Bachelor of Arts in Urban and Regional Studies

at Shorelight Group - Cleveland State University USA

The Urban and Regional Studies major entails the study of America's cities, metropolitan areas, and their people. Students learn about the cultural, political, and historical aspects of urban living and the influence of these factors on the growth and decline of businesses and neighborhoods. Urban Studies is an interdisciplinary program that includes a foundation in urban geography, urban economic and political systems, and social issues.

Concentrations are offered in:

Urban and Regional Planning
Urban planners use their skills in research, design, and development to effect social goals in cities. The urban and regional planning track helps students use the heritage of urban planning to influence urban and regional development. Planners analyze a range of data regarding an area—the economic base, the needs of the people, the available resources, and the effects of change—and make recommendations for action.

Public Management
Public managers develop budgets, strategic plans, policies, and programs for a variety of public and private organizations. The public management track gives students basic management techniques and analytic skills necessary to manage effectively in an urban environment.

Environmental Policy and Management
This track is designed to give students an understanding of the economic, political, and social changes necessary for improving the quality of the physical environment in cities. Courses focus on domestic environmental policies and programs, environmental design, and issues related to sustainable development.

Geographic Information System
A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a computerized database management system used for the capture, storage, retrieval, analysis, and display of spatial data. GIS is useful to every discipline that utilizes geographic data and is one of the most exciting and rapidly growing computer technologies.

GIS has spread widely into fields such as land use, transportation, utility management, emergency services, natural resource management, environment, demographics, public safety and public health, market and business location, housing, and real estate. With digital representation of spatial entities and their spatial relationships in GIS database, GIS are used to improve services, assist in managing resources, and provide support for better decision-making and policy-planning activities.

The Chemical Engineering curriculum prepares the student for a successful career in a dynamic and progressive profession. A chemical engineer may pursue a wide scope of projects. Chemical engineers are responsible for the design and operation of processes that accomplish chemical changes. Examples of such processes are the production of antibiotics, detergents, drugs, paints, plastics, petrochemicals, advanced materials, and synthetics. A chemical engineer may also work on the research and development preceding or accompanying a given process design, or the management of a plant or an entire enterprise. The Cleveland State University chemical engineering curriculum provides a strong foundation to work in energy conservation and utilization, environmental pollution control, as well as the petrochemical industry and many other chemical-related industries. Consistent with mission of the university, college and department, this program has been designed to provide an attractive avenue for students interested in chemical engineering.

Anthropology is the study of the human being: anthropo. Our cultural and biological diversity has developed over human history. In this discipline, we study how humans have come to be who and what we are today- our physical development and the effects of nutrition and diseases, the ways we organize ourselves in groups, the beliefs and values shared within and across cultures, the ways we mark our identity with the languages we speak.

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 Bachelor of Science in Physics degree prepares students for graduate programs in science and engineering or for careers in technical professions. It provides for a structured and very rigorous education in physics. Many alumni of this program have continued at prestigious research institutions across the country.

The study of physics provides a crucial understanding of the world around us though the study of the fundamental laws governing matter and energy. The field of physics has been instrumental in the development of advanced materials, electronic and optical devices, and medical equipment, impacting every aspect of our way of life. Studying physics fosters critical thinking, quantitative proficiency, and the ability to research and organize information, and infer new ideas.

Virtually everywhere one finds evidence for human societies, both historically and geographically, one finds evidence of religion. Religions identify and describe transcendent forces said to give shape to the world and thus to humanity’s experience within it. By explaining the past and imagining what is to come in the future, religions identify the meaning and purpose of present experience, and even of existence itself, for the groups and individuals who adhere to them. Consequently, religions have been and remain fundamental to the way people construct cultures, organize societies, determine “truths,” define values, and imagine themselves in relation to others. Perhaps most remarkably, different religious cultures do all this with an incredible and frequently conflicting variety of beliefs and practices.

Finance is concerned with the process, institutions, markets,and instruments involved with the transfer of money among individuals, businesses and governments. The Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Finance introduces students to the theories, concepts, practices and advances in financial analysis and financial management.

Students graduating with a major in Finance can qualify for positions in the financial departments of industrial and commercial enterprises, banks, savings and loan associations, real estate firms, insurance companies, other financial institutions and government and public agencies.

Our students enjoy a high rate of employment in public or private corporations, not-for-profit organizations, and government. Finance majors typically embark on careers in asset management, commercial banking, corporate finance, financial planning, investments, insurance, real estate, or risk management.

What do we know when we know a language? How do we learn it? What does language reveal about our culture and identity? These are the central questions explored by linguists. The goal is to gain a scientific understanding of the nature of language that can be applied in many areas, such as linguistics, anthropology, speech & hearing, language teaching, computational linguistics, and cognitive science. Linguists also systematically compare human language to animal communication systems. Linguistics majors will get a thorough training in the core areas of linguistics, such as Phonetics, Phonology, Morphology and Syntax; and learn how linguists find evidence for their hypotheses and what are the cutting edge topics in the field today.

The Linguistics program is an undergraduate interdisciplinary program of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, offering a MAJOR and a MINOR in Linguistics. The areas of Anthropology, English, and Speech & Hearing are well represented in the program, and students majoring in any of these fields would be able to “double count” many credits toward Linguistics and their other majors. The program also includes courses from Communication, Education, Modern Languages and Psychology.

The Design concentration provides students with a strong foundation for careers in Graphic Design and other creative fields. Design students begin their studies with introductory courses in Typography and Visual Technology, and continue into advanced courses and electives that include Web Design, Motion Graphics, 3D Modeling, Corporate Identity, Data Visualization, Information Design, Illustration, and Photography. The Design faculty collaborate with a wide range of organizations to bring real-world experiences into their courses and many Design students do internships with employers throughout the city of Cleveland.

The Bachelor of Science in Computer Science Program is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET.

Computer programmers write and test code that allows computer applications and software programs to function properly. They turn the program designs created by software developers and engineers into instructions that a computer can follow. Software developers are the creative minds behind computer programs. Some develop the applications that allow people to do specific tasks on a computer or another device. Others develop the underlying systems that run the devices or that control networks. Database administrators use specialized software to store and organize data, such as financial information and customer shipping records. They make sure that data are available to users and are secure from unauthorized access. Information security analysts plan and carry out security measures to protect an organization’s computer networks and systems. Their responsibilities are continually expanding as the number of cyberattacks increases. Web developers design and create websites. They are responsible for the look of the site. They are also responsible for the site’s technical aspects, such as its performance and capacity, which are measures of a website’s speed and how much traffic the site can handle. In addition, web developers may create content for the site.