Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Conservation Biology

at Kent State University USA

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 Bachelor of Science degree in Physics is a professionally oriented program that serves as preparation either for graduate work in physics or for entrance into positions in a variety of industries or government service.

The Physics major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Applied Physics concentration prepares students for immediate entry into careers in industry. Course requirements include electronics, introduction to computer programming, and data analysis and computational physics techniques. While rooted in the basic principles of physics, this program is optimized for students concerned with the application of physics in practical devices and systems.
• The Biological Sciences concentration is interdisciplinary and for students with a strong interest in both physics and biology, who may wish to prepare for graduate study in biophysics or for work in a biotechnology company.
• The Chemistry concentration is interdisciplinary and designed for students with a strong interest in both physics and chemistry, who may wish to prepare for graduate study in chemical physics or for work in a high-technology materials-related research and development laboratory.
• The Computer Science concentration is interdisciplinary and provides a foundation in physics while emphasizing the use of computer software in scientific applications. Graduates are prepared for computer-related careers that require an understanding of the underlying science as well as knowledge of relevant computer applications.
• The Entrepreneurship concentration is interdisciplinary and designed to prepare physics majors for various aspects of starting or managing a scientific business.
• The Mathematical Physics concentration is interdisciplinary and provides students with a strong understanding of applied physical theory, its applications and the underlying mathematics. This training, valuable for start-up positions with a number of industries, may also serve as preparation for graduate work in either physics or mathematics.
• The Pre-Medicine/Pre-Osteopathy/Pre-Podiatry concentration is interdisciplinary and designed to prepare physics majors for further study leading to careers in medicine.
• The Research concentration prepares majors for further study at the graduate level. This program trains students in logical thinking and problem solving using both analytical and computational methods. It also furnishes students with a comprehensive understanding of the basic laws and principles that govern the physical world. Academic assessment and GRE scores keep the program up-to-date via curricular revisions. This program is a popular stepping stone to graduate degrees not only in physics, but also in engineering, astronomy/astrophysics and materials science.

The Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Managerial Marketing prepares students to be marketing practitioners by helping them to fully develop the analytical, decision-making and communications (written and oral) skills used and valued by individuals working in this field. Faculty engage each student in active learning through hands-on assignments, case studies, projects with real businesses, and dynamic interactions with the faculty member and other students in the classroom. Each course aims to strengthen writing skills by emphasizing logical flow, persuasiveness and succinctness. Because coursework is sequential and integrated, each course builds upon prior classes to give students a comprehensive body of knowledge, skills and abilities.

The objective of this program is to educate students to function effectively in business environments where they will have to make autonomous decisions and be required to take action on their own initiative.

Managerial Marketing students may apply early to the M.B.A. degree and double count 9 credit hours of graduate courses toward both degree programs. See the Combined Bachelor's/Master's Degree Program policy in the University Catalog for more information.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Demonstrate an ability to conduct financial analyses for the purposes of making strategic marketing decisions.
• Demonstrate an understanding of segmentation and target marketing.
• Demonstrate an ability to analyze market research data.
• Demonstrate an ability to analyze markets and competitors within markets.

Graduates of all Bachelor of Business Administration programs will be able to:

• Recall strategic frameworks that are used to make business decisions.
• Perform basic calculations using quantitative tools that are used to support business decisions.
• Articulate and deliberate their ideas in writing.
• Articulate and deliberate their ideas orally.
• Identify ethical dilemmas and stakeholders.
• Recommend alternatives and consequences and choose a reasoned conclusion from the alternatives given.
• Identify global factors in making a business decision.
• Analyze global factors in making a business decision.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation, Park and Tourism Management provides students with an academic foundation and field experiences in preparation for the recreation, park and tourism professions. The program is comprised of three concentrations:

• The Park Management concentration focuses on providing opportunities for outdoor recreation and protecting the natural, cultural and historic resources on which those opportunities depend. Complementary minors include Disability Studies and Community Inclusion, Biology for Environmental Management and Conservation.
• The Recreation Management concentration focuses on providing opportunities for individuals and community health and wellbeing through recreation and parks in public, nonprofit and commercial settings. Complementary minors include: Disability Studies and Community Inclusion, Nonprofit Studies, Event Planning,
• The Tourism Management concentration focuses on providing entrepreneurial services for tourism industries as well as sustainable tourism destination management. Complementary minors include: Disability Studies and Community Inclusion, Event Planning, Business Management.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Articulate the impact of inclusive policies and practices targeted toward underrepresented individuals and groups including, but not limited to disability, race and/or ethnicity, age, social class, gender, and sexual orientation.
• Identify principles of inclusion, modification, and laws related to equal opportunity, and select strategies to mitigate barriers influencing recreation participation for people with disabilities.  
• Outline the historical, scientific, and philosophical foundations of the field.
• Differentiate the nature and scope of the industry; including critical aspects of program development, service development, management, and the components of leisure service delivery systems and various providers and levels of recreation.
• Analyze and apply common management roles, responsibilities, and approaches applicable to the field and the leadership styles and practices related to personnel management.
• Investigate public relations and marketing strategies, planning and development issues, and fiscal/budgetary management.
• Illustrate site specific attributes in relation to the RPTM field and the components of professional practice for successful engagement with the site.
• Model ethical, professional, appropriate behavior, and the ability to communicate effectively in oral, visual, and written forms.
• Apply basic principles of the program development cycle for recreation services and modifications for inclusivity.
• Engage in academic research, writing, and evaluation of literature and data for evidence-based improvement of services in leisure science.

