Bachelor of Science in Informatics with Emphasis in Ecoinformatics

at Northern Arizona University - Flagstaff Campus USA

The B.A. in Comparative Cultural Studies is a 49-58 credit degree whose aim is to provide students with a comparative, integrative and global approach to the study of human culture in its diversity and interconnections. The different emphases in the CCS B.A. degree introduce students to the complexities of diverse human cultures, both past and present; in the process, they develop the skills of analysis, interpretation and communication crucial to both their academic and professional development.

A Bachelor of Science in History provides students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to succeed in civic life, in graduate study, and in a variety of careers.  Our program emphasizes the complex tensions and synergies between human agency and larger historical forces in order to inform honest debate on past and current events as members of engaged, critical, and dynamic communities.  Historical perspective is an essential component of responsible and informed citizenship and provides significant advantages to students in a multicultural world and workplace. Our graduates attain the writing skills, research methods, and critical and analytical thinking necessary not only for history professions, but for a wide variety of career paths, such as management, law, and education in both academic and public settings.
 
Our curriculum trains students to find, evaluate, and employ primary and secondary sources as evidence to frame and answer questions through analysis, interpretation, and critical engagement. Students therefore learn to reach sound judgments and construct persuasive arguments through research rather than by relying on hearsay or presumptions. Students further develop appreciation for the diversity of the human experience and consciousness of how local and global histories inform one another in both past and present, and how historical research can transform those relations. In addition, students gain expertise in another discipline to complement the practice of historical inquiry with an interdisciplinary approach.

The Bachelor of Arts in English prepares graduates for any future that demands proficiency in literature, language, and writing, as well as general excellence in resourceful, well-informed communication. Our graduates recognize the close weave of logical thought and effective expression, strive for more persuasive or more creative uses of English, possess the sense and insight to appreciate the value and quality of literature, have developed their historical and cultural imaginations by studying the marks of other times and diverse peoples in language and text, and recognize the global contexts of English as well as the social, civic, and environmental responsibilities that come with a liberal education. Our graduates have attained the high-level literacy skills and have practiced the research methods needed to compete in graduate and professional schools and to succeed in the workplace. With our help, they have prepared themselves to become productive, responsible members of the communities in which they live and work.

The Comprehensive Emphasis encourages students to explore multiple exciting fields of English study. Students practice creative, linguistic, literary, and rhetorical modes of analysis, and they have opportunities to engage with digital media studies and professional and technical writing. The Comprehensive Emphasis offers a well-rounded undergraduate experience and allows students to select their own path of study.

The mission of Northern Arizona University Social Work Program, grounded in the history, purpose, and values of the profession, is to educate competent generalist social workers for practice with diverse populations and multi-level social systems in local, regional and global contexts.

The generalist practice for which we educate is based on social work knowledge, values, and skills; geared to practice with rural and Indigenous populations of the Southwest; and, focused on addressing poverty, structural racism, and oppression; providing leadership in promoting human rights and social and economic justice; and service with vulnerable and underserved populations locally, regionally, and globally.

The mission of our social work program to educate competent generalist social workers is expressed in the following goals:

• To prepare competent generalist social workers with the knowledge, values, and skills for engaging in individual, family, group, organization, and community planned change processes with diverse rural, vulnerable, and underserved populations locally, regionally, and globally;
• To promote identification with the profession, continued professional development, and enhancement of knowledge, values, and skills for generalist social work practice; and
• To provide service to the community and promote social and economic justice.

The Personalized Learning Bachelor’s degree in Management is built around workplace competencies and prepares students to pursue management careers in a broad spectrum of opportunities in corporate, non-profit, public service or military settings. The curriculum is designed in consultation with business leaders and competencies identified by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs and the Society for Human Resource Management to ensure students a comprehensive and relevant educational experience.

 Management Core

• Analyze management principles from a global perspective
• Engage in strategic, critical and innovative thinking
• Examine organizational ethics
• Engage in effective Managerial Communication
• Examine Leadership as it relates to Organizational Management
• Manage financial resources to support the fiscal health and strategic goals of an organization
• Analyze technology management and applications
• Examine the inextricable relationships between operations and the global movement of goods and services-supply chain
• Marketing to a global economy
• Recruit and manage talent as part of a strategic business plan.

