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

at Shorelight Group - Cleveland State University USA

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.

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.

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.

• Spanish is the world's third most spoken language, after Mandarin Chinese and English, and ranks second in terms of native speakers.
• At the end of the 19th century, 60 million people spoke Spanish. Today, almost 500 million people worldwide speak Spanish!
• Spanish is the mother tongue of approximately 350 million people in 21 countries (Mexico: 98 million, Spain: 39 million, USA: 39 million, Argentina: 35 million, Colombia: 36 million, Venezuela: 22 million, Peru: 20 million…) It is also widely spoken in many more where it is not an official language.
• Hispanic consumers are the fastest-growing market segment in North America. Their population in the USA has grown by 60% in just one decade and their buying power is expected to exceed $926 million by 2007.
• Spanish is the second most used language in international communication, and an official language of the UN and its organisations.
• 29 million US residents above the age of 5 speak Spanish at home. That's approximately 1 of every 10 US residents, an enormous consumer and business-to-business market.
• "The world is rapidly becoming multilingual and Arabic and Spanish are both key languages of the future" said language researcher David Graddol, commenting on a recent report presented to the British Council.
• No one aware of the changing tides of business could fail to notice that we increasingly operate in global markets. Foreign language fluency is a significant asset for job seekers, as more and more companies trade internationally.
• The US Census Bureau reports that the nation's Hispanic population is expected to jump to 49.3 million from 38.2 million by 2015. The 39 million Hispanics currently living in the USA make up 12.5% of the total population. This population growth has increased demand for Spanish language media: radio, television, newspapers, magazines...
• Latin American countries are experiencing strong economic growth and becoming important global commercial partners. Newly created MERCOSUR and the existing free trade agreements between Hispanic countries and North America (ALADI, the Andean Community, CACM, NAFTA, G3), are expected to bring further growth to Latin American economies.
• Latin culture continues to have a global influence on architecture, art and literature. Who isn't familiar with Cervantes 'Don Quijote de la Mancha, the second most translated book after the Bible, which marked its 400th anniversary in 2005 with worldwide celebrations? Who hasn't heard that the most expensive painting ever sold is a Picasso?
• Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava continues to make his mark worldwide, with recent and current projects in Sweden, Ireland, Germany, the Olympic campus in Athens and the site of the world trade centre in New York, among others.
• Spanish language authors like Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Isabel Allende continue to lead global best seller lists and win international critical acclaim.

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.

The interdisciplinary major is administered by the Department of History and is primarily intended for students seeking secondary licensure. It provides comprehensive training in History and related social-studies fields taught in Ohio secondary schools. The primary mission of the Social Studies major is to provide students with the content competency to teach Social Studies in secondary schools. A Social Studies teacher is expected to teach students how to make informed and reasoned decisions as citizens in a culturally diverse, democratic society. The degree forms the content knowledge basis for students to pursue teaching professions and to
provide the necessary critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and academic judgment skills upon which to embark on a lifetime of intellectual growth. Students pursuing a degree in Social Studies must also fulfill a minor in secondary education, which is administered by the College of Education and Human Services.

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 School of Health Sciences offers an undergraduate degree program in Speech and Hearing for students who wish to enter the professions of speech-language pathology and/or audiology. These professions are concerned with the identification and treatment of communication disorders across the life span. Speech and Hearing are interrelated fields concerned with speech and language acquisition, and require knowledge of biology, psychology, sociology, and linguistics. Because of interdisciplinary connections, many students find it manageable to minor or double major in Linguistics or Psychology.

An integral aspect of the Speech and Hearing program is the Cleveland State University Speech & Hearing Clinic, an on-campus clinic providing assessment and intervention for individuals across the life span with speech-language-cognitive and audiological concerns.

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.

Mathematicians use theory, computational techniques, algorithms and computer technology to solve problems in various fields, including basic sciences, engineering, computer science, economics, business, finance, and social sciences. The study of mathematics is traditionally divided into pure (theoretical) mathematics, which involves discovering new mathematical principles and relationships, and applied mathematics, which develops mathematical techniques for solving practical problems. Statistics is a sub-field of applied mathematics that focuses on data analysis.