Master of Science in Mathematics

at Pittsburg State University USA

The PSU School of Construction's mission is to provide a quality construction education and develop professional leaders for the construction industry through extensive recruitment, real-world education and successful placement. We strive to improve the community through service, economic development and applied research.

Our vision is to be an innovative leader in an effective, people-centered, collaborative, accessible learning environment maximizing the potential of construction students, faculty and industry constituents.

This is an interdisciplinary liberal arts degree with a foundation in social science inquiry. With an emphasis on law and the social sciences, this unique contemporary degree represents the current state-of-the-art setting for studying justice and provides a comprehensive degree. Students develop an understanding of the nature of justice and analyze controversial justice issues through critical inquiry and social science investigation. While primary focus is placed on theories of justice, legal studies, social and economic justice, students may elect a Criminal Justice emphasis that will allow them to pursue their interests in law enforcement, corrections, and other legal careers.

Social studies 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.

Criminal Justice - Emphasis
The Criminal Justice emphasis allows students who are more interested in law enforcement, corrections, and other law related careers to pursue their interests within the Criminal Justice major. Our Criminal Justice emphasis gives students a substantive base of criminal justice experience such as interviewing and interrogation while building on critical thinking skills, the ability to handle statistical data, and student understanding of the broader meanings and practice of justice. This emphasis is not designed to be the equivalent of police academy training, rather it will allow students whose career interests are oriented toward law related careers to pursue their goal within a broad liberal arts approach to justice.

The Department of Technology and Workforce Learning includes several undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Programs of study include two-year associate and certificate programs as well as several undergraduate degree programs in the Workforce Development, Vocational Teacher Education, Technology and Engineering Education, and Wood Technology.  Graduate programs in Career and Technical Education, Technology, and Human Resource Development are also available.  In addition, one post-graduate program in Workforce Development and Education (Ed.S) is also available.

Social Work is a practice-based profession which seeks to meet the basic needs of all people. Social workers help people at the individual, family, group, and community levels.  Social workers practice in a wide variety of settings, with licensed positions at the bachelor level, master level, and clinical level.

The Bachelor of Science Degree with a Major in Social Work (BSW) prepares students for generalist practice in settings such as (but not limited to) child welfare, mental health, addictions, probation/parole, disability, health care, older adults/end of life, schools, and more. The BSW also prepares students for graduate school. Students who have a BSW from an accredited program are generally eligible for advanced standing in master of social work (MSW) programs. This means that after earning a BSW, a student may achieve an MSW in one additional calendar year.

A minor is not required for the social work major, but students frequently choose minors in Psychology, Public Health, Criminology, or Youth and Adolescence.

Social Work
The Bachelor of Science Degree with a Major in Social Work (BSW) prepares students for generalist practice in a variety of settings. It also prepares students for graduate school. Students who have a BSW from an accredited program are generally eligible for advanced standing in master of social work (MSW) programs. This means that after earning a BSW, a student may achieve an MSW in one additional calendar year.

The mission of PSU’s Social Work Program is to prepare bachelor level social workers to utilize the knowledge, skills, and values of the social work profession in order to enhance the lives of individuals, families, groups, and communities and to promote social and economic justice locally, nationally, and globally.  

To that end, the PSU Social Work Program aims to prepare students for:

• Generalist practice at all levels of the social environment and across the lifespan
• Utilization of the professional self which includes adherence to the Code of Ethics, professional demeanor, effective communication skills, self-awareness, and self-care
• Critical examination of and contribution to research, policies, and practices
• Living and working in a diverse environment
• Promoting human rights and social justice
• Graduate education
• Licensure

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 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.

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.

International Studies - Emphasis
The Bachelor of Arts Degree with an Emphasis in International Studies, is a multi-disciplinary program, incorporating a variety of disciplines across colleges and departments within the Pittsburg State University community. Its core is Political Science, History, Geography, and Sociology with substantial contributions made by Economics, Management and Marketing, and Communication. In addition, a variety of other disciplines, such as Family and Consumer Sciences, English, and the Fine Arts provide important contributions. The major is designed to give students a core body of knowledge and basic skills necessary to live and work successfully in an increasingly interconnected world. The development of students' foreign language skills is a key component of the program. Students are encouraged to enroll in internships and practica.

The Interior Design program is part of the School of Construction housed within the College of Technology. The curriculum is based on professional practice in the field of Interior Design. The degree prepares students for professional practice as an interior designer in the fields of commercial and residential design, with opportunities in the construction and graphic design fields.

Interior Design
The Interior Design program is part of the School of Construction housed within the College of Technology. The curriculum is based on professional practice in the field of Interior Design. The degree prepares students for professional practice as an interior designer in the fields of commercial and residential design, with opportunities in the construction and graphic design fields.

The Bachelor of Science in Interior Design degree, implemented in 2016, emphasizes design as an integrative, multidisciplinary education that includes interior design, construction, and graphic design courses for a holistic approach to the interior design profession.  The interior design curriculum takes a creative, problem solving approach involving the application of materials and processes for creating environments, promoting sustainability and universal design standards, developing an understanding of global awareness and diversity, and improving the quality of life while protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public.

The Master of Science Degree Program in Psychology with an emphasis in Behavior Analysis is designed for students who wish to pursue advanced training in behavior analysis.  Students pursuing this degree will be eligible for certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).  This degree will prepare students to apply behavioral laws to influence positive behavior change and improve the lives of clients.

The Department of Physics offers a Master of Science Degree with a Major in Physics. Students in this degree program will work one-on-one with an advisor to design a program of study that matches their individual career goals. Elective courses, subject to approval of the department, are usually selected from physics, chemistry, mathematics, and/or biology. Incoming students are required to take a diagnostic examination on undergraduate physics during the first semester.