Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics

at Northwest Missouri State University USA

The early childhood education program prepares students to successfully complete the licensure requirements of the program and earn their teaching license with an endorsement in early childhood education. This license enables students to teach children birth through the third grade in multiple settings including public and non-public schools, homes and other community settings.

This program offers a strengths-based approach in working with all children including those with special needs and rights. Along with coursework that is focused on child-centered and culturally sensitive practices, students participate in embedded field experiences in the Phyllis and Richard Leet Center and Horace Mann Laboratory School and partnering community settings. Combined, these learning experiences provide the basis from which theories about development, learning and curriculum come to life for our students.

Individually and as a cohort of learners, students learn an integrated approach to teaching and learning through constructivist curriculum practices and strategies that offer meaningful learning within diverse systems and settings. Opportunities to learn together as critical colleagues who further each other’s reflective thinking skills prepares students for professional collaboration in their future careers.

Across the country, the importance of early childhood education continues to grow as studies indicate the long-term benefits educational opportunities in the early years have on shaping future learning outcomes. Faculty focus on preparing childhood teachers, decision makers and intellectual and ethical leaders to create opportunities for learning that ensures the well-being of children and families in their communities and beyond.

Agronomy: Horticulture majors at Northwest gain a broad knowledge of agriculture, and are also exposed to many diverse greenhouse and nursery production, fruit and vegetable culture as well as landscape and turf fabrication.

Faculty focus on five core areas: greenhouse management and production; vegetable and fruit production methods; post-harvest technology along with food safety and local production issues; landscape, plants, design and maintenance; and sustainability in today’s horticulture industry.

Marketing is the process of understanding and satisfying customer needs. Advertising, personal selling, determining customer groups to target, making products available in stores, and maintaining inventories are just a few activities that help organizations sell their products and services. A major in marketing at Northwest is an interdisciplinary program that provides students an opportunity to interact with surrounding businesses, complete projects that can be utilized in a portfolio, and prepare students for future interviews.

Speech and theatre education majors become certified to teach grades nine through 12 as well as serve as a play directors and forensics or debate coaches. Faculty focus on ensuring students have the skills and techniques to effectively teach as well as a comprehensive understanding of theatre and all communication areas.

Students majoring in speech and theatre education have access to hands-on experiences beginning their freshman years and direct at least one production prior to graduation. To prepare students for a successful college experience and career, faculty provide a mentoring program that matches new students with upperclassman to help balance school and extracurricular activities.

Art majors with an emphasis in printmaking gain skills and techniques in many areas of printmaking such as monoprinting, intaglio, relief and digital processes. Faculty ensure students have experience with all methods of printmaking and the ability to print editions in each medium.

Students in the mathematics major will recognize, represent, and use patterns to creatively address problems in a wide variety of settings. At Northwest, students will see and explore the beauty and utility of mathematics from a diverse faculty of highly qualified and nationally recognized mathematicians.  Upon graduation, students will be able to compete successfully for jobs in business, industry, and government or continue in graduate studies.

Writing majors at Northwest learn skills and techniques in composing content that inspires, communicates, solves problems and seeks truth. Students in Northwest’s writing majors work across the spectrum of writing studies—from writing professional reports to writing poems. Northwest students are not canalized strictly into writing for news media like in a journalism program, to courses in fiction and poetry like in creative writing programs or to vocationally focused genres like technical writing programs. Rather, we’ve designed a major to help and challenge students to grow into flexible, effective, communicative writers.

When employers make hiring decisions, they seek smart people who write well. Northwest’s writing major is like cross-training for today’s job market. You will receive professional training without an expiration date—a liberal arts degree that prepares you for your first job after college and every job you decide to do after. We think studying writing is excellent preparation for life as an artist, scholar, citizen and professional—all the things that you should be when you finish a rigorous undergraduate education at a supportive university, and all the things you need to succeed in contemporary life.

Agronomy majors at Northwest gain fundamental training in the study of crop and soil management. Faculty focus on three core areas to ensure student success: fundamental principles of producing healthy, bountiful and sustainable crops; science of soil as a natural resource and component of agro ecosystems; and methods of determining and implementing solutions to crop and soil management systems.

This major offers three different areas of focus:

• Crop Science
• Horticulture
• Soil Science

Northwest’s Master of Science in Applied Computer Science is a 16-month program that offers a hands-on, professional education in today's high demand areas including big data, web and cross-platform mobile development, security and design of user experience. Applied development courses coupled with data, projects as well as software and IT management enable students to distinguish themselves and graduate ready to contribute in a competitive, global market.

The Business Technology major is a unique combination of business and cutting-edge technology courses. Professors provide a strong foundation in business and technical skills that teach the most up-to-date techniques. Students complete the common professional component and high-demand courses that ultimately prepare them to be marketable and competitive for employment in a technology-driven environment.