Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Religion

at Shorelight Group - Cleveland State University USA

The Public Safety Management major is designed to equip public safety officials with additional management and communication skills to address the needs of their urban constituents. It provides an in-depth study of community safety needs and problems, as well as analytical tools for addressing injustice for those living and working in urban settings.

The Public Safety Management Major is designed to:

• Prepare both pre-career and active public safety personnel for leadership roles in public safety organizations.
• Allow for in-depth study of community safety needs and introduce analytical tools for developing response strategies for use in emergency situations.
• Promote understanding of policy tools to protect the safety and well-being of our communities.

The Art History concentration exposes students to a wide range of artistic forms and traditions and to a broad diversity of cultures and issues. Art History students begin with introductory survey courses in Western, Asian, and African Art, and continue with courses in these areas along with Modern, American, AfricanAmerican, and Islamic Art. Advanced seminars in Art History draw on the faculty’s research interests: recent topics include Jewish-American Artists, Medieval Artistic Materials and Processes of Making, and Center and Periphery in African Art. As well as preparing students for graduate study in Art History and related fields, the Art History program provides students with the skills that employers want in college graduates including critical thinking, problem solving, information gathering, and effective oral and written communication.

Criminologists conduct research on a variety of topics linked to criminal behavior, including how criminal activity is defined and measured, the causes of crime, the consequences of crime, and the impacts of criminal justice system intervention on individuals and society.

Students who choose to major or minor in Criminology will take courses that will help them strengthen their critical thinking skills and prepare them for fieldwork in corrections, policing, courts, and victim services.  A degree in Criminology is also a great choice for students who wish to gain a foundation that will prepare them for graduate studies or law school.

The Communication Studies major provides students with a critical understanding of the complex, vital role that communication plays in contemporary life. Course-work offers students a host of intellectual, problem-solving, and career-related skills. In contemporary society, which is characterized by a dazzling array of new technologies, rapid social change, instant messaging, and dynamic interpersonal relationships, it is imperative that students appreciate the ways communication influences everyday life. Students who obtain a major in communication will take classes from a nationally ranked faculty and gain an appreciation for the social scientific study of communication.

There are two tracks in the major. The Communication Management track focuses on understanding and improving communication processes in a variety of contexts, including doctor-patient interactions, organizations, teams, families, interpersonal relationships, negotiation and mediation settings, and communication between persons from different cultures, genders, and ethnicities. The Communication track supports students who have widely ranging interests or who need maximum flexibility in scheduling. In addition to the areas mentioned above, students in this track may take coursework in journalism and public relations.

Sociologists study human behavior in industrialized societies. Sometimes this behavior involves personal relationships, perhaps among teenagers or the elderly, sometimes the difficulties facing the urban poor or drug addicts, sometimes the development of modern nation-states and political conflict. Sociology open new windows--challenging conventional wisdom, dissolving myths about social reality, illuminating how the world is socially constructed and clarifying our options and choices.

Sociology students at Cleveland State University are taught to analyze modern social problems scientifically. In addition, they are taught how to do research about these issues using statistics, interviews and participant observation. Good research requires a grasp of the "sociological imagination"--the connections between historical, large-scale social forces and biography, the ways in which people live and understand their lives.

Majors in sociology develop the critical thinking and writing skills basic to a sound liberal arts education; they learn research skills and an understanding of the sociological perspective. This prepares them for a wide range of careers: some students use the degree as preparation for graduate work in one of the social sciences or law, others work in human resource management, social service, criminal justice, corporations or schools.

The primary goal of the Economic Development program is to provide students with a firm, evidence-based grounding in economic development principles and public policy issues.  In gaining this critical knowledge individuals will be better equipped to address the various issues and problems they will encounter in their economic development professions.  The curriculum provides a direct path for degree completion in a timely fashion through a rigorous course of study.

A student who has completed French course work in high school or at another institution and who wishes to continue the study of that language must begin course work for credit at the level consistent with her or his academic background. A placement test is required for all students with less than three years of high school French or the equivalent. Students who have had three or more years of previous study must consult with an adviser in the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures to determine the appropriate level.

The Nonprofit Administration major is designed for students aspiring to enter the fields of nonprofit management and human services and for those currently employed in these areas. It provides management skills and training directed toward mobilizing community assets and capacity building.

The Nonprofit Administration Major is designed to:

• Develop leadership skills necessary to create positive social change.
• Prepare students to engage and manage volunteers and professionals.
• Teach strategies for the analysis of complex issues affecting nonprofit organizations.

The Women’s & Gender Studies (WGS) program address a wide-ranging selection of issues, not only women’s issues, but issues related more broadly to gender and sexuality. WGS courses examine how categories of identity (e.g., sexuality, race, class, gender, age, ability, etc.) and structures of inequality are connected and should be examined and understood in relationship to one another. You will explore the diversity of women’s lives, their distinctive roles and contributions in society, and the social constructions of gender. You become aware of the diversity of our social experiences of gender as well as the systems of inequality in which we live.

Why study Women’s & Gender Studies?
Employers are looking for critical thinking, writing, presentation and problem-solving skills. A major or minor in Women’s and Gender studies gives you transferable skills for future job(s). Women’s and Gender Studies students may find employment in a variety of areas depending on their skills and experience. Some students find work
in the area of advocacy or social services-related positions, community development, business, and government. Others find work in education, health care, and/or law.

Environmental science focuses on ecosystem management, the effects of pollutants on ecosystems, ways to restore polluted environments to their natural state, and effective strategies toward minimizing pollution (preventative management). The Environmental Science major at Cleveland State University provides education in the fundamentals of all the major areas of modern Environmental Science, training in current laboratory skills, as well as environmental policy.