Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies

at Arkansas State University USA

If you are passionate about contributing to the public or community sector, you have come to the right place.

Our traditional mode of the MPA program provides you with two tracks to choose from Public Management and Non-Profit Management. Our program doesn’t require the GRE, is NASPAA accredited, and one of the most affordable master’s programs in the country. With students from all over the world and nationally recognized professors, our MPA program will provide you with a close-knit family, bringing perspectives, passion, and knowledge from all around the world.

Additionally, if you are a current A-State undergraduate student and want to pursue an MPA after you graduate, you can do so by starting off during your senior year through our new 4+1 program. This program will allow you to graduate with a master’s degree only one year after completing your bachelor’s degree. For more information, see the “4+1 track” in one of the sections below.

As an interdisciplinary degree with content focused on life science, this program is amenable for those in teaching, medical technology, nursing, museum curatorial and other professions.
Advising committees are formed to assist students in developing a program tailored to their long term professional goals and interests.

The program offers classroom instruction on concepts and theory, integrated with intensive laboratory experience focusing on techniques and communication skills required for professional biotechnologists. It is an interdisciplinary program composed consists of 36 academic credits, including two intensive laboratory methods courses and a directed professional internship.

The internships consist of a minimum of 300 laboratory hours in an industry or government laboratory research agency  and focus on intensive training. Students are required to compose a PowerPoint presentation and a professional portfolio illustrating accomplishments achieved during their internship experiences.

The mission of the Bachelor of Social Work Program at A-State is to educate generalist practitioners who will work to enhance intellectual growth, and to enrich lives through social justice and service specifically with rural populations. It employs a problem-solving process and relies on critical thinking.

Bachelors level social workers work with a variety of clients in many settings. The skills learned in the curriculum include interviewing skills, assessment skills, and intervention skills. The BSW qualifies the student to sit for the state exam at the Licensed Social Worker level. The state licensing law outlines the level of practice at this level. This is referred to as the Generalist Practice level.

Generalist practitioners work within an organizational structure in which they use appropriate supervision and assume a wide range of professional roles (DuBois & Miley, 1996). These roles include broker, enabler/counselor, mediator, educator, evaluator, case manager/coordinator and advocate/activist (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 1999). Empowerment oriented social workers focus on clients’ strengths and adaptive skills as well as clients’ competencies and potential. They work collaboratively with their clients.

Empowerment joins personal power and political power so as to increase an individual’s ability to control his or her destiny and “...to alter systems, redistribute resources, open up opportunity structures, and reorganize society” (Hartman, 1990; Lee, 1994 cited in DuBois & Miley, 1999, p. 28).

The M.S. degree is particularly attractive for students who do not plan a career in basic research, but who want to work in the field of chemistry or a closely related field.

The Bachelors of Arts degree in Computer Science focuses on the basics of computer problem solving applicable to the business environment.  The program builds a strong foundation in programming, software development, algorithms, operating systems, networking, and database systems.  

In addition, a broad exposure to information technology in business provides an understanding of problem solving in a business environment.  Students will gain skills in several programming environments and software applications through laboratories and classroom assignments.  Electives are part of the program and allow students to explore various topics in artificial intelligence, distributed systems, graphics, compilers, and advanced programming.

The Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (BSIS) degree is designed to offer highly motivated and self-directed students the opportunity to design their own major. As an alternative to traditional majors, the BSIS Program allows students to pursue their educational goals in areas not available within existing departmental curricula. With the help of a faculty sponsor, students select courses on the basis of a unifying issue, topic, theme, culture, period, or question which is considered the thematic study. Approved thematic courses must be interdisciplinary in nature, pull from at least two fields or disciplines, and may not duplicate an existing major. Courses may be chosen from any of the departments within the University.

Experiential learning is strongly encouraged. Students may seek national exchange and study abroad opportunities, internships, and independent studies as part of their thematic coursework. Each student’s program of study is developed with the advice and approval of both the student’s chosen faculty sponsor and a BSIS advisor. Students seeking a minor must use classes independently of those used in an area of emphasis. Students seeking a double major concurrently with their Interdisciplinary Studies degree or students who have completed a degree and are returning to complete a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies may only apply their general education courses toward an additional second program of study.

The primary focus of the Master of Arts in Communication Studies program is to provide the fundamentals of communication theories and enable students to acquire the ability to understand and use basic methods of communication research.
The curriculum focuses on personal relationships, the small group, our society, dynamics of interpersonal communication, persuasion, health communication, intercultural communication, organizational authority and efficiency, the impact of social movements, the history of rhetoric, and family communications.

The program in Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health will provide a comprehensive and quality education to students wishing to become occupational safety or environmental health practitioners in a variety of industries represented in the lower Mississippi Delta region, the state of Arkansas, and beyond.  The program curriculum will encompass a wide variety of basic areas of study including science, mathematics, statistics, and communication followed by more specialized coursework in occupational safety and environmental health topics.  Students will also have the opportunity to gain relevant experience in partnership with community private or public sector industry in an internship towards the end of their graduate career.  Upon completion of this program, graduates will be able to enter their respective fields as general practitioners and be prepared to complete certification exams necessary for career advancement.  This program will give students the necessary background to develop and lead occupational and environmental safety and health programs and aid organizations in maintaining compliance with applicable environmental, health and industry safety regulations.

Program Prerequisites

• Completion of the A-State admission process with acceptance
• General education requirements must be complete
• Completion of program support coursework with a “C” average or better.

The Arkansas State University MBA Program is a professional degree program designed to prepare students of all educational and professional backgrounds for management positions in all types of organizations. As such, the program stresses the development of analytical, problem-solving and decision making competencies for the dynamic, complex global organizational and social environments.

Healthcare Management - Concentration
The MBA with a Concentration in Healthcare Management is designed to allow students to complement their studies in business administration with in-depth coverage of the core components of the healthcare administration arena and the unique issues and challenges facing healthcare organizations in the dynamic healthcare industry. Students will complete the 24 hours of the MBA core and 15 hours of graduate level courses in Healthcare Administration.