Master of Arts in Applied Mathematics (STEM)

at Kent State University USA

The Bachelor of Science in Education degree in Life Science/Chemistry prepares students for teacher licensure in life science and chemistry, grades 7-12. Students take a broad range of science-content courses in geology and physics and specialize in biology and chemistry content. Students complete most content coursework during their first three years; methods coursework typically begins during the spring of their third year. During the final year of the program, students complete remaining content courses, science teaching methods courses and a year-long placement in a local school district, which concludes with 13 weeks of student teaching in the spring. Life Science/Chemistry students are encouraged to meet with their advisor early in their programs as many courses must be sequenced carefully.

Students are required to complete Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification (BCII) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) background checks.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Plan multiple lessons using a variety of inquiry approaches that demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of how to engage all students in learning science.
• Plan a learning environment and learning experiences for all students that demonstrate chemical safety, safety procedures, and the ethical treatment of living organisms within their licensure area.
• Plan fair and equitable assessment strategies to analyze student learning and to evaluate if the science learning goals are met.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience offers a broad-based study of the mechanisms of brain function from the cell and molecular level through cognition and behavior. This major is for students interested in medicine, other health professions, research and graduate studies in biology, neuroscience and psychology. The major will also prepare students for careers in industries, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, research administration and policy, science communication, teaching and other science-related businesses.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of fundamental principles of neuroscience.
• Acquire fundamental skills necessary for laboratory investigations into central nervous system function.
• Demonstrate an understanding of proper experimental design, data analysis and communication of research results.
• Demonstrate a greater knowledge and appreciation of the role neuroscience plays in societal issues, such as those related to neurological disorders, mental health, medicine and human and animal behavior.

The Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Computer Information Systems provides students with a focus on the creation and supervision of the information systems that are commonly used in organizations of all types and sizes. There is a primary emphasis on problem-solving involving cloud computing systems and infrastructure, creating intuitive systems, business modeling and agile design, data management and business intelligence, cloud systems integration and project management and business experience.

Examples of information systems include airline reservation systems, mobile apps, bank automated teller systems, trading systems for stock exchanges, social media platforms and accounting/auditing systems.

Students can select electives to complement their knowledge base and interests such as in application design and development and other computing infrastructure that focus on the creation and maintenance of application used in smart phones and similar technologies and prepares students for careers as development engineers and system analysts. Students learn to use and manage cloud-based platforms to support and manage business processes and operations in organizations. Some material taught in courses correlate with the knowledge needed to pass professional certification exams.

Students participate in an internship, which involves a summer or a semester of paid professional experience in industry. Internship experience helps show the relevance of on-campus courses to professional work, helps students focus their career plans and often enables students to secure better jobs upon graduation.

The Master of Fine Arts degree in Acting is intended for the returning professional and mentors seasoned professional performers who wish to focus on refining and articulating their acting process, while gaining sound pedagogical practice in performance. The two-year terminal degree provides  candidates with a set of core classes centered around a variety of techniques and theories, within a flexible pedagogical laboratory model. Returning professional students are offered ample opportunity to hone performance and explore teaching skills as they earn a terminal M.F.A. degree in pursuit of employment.

The Master of Arts degree in Biology is for students wishing to gain additional knowledge in any area of the biological sciences. This is a non-thesis master's degree designed for secondary school science teachers, individuals looking for additional background or preparation for professional school (e.g. medicine, dentistry or Ph.D. programs) and those seeking employment in life science industries in a non-research capacity.

The Biology major includes the following optional concentrations:

• The Biological Data Analytics concentration combines required courses in data analytics and elective options in biology to provide students with the understanding of the type of data collected while conducting biological research and how to analyze it.
• The Cellular and Molecular Biology concentration provides a heavy focus on cell-to-cell interactions and signaling pathways to give students a deep understanding of the cellular and molecular processes that occur within cells and physiological systems.
• The Environmental Biology concentration provides students with a balance between better understanding the relationships between organisms and the environment and how this balance can be sustained through environmental management and conservation.
• The Medical Biology concentration provides students with a deep understanding of physiological systems and the mechanisms that underlie various disorders and disease pathologies.

Students who declare the Biology major with no concentration will select their area of specialization in consultation with an academic faculty advisor.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Understand advanced biological concepts beyond the scope of the typical undergraduate degree and to increase the depth of their knowledge through coursework and hands-on experiences.
• Apply scientific principles and appreciate work outside of their particular field.
• Effectively communicate about science with colleagues as well as those outside of the student's area of expertise.
• Develop the necessary laboratory skills that will allow testing of hypotheses.

The Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree in Public Health broadly prepares students to enter the workforce as a public health professional or to enter an advanced program of study. Students explore the five disciplines of public health: biostatistics, environmental health, epidemiology, health policy and management and the social and behavioral sciences through general coursework.

