Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies (STEM)

at EDUCO - University of Nebraska - Lincoln USA

Economic analysis is useful in many decisions made by individuals, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and governments. In addition to opportunities in teaching, economists are employed in many branches of government and on the staffs of corporations in manufacturing, insurance, banking, brokerage, and financial services. Economists often serve as consultants, either individually or in consulting firms. Today's economists deal with problems ranging from monetary and fiscal policy, monopoly and competition, environmental improvement, labor relations, regional development, urban reconstruction, economic development, and international business and finance. Economics is also a popular major for students planning to enter professional and graduate programs, particularly in law, foreign service, labor relations, business administration, or policy analysis.

An important facet of environmental science is restoration activities that initiate or accelerate the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or contaminated from human activity or natural agents. Restoration begins with a thorough understanding of the soil-water environment. Students interested in environmental science must declare an option and can choose between:

• Soil Science Option
• Lake and Stream Restoration Option

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers a complete undergraduate program to students on the Lincoln and Omaha campuses of the University of Nebraska. Curriculum requirements are nearly identical on both campuses. The goal is to prepare students for entry into the civil engineering profession immediately after graduation or to pursue graduate-level studies.

The general educational objectives of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln civil engineering undergraduate program are to prepare our graduates so that, with a University of Nebraska–Lincoln BSCE degree, a few years beyond graduation, alumni will:

• Be employed in civil and environmental engineering or a closely related field; or, graduates will be pursuing an advanced degree in civil and environmental engineering or a closely related field.
• Contribute to society and address societal and environmental needs through engagement in professional, community, or service organizations.
• Agree that the civil engineering program prepared them for success in their careers in terms of knowledge and skillsets as embodied in the program and the Complete Engineer ™ Initiative.

As a professional discipline, civil engineering is closely related to the total human environment. In all professional endeavors, the civil engineer must consider ecological effects as well as the social, economic, and political needs of people. The civil engineer designs systems to control and manage our water resources to provide electric power, agricultural irrigation, flood control, recreation, water supplies, and wastewater treatment systems for our urban and industrial needs.

The civil engineer plans, designs, and constructs our transportation systems—including highways, railroads, waterways, and airports—to connect rural, urban, and industrial areas. The civil engineer also designs and constructs housing and facilities for recreational, industrial, and commercial complexes, which comprise the urban environment. It is the responsibility of civil engineering to minimize air, water, and land pollution and protect the environment.

The goal of any financial system is to allocate monetary resources to those individuals, companies, and governmental units that have the best ideas for usage. The study of finance focuses on the organization and development of capital markets and financial institutions in achieving the optimal usage of funds. As a finance student, you might want to examine how conflict of interest affects managerial performance, how risk influences investment decisions, or how investor psychology can impact the price of stocks and bonds. The finance faculty offer strong support for the exploration of such topics and the curriculum is designed to prepare students in areas of high employment demand.

The finance major offers coursework in the following areas of specialization:

• Banking and Risk Management
• Investments
• General Finance

Finance students must declare one of these specializations as a formal option within their major. Multiple options cannot be chosen. Students are encouraged to meet with their Business Advising and Student Engagement (BASE) advisors on a regular basis. The department chair is also available to answer questions regarding the selection of courses or other questions related to the finance curriculum.

What you will learn
Students will learn to apply the principles and techniques of time value of money, quantify and interpret risk/reward relationships using a variety of metrics, estimate the fundamental value of traded and non-traded assets, identify resources of risk and implement appropriate risk management techniques and analyze market conditions for strategic planning.

The plant biology major is designed to provide a flexible entry for undergraduate students that have an interest in the plant sciences. Once enrolled in the program, students will take a core of classes that will allow them to continue in the plant biology major or would also allow them to easily transfer to other Life Sciences programs. Students will have the opportunity to interact with the faculty of the Center for Plant Science Innovation as well as other departments and schools for advising and research opportunities.

The goal of the plant biology program is to offer a field of study to students who are interested and talented in the basic sciences and mathematics and who:

• May never have considered applying this knowledge to plants.
• Have always dreamed of this field of study.
• Have always had an interest in plants but are uncertain that this field of study is right for them.

