Bachelor of Arts in Political Science

at EDUCO - University of West Florida USA

The Anthropology Master of Arts program prepares graduates for a variety of professional positions and entrance into doctoral programs. The department’s approach combines a strong anthropological perspective, an active faculty, a vigorous research and contract program, flexibility, and many opportunities to obtain hands-on experience. The department has one of the largest and most active terrestrial and maritime archaeology programs and facilities in the Southeast. There is continuous on-going student-focused research and contracts in prehistoric, historic, coastal, and interior archaeological sites that include graduate students at all levels of responsibility.

Financial assistance includes many research assistantships in terrestrial and maritime archaeology through the Archaeology Institute, grants and contracts, internships, and the Marcus Fellowship for thesis completion.

This program requires a thesis. Students must complete all common core courses, but the remainder of their course work can be structured according to their interests with the approval of their advisor or committee. Up to 6 sh can be taken outside Anthropology.

The Sport Management program prepares students for entry-level careers as potential leaders and administrators in the sport industry and for further study in graduate school. Possible positions may be found in collegiate athletics, municipal parks and recreation departments, community sports programs, professional sports leagues, amateur sports organizations, and commercial sport industries such as fitness and activity centers, sport camps, and other private sport organizations. An internship in the field along with a capstone course for students is required in this degree.

The Bachelor of General Studies degree program provides interdisciplinary study across academic disciplines and professional fields. It is designed for nontraditional students whose age, residence, academic interests, or career objectives require a more individualized university degree. The Bachelor of General Studies degree program is designed to:

• Meet the University of West Florida’s mission to provide students with access to high-quality, relevant, and affordable undergraduate learning experiences, and therefore better serve the general educational needs of region;
• Provide students an opportunity to earn a bachelor's degree while maintaining family, military, and/or employment obligations;
• Offer a degree option including studies in several disciplinary areas;
• Give students the option to complete courses at the Pensacola campus, Emerald Coast campus, and/or online; and
• Provide students an opportunity to build upon the associate of arts degrees offered by other institutions.

The B.S. in Physics focuses on the study of matter and its motion.  Ultimately, the goal of physics is to understand how nature behaves from the smallest sub-atomic particle to the entire universe, making it the most fundamental natural science. The various topics covered include electricity and magnetism, electronics, fluids, mechanics, optics, quantum phenomena, concepts of relativity, thermodynamics, waves, and several related laboratory activities.

The Physics Department offers the traditional B.S. program in Physics with specializations in Physics or Engineering Physics.  In addition to graduate school, a trained physicist may enter the employment market as a research scientist. Those with an engineering physics background are eligible for entry-level jobs as engineers in organizations such as the Department of Defense, NASA, and the various national labs.

Students interested in obtaining certification to teach this subject area in secondary education need to contact an advisor in this department to carefully plan the course work to satisfy degree and some teacher certification requirements. A degree in this major is required for participation in teacher education certification options.

This interdisciplinary program offers a B.S. degree in Environmental Science. Students learn to analyze physical and socioeconomic environments and to reach decisions concerning environmental use and protection. The major allows students to obtain an interdisciplinary background suitable for environmental monitoring and planning. Graduates are prepared for entry- and middle-level positions in governmental agencies in such areas as regional planning and resource management; for positions in industry and the private sector; or to pursue graduate degrees in urban/regional planning, resource management, coastal studies, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and the geosciences.

Two specializations are available under this B.S. program: Environmental Management and Natural Science. According to the departmental Academic Learning Compact, assessment of Student Learning Outcomes includes:

• A written exit exam during a student’s last semester of residency.
• A portfolio of the two best student projects.

The B.S.B.A. in Finance prepares students for professional careers in areas such as corporate financial management, financial institutions management, investments, and financial planning. The program also provides the foundation to pursue the designations of Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) or Certified Financial Planner (CFP).

The purpose of the program is to prepare students for careers in federal, state, county, and local criminal justice agencies, including management and administration; careers in public or private criminal justice research and analysis; teaching positions at community and state colleges; and/or continued education at the doctoral level.

The Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) has two options: an internship option (Option 1) and an area research paper option (Option 2). Each option requires a minimum of 33 credit hours, including 24 credit hours of criminal justice coursework. The internship option (Option 1) requires 15 credit hours of required coursework, a 3-credit hour internship, plus an additional 6 credit hours minimum of criminal justice electives and 9 credit hours of criminal justice or noncriminal justice electives. The area paper option (Option 2) requires 15 credit hours of required coursework, a 3-credit hour area paper, plus an additional 6 credit hours minimum of criminal justice electives and 9 credit hours of criminal justice or noncriminal justice electives.

The B.M. in Music is designed to prepare students for careers in the field of music. Permission to major or minor in music is granted by the department and an audition is required.

The M.S. in Environmental Science provides advanced research and educational opportunities in the earth and environmental sciences. Departmental areas of concentration include coastal science, paleoclimatology, landscape ecology, geographic information science, aquatic biogeochemistry, and soils science. The program includes both thesis and non-thesis tracks. The non-thesis track provides a foundation for employment in the private and public sectors of the environmental fields. In addition, the thesis track prepares students for advanced study leading to the doctoral degree. Contact the department for information regarding the graduate certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

The mission of the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering is to offer undergraduate and graduate programs of excellence in engineering that serve the needs of the West Florida region, the state, and the nation. The goal of these programs is to prepare students for a successful professional career in their respective chosen discipline of study. All programs shall be revised continuously to improve quality and respond to current workforce needs.

The Electrical Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET.  ABET is the recognized accreditor for college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering and technology and is among the most respected accreditation organizations in the United States.

The program’s educational objectives are to ensure:

• Graduates of the program will be successful in the professional practice of engineering or related fields and will advance in their chosen careers.
• Graduates of the program will be successful in pursuing advanced degrees in engineering or related fields.

Electrical Engineering is science-oriented and primarily concerned with all phases and development of the transmission and utilization of electric energy and intelligence. Because of the extremely rapid growth and changes relating to the application of electrical engineering principles, the curriculum is designed to concentrate on a solid core of foundation courses. Twelve hours of electives are included to permit a student to delve deeply into selected subject matter.