The Public Health major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Allied Health concentration seeks to augment the career portfolio of the allied health professional or aspiring student. Students who are interested in a generalist focus in public health or interested in moving to a professional degree (accelerated nursing) or technical allied health degree (respiratory care, radiologic technology, occupational/physical therapy assisting, etc.) are encouraged to pursue this path.  Students may currently hold or may be actively pursuing a state licensure in an allied health field and may be eligible to receive a maximum 12 credit hours of upper-division credit for their prior experience and demonstrated competency in select areas. Students without a state licensure may still pursue this concentration but will complete 12 hours of coursework in allied health-specific areas. Students in this concentration will be exposed to broad areas of public health including epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, global health and health policy; thus, preparing students to meet the increased demands for a trained and educated public health workforce.
• The Clinical Trials Research concentration focuses on training students in the epidemiology methods used in clinical research. The curriculum provides students a thorough understanding of the management of research studies, the scientific literature related to drugs, medical devices and other new therapies, and the federal regulations related to conducting clinical trials. Students are prepared to design and answer research questions, collect and manage data and communicate research findings to both scientific and lay audiences. An internship experience provides necessary experience in a clinical research setting. Potential places of employment for graduates include hospitals, contract research organizations, medical schools and pharmaceutical companies where graduates assist with and manage clinical research studies.
• The Community Health Outreach and Development concentration focuses on identifying and exploring ways to influence the multi-level determinants of population health and health behaviors, from a perspective that prioritizes health equity and social justice. Approaches focus on community- and system-level strategies to promote health and healthy behaviors among populations and eliminate health disparities through media, policy and education initiatives. Career options include the public sector, social services, non-profit agencies and other community-based health promotion and advocacy efforts. Graduates are prepared to assist with developing, implementing and coordinating public health interventions that promote community health and organize diverse communities around issues related to health and health behavior.
• The Global Health concentration educates students in identifying and working to address the critical public health and human needs of diverse, underserved and vulnerable populations locally and globally. Students learn the need for multidisciplinary (biological and social sciences) approaches and cooperation to address the major global public health problems. In addition, they have the opportunity to focus on a specific aspect of global health, e.g. HIV/AIDS, health policy, health disparities, health education, environmental health, nutrition. Graduates are prepared to work at entry-level positions in public health with local, regional, national or international public health agencies in both public and private sectors. Students who pursue this concentration are required to participate in a study abroad experience and complete four courses (at the elementary and intermediate levels) of either Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish
• The Health Services Administration concentration establishes a foundation for graduate work in health policy and management. Students analyze national and local public health infrastructure, evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of health care delivery and explore the legal and ethical issues of health care administration. Graduates enter the health care workforce as finance managers, compliance officers, patient navigators, insurance specialists and other health care managers. Students are encouraged to pair this concentration with a minor.
• The Pre-Medicine, Dentistry, Osteopathy concentration includes preparatory courses for the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), the Dental Admissions Test (DAT) and admission entry into other professional schools including pharmacy, podiatry, occupational/physical therapy and physicians assistant programs. The overall curriculum—focusing on biological, social and economic determinants of health, prevention and control of diseases, introduction to biostatistics and public health research—makes this program highly desirable for admission to professional schools. The unique features of the program open new opportunities and offer competitive advantages for students seeking to enter into clinical medicine.

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 Public Health degree in Public Health is designed to help students develop real-world knowledge and skills needed to pursue success in the public health industry.

The Public Health major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Epidemiology concentration prepares students to analyze the distribution and determinants of disease, disabilities and death in populations. Graduates are able to apply quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate disease outbreaks, determine causal relationships between environmental and biological factors, and conduct studies to project health trends in populations. Students benefit from public health faculty research agendas in bio-preparedness, public health surveillance systems, chronic disease, cancer and infectious disease epidemiology. Career opportunities for graduates include research positions in universities, medical schools and pharmaceutical companies; disease prevention specialists in hospitals; and surveillance managers in state and local health departments.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) offers an interdisciplinary approach to individual and family development across the lifespan. Students in HDFS receive the knowledge and skills needed to help individuals and families across the lifespan to flourish in a global society. The degree prepares students for a wide range of careers in diverse settings including family and community-based social services, prevention, nonprofit administration, and family and community intervention. Core coursework focuses on development across the lifespan and understanding family relationships, the environments in which individuals live and learn, and the unique strengths and needs of diverse individuals and families. After completing the degree, you will not only make a living, you will make a difference in the world around you.

The Human Development and Family Studies major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Case Management for Individuals and Families concentration provides training in needs assessment and the utilization of available public and private resources. Case managers provide assistance to individuals and families by coordinating services and access to resources. Students in this concentration will learn the skills necessary to understand clients' needs and goals, and develop a plan to achieve these goals with the resources and services available to them. Graduates are eligible for securing positions in a wide array of social service agencies.
• The Child and Youth Development concentration prepares students for working with children and adolescents in non-school settings such as residential treatment, group care, community youth services, foster care and after-school programs. Graduates are able to design and deliver developmentally appropriate programs, preparing children and youth for productive adulthood by emphasizing skills and competency development.
• The Family Life Education concentration prepares graduates to develop and implement educational programming for parents, couples, and families in a variety of education and human service settings. Family life educators teach individuals and families effective communication skills, positive self-esteem, parenting skills and healthy interpersonal skills. Graduates are eligible to apply to be certified family life educators (CFLE), a credential granted by the National Council on Family Relations.
• The Gerontology concentration prepares graduates for professional positions in the diverse field of aging, including health and wellness, community-based social services, retirement communities, adult-care centers and nursing homes. The curriculum provides students with a solid understanding of typical age-related changes and how these changes affect a person physiologically, psychologically and socially. According to the U.S. Census, 20 percent of the total population will be 65 or older by 2030. Because of the increasing number of older persons and the fact that people are generally living longer, there is a growing need for people to work in the field of aging.
• The Human Services concentration is a completer program for students who hold an associate degree in human services. This program prepares graduates for entry-level positions in a variety of human service agencies, including child and family welfare agencies, mental health centers, developmental disability facilities and substance abuse treatment centers.

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 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.

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.