Bachelor of Science in Business Economics

at Northwest Missouri State University USA

A comprehensive major in Geography: Geographic Information Science (GIS) prepares students for a job in  science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, as well as humanities and social sciences.

At Northwest, students work directly with geography faculty who specialize in GIS. The interdisciplinary program is designed for students interested in spatial technology careers, including urban planning, precision agriculture, remote sensing, cartography and global positioning systems. Additionally, students have access to several state-of-the-art computer labs and the latest versions of industry-standard GIS software packages to ensure they are competitive in the job market.

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.

Comprehensive communication majors emphasizing in public relations learn methods to understanding targeted audiences, and explaining products, services and missions to a specific audience. Faculty focus on oral, written and verbal communication skills as well as problem-solving skills to effectively meet the needs of management and the targeted audience.

All faculty members teaching public relations classes have professional experience, providing practical knowledge as well as professional contacts in the field.

Computer science powers modern society. Whether you make a purchase on Amazon, do a search on Google, send a tweet, or check your email on a smartphone, you are leveraging the power of computer science. There is literally no area of human endeavor in which computer science does not play a major role. Agriculture, banking, healthcare, social media, everywhere you look, computer science is there. It is transformative.

Our program teaches both the theory and practice of computer science, preparing students for a career in computing or a path to graduate school. Students learn the essential theory that underlies the discipline, knowledge that makes them well-rounded and informs them as they develop software. On the practical side, students learn how to discover and document what end-users need; develop algorithms to solve those problems; assess the efficiency of those algorithms; and finally how to implement those algorithms in various programming languages.

Students can get a general degree in computer science, or focus on one of three emphasis areas: Information Security and Assurance, Data Management or Mobile Computing.

The food services program emphasizes the importance of marketing, management, nutrition, quantity food service, food science and menu design. It is available for students wanting a career in event planning or restaurant and bar management. To ensure student success after graduation, faculty focus on implementing hands-on experiences in the classroom with projects like establishing financial plans for a successful food service operation business.

Special Education majors at Northwest are eligible to teach special education in kindergarten through twelfth grade, elementary education (first through sixth grade) and all student with disabilities. Faculty focus on teaching students the characteristics of children with disabilities in order to determine appropriate evidence-based teaching strategies to benefit their learning; methods to collaborate with teachers to meet the needs of student to include co-teaching; and an in-depth knowledge of content areas.

The Applied Health Science major at Northwest prepares students for careers in the health, fitness, and wellness industry and for graduate studies in areas such as athletic training, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. Students graduating from the program are prepared to develop and deliver comprehensive health and wellness programs that enhance physical, cognitive, and psychosocial well-being of individuals and the community as a whole.

Courses in the Applied Health Science program include content such as human anatomy, the positioning and function of bones, and muscles, and their relationships within the human body; human physiology, the study of the interrelationship between organs and organ systems; exercise science, how the body reacts and performs with physical activity; promoting health, teaching health-related and disease prevention concepts to the general public.

Earning a Political Science degree at Northwest prepares students for multiple employment opportunities in public service and private sectors including federal, state and local government, law, criminal justice system, municipal planning, city management, urban affairs, education, non-profit administration, campaigns and elections, public policy analysis and internal development and relations.

The major has three areas of emphasis: the american institutions (formerly criminal justice) emphasis provides an understanding of legislatures, police prosecutors, public offenders and courts and corrections; the public administration emphasis focuses on the decision making process and job opportunities in public organizations and local, state, federal and international agencies; and the global affairs emphasis studies the global trends and events, and enhances intercultural understanding.

Comprehensive communication majors emphasizing in rhetoric at Northwest learn to research, create and deliver persuasive messages and listen critically to these messages. In this major, students study the core areas of communication theory, public speaking, writing, group behavior, persuasion and interpersonal communication. Additional areas of study include intercultural communication, argumentation and classical, modern and postmodern rhetorical theory and method as applied to an American issue.

Professionals in the field are civically engaged, critically analyze how people develop persuasive messages as well as how those messages affect public perception of the subject. They identify logical and ethical problems within persuasive messages, or with their effects on particular groups or communities and intervene to increase awareness and understanding.

Our graduate program in English is unique to the region in that most of our literature, writing, and creative writing classes are broadly conceived "umbrella" classes. The specific content of these courses change each time the class is offered. This system allows students the variety and depth of experience that characterize effective Master's level programs in English.

M.A. in English with Speech Emphasis
Students in the M.A. program may elect to take a concentration in Speech by declaring their intention to do so when filing for candidacy. They will be advised to take their six hours of unspecified electives in Speech, and, depending on their backgrounds in English, they may elect to take up to an additional six hours in Speech. In no case will a student take fewer than 14 hours of English.

Students seeking the M.A. in English with a Speech emphasis will complete a Department of Language, Literature, and Writing portfolio and oral defense and will complete a comprehensive examination in the area of Speech. Each department will be responsible for constructing and evaluating its part of the final assessment.