Master of Arts in Biological Sciences

at Arkansas State University USA

Traditionally, mechanical engineers have been involved in fields as diverse as aeronautics, biomechanics, environmental science, manufacturing, power generation, and robotics to name just a few. However, as national and global needs change, engineers are being asked to apply their problem solving skills to address medical, business, and policy issues that confront our society.

Mechanical Engineering at A-State
The Mechanical Engineering Programs at Arkansas State University are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.  

The A-State mechanical engineering program includes a strong general education component, traditional engineering science courses, exposure to manufacturing processes and automation, and multi-course sequences to provide proficiency in Thermal and Mechanical system design.

We provide our students with a broad and well-rounded educational foundation and stress the necessity to engage in lifelong educational efforts to cope with the ever-changing landscape of science and technology. In addition, students have the opportunity to conduct research and to take courses in other disciplines such as business, mathematics, agriculture, and biological or physical sciences based on their individual career goals.

Program Educational Objectives
The Program Educational Objectives for the Mechanical Engineering Program, which pertain to program graduates 3 to 5 years after completing the program, are:

• Graduates have successfully advanced in mechanical engineering practice as evidenced by their achievements and contributions to their employers and the greater engineering community.
• Graduates have pursued graduate degrees or completed professional development activities in continuing to advance their knowledge base in mechanical engineering or related professional fields.
• Graduates have made a broader contribution to the local and national economic development by providing a mechanical engineering perspective to the challenges and opportunities of society.

The Student Outcomes for each of the Arkansas State University undergraduate engineering programs are:

• An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering;
• An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data;
• An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams;
• An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems;
• An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility;
• An ability to communicate effectively;
• The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context;
• A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in, life-long learning;
• A knowledge of contemporary issues;
• An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice; and
• An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability.

Our innovative program offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Business.  Graduates from our program are trained to work in the ever changing world economy and acquire enhanced marketability for a wide range of careers.  Our curriculum provides a common body of knowledge for students in Agricultural Economics and Business Administration while combining core courses from Agricultural and Applied Economics with business courses in Accounting, Marketing, Management, Finance, and Business Law to provide a strong foundation for careers in management of agricultural businesses.  In addition, our program includes application courses in business finance, marketing, commodity trading analysis, real estate appraisal, international trade, and natural resource economics.  Emphasis is placed on internship opportunities with public and private Agricultural Businesses where students gain experiential hands-on training in their chosen emphasis area.  Students in our undergraduate program may pursue graduate studies if they choose to do so.

Emphasis areas
Two emphasis areas are available:

• Agricultural Economics and Finance
• Agricultural Marketing and Management

The field of clinical laboratory science offers opportunities for students who are interested in the biological and chemical sciences. Clinical laboratory scientists are academically prepared, skilled laboratory workers who perform a variety of analyses which aid the physician in the diagnosis and treatment of patients.

The BS-Clinical Laboratory Scientist degree is a 4-year program which provides an understanding of the theoretical and scientific fundamentals underlying the procedures involved, which include a broad based knowledge in the principles of human biology, chemistry, analytical instrumentation, and a familiarity with the educational and managerial aspects associated with one who occupies a professional role in a wide variety of settings.

Prerequisites
Required Courses
In order to be considered for admission into the CLS program, candidates must have completed or be currently enrolled in:

• Basic Principles of CLS
• General Chemistry I & II
• Anatomy & Physiology I & II
• Microbiology

The public history emphasis focuses on teaching students to be historians who are strong academics but who also engage the greater public. Students are required to take 12 hours of history electives (global or US), 12 hours of public history, and 6 hours of thesis or internship. Accepted students who had not taken the Practice of History or an equivalent historical methods course as an undergraduate will have to take this course at a graduate level for additional credit hours. The Department of History will allow up to 6 credit hours from another institution. Graduates with a MA in public history often go on to pursue a PhD in public history or heritage studies, work at museums or heritage sites, or apply for careers in historic preservation or other public history-related professions.

The global history emphasis is for students who are interested in studying big questions, especially those pertaining to the processes, events, and people who have created an increasingly interconnected world. Students will engage with the works of important historians in the field, theory, and historiography while honing their ability to research and write as global historians themselves. This program is aimed at students who want to subsequently pursue global or non-US history PhD programs, who want to teach high school world history at an advanced level, who want to teach world history in community colleges, and who are interested in foreign service careers. Global history students are required to take Theory and Practice in Global History, Seminar in Global History, 9 hours of world history, 9 hours of history electives, and 6 hours of either thesis or additional history electives.

