Graduate Pathway in Religious Studies (2-Semester Pathway) Leading to Master of Arts in Religious Studies

at INTO Group - University of South Florida USA

International Year One General will prepare you to enter the second year of a bachelor's degree program at the University of South Florida. After successfully completing the Pathway program, you are guaranteed to enter your next semester of study. This transition to university from an INTO program is called progression.

Forensic Science and Justice
The Bachelor of Science in Forensic Studies and Justice provides pre-law and law enforcement-minded students with a critical analytical education to help improve the use of evidence in investigations, especially in the criminal justice system. The major teaches about forensic applications in criminal justice, cognitive biases, structured analytical techniques, and case study analysis within a systems thinking paradigm to provide a solid background to reduce errors in and improve investigations. The objective of the undergraduate major in Forensic Studies and Justice is to develop a sound educational basis either for law school, graduate work, or professional training in one or more of the technical areas comprising the modern criminal justice system, like investigators, analysts, agents, or technicians at the local, state, and federal levels. By tailoring electives, students can create areas of professional emphasis like white collar crime, human trafficking, victims’ advocates, environmental crimes, and others.

The Applied Anthropology major, initiated in 1974, was the first in the country to focus on career training for the practice of Applied Anthropology. Faculty at USF specialize in various areas, including medical anthropology, biological anthropology, urban policy and community development, environmental anthropology, education, archaeology, cultural resource management (CRM), economic development, immigration, media, and issues pertaining to race, gender, and ethnicity. Geographic specializations emphasize the Caribbean, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and the United States. More than 240 graduates have received an education in anthropology and its practical uses, leading to employment in government and private sector agencies and organizations. For many, the MA is a terminal degree that qualifies them for professional careers in administration, program evaluation, planning, research, and cultural resource management. Others have gone on to earn doctoral degrees and have gained employment in academic or higher level nonacademic positions.

Students entering the Applied Anthropology major at USF choose from one of four tracks: Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology, or Medical Anthropology. Although these four tracks share some common requirements, and are bound by general rules of the USF Office of Graduate Studies, they have different curricula and employment trajectories. Archaeology Track graduates typically enter careers in contract archaeology, or public and private agencies and museums responsible for managing archaeological resources. The Cultural Anthropology Track is designed to lead to employment in diverse areas that include education, urban planning, human services, private sector consulting and research, and non-governmental community organizations. Museum and heritage programming represent an area of overlap between the two emphases. Students who wish to pursue these kinds of specialties will develop curricula that draw from both applied and public archaeology requirements in consultation with their advisors. Biological Anthropology students are trained to work in law enforcement, private sector consulting and research, and non-governmental organizations. The Medical Anthropology track prepares students to conduct research, evaluation, and consulting in a variety of settings, including community-based organizations, county and state health departments, and non-governmental organizations. In addition to following the curriculum of a track, M.A. students can select elective courses to fulfill one of four concentrations in Archaeological and Forensic Sciences, Bio cultural Medical Anthropology, Cultural Resource Management, or Heritage Studies.

The Master of Science in Cybersecurity is an interdisciplinary major that utilizes talent across the Colleges of Business, Engineering, Arts & Sciences, and Behavioral and Community Sciences. The major prepares students for leadership, managerial and domain-specific roles in Cybersecurity and for employment in managerial and operational positions that require quick analytical thinking, decision-making under uncertainty regarding critical resources, and domain-specific technical skills for managing secure operations. Specifically, based on the design of the concentrations and the core of this major, the major is also expected to prepare students for

• Intelligence positions that require innovative, analytical, decision-making, and technical skills for providing cybersecurity intelligence,
• Information assurance positions that require secure management of information and data transferred, used, stored, and processed in information systems,
• Law enforcement positions that are required to deal more and more with cyber-crimes, and
• Cybersecurity positions that require deep technical skills in the security domain.

Because this is a graduate-level major, to ensure that students possess the foundational knowledge for academic success, students admitted to this major are most likely to be successful if they have academic or work experience in the areas of C/C++ programming, computer networks, operating-system design, algorithms, data structures, and computer organization. An undergraduate degree in computer science, computer engineering, MIS, or IT is recommended for admission. Note: For the Information Assurance Concentration it is recommended that students have a background in accounting information systems, database management, and systems analysis and design.

Major Research Areas:
Cyber, Cybersecurity, Cyber Security, Information Assurance, Secure Software, Information, Analytics, Intelligence, Computer, Network, IT, Software, Testing, Security, Analytic Communication, Data Communications, Cryptography, Information Security, Risk Management, Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery, Digital Forensics, National Security

An INTO USF Graduate Pathway program in Architecture will prepare you to enter your next semester of a master’s degree program at University of South Florida. After successfully completing the Pathway program, you are guaranteed to enter your next semester of study. This transition to university from an INTO program is called progression.

Architecture-M.Arch.
The USF School of Architecture & Community Design's curriculum prepares its graduates for a full range of professional activities. The Master of Architecture degree (M. Arch.) is fully accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). The school's course of study emphasizes urban architecture and related topics to take advantage of its diverse metropolitan setting in Florida's Tampa Bay region. Its sequence of design studios provides an integrating element in a curriculum offering a broad mix of history, theory, technology, and professional practice along with an array of elective courses.