The Bachelor of Science in Education degree in Early Childhood Education focuses on professional preparation and application of current theory, methods and practices for future teachers of preschool to grade five classrooms. Students form a cohort and complete the five-block sequence of courses while gaining teaching experiences linked to coursework. All students complete field and practicum experiences in diverse settings, including urban and inclusive programs, and accumulate approximately 1,200 clock hours of field experience in preschool and elementary classrooms.

Graduates of the program who pass the State of Ohio Assessment Tests are eligible for Ohio licensure in Early Childhood, which is valid for teaching children, age three through grade five, who are typically developing, at-risk, gifted or who have mild/moderate educational needs.

Graduates also have the opportunity to receive an International Baccalaureate recognition certificate concurrent with the completion of the B.S.E. degree.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the program will be able to:

• Co-construct curriculum as a co-worker with learners and others (parents, families, colleagues and community members) to make sound decisions for learning and teaching experiences, as opposed to being passive receivers of prescribed curriculum.
• Synthesize conceptual understandings of children, theory, content, technology and sociocultural contexts into meaningful activities and opportunities for learning with all preschool-to-grade five students.
• Engage in the habit of self-assessment in order to continually uncover unknown possibilities in children’s learning, classroom practice, educational theory and one’s own teaching identity in the local and global context.
• Become committed to the children and their learning, the families and the local community while having an awareness of the global context; engage in continuous self-improvement and lifelong learning.
• Apply skills, knowledge and dispositions to challenge “questionable” policies that limit opportunities for all children.
• Utilize research and theory to develop varied and effective pedagogies and assessments that will positively impact all students’ learning (learning and teaching is a transdisciplinary practice).
• Advocate as ethical leaders and moral agents striving for social justice,
• Acknowledges and practices multiple, multi-ethnic, multicultural, multiracial, multi- social and -economic and multilingual perspectives in a global society.

The Bachelor of Integrative Studies degree provides maximum freedom for students who wish to take a multidisciplinary, individualized approach to the design of an educational program while maintaining a focus on career and professional goals. The Integrative Studies major has a General concentration, and a Two Minors concentration. These concentrations may have the most appeal for students near the end of their academic careers (senior-level students) who are re-evaluating their academic and career choices. It is a program in which the student undertakes the responsibility for the research and design of their program, in consultation with an advisor.

The Integrative Studies-General concentration allows students to choose a minimum of 30 credit hours from interrelated programs that support their career aspirations.

The Integrative Studies-Two Minors concentration allows students to complete two university-recognized minors and/or certificates. A minimum of two academic departments in which to select courses are chosen and a rationale for the ways in which these courses support the student's career goals is developed.

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics equips students with a variety of skills sought by employers, including conceptualizing and solving problems and locating, organizing and analyzing relevant data.

In their junior year, students learn microeconomic and macroeconomic theory and take an econometrics class to learn data analysis skills. Students then take a series of electives that deal with vital current topics relevant to many careers in which these theories and skills are applied, such as the U.S. financial and banking system, economic relations between the United States and foreign countries; government spending and taxation policies; and the U.S. health system and policy options.

In their senior year, students take a capstone course that utilizes and applies the theory, skills and institutional knowledge learned in the program.

In addition to the B.A. degree in the College of Arts and Sciences, a B.B.A. degree in Economics is offered in the College of Business Administration.

The Master of Science degree in Biomedical Sciences–Physiology Interdisciplinary prepares graduates in areas that include cardiovascular, pulmonary, endocrine and neuroendocrine, reproductive or exercise physiology. In this context, emphasis is placed on an integrative approach for both research and graduate education. As with other program areas, the Biomedical Sciences–Physiology Interdisciplinary major takes advantage of the latest molecular and cellular techniques to address questions related to human diseases.

Faculty members are drawn from various departments at Kent State University, Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) and the Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland Clinic. Although graduate work may be completed in any of the various research areas, faculty are listed in two general specializations: (1) environmental and comparative physiology and (2) cardiopulmonary and exercise physiology. Each specialization addresses different subject areas of physiology and each has an associated training faculty. The degree program is research oriented and designed to provide students with a thorough grounding in physiological principles and techniques within several well-defined focus areas.

The Master of Science degree in Biomedical Sciences–Physiology Interdisciplinary is offered in consortium with Cleveland Clinic and  Northeast Ohio Medical University.

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance Studies allows students who have previous dance experience and a strong interest in another subject area, within or outside of the arts, the opportunity to combine the two into one plan of study. The curriculum provides students with a solid foundation in dance techniques and dance academics while allowing flexibility to incorporate another area or minor.

The B.A. degree program encourages exploration of areas that can be combined with dance to enhance opportunities for future employment.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Articulate and perform standards and skills in one or more areas of dance.
• Communicate an understanding of the vocabulary of dance and employ this knowledge to work conceptually with the elements of dance.
• Articulate and communicate an understanding of choreographic processes, aesthetic properties of style and the ways these elements shape and are shaped by artistic and cultural ideas and contexts.
• Develop and defend critical evaluations.
• Through a Capstone project or presentation, students will articulate and communicate a relationship between their dance studies and a secondary concentration, minor or double major, if applicable.

Journalists are reporters, watchdogs, storytellers. The Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism teaches students how to cover real stories that make a difference. Whether using a camera, a microphone, a smartphone or a laptop, students become journalists by doing journalism inside and outside the classroom.

Gaining critical skills that equip them for storytelling in all its forms, students will practice their craft in Kent State’s award-winning student media. Working with these outlets, students will learn how to engage audiences where they “live,” on TV, radio, online, social media and in print.

Journalism students will produce news and feature content on visual, digital and emerging platforms, and they’ll apply what they’ve learned as part of the required professional internship.

With a grounding in ethics and an understanding of media’s role in democratic society, students graduate prepared to continue as journalists or apply their skills to other professions that value critical thinking, information gathering and the ability to make sense of it for others.

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.