The Bachelor of Arts in Modern Languages provides students with a socio-cultural and historical background as well as linguistic abilities to engage with French, German, Japanese, and Spanish speaking populations from around the world in a variety of social and cultural contexts. Through linguistic, literary and cultural approaches to the study of the French, German, Japanese, and Spanish language, our students develop speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills that allow them to understand and interact effectively with diverse cultures. Throughout this process the students develop cognitive skills in critical thinking and analysis and recognize the importance of being able to function in a global society. With their linguistic abilities in French, German, Japanese, and Spanish, they are better able to compete for career opportunities in the domestic and global job markets and are prepared to become productive, responsible members of the local, national and international communities in which they live and work.

Criminal justice in Indian Country is a unique, complex, and specialized field that is presently not taught at any university in the United States. To be proficient, a professional working in this field must know and understand how to analyze essential facets and challenges of the field, such as: 1) the parameters of Indian Country; 2) the process to determine who is an American Indian; 3) the distinction between an American Indian person’s “political status” and “racial status” and within the context of enrolled membership; 4) whether federal law, American Indian nation law, state law, or a combination of the laws of two jurisdictions applies; 5) whether the criminal procedure rights of the U.S. Constitution, the Indian Civil Rights Act, or the American Indian nation’s Bill of Rights apply; and 6) which court – federal, American Indian nation, or state – would have jurisdiction over the matter. Throughout the program, these analyses are undertaken based upon the fundamental principle that American Indian nations are self-governing sovereigns and that current federal Indian policy promotes self-determination, self-government, and nation-building. The major in Indian Country Criminal Justice educates students with accurate, current knowledge about criminal justice and culturally-appropriate justice services on Indigenous lands, and helps students develop the unique skills they need to pursue criminal justice careers on and around Indigenous lands, with Indigenous peoples, in Indigenous communities, and with justice institutions of self-governing Indigenous nations.

The Bachelor of Science in Political Science degrees provide students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to understand and participate in the political systems of the United States and the world. This degree provides a broad perspective on experiences, international and domestic, from both theory and practice.

These degrees build a strong foundation in the basic knowledge of the political world, including contemporary political thought and public policies, and enables students to be able to use key concepts and analytical approaches from Political Theory, U.S. Government and Politics, Comparative Politics and International relations.

Building upon this fundamental knowledge, our curriculum ensures that students can define, design, and implement effective research projects in political science.  In addition, they will be able to make clear and effective demonstrations of their work in writing and in public presentations.  Students will also leave this program ready to understand, and be able to meet, the expectations of professionalism and citizenship.  Students in the BA degree will also leave with an ability speak, read, and write in a second language.

Our goal is to train students to be active, engaged, and informed participants in the global system who cannot only understand the world around them but also shape and influence it.

The mission of Personalized Learning’s Liberal Arts Bachelor degree program is to provide adult and self-motivated learners an opportunity to study broadly from history, philosophy, literature, and the arts by providing students exposure to a vast array of texts integrated into interdisciplinary units in order to give students a broader understanding of the interrelationship of concepts and ideas from varying disciplinary subjects. As well, our degree program seeks to offer students an affordable, self-paced learning environment that honors previous knowledge and real world experiences.

The Master of Public Health prepares students for public health professions emphasizing the planning, implementation, and evaluation of health programs and policies. We aim to prepare public health professionals to address the health needs of diverse and underserved communities in northern Arizona and beyond. Students gain knowledge and skills in biostatistics, epidemiology, public health research, program planning and evaluation, health policy and management, and environmental health. We support student development through offering high quality instruction, which includes opportunities for professional growth and community engagement in public health and nutrition. The Health Promotion concentration addresses chronic disease prevention and epidemiology, social and structural determinants of health, and innovative uses of technology in public health and health promotion. Students in the Health Promotion concentration can tailor their program plan electives to align with their career interests. Students in this concentration also have the option of completing an Indigenous Health track, which prepares students to support public health initiatives relevant to tribal communities. The Health Promotion concentration is designed for students who are interested in public health careers or other allied health fields. With the training, research, and internship experiences offered, graduates are well prepared to address the health needs within their communities.