Undergraduate Academic Accelerator Pathway (2-Term) - Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies

at Shorelight Group - Cleveland State University USA

History is the essential foundation of knowledge. It provides the context for a liberal education, the tools to understand ourselves and our contemporary world, and the skills for an educated person to live a more fulfilled and gratifying life in a wide range of careers.

Because of these various functions, we study history for many reasons:

• To better understand our society and the times in which we live
• To better understand ourselves; to place our own society in historical perspective
• To balance present-mindedness with historical memory
• To acquire skills such as conducting research, communicating effectively through writing or oral communication, critical thinking, evaluating evidence, and problem-solving
• To understand the roles which individuals and groups have played in shaping their worlds
• For the enjoyment of examining societies very different or very similar to our own

This is possible because history at the university level is far more than a collection of facts, names, and dates. The emphasis is on accessing and analyzing information, the critical use of historical sources, learning to communicate the results, and the excitement which comes from exploring important ideas. To study history is to enter a time machine to explore the far reaches of the human experience from classical times to the present; from the lives of great thinkers and kings to that of average people; from dramatic moments such as the Civil War to the routine. The past becomes the universe, all corners of which can be explored.

The department offers coursework in European, U.S., African, Latin-American, and East Asian history and thematic foci on social and urban history and the History of the African Diaspora. The major program not only prepares students for teaching and for graduate study in history but many students have found history an appropriate preparatory foundation for careers in law, library science, international work, the foreign service, the ministry, business, government and archival and museum work.

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.

This major is designed to give students the opportunity to engage in a multidisciplinary study of the variety of subjects concerned with international affairs. International Relations is the study of interactions among the various actors that participate in international politics, including states, international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and multinational corporations. Career opportunities include employment in government, think tanks, global businesses, and nongovernmental organizations. An International Relations major also provides excellent preparation for graduate school in the field or in law.

Psychology is a field of study that covers a broad spectrum of topics that have real-world applications. As one of the university’s most popular majors for undergraduate students, Psychology serves as an excellent foundation for careers in healthcare, business, sales and marketing, social service, and education. Of course, the study of Psychology at the graduate level also serves as a gateway to, and preparation for, careers in research or applied Psychology.

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 BFA in Film & Media Arts is a professional training degree program to prepare students for careers in film and media arts. FMA majors use creative problem solving to craft narratives with subtext and emotional depth, bolstered by precise industry skills. Tracks of Writing and Directing, Acting and Directing, Writing and Producing, Cinematography, Postproduction, and Interactive Media allow for discipline focus and opportunities for collaborative projects of increasing sophistication.

The programs in the Department of Political Science are designed to teach students the fundamentals of contemporary public policy, the importance of politics and democracy, and the means by which government can be influenced to respond to collective needs.

Cleveland State University's graduate program in civil engineering is designed to provide students with knowledge of advanced methods for analysis and design or for research and development. Students must select one of the following graduate specializations: Structures/Foundations, Water Resources Engineering, Transportation, or Environmental Engineering. Full-time or part-time study may be pursued.

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.

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.