Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Conservation Biology

at Kent State University USA

The Bachelor of Arts degree in American Sign Language presents American sign language as a culture- and community-based language that interacts with other world languages. Through techniques—including immersion and bilingual-bicultural comparison classes, community interaction, research, lab activities and use of digital video technology—students gain documented proficiency in American sign language, validity within the deaf community and networking within the professional community.

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.
• The Lighting Design concentration balances instruction and experience in lighting design with instruction and experience in lighting technology. Studies include digital rendering, CAD, lighting technology and automated lighting. Students research and study all of aspects of theatrical lighting, including the design process from concept to execution, communication skills, integration of technology into design, documentation of the work and critical evaluation of the work.
• The Scene Design concentration balances focused classroom instruction with practical design and production experience. Students also study related artisan areas such as digital and traditional rendering techniques, 3D CAD, props, fabrication, scene painting and presentation techniques with particular emphasis on integrating contemporary digital techniques into the design process. The curriculum contains courses in construction theory, rigging, costume crafts and projection/media design.
• The Technical Direction concentration provides students with training and practical experiences in planning main stage productions for the School of Theatre and Dance. Studies focus on safety and all logistics of production assembly, including touring and dance. Technical directors have the opportunity work in four very different theatre spaces: black box, large proscenium, thrust and open outdoor.

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 Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre Studies gives students an opportunity for study in all aspects of theatre and its relationship to other liberal arts studies. This program serves students who seek a wider range of possibilities to fulfill individual creative goals, whether as theatre artists, scholars, educators and/or contributors in related fields. Students receive thorough grounding in theatre history and theory and learn imaginative and critical thinking, the process of making theatre, and leadership skills.

The Theatre Studies major comprises the following concentrations:

• Performance
• Production
• Theatre Management
• Theatre and Society

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Understand procedures and approaches for realizing a variety of theatrical styles and techniques.
• Understand the playwriting and production processes, aesthetic properties of style, and the way these shape and are shaped by artistic and cultural forces.
• Develop intermediate to advanced competence in one or more theatre specializations in creation, performance or scholarship.
• Become acquainted with a diverse selection of theatre repertory, including the principal eras, genres and cultural sources.
• Understand the basic process involved in mounting a theatre production through both verbal and written articulation of ideas and vocabulary, as well as in actual practice.
• Form and defend value judgments about theatre.
• Know common theatrical elements and the interaction of those elements through both written and practicum work.
• Think conceptually and critically about text, performance and production.

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography emphasizes a growing field that offers a wide range of career options. Geographers study both natural science and social science. Natural science topics include spatial patterns of rocks, soils, animals, plants, climate and weather. Social science topics include spatial patterns of culture, policy, conflict, demographics, economics, resources and waste, with an emphasis on investigating the intersection of human activity and environmental processes. Geographers use a variety of geospatial technologies to map the world in different ways from the global to the local.

Geographers use data (environmental and social statistics, interviews, textual and landscape analysis and archival documents) to describe natural and social patterns. They then apply their knowledge of human and environmental processes to analyze why these patterns exist. Geographers work at the intersection of multiple disciplines—geology, ecology, climate science, urban planning, economics, sociology, computer science and the humanities—using this knowledge to examine spatial processes. Geographers use GIS software and remote sensing for spatial analysis and cartography.

Geography offers a unique way of seeing and understanding the world, combined with the ability to communicate this understanding to others.

The Geography major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Environmental Geography concentration prepares students to work as conservation or parks managers, surveyors, remote sensing technicians, ecologists, hydrologists, water resource managers, national park rangers, climatologists, meteorologists, hazards analysts, epidemiologists and climate change analysts.
• The Geographic Information Science concentration prepares students to work as analysts for the federal, state and local government, for businesses and non-profits. Geographic Information scientists also serve as GIS developers, remote sensors, instructors, web developers and cartographers.
• The Social Geography concentration prepares students to work as city engineers, urban planners, foreign affairs officers, preservationists, non-profit directors, demographers, cultural resources managers, lobbyists, congressional staffers, emergency management specialists, educators, journalists, community development directors, lawyers and market analysts.

The Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education prepares critically reflective teachers with advanced knowledge in pre-school through primary multi-disciplinary curriculum. Students are prepared to be democratically accountable leaders, co-decision makers, pedagogical experts and committed professionals in various early childhood realms. The program emphasizes commitment to equitable and caring learning communities.

Ohio endorsements for pre-school and literacy endorsement or generalist (grades four and five) may be embedded in the program. In addition, students have the opportunity to receive an International Baccalaureate (IB) recognition award in the M.Ed. degree.

