Bachelor of Science in Strategic Communication with Emphasis in Public Relations

at Northern Arizona University - Flagstaff Campus USA

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.

Emphasis in Japanese

• Create with language to express meanings orally on concrete topics relating to work, school, home, and leisure activities using all major time frames (present, past, and future). They can interact with native speakers unaccustomed to dealing with non-natives, and handle complicated or unexpected communicative tasks. (Speaking skills)
• Identify and use main ideas and details from connected aural discourse involving description and narration in different timeframes or aspects, and about a variety of topics beyond immediacy of the situation for communicative purposes. (Listening skills)
• Identify and use main ideas and details from authentic, connected, longer, written texts involving description and narration in different formats about a variety of topics for communicative purposes. (Reading skills)
• Create with language to express meanings in written form about familiar topics using the major timeframes with some control of aspect. (Writing skills)
• Think critically and analytically in response to socio-cultural, historical, and linguistic issues and/or classic and contemporary literary texts related to the culture of the target language. (Critical thinking and analytical skills)
• Understand the cultural, political and artistic diversity of perspectives, practices and products of the target language populations including how racial and ethnic diversity relates to those perspectives, practices and products. (Globalization - Diversity)
• Recognize, investigate, and produce written and oral discourse in the target language communicating findings about historical and contemporary issues important to life in countries of the target language.
• Explore how historical, political, religious and economic forces have shaped the current world system with its power inequalities and efforts to address them with a focus on the culture of the target language. (Globalization – Global Engagement)
• Analyze the structure and use of the language at the sound, word, and sentence level.
• Summarize different linguistic features observed in different dialects in terms of historical change, geographical location and social variables.
• Explore and analyze the role of human interactions with the environment and its relation to the root causes of many global problems focusing on those occurring in the culture of the target language. (Globalization - Environmental Sustainability)

The MA in Communication provides students with advanced skills in communication analysis, problem solving, critical thinking, research, theoretical application, argumentation, and written communication.  Students choose from either the MA in Communication (with no emphasis) or the MA in Communication with an emphasis in Documentary Studies.

The MA in Communication provides a foundation of the basic research methods, theories, and standards of argument in the academic study of communication.  Students explore theories and research in a variety of communicative contexts with an emphasis on the application of concepts, theories, and research to real-world issues.  Students will be able to access, understand, evaluate, and apply research, concepts, and theories.  Students will engage in original research and/or the application of existing research, concepts, and theories to specific situations for the purpose of problem-solving and/or evaluation, including effective message design.  Students will learn the expectations of academic argument in communication as well as how to effectively communicate their findings to diverse audiences.  The MA in Communication (with no emphasis) will be of relevance to working professionals in a variety of fields, educators, activists, and those preparing to pursue a PhD in Communication, Communication Studies, Rhetoric, or related disciplines.

This advanced program of study offers students a choice between a thesis and an extended coursework option. This advanced degree allows students to explore the discipline of mathematics to meet their personal goals.

The MS Mathematics degree program provides students the content knowledge, as well as abstract reasoning and communication skills, which constitute a broad foundation in graduate-level mathematics.  This foundation illuminates the inter-connection between different branches of mathematics and is the theoretical basis for validating and critically assessing the mathematical principles and methods necessary for continued studies in mathematics beyond the master’s degree or for work that graduates may perform in industry, education or government agencies.

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 Literature Emphasis engages students in the study of the literary arts. Students gain an understanding of the sociohistorical context of literary production and reception and have the opportunity to study specific eras, cultural traditions, genres, and critical and interpretative methods, while simultaneously refining their skills in literary analysis. Students become well-versed in historical and contemporary discourse within the field and in the terminology used in literary studies. This work deepens their knowledge of how various texts (film, comics, video games, novels, poems, drama, etc.) evince meaning by using particular language structures, forms, and rhetorical strategies. Among other widely transferable skills, students learn how to write fluently and eloquently. They also learn how to make effective use of primary textual sources in their analyses and develop a repertoire of skills that includes the search for and incorporation of scholarly sources in support of their own analytical arguments.

The Environmental and Sustainability Studies program at NAU constructs an interdisciplinary base of knowledge and skills that integrates humanistic disciplines and perspectives with natural and social scientific approaches to develop real-world solutions to our environmental and sustainability challenges, from the local to the global.

Our BS/BA degree program begins with a firm grounding in natural systems, to ensure all students understand how physical and biological processes maintain life, and how humans are affecting, and are affected by, the natural world. In addition to the natural sciences, students will also obtain a solid understanding of the environment through focusing on the social sciences and humanities in order to develop a critical appreciation of the historical, political,economic and ethical forces that have shaped our current environmental issues. This will prepare students for work in non-profit, government and community-action organizations.