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 courses in chemistry and physics are designed to prepare individuals for a variety of post-baccalaureate options. The Bachelor of Science degree is for individuals who are seeking employment as chemical or physical professionals, or who wish to continue studies toward a Masters or Ph.D. Students who are looking to pursue a further degree in law, medicine, dentistry, or pharmaceuticals will find either the B.S. degrees in chemistry or physics or the Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry as an option for entry into the appropriate post-baccalaureate program. The Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science degree will prepare students for a career in forensic science, while the Bachelor of Science Education degrees will lead to a rewarding career in secondary science education. In all of these programs, there are sufficient elective hours to allow students to customize their degrees for careers as diverse as technical librarians, salesman, writers, or translators.

The Electrical Engineering Programs at Arkansas State University are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET

The A-State EE program is a strong and growing component of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, and has made major strides in development since its inception in 1982. The program offers a full and diverse undergraduate curriculum in both lecture and well-equipped laboratory courses, and is heavily committed to the total education, scholarship, and success of all of its students, and service to other constituents.

Faculty and Student Interaction

• The EE Program consists of four Ph.D. professors and approximately 50-75 students, both domestic and international, who work together in a cordial atmosphere conducive to excellence in education and scholarship. Class enrollments are usually in the range of 10-25 students, with laboratory course enrollments usually less than 20. These small classes promote frequent, direct interaction between professors and students, greatly enhancing the learning process.
• Laboratory courses in several electrical engineering areas provide intensive experience in experiment/data design, methodology, measurement, analysis, and communication. Students receive design experience not only through EE courses, but also through multidisciplinary Senior Design I and II courses required for all engineering majors.
• The EE program and college are also committed to preparing students for eventual licensing as Professional Engineers, and require students to take the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination during their senior year as the first step in the process. Most of the engineering faculty are themselves licensed Professional Engineers.

As does the entire College of Engineering, the Electrical Engineering Program has a mechanism in place to periodically assess its effectiveness in meeting its educational objectives and student learning outcomes (see below). This assessment process results in periodic modification to specific courses and the overall degree plan so as to better promote the achievement of the objectives and outcomes, themselves periodically formulated and revised, with the assistance of the Electrical Engineering Advisory Council, in relation to the evolving mission and resource base of the Program. This occurs within the context of the evolving needs of the region and nation, and the current state-of-the profession.

The specific educational objectives of the BSEE degree program are:

• Graduates have successfully advanced in electrical/computer engineering or related relevant practice as evidenced by contributions to their employers and the greater professional community.
• Graduates have pursued graduate degrees or completed professional development activities in continuing to advance their knowledge base in electrical engineering or related professional fields.
• Graduates have made a broader contribution by providing an engineering or otherwise technical or objective perspective to the challenges and opportunities of society.

The Electrical Engineering Program’s outcomes define the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors that program graduates are expected to have by the time of graduation from the Program.

The Master of Music Degree in Performance is a 30-hour program with advanced study in instrumental, vocal, or keyboard performance, piano performance and pedagogy, or instrumental or choral conducting, culminating in a graduate recital.  Instruction is provided by faculty members who are recognized as outstanding performers in a wide variety of performance areas.  The Department of Music entrance examinations in music history, music theory, and ear training assist in planning each student’s exact course of study.

Concentration

• Composition
• Conducting
• Collaborative Piano
• Instrumental Performance
• Jazz Performance
• Piano Performance and Pedagogy
• Vocal Performance

The Department of Biological Sciences serves students desiring to gain a broad background in biology, botany, environmental biology, zoology, or wildlife ecology and management. This preparation qualifies students for professional work in health professions, teaching, research, industry, or for graduate study.

Emphasis Areas:

• Biology
• Botany
• Pre-professional Studies
• Zoology

The Bachelor of Science in Engineering Management Systems degree prepares graduates to understand the engineering relationships between the management tasks of planning, organization, leadership, control, and the human element in production, research, and service organizations; to understand and deal with the stochastic nature of management systems. The program also prepares graduates to integrate management systems into a series of different technological environments.