The University of South Florida offers a four year program leading to the Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Technology. The first three years are completed on campus; the fourth year (12 months) is completed at one of three affiliated hospitals in Florida, located in Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Jacksonville. Admission to the fourth year is limited by the number of openings in affiliated hospitals and, at the present time, is competitive. Selection for the clinical program is made by the hospitals and students not admitted to a clinical program will need to select an alternate degree. Generally, hospitals require a minimum GPA of 2.50 to a 2.75, and our students admitted to clinical programs in recent years have had a mean GPA of 3.4 or higher. Students successfully completing this program will be granted a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Technology.

The Master of Science in Hospitality Management is a 30-credit hour program. The program will educate students to use strategic development techniques in a variety of private, public and institutional sectors of hospitality environments. Graduates of this program will go on to play a vital role in addressing the changes and challenges in the hospitality industry within our region, state, nation and world. An effective hospitality leader must possess a wide range of strategic and conceptual skills. Our program is designed to foster strong analytical skills, technological abilities, effective communication and logical ethical approaches to the hospitality industry and academia. Case studies, experiential learning, research projects, and presentations are utilized, along with the more traditional lecture-discussion approach.

All hospitality graduate courses are taught on campus during the week, as well as being offered via distance live, through “zoom” technology, for those who live outside the area.  Distance live students will attend class via “zoom” technology at the same time and day as the live on-campus students.  For students interested in distance live via “zoom”, students must inform the graduate advisor at the time of enrolling into the Master of Science in Hospitality Management program.  Students are also responsible for informing the professor if they will be attending class via “zoom”.

The degree in Physical Sciences will prepare students for employment in technical fields requiring a background in one or more of the physical sciences.

An INTO USF Graduate Pathway program in Marketing will prepare you to enter your next semester of a master's degree program at University of South Florida. After successfully completing the Pathway program, you are guaranteed to enter your next semester of study. This transition to university from an INTO program is called progression.

Marketing-M.S.
The Master of Science in Marketing is a 30-34 credit hour specialized graduate degree. For the professional currently employed in marketing, it offers the opportunity to enhance overall knowledge, skills, and abilities. Students can choose an area of emphasis in marketing analytics, or digital marketing and brand management. The MS in Marketing offers sufficient preparation to qualify the graduate for adjunct teaching in community colleges and AACSB and SACS-accredited institutions. For a small number of students, the MS in Marketing is expected be a stepping stone to the PhD.

International Year One General will prepare you to enter the second year of a bachelor's degree program at the University of South Florida. After successfully completing the Pathway program, you are guaranteed to enter your next semester of study. This transition to university from an INTO program is called progression.

Religious Studies
In Religious Studies, students are exposed to a cross-cultural and multi-disciplinary study of the way in which both individuals and civilizations are deeply influenced by human religious experience. The goal is to enable the educated person to understand better the various ways in which religious values and institutions shape human behavior through a comparative study of religions and cultures. Such an education is invaluable for careers as diverse as journalism, law, medicine, business, as well as careers more directly related to the practice of religion. Majors in Religious Studies will also find courses designed to give them the methodological, theoretical and linguistic skills needed to go on to advanced graduate study in the field.

This program has been certified as a Global Pathway. Global Pathway programs have significant global content and align with the goals of USF’s Quality Enhancement Plan, the Global Citizens Project. Students in Global Pathway programs are well positioned to earn the Global Citizen Award and become eligible to apply for a study abroad scholarship offered by the Global Citizens Project.

International Year One in Engineering will prepare you to enter your next semester of a bachelor's degree program at University of South Florida. After successfully completing the Pathway program, you are guaranteed to enter your next semester of study. This transition to university from an INTO program is called progression.

Mechanical Engineering
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering take coursework in thermodynamics, heat transfer, instrumentation, measurements, computer-aided design, solid and fluid mechanics, dynamics, machine analysis and design, mechanical design, manufacturing processes, vibrations and controls. This is supplemented by elective coursework in such areas as sustainability, internal combustion engines, refrigeration and air conditioning, mechanical design, robotics, propulsion, manufacturing, bio-engineering, alternative energy, thermal design, composite materials, and tribology. Laboratories are available for basic instrumentation, thermal and fluid sciences, solid mechanics, data acquisition, controls, CAD/CAE, and vibrations. Graduates of this major are employed in design, manufacturing, contracting, operations, marketing, and management in virtually all segments of industry and government, including, but not limited to: aeronautics, aerospace and propulsion; automotive, internal combustion engines, fuel cells and transportation; propulsion systems; power generation; heating, ventilation and air conditioning; structures and machinery design; mining and oil exploration; paper, textile, food, and petrochemical industries/processing/manufacturing; micro and nano materials and semiconductors; and biomaterials and bioengineering. There are abundant career opportunities in a wide range of industries because mechanical equipment is required in every aspect of modern industry.