Students will work together in field and lab environments to apply rigorous qualitative and quantitative methods to environmental and sustainability issues, exploring interdisciplinary impacts and solutions that range across space and time. Interdisciplinary experience is centered around focus areas or specific environmental problems, rather than disciplines. This structure produces students well-trained in both the fundamentals of multiple disciplines as well as specific knowledge needed to understand, analyze and become engaged in particular issues and professions. Additionally for the BA degree, students will attain foreign language competency and experience with cross-cultural communication to better understand the impact of environmental issues on global communities.

As a student in the Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, you’ll take courses, do fieldwork, and participate in practica and internships that will prepare you to be an applied counseling/psychotherapy practitioner in behavioral health agencies, clinics, hospitals and eventually private practices.

This program meets the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) coursework requirements of Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners and for national counselor certification of the National Board for Certified Counselors.

The purpose of the Northern Arizona University Bachelor of Business Administration Program is to provide excellent business management and related higher education using the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award standards for education as applied through the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) accreditation. We seek to be a premier provider of Baldrige-Quality business management and related higher education with an emphasis on value and accessibility. We focus on core business competencies within a global context.

Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to:

• Think creatively, analyze and synthesize data from multiple perspectives
• Analyze and use financial information
• Solve problems using decision-making tools and theories,
• Engage others through effective interpersonal skills
• Communicate effectively in oral and written formats,
• Work well in team settings
• Design and implement effective strategies for the global marketplace, and
• Discern the underpinning ethical issues in local and global business decision-making, including those involving social responsibility, environmental sustainability, and profitability.

The global context for the core competencies will be addressed in all relevant classes across the curriculum. We provide online and hybrid classes for learning through the application of technology, as well as opportunities to study as part-time students. We provide opportunities for students to apply leadership skills through Phi Beta Lamda, as well as competitive challenges involving other business programs in Arizona and nationally. We collaborate with other universities globally and within the region to provide direct international experience. We facilitate regional business development through our innovative incubator program.

This degree provides interactive performance training in either voice or instrument. These emphases are backed by a rich variety of coursework in theory, ear training, music history, and musical genres. The emphasis in Voice requires a demonstration of proficiency in French, German, or Italian.

The purpose of the Bachelor of Music Performance degree program is to prepare students as performers in a variety of settings, along with developing skills as teaching artists and musician-entrepreneurs.  Students are also prepared for further study at the graduate and/or professional level.

The Bachelor of Science in Sociology program provides students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to enter the world of social and government services, business, industry, and organizations. The sociological perspective is essential for succeeding in today’s multiethnic and multinational work force. Our sociology major stresses an awareness of social factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, age, education, and social class that both influence and are affected by social structures. This perspective is an excellent preparation for a wide variety of occupations.
 
This degree builds a strong foundational knowledge in the study of social life, social change, diverse communities and their interactions. Our curriculum is designed to ensure that students have a strong substantive understanding in one of our concentration areas: social justice and inequality; culture and community; environment, globalization, and sustainability; or, health. Our curriculum further ensures that students can use scientific methods to find empirical answers to complex social questions. In addition, they will be able to make clear and effective demonstrations of their work orally and in writing. Students will leave this program with an ability to make sense of the shifting social world and contribute solutions to difficult social problems.

Sociology graduates are critically informed, value diversity and equality, and use their knowledge of sociology to pursue careers that promote these ideals.

The B.S. in Computer Engineering will prepare you to work with other engineers and scientists to develop innovative consumer electronics, sensors and instrumentation, integrated circuits, communication systems, computers, and control systems.  Computer engineers use digital design and engineering skills to design microcontrollers, microprocessors, and computing systems of all sizes.
 
Coursework and learning experiences in our program provides students with professional preparation in the study and application of the principles of mathematics, computer science, physics, and the natural sciences for the analysis, design, test, manufacture, and maintenance of computing systems.   In addition to the underlying principles of electricity and computing, our curriculum provides you with a solid foundation in problem-solving, analysis, design, project management and preparation for professional licensure.  Students have multiple opportunities to learn and practice design starting with our introductory engineering design class and culminating in a Capstone experience that involves engineering design, project management, teamwork and significant client communication.
 
Our curriculum will help you pursue a career designing and developing the latest smart phone, electronic chips, and products in between that benefit people by connecting, healing, informing, entertaining, defending, and providing the essentials for life.