Bachelor of Science in Education - Special Education

at Kent State University USA

The Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Mathematics emphasizes the tools most useful in science, engineering and technology applications: mathematical modeling, scientific computing and probability and statistics.

The Applied Mathematics major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Computational Mathematics concentration is designed for students with interests in numerical modeling and scientific computing. It pairs well with the Computer Science minor or major.

The Master of Engineering Technology degree offers a curriculum that provides students with advanced technical and management knowledge and skills that meet the needs of the technical workforce in industry and business.

The Master of Science degree in Physics consists of graduate coursework and a research project taking one or two semesters. The research project should result in a written report. Students may choose to complete a thesis, to be defended orally. This degree provides entry-level qualifications for team research employment or a high school teaching career.

Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Demonstrate cognitive skills important to a physicist, including the following:
  • Think critically and analytically;
  • Define and solve problems in physics; and
  • Conduct quantitative research in a contemporary area of physics.
• Demonstrate a core knowledge and understanding of the foundations of physics.
• Communicate results of their work to peers, to various target groups within the physics community, and to people outside the discipline. Teaching skills also come under this heading.

The Bachelor of Technical and Applied Studies degree in Technical and Applied Studies is designed both for students beginning their academic study and for students with an associate degree or college-level coursework. The program accommodates varied educational backgrounds, develops competencies needed for success in a variety of work settings and offers major courses in schedules attractive to traditional students and to time- and place-bound adults.

Students construct a meaningful plan for using the curriculum to explore and prepare for their preferred futures by completing a cornerstone course. A capstone course features a synthesizing of learning focused on foundational competencies and developing an electronic portfolio. This enables students to collect artifacts of their learning, which can be used to advance their careers.

The Technical and Applied Studies major includes the following optional concentrations:

• The Applied Business concentration is an option for associate degree graduates or students with a business background who choose not to pursue the B.B.A degree, or for students who would like to gain knowledge about financial management, customer service, strategic management, labor students and leadership. The concentration includes a practicum.
• The Nonprofit-Human Services concentration provides students with the knowledge and competencies in areas such as grant writing and fundraising, mission and vision, advocacy and lobbying, risk management, board committee development, program planning, leadership and ethics, human resource development, youth and adult development, marketing, financial management and nonprofit management.

Students may also declare the Technical and Applied Studies major with no concentration. The stand-alone major offers a flexible and robust core of skills/knowledge-based courses, which bridge multiple disciplines in multiple colleges. The skill sets that are provided by this program are civic engagement, computer literacy, critical thinking, diversity and internationalization, ethics, information literacy, leadership, self-management, oral and written communication and mathematics.

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Art Education prepares students to effectively teach visual art by applying a learner-centered pedagogy to embrace the many dimensions of human intelligence and aesthetic education.

Art educators understand child development to successfully engage learners in the complete artistic process of thinking—perceptual, imaginative, formative, expressive and communicative—by combining a range of subject matter, symbols and ideas. They organize and evaluate teaching activities for creating and analyzing works of art and design from contemporary and past cultures. This involves using a variety of media, technology and community resources, making connections between visual art and other disciplines, as well as assessing the learning outcomes of their students.

In addition, art educators are prepared to meet the needs of all students with an understanding of the value of diversity. They create safe and equitable learning environments in which to nurture life-long skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration, creativity and constructing meaning.

Graduates of the degree program will be eligible to be certified for pre-K-12 visual art teacher licensure

Study Abroad/Away Opportunities:

• Travel opportunities to New York, London, Paris and China
• Study abroad through Kent State's Florence program in Florence, Italy (full semester or summer art and design experience)
• Ohio Art Education Association and National Art Education Association Travel Studies

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the program will be able to:

• Articulate their beliefs about art education and defend their position, as well as demonstrate in-depth engagement in issues of the field
• Research, plan, conduct and assess art experiences for preK-12 grade students, grounded in the National and Ohio Visual Art standards
• Examine and learn from observed student and teacher behaviors to understand effective teaching practices
• Comprehend the visual stages of development as they relate to mental, social, emotional and physical development of children in order to plan appropriate lesson instruction
• Develop and articulate knowledge of various theories related to teaching artmaking, art criticism, art history and aesthetics, as well as theories related to instructional and interdisciplinary practices
• Apply principles of classroom management, safety practices and motivational techniques in teaching
• Organize and manage the time, space and resources of an instructional setting for teaching art
• Learn to use community resources, such as museums and community artists, and make connections between communal needs, the learner and the art education curriculum
• Effectively plan and install art exhibits
• Competently use materials and media to communicate visually
• Effectively communicate verbally and through writing their ideas of art education in relation to contemporary art education theory and the application of those ideas in art classrooms
• Become advocates for the field of art education
• Develop an understanding of their communal, national and global identities, in the context of the personal as well as professional as educators
• Create and teach appropriate art curricula that meet the cultural, emotional, academic, physical, sensory and behavioral needs of students
• Understand the significance of and apply curricula that promote appreciation and critical understanding of diversity, inclusivity and interdisciplinarity
• Learn about career planning and related professional issues, such as national assessments, unions, professional development possibilities, graduate studies and life-long learning
• Continue to reflect critically on their teaching practices
• Be prepared in professional responsibilities as a member of the art education community
• Adapt their curriculum accordingly
• Use technology in an ethical, critical and creative manner as a means to acquire, provide, organize and communicate knowledge

The Bachelor of Science degree in Digital Media Production educates students to create exciting fiction and non-fiction content for delivery in today’s most in-demand formats. Whether they want to produce the next award-winning podcast, write a hit streaming series, or influence millions with social media content, students learn from seasoned professionals using industry standard technology to tell their stories on screens big or small.

