Bachelor of Arts, Major in English with Emphasis in Spanish Language and Culture

at Pittsburg State University USA

The Department of English and Modern Languages offers baccalaureate degrees and a master’s degree program. Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) programs are offered in English and in Modern Languages. A Bachelor of Science in Education and a master’s program are also offered in English. The department offers minors in English, English Teaching, Creative Writing, French, Professional Writing, and Spanish.

English, Traditional -  Emphasis
Our students in the English Program take pride in their ability to analyze literature and formulate academic writing from those analyses. This desire has culminated in the traditional emphasis at Pitt State. We believe that understanding literature not only gives students greater academic knowledge but also prepares them for a career in academia or academic writing.

Students in this emphasis spend their time working hand-in-hand with our staff to read and analyze literature, while also learning how to formulate powerful arguments that can be used for conferences and other academic pursuits. Some of the classes we offer include Writing About Literature, British Literature, and American Literature.

The Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs at Pittsburg State University (PSU) provide quality opportunities in the development and growth of competent CTE teachers through a variety of options. Students can select a certificate, two-year degree, four-year degree or a graduate level degree to expand their teaching options and professional advancement.

The Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation (HHPR) is located in the new Student Recreation Center. The HHPR faculty possess a wide array of specializations. The department offers undergraduate degree programs in Exercise Science, Recreation Services, Sport and Hospitality Management, and Physical Education, five minors and certificates in Dance, Coaching, and Hospitality Management, as well as a graduate program in HHPR. Within each of the degree programs, there are emphases/concentration areas from which students select the professional paths that best fit their needs.

Therapeutic Recreation - Emphasis
The Therapeutic Recreation emphasis prepares students for supervisory and leadership positions in various hospital, private and community-based organizations delivering care as recreation therapists to individuals with various disabilities and ability levels.  Recreational therapists work with a variety of individuals requiring health services such as: physical medicine and rehabilitation, pediatrics, geriatrics, mental and behavioral health, addictions, veterans and developmental disabilities.  Students completing the Therapeutic Recreation emphasis allows them to sit for the National Council on Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) Exam.

The Department of Physics at Pittsburg State University was founded in 1962 and has been dedicated to the outstanding teaching of undergraduate and graduate physics students ever since. Our faculty members are trained in a wide variety of physics-related fields and have industrial and research laboratory experience. We pride ourselves in getting to know our students and helping them through their years of academic growth at PSU.

Professional Sequence
The Bachelor of Science Degree in Physics with a Professional Emphasis features core courses and advanced training in theoretical physics along with electives. This combination prepares students for advanced training in graduate school, where they will seek a specialty.

The Department of Family & Consumer Sciences offers baccalaureate degrees and a cooperative master’s degree program. B.S. programs are offered in Nutrition and Wellness, Community and Family Services, and two tracks in Child Development. A B.S.E. program is offered in Family and Consumer Sciences Education. The department has an Early Childhood Unified: Birth - Kindergarten program. The department offers minors in Child Development, Family and Consumer Sciences, Human Ecology, Nutrition and Wellness, and Youth and Adolescent Development. The department also contributes to minors in Women’s Studies and Public Health. 

Community and Family Services - Emphasis
The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at Pittsburg State University is one of two Family and Consumer Sciences programs in Kansas and is known for getting students involved in professional development opportunities that will lead to employment across the nation. The students who select the Community and Family Services emphasis are known for their involvement with the KAFCS student organization.

Our geography students acquire superior skills in critical thinking and analysis, dynamic communication, computer usage, and analysis in a number of software areas. We strive to keep students on the cutting edge of technology. These technological skills, critical thinking skills, and the overall applied nature of a geography education provide students with abilities that are in demand at public and private agencies. Students also gain the expert knowledge and training they need to pursue admission to graduate programs, if that is part of their career plan.

Geography programs are part of History, Philosophy and Social Sciences department. The programs provide high-quality instruction to students in ways that emphasize active learning, problem solving, and critical thinking through transformative experiences.

Environmental Geography and Sustainability - Emphasis
The Environmental Geography and Sustainability degree emphasis focuses on the interaction of people and the environment and issues related to sustainability. It includes the study of the human dimensions of global change, the environmental impacts of development, and sustainability development. Topics such as air pollution, global climate change, hazards and disasters, deforestation, and water pollution are discussed in the context of how human activities impact physical environment and the nature and complexities of the driving forces behind them.

The Department of Music offers a Master of Music degree, with a variety of emphasis areas, including performance, conducting, and music education. Within the area of conducting, students may select an instrumental (wind or orchestral) emphasis. This degree is designed to prepare individuals for professional advancement or for entry into further study at the doctoral level.

Awards for full-time graduate assistantships are available on a competitive basis. Recipients of these positions will take active leadership roles in the department's ensembles, teaching and accompanying private lessons, and/or serving as an assistant to the ensemble director.

The Department of Psychology and Counseling offers a Masters of Science Degree with a Major in School Counseling.

The School Counseling program prepares candidates for careers as professional school counselors in Pre K-12 settings. Candidates interested in pursuing this program are strongly encouraged to complete an undergraduate degree in education. While two years of teaching experience is no longer required for candidates planning to secure employment as school counselors in the state of Kansas, it is still recommended. Candidates without a degree in education or teaching experience will be required to complete additional coursework and other requirements. In addition to completing the 48 hour program of study in School Counseling, a passing score on the PRAXIS II specialty test for Professional School Counselor is required.

Options available for the degree include:

Option I: Thesis
This option is designed to prepare students for a doctoral program, for advanced professional careers, or for students wanting to complete an in-depth research experience.

Option II: Research Problem
This option is designed to provide a research experience that can include a specific problem, creative and aesthetic efforts such as performances, exhibits, or creative programs, or an internship.

Option III: Coursework
This option requires completion of coursework that demonstrates evidence of advanced coursework in an area of concentration. Departments will require evidence of competency through activities such as research papers, portfolios, practice, internships, comprehensive exams, or other individual work. Students should check with their major department for specific requirements for the coursework.

The Department of Physics at Pittsburg State University was founded in 1962 and has been dedicated to the outstanding teaching of undergraduate and graduate physics students ever since. Our faculty members are trained in a wide variety of physics-related fields and have industrial and research laboratory experience. We pride ourselves in getting to know our students and helping them through their years of academic growth at PSU.

The Department of Psychology and Counseling has placed its graduates in schools, businesses, agencies and hospitals throughout the region, as well as provided teachers for two and four year colleges. The department enjoys a strong relationship with area mental health agencies, with many private and governmental establishments acting as training sites for students, and using department faculty and advanced graduate students as consultants. PSU is the only school within a 100 mile radius that provides graduate training in counseling, psychology and school psychology. Additionally, no other university in Kansas has an integrated psychology and counseling department, allowing the department to offer comprehensive, in-depth programs in each area and providing students with the opportunity to experience the best in both disciplines.

Psychology and Legal Issues - Emphasis
As part of the Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology, the Psychology and Legal Issues concentration area prepares graduates to work in the legal system in jobs such as probation and parole officers or law enforcement personnel, and to prepare students for law school.

The Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology was designed for students who want to pursue a career in a psychology-related field immediately after graduation. Historically, most careers in psychology and counseling require graduate training. However, there are a number of careers that do not.