Studying plant biology will allow students to explore and understand plants at molecular, cellular, physiological, organismal, population, and community levels and by taking ecological, evolutionary, agricultural, and horticultural perspectives. This is accomplished through required courses in different scientific fields (e.g., biology, biochemistry, chemistry, agronomy, horticulture) and through different options in the major (ecology and management option and biotechnology option).

A major in sociology within the College of Arts and Sciences provides students with vital intellectual and occupational skills. This includes analytical thinking; creative problem solving; effective written and oral communication; collecting, analyzing and interpreting data; and gaining expertise regarding the impact of social and cultural dynamics on individual and societal trends. Students may pursue broad training in sociology, or they may pursue a specific Focus Area, such as Crime/Deviance, Family, Health, Social Inequality, or Social Research. We also encourage students strongly to seize the opportunities provided for internships and a variety of research experiences, which play a key role in helping students define their career trajectory and build a resumé.

Our majors pursue careers in a variety of fields that reflect their substantive expertise, such as:

• Social-Justice Related Activism
• Law and Criminal Justice
• Education and Social/Human Services
• Research—especially public health and medicine, public opinion research, market research/marketing, as well as occupations requiring data collection, analysis, and project direction skills (e.g., nursing, policy work, journalism, engineering, computational sciences)
• Public Service/Government and Administration
• Private-sector for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations
• Management and Human Resources

We also encourage students to combine their interest in sociology with one of the many interdisciplinary programs/certificates offered in the College of Arts and Sciences and beyond. This includes but is not limited to Conflict Resolution, Environmental Studies, Ethnic Studies, Global Studies, Human Rights, Humanities and Medicine, Public Policy, Women’s and Gender Studies, plus the Center for Great Plains Studies and the Center for Civic Engagement.

Horticulture requires a broad education including knowledge of production, management, improvement, distribution, processing, and utilization of fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, and turf. Horticulture relies on an understanding of the basic sciences and involves competence in communication, aesthetic appreciation, and an awareness of consumer needs.

What you will learn
Horticulture is the science and art of growing and using trees, shrubs, flowers and other landscape plants, along with fruits and vegetables to enhance our living environment and to diversify human diets. It includes landscape design, organic farming, entrepreneurship, research, and crop production in greenhouses, fields, and nurseries.

The classics and religious studies major offers a wide range of courses in the languages, civilization, religions, and culture of the ancient Mediterranean world, as well as ancient and modern religions broadly conceived. It is an interdisciplinary major with three options: Classical Languages, Classics, and Religious Studies. The major serves as excellent preparation for careers in any number of fields, such as law, medicine, journalism, ministry, business, and education. Depending on your chosen option, this major also provides you with an excellent background to pursue graduate work in classical languages and literature, classical archaeology, ancient history, religious studies, literary scholarship, and other disciplines in the humanities.

Classical Languages Option
Focuses on proficiency in the translation and understanding of Greek, Latin, or Hebrew, and familiarity with lexical and grammatical tools associated with the translation.

Classics Option
Provides a focus on the social and intellectual components comprising the civilization and culture of the ancient Mediterranean world and their impact on subsequent western culture.

Religious Studies Option
Identifies and analyzes major world religious traditions and their influence on individual, social, and cultural phenomena considered from both global and historical standpoints.

The applied science degree program will prepare students for professions that involve the application of science in society, rather than the practice of science and scientific research.  The goal is to provide an integrated understanding of how basic and applied science benefit and impact us, from the individual to the biosphere.

What you will learn
The Applied Science major allows students to select from a broad range of courses across the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources to make the degree fit their career goals.

The graphic design major prepares students to integrate creativity with visual communication to create a wide variety of print and digital products. The School of Art, Art History and Design offers two undergraduate degrees for this major. Both include a solid base of knowledge in the principles and history of art and design. The bachelor of arts (BA) degree, with nearly fifty percent of its courses in the major, requires students to complement this foundation with another area of study. The bachelor of fine arts (BFA) degree expands on the basic coursework by providing additional experience in graphic design and related studio art areas. This intensive degree holds seventy percent of its courses in the major and is intended for those who want to work in a design career or pursue graduate study in graphic design.