Bachelor of Technical and Applied Studies

at Wright State University USA

Our undergraduate program offers a rigorous, challenging, and intellectually stimulating experience. You will simultaneously explore a subject you love while developing the kinds of universal skills employers seek—written and spoken communication, analytical and problem solving skills, and research experience. This prepares you for a wide variety of careers. Our graduates have gone on to start their own businesses, work in small and large corporations, pursue advanced professional training in the law, receive a commission as an officer in the United States armed forces, and serve the public in local, state, and federal agencies.

Materials engineers are on the cutting-edge of technology in virtually every field. Materials science and engineering students learn how to turn raw materials into useful products and technology.

Materials science engineers (MSE) design everything from fuel cells, superconductors, titanium turbine blades, and nanomaterials to graphite fiber tennis rackets, skis, synthetic heart valves, and lithium-ion batteries.

Materials engineers are constantly developing and improving materials for new uses and emerging technologies. These include many diverse areas such as improved metals to make safer and more fuel-efficient cars, high-temperature superconductors, new coatings to make fabric waterproof, new ceramic and metallic materials for medical implants, advanced composites for lighter, stronger equipment, and higher frequency lasers for improved fiber optic communication systems.

New technology is creating a need for new materials, which is driving the demand for engineers in the basic materials and advanced research areas of the profession.

Geography is the study of the location and interrelationships of human and physical phenomena on the earth’s surface. Because of its emphasis on spatial organization and distribution of these phenomena, geography has a broad cross-disciplinary base. Such topics of study as cartography, climatology, landform analysis, remote sensing, settlement theory, spatial interaction, geographic information systems, and urban morphology indicate the breadth of contemporary geography. The undergraduate major in geography includes the study of cultural, economic, physical, and regional geography, as well as quantitative methods and field work. Backgrounds in the natural and social sciences, humanities, statistical methods, and computer programming are useful to, but not required for, the geography major.

The Bachelor of Arts degree in geography focuses on examining the processes of the formation and characteristics of the cultural landscape. Students may select an area of study from physical geography, human geography, resource analysis, land management, or economic geography with careful selection of elective courses.

Geography may be selected as an academic major, as a secondary teaching concentration in a social science or earth science program, or as part of an elementary teaching major. Students majoring in geography may qualify for licensure at the secondary level by meeting the minimum requirements in professional education courses for licensure by the state of Ohio. Because of sequential requirements and prerequisites, students are strongly urged to consult with a geography advisor before registering. Students in any major may also minor in Geography.

Geography majors should participate in the department’s internship program if they do not have professional experience in the field. The internship is designed to complement geography students’ class work and gives them experience in the actual work environment. Students interested in the internship should contact the department internship coordinator or their advisor.

You can earn a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree with a concentration in art and art history through Wright State's Department of Art and Art History. The B.A. is for you if you wish to combine a liberal arts education with studies in art. You can also pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree with concentrations in painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture, if you have decided to pursue a more intense and professional program in studio art.

B.F.A. degrees can be combined with an art education component or allow you to supplement your Fine Arts education with a Graphic Arts certificate from Wright State's Lake Campus. The Graphic Arts Certificate is designed for the art student interested in supplementing the curriculum with graphics-based technology courses. It will increase their knowledge and career potential in a variety of art-related fields. Students will gain hands-on experience through a variety of digital graphics-based software programs. Students may also pursue certificates in graphic design or interior design from Sinclair Community College.

Many graduates of these programs are successful applicants to graduate programs in fine and applied arts and education. Because self-expression and self-learning are the ultimate goals of the B.F.A. program, you are largely responsible for determining the options that best meet your needs and interests.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Have integrated drawing skills into their aesthetic sensibility.
• Be able to demonstrate an acquaintance with the materials and procedures of five of the studio disciplines taught at Wright State.
• Show proficiency and have an in-depth understanding of at least one studio discipline taught at Wright State.
• Have an understanding of the evolution of art history.
• Have integrated the study of original works of art into their artistic practice.

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 Department of Biological Sciences is home to 22 active research faculty and approximately 50 graduate students. Our faculty are currently funded by EPA, NIH, NSF, USDA, a variety of state and local agencies, and private foundations. Many faculty members have leadership roles in local, state, national and international organizations, including the American Physiological Society, American Society for Testing of Materials, International Standards Organization, the Nature Conservancy, the Ohio Plant Biotechnology Consortium and the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. They also served on EPA, NIH, and NSF study sections and review panels and are otherwise recognized as experts in their field.

Statistics is distinct from mathematics as a field of study, yet is founded upon the theory of probability—the mathematics of chance. The Bachelor of Science in Statistics is a degree program emphasizing statistics both as a science unto itself and as a service science, with powerful applications in such disciplines as biology, medicine, sociology, chemistry, agriculture, education, engineering, economics, psychology, and quality control. Graduate from this program, and you should be well qualified for employment in the many corporations and government agencies for which statisticians design experiments, conduct surveys, and analyze data. Also, the Bachelor of Science in Statistics prepares you for graduate study in statistics (or in a science in which statistics plays a decisive role), after which you will have even greater employment possibilities.

The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences offers two master’s degree programs-the Master of Science and Master of Science in Teaching (Earth Science). The Master of Science program prepares students for careers as professional earth scientists in industry, government, or education, or for continued graduate study. Current research focus areas of the department include Aquatic Biogeochemistry, Hydrogeology, Geophysics, Geospatial Analysis and Remote Sensing, Complex Earth Processes, Paleoecology and Sedimentary Environments, and Earth Science Education. The department is widely recognized for its applied and multidisciplinary programs and maintains a strong emphasis on practical field applications.

Do you have a passion for public service? If so, ours is the perfect graduate program for you. Our program is one of fewer than 300 programs in the nation accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA). Our graduates work in a wide variety of leadership positions across all levels of government, as well as diverse nonprofit and private organizations. Our alumni are making a real difference throughout Ohio and beyond as city, county, and township administrators, planners, department and program managers, nonprofit executives, entrepreneurs, community developers, and fundraising professionals. 

If you are an experienced professional seeking career advancement or a student planning to begin your career in public service, our engaged faculty members will help you plan your program of study to best meet your professional needs, develop or enhance your management skills, and deepen your understanding of the dynamic context and operations of diverse organizations.

The Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering offers a graduate program leading to a Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.) in materials science and engineering and a Ph.D. in Engineering with a focus in materials and nanotechnology. The graduate programs are broad in scope, emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of the field of materials science and engineering. The program is built around processing, structure, properties, and performance of advanced materials relevant to numerous areas of application, such as biomedical, energy, aerospace, environmental, and manufacturing.