Master of Arts in Communication Studies

at Kent State University USA

The Master of Arts degree in Speech Language Pathology educates competent speech-language pathologists to critically evaluate communication disorders and the methods used in the habilitation and rehabilitation of those disorders.

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology and Justice Studies takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of crime, law and justice. Faculty members view crime, deviance and society’s response from the fields of sociology, political science, psychology and traditional criminal justice viewpoints. The curriculum provides a firm understanding of the basic institutions of the criminal justice system. Students are also exposed to criminological theory and diversity courses, which help them understand the complex relationship between the individual, society and the criminal justice system. The program stresses effective writing and analytical skills. Students are afforded the opportunity to earn credit through internship placements.

Students select at least one concentration in consultation with a faculty advisor or the undergraduate coordinator. Consultations with faculty enable students to make informed choices about which combination of courses will maximize their preparation for future careers and graduate education.

The Criminology and Justice Studies major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Corrections concentration is for students interested in pursuing careers in institutional corrections for adults or juveniles, or in such community corrections fields as probation and parole.
• The Criminology and Deviance concentration is for students interested in understanding the origins and nature of deviance and crime, their patterns and societal responses; this concentration is appropriate for students preparing for graduate study in sociology, criminology, criminal justice, public policy or social work.
• The General–Criminology and Justice Studies concentration is for students who either choose not to pursue specializations within the major or wish to pursue an individualized program of study (through general electives), which does not align with the other concentrations.
• The Justice and Human Relations concentration is for students interested in such fields as social work, counseling, clinical psychology, victimology, victim advocacy, juvenile justice, public/community relations in criminal justice, community organizing, diversity or social justice. (Interdisciplinary training and/or specialized graduate training are necessary for careers in many of those fields.)
• The Law and Society concentration is for students interested in the social relevance of law and social influences on law; this concentration is appropriate preparation for law school or graduate study in the social sciences.
• The Policing concentration is for students intending careers in law enforcement and other occupations related to security and public safety.
• The Victimology concentration is relevant for students interested in the scholarly study of crime victims, their treatment in the justice systems and programs that serve victims. It is useful for those interested in victim advocacy.

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 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 Science in Information Technology degree in Information Technology provides students with an applied approach that focuses on supporting end-users in a variety of workplace settings by utilizing a range of computing technologies. The degree program gives students the tools to support computing and network infrastructures and the needs of individuals and organizations, write programs necessary to help them render their tasks more efficiently on their desktop or mobile devices, utilize databases and write the web-based interfaces to pull the data, and code and deploy applications across the cloud.

Graduates are qualified to work in a wide range of computer and network infrastructures in small to large-sized enterprises in such positions as: web or software developer; hardware, network, cloud, virtualization technician or engineer; IT support specialist or consultant; help desk, network, or IT project manager; security or forensic analyst; and systems, network or database administrator in all sectors of business, education, manufacturing, healthcare, non-profit, and government.

The Information Technology major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Application Development concentration provides students with the ability to program in languages typically utilized in contemporary business environments. Students will code in applications such as Visual Basic, C++, Java, C# and other industry-standard applications to develop programs employing event-driven and object-oriented techniques.
• The Cybersecurity and Forensics concentration places an emphasis on security of computer and network systems, including forensic work to prevent and/or determine and correct security issues utilizing cybersecurity devices, procedures, tools, and solutions.
• The Database Design and Administration concentration focuses on skills needed to become a database manager. Topics include relational database design; working with database servers, users, and permissions; SQL statements used for queries and reports; and incorporating databases into programming used in web-based and desktop forms.
• The Health Information Technology concentration provides students with the tools to install, manage, troubleshoot and secure hardware and software systems in healthcare environments. The course of study includes health IT privacy, security, EHR Implementation and support, mobile device management, technology and application life-cycle management, organizational behavior, medical business operations and regulatory requirements.
• The Integrated Information Technology concentration is ideal for students who want a flexible course of study for positions that require IT staff to perform a wide range of technical duties.
• The Internet/Multimedia concentration focuses on scripting, server-side form handling, web database integration, and interactive and dynamic multimedia Internet development.
• The Networking concentration focuses on configuring and maintaining network information systems and components in various network operating system and cloud computing environments that are prevalent in today's businesses. The emphasis is on network administration (i.e. managing Active Directory and network services), servers, workstations, virtualization, security, troubleshooting, installation, and maintenance.

The Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance provides students with an academic background appropriate for entry into a financial career, including financial management, investments, banking/financial institutions, risk/insurance and related areas. The courses are designed to provide students with an understanding of the relationship between business finance and the economic system in the context of managerial analysis and decision making.

The Master of Arts degree in Ethnomusicology is designed to offer students a solid foundation in regional studies of music style, performance practice, history and cultural associations in order to prepare students for continued graduate studies at the doctoral level and/or public sector careers in world music. The program integrates theoretical perspectives relevant to the discipline with these practical aims, so that students can communicate effectively with persons within and outside the field of ethnomusicology. While a balanced global coverage is emphasized, Kent State music faculty focus on studies in Central Africa, mainland Southeast Asia, East Asia, the Caribbean, North and South America and the Middle East, as well as popular music studies. Theoretical concerns include sociocultural identity, semiotics, gender studies, politics and power, ritual studies, globalization and hybridity, as well as studies in inter-related arts (e.g., dance and theatre).

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

• Recognize, identify, interpret and discuss theoretical concerns and important contributions of historical figures in the field of ethnomusicology, as well as representative music styles from different historical periods, countries and ethnic populations.
• Demonstrate and apply fieldwork techniques including proficiency with photography, videography and audio recording, interviewing and participant-observation research.
• Demonstrate the ability to plan and execute an efficient and productive lecture presentation in an academic setting for use at professional conferences, concert performances and classroom teaching that includes time management, clear and effective explanation, efficient use of multi-media, and successful question and answer interactions.
• Utilize and discuss theoretical issues related to ethnomusicology and related disciplines, such as socio-cultural identity, semiotics, gender studies, politics and power, ritual studies, globalization and hybridity.
• Identify, explain, and utilize performance pedagogy.
• Analyze compositional forms, appropriate to the specific vocal or instrumental areas of study.
• Display performance and interpretation skills in music.

The Master of Arts degree in Art History emphasizes obtaining a comprehensive view of world art and specializing in one area for the thesis. Specializations may include contemporary African, medieval, Renaissance, early modern, modern, American or contemporary art and critical theory.

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

• Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the diverse character of visual and performative art traditions from a diversity of historic and cultural traditions.
• Demonstrate advanced knowledge in a particular period of art or a particular non-Western culture.
• Engage with and develop a variety of arguments relevant to particular art historical projects.
• Demonstrate skills in written and oral discourse.
• Observe, describe and interpret art objects, events and concepts within a cultural context.
• Access and utilize relevant primary and secondary source material in diverse formats, including digital technology.

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 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.