Many opportunities exist to collaborate with students from theatre and dance, game design, science, music, art, fashion and technology during the production of live TV, short films, audio series, documentaries and animated works.

Students also have the chance to work with Kent State’s TeleProductions operations, the nationally recognized Student Media outlets at the School, and even NPR affiliate WKSU.

With the added professional experience students earn from the required internship, they graduate ready to play a leading role in the entertainment industry of tomorrow.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Demonstrate critical thinking, grounded in a legal and ethical framework.
• Gather information, analyze it, and make informed judgments using methods and tools appropriate to their professions.
• Demonstrate the ability to apply theory and research appropriate to their professions, including quantitative and qualitative methods.
• Demonstrate the ability to apply basic ethical principles to their professional work.
• Demonstrate the ability to apply laws and regulations applicable to their professional work.
• Write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for the communications professions, audiences and purposes they serve.
• Demonstrate understanding of how media and their professions evolved historically, their role in societal development and their global interaction today with institutions and individuals.
• Demonstrate appreciation for diverse cultures and individual differences, and reflect that appreciation in their work.

The Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Design and Technology is a terminal degree designed for those who are interested in achieving the artistry and skills necessary to qualify as practicing professionals in the entertainment industry and/or professional theatre educators. The program is a three-year course of study with a flexible curriculum for students to explore areas of special interest.

The Theatre Design and Technology major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Costume Design and Technology concentration prepares students for careers in the entertainment industry, professional theatre or theatre education. Students study both design and technology, including related areas such as dye techniques, costume crafts and wigs and makeup. Students also design costumes for main-stage departmental productions. The curriculum includes core classes in theatre history, dramatic theory and historical periods.

Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Acquire creative and technical ability to develop the design of a production from concept to finished product.
• Acquire advanced abilities in the unification of all design elements used in professional production.
• Understand analytical or academically oriented theatre studies in areas related to and supportive of the work in the major field such as history, theory, dramatic literature and performance studies.
• Understand information resources associated with theatrical design and production.
• Produce full working drawings for mounted productions.
• Analyze text, music and dance and the ways that historical, critical and theoretical content inform playwriting, acting, directing and design.
• Communicate ideas clearly and effectively to the theatre community, production teams and the public.
• Know the history of their area of specialization and have the ability to integrate that history into production design.
• Know current technology, tools and methods in their area of specialization and have the ability to integrate technology into production design.
• Know health and safety practices associated with theatre production.
• Communicate and navigate effectively within the field of professional theatrical production design.
• Demonstrate an understanding of professional ethics and practice.

The Master of Education degree in School Counseling prepares students for employment as professional school counselors in K-12 schools. This program is designed to fulfill the educational requirements for licensure as a Licensed School Counselor in the state of Ohio. The program may be pursued on a part-time or full-time basis, although some full-time study is urged.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Mechatronics Engineering Technology integrates mechanical, electrical, computer and controls. Mechatronics engineering technology revolves around the design, construction and operation of automated systems, robots and intelligent products, which result from the integration of software and hardware.

Using automated systems is becoming more popular for operating equipment/machinery in a host of situations, including on assembly and manufacturing lines, on automobiles and aircraft and in electrical power generations to reduce labor costs, increase precision and accuracy and provide quality and safety for workers.

Graduates from the mechatronics engineering technology program manage and support the design, operation and analysis of mechanical and electrical devices connected with automated systems, robots and computer-integrated manufacturing. They can work in any company that develops, designs or manufactures and markets these devices. Opportunities exist in manufacturing sales as well as research.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Select and apply a knowledge of mathematics, science, engineering and technology to engineering technology problems that require the application of principles and applied procedures or methodologies.
• Design systems, components or processes for broadly defined engineering technology problems.
• Select and apply the knowledge, techniques, skills, and modern tools of the discipline to broadly defined engineering technology activities.

The Master of Arts in Economics degree provides prepares graduates for a career as an analyst in government or the private sector, as well as for doctoral study.

The Economics major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Financial Economics concentration is primarily designed for students who wish to pursue careers in the financial services industry, including commercial banking, investment banking, insurance, real estate and financial advising.

Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Understand and apply fundamental economic concepts.
• Formulate and test hypotheses.
• Access and use appropriate information.
• Demonstrate analytic and quantitative skills.