The Early Childhood Education major includes the following optional concentration:

• The Globalization and Intercultural Competence concentration is designed for teachers who are searching for research-based solutions to the learning and teaching of international students and/or who want to build intercultural competence to meet the demands of growing or changing immigrant and refugee populations in the classroom.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Mechatronics Engineering integrates mechanical, electrical, computer and controls engineering to understand automated machinery, specifically, how to design it and how to make it work. Mechatronics engineering 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 or machinery on manufacturing lines, boilers and aircraft to reduce labor costs, increase precision and accuracy and provide quality and safety for workers. Mechatronic devices can be found in agriculture, hospitals, buildings, homes, automobiles, manufacturing plants, the toy and entertainment industry and in aids for the elderly and disabled.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering
• Design a system, component or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints, such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturing and sustainability
• Use the techniques, skills and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics is a flexible program, grounded in the liberal arts and suited for students' individual interests and needs. The program combines well with a second major and/or minors.

The Master of Science degree in Nutrition emphasizes a strong nutritional sciences foundation through coursework and opportunities to participate in interdisciplinary research in community settings. Graduates obtain positions as nutrition-exercise specialists; cooperative extension nutrition specialists; higher education instructors; research associates; and as nutritionists in health care and community agencies such as Head Start and Women, Infants and Children (WIC).

The Nutrition major includes the following optional concentration:

• The Dietetic Internship concentration provide students with the resources and experiences needed to develop the skills necessary to become competent Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN). Emphasis is placed on intellectual, technological, and professional development while fostering ethical and humanitarian values.

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

• Describe the physiological functions, metabolism, dietary requirements, deficiency symptoms, food sources and the metabolic utilization of macronutrients and micronutrients for physiological processes; and how they relate to nutrition, health promotion and disease prevention/treatment.
• Contribute to the quality of life, well-being and wellness of individuals and families by utilizing their nutrition knowledge and participating in activities that promote nutritional well-being.
• Demonstrate an understanding of research methods and apply knowledge gained by participation in research and/or outreach.

The Master of Arts degree in Philosophy offers intensive, in-depth study of philosophy, with particular attention to the diversity of philosophical methods, perspectives and traditions, as well as their relation to other disciplines.

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

• Demonstrate knowledge of the history of philosophy from the classical period to the present day, of the various fields of philosophical inquiry, and of central philosophical questions, both historical and contemporary.
• Articulate and defend their positions through philosophical argumentation in both written and oral form.
• Successfully navigate the professional academic world and prepare strong applications to doctoral programs, if they choose to continue their studies after completion of the master's degree.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautics provides an education in aviation that produces professionals to operate the National Airspace System in the 21st century.

The Aeronautics major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Aeronautical Studies concentration prepares students for entry-level technological positions in aviation and related areas. Although focused on a broad foundation of aeronautically related subjects, the program also provides a significant number of electives that allow students to explore other areas of interest or earn a minor in a particular area of study. It is well suited for those entering the program with previous flight experience or transfer credits from an accredited university.
• The Air Traffic Control concentration prepares students for professional work in air traffic control and management. Originally, as part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Air Traffic–Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI), the concentration provides practical simulation-based training in air traffic control that enables the CTI graduates to work as air traffic controllers and managers in the National Airspace System.
• The Aviation Management concentration prepares students for entry-level management supervisory and administrative positions in aviation and other aviation-related professional fields. This course of study combines technical and aeronautical courses with courses in management and information systems. Students entering this program should have a technical interest, mathematical proficiency and an ability to develop analytical and communicative capabilities.
• The Professional Pilot concentration is designed for students who aspire to become professional pilots. This concentration stresses subjects associated with flight systems, propulsion, structures and electronics. Students entering this program should have a strong desire for excellence in aviation as well as the flying skills required of a professional pilot.
• The Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight Operations concentration is for students who aspire to become professional Unmanned aircraft pilots (drone pilot).  This concentration is focused on the safe operations of unmanned aircraft systems, regulations, the technology of autonomous systems and policy regarding the operations of unmanned aerial elements. 

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Apply knowledge of math, science and the applied sciences to aviation-related disciplines.
• Analyze and interpret data.
• Understand and master the fundamental concepts and skills of airplane flight.
• Communicate effectively through written and oral means.
• Recognize the need and develop the cognitive abilities to engage in life-long learning by successfully contending with changing technologies, regulatory policies and procedures, market forces and the highly dynamic operational environment of commercial flight and professional aviation.
• Understand contemporary issues that affect aviation.
• Use the techniques, skills and modern technology necessary for professional practice.
• Understand the national and international aviation environment.
• Apply pertinent knowledge in identifying and solving problems.
• Know and understand the technical details involved in the effective management of employees and operational systems in professional aviation.