Bachelor of Arts in Political Science - Global Affairs

at Northwest Missouri State University USA

Recreation majors at Northwest is the study of play and leisure in an individual’s life and methods to improve quality of life. Student can emphasize in:

• Recreation and Park Management which prepares students for program leadership and development, and budget and facility management;
• Corporation Recreation/Wellness which involve programs related to a person’s physical well-being;
• Therapeutic Recreation which prepares students with the skills to assess and evaluate the needs for individuals with special needs; and
• Sport Management prepares students for leadership roles in professional, collegiate and community sports organizations.

The math education major is an accredited program primarily focused on the skills needed for teaching secondary education. Students take both mathematics and education classes to help understand the concept behind mathematical formulas and develop the tools necessary to teach future students on those concepts.

Class sizes are small and follow a cohort model. Students learn the latest techniques and technology to effectively teach high school students, using tablets, smartboards and software programs.

Physics is the study of basic principles that govern the universe such as the underlying laws of matter, space, time, etc. Physics majors at Northwest get hands-on learning opportunities while using experimental equipment using the gamma ray spectroscopes to study nuclear physics and electrical circuits to study and understand the components and how they work.

Physics emphasis areas include:

• Biological Science
• Computer Science
• General
• Geological Science

Biology/Psychology: Biology majors emphasizing in Biomedical Sciences at Northwest study topics such as human anatomy, the positioning, structure and function of bones, muscles and organs within the human body; human physiology, the study of the interrelationship between organs and organ systems; and other fundamentals of the physical and life sciences.

A major in Agricultural Media with an emphasis in journalism focuses on the development of stories that are relevant to the agriculture community. Students learn to advocate for agriculture by explaining science, technologies and complex agricultural issues through various platforms. Coursework includes classes in agricultural science, advertising, marketing, journalism and media.

A major in Business Management at Northwest teaches students methods for managing and leading professional employees, motivating people on the job, producing quality products, scheduling maximum efficiency, and managing financial entanglements among companies. Students develop skills and knowledge in critical thinking, analyzing and effective communication techniques in a career. Hands-on approaches are utilized in preparation for a career in business while working in teams, learning negotiation skills, conflict resolution, operations of running a business, and presentation skills in upper level courses.

Biology Education majors at Northwest study the curricular content as well as methods to apply it into a classroom. This major prepares students to teach all biology courses at the secondary education level (grades 9-12).

Students take courses in the biology curriculum that focus on botany, zoology, physiology, cell (molecular) biology or bio-chemistry, evolution and diversity, genetics and ecology. Faculty incorporate practical teaching knowledge where students learn to implement a curriculum in the classroom, create a positive classroom environment, methods of effective communication, and techniques of assessing learner’s progress in the classroom.

Finance majors at Northwest focus on three areas: financial services, corporate finance and finance management.

• Financial Services prepares students for the financial services industry. This comprises the professions of brokerage, insurance, real estate, and banking. In this business sector the students will need to understand the products customers purchase and how to relate this information to the customer.
• Corporate Finance provides students with the tools to work within the corporate structure under the chief financial officer, where accounting and financial information is used to make corporate decisions. Students will communicate with both the financial and accounting personnel and identify accounting information and financial models for decision making.
• Financial Management permits students to prepare for a position in management rather than a staff position in finance under the corporate treasurer. This option blends the knowledge of finance and management so the student is prepared to make management decisions that require an understanding of finance. Almost all decisions in business require a balance of interests from all functional business areas, using the decision-making process and the tools of finance to guide the corporation to the achievement of its goal.

Theatre performance majors engage in a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to performance. Students learn through improvisation and script analysis; acting techniques that include knowledge through a variety of historical and physical styles including Greek, Elizabethan, restoration and 20th century “isms”; as well as techniques to increase vocal and physical awareness of the actor. Students gain hands-on experiences through classroom work, work-shopping, internships and on-stage productions from seasoned professionals in performance theatre.

A degree in History prepares students for careers in government, public service, business industry, archives, museums and historical preservation as well as writing and research.

As a history major at Northwest, students become familiar with the human experience and determine how history fits into the context of the world. Students will study the evolution of the earliest man to the present day, as well as events and values as well as causes and effects that determine how the world has been shaped. At Northwest, students are taught to become critical thinkers who study evidence in order to obtain a conclusion and communicate that information in clear, concise methods.  

Professors offer relatively small classes and close interaction with students. Additionally, all upper-level courses are taught by University instructors rather than graduate assistants.