprofit accounting. To this end, the program provides a broad educational experience for students and gives them a background for completing professional accounting examinations such as the CIA (Certified Internal Auditor) and CMA (Certified Management Accountant). Accountancy majors may consider a minor in either management information systems or computing and information technology. Contact an advisor in computer science for details on the CIT minor. Students interested in financial management are encouraged to complete a series of accountancy and finance courses designed to prepare them for the CFM (Certified Financial Manager) exam. This major also provides an excellent undergraduate background for a degree in law.

Students who plan to take the CPA (Certified Public Accountant) exam should pursue the Master of Accountancy program upon completion of the bachelor program in order to meet the education requirements of the Accountancy Board of Ohio.

Transfer students who major in accountancy should note that at least 20 credit hours of their accountancy courses must be taken at Wright State.

The department has a chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, the national accountancy honorary fraternity.