Bachelor of Arts in Human Services

at Shorelight Group - University of Massachusetts - Boston USA

East Asia faculty generally specialize in interdisciplinary treatment of their various subjects. Art courses treat traditional paintings as visual art but also discuss the social role of artists at various periods in Asian history. History courses treat the way that Asian religions and philosophies like Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and more recently Marxism -- have affected the course of Asian history. Film courses treat Asian film in the context of developing cultural currents in Asia, as well as their impact on the emerging global culture. The aim is to give students a well-rounded picture of the East Asian region, both its history and traditional culture, and present-day conditions and events currently unfolding in this rapidly changing area of the world.

The Asian Studies major gives students a broad knowledge of the politics, economics, history and culture of the countries of South Asia. Faculty members in the departments of women's, gender, and sexuality studies, English, economics, history, sociology, and art offer a wide array of courses on historic and contemporary South Asia. They also offer individual expertise on the countries of South Asia: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan.

The Information Technology major offered through UMass Boston's College of Management is designed to offer pathways to highly-demanded careers in IT for both high school graduates and students of Massachusetts community colleges. Our small classes ensure personalized attention from IT faculty while our ties to the Greater Boston business and technical communities add an extra dimension of learning to our program of business information technology education. The IT major offers an “applications-path” format for students which includes a core of technical knowledge (nine courses), an area of specialization or track within IT (four or five courses, depending on track selection), three professional electives in an application or domain area (preferably outside of IT but within business), and two wrap-up courses (project management and IT capstone), in addition to general education requirements.

The IT major is project based.  Every exercise assigned throughout the BSIT is designed to be of the kind that a student might encounter in his or her work: collaboration, competence, and outcomes assessment are the hallmark characteristics of the program.  Students will learn how to use IT to solve real-world problems within the context of a field in which they wish to work. Graduates will be familiar with, and be able to apply, the following core information technologies to solve business problems:

• Programming
• Networking
• Databases
• Web technologies

In addition, the BSIT program offers four specialization tracks: business intelligence1, computer forensics1, information architecture1 and systems administration.

Information Architecture Track
The Information Technology (IT) major is a jointly offered program between the College of Management (CM) and the College of Science and Mathematics (CSM) at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The BSIT consists of a common core of ten courses, a track of four to six courses in a particular area of specialization (the information architecture track requires four courses), a common capstone course, and three professional electives.

Preparing environmental policy and management professionals, our nationally-recognized BA in Environmental Science program integrates policy, management, and law with the natural sciences. Students gain practical experiences at the intersection of science and policy through coursework and real-world problem solving in our senior capstone course, internships, research, and cooperative education programs. Majors may focus their studies on policy and management (Policy and Management Track), policy-earth systems (Earth and Hydrologic Science Track), and policy-marine systems (Marine Science Track).

• Students will be able to apply the scientific method and design appropriate experiments to answer environmental science questions.  
• Students will understand the contributions of laboratory, field, and survey data collection and analysis for approaching environmental science problems.
• Students will be able to analyze and critique environmental questions across multiple natural and social science perspectives and research approaches.
• Students will demonstrate analytical and quantitative proficiencies to analyze environmental and/or social science data.
• Students will understand the system interactions and feedbacks between human activities and social institutions and the natural environment.
• Students will be experienced in communicating their learnings both in writing, visually, and orally, and for specific and general audiences.

Our award winning, nationally recognized BS in Environmental Science program is grounded in the natural sciences integrating biology, chemistry, physics, and geology with the social sciences to prepare the next generation of innovators and knowledge creators. Students gain essential skills in ecology, geology, hydrology, and marine science and apply these skills to critical challenges facing coastal marine systems in the Boston metropolitan area. Through coursework, our senior capstone course, internships, research, and cooperative education programs, students apply their knowledge to real-world problems in collaboration with our many public and private partners. Majors can focus their studies on the earth systems (Earth and Hydrologic Science Track), coastal oceans (Marine Science Track), or on the science-policy interface (Policy and Management Track).

• Students will be able to apply the scientific method and design appropriate experiments to answer environmental science questions.  
• Students will understand the contributions of laboratory, field, and survey data collection and analysis for approaching environmental science problems.
• Students will be able to analyze and critique environmental questions across multiple natural and social science perspectives and research approaches.
• Students will demonstrate analytical and quantitative proficiencies to analyze environmental and/or social science data.
• Students will understand the system interactions and feedbacks between human activities and social institutions and the natural environment.
• Students will be experienced in communicating their learnings both in writing, visually, and orally, and for specific and general audiences.

The School for the Environment's nationally recognized Environmental Studies and Sustainability program emphasizes solutions integrating the humanities and social sciences with economics and business. As environmental and sustainability advocates, students customize their course of study, drawing from such diverse fields as anthropology, law, history, management, economics, and the sciences. In addition to coursework, this hands-on degree incorporates internships, research, cooperative education, and capstone course experiences in which students work as members of a multi-disciplinary team partnered with agencies and organizations throughout the Boston metropolitan area.

• Students will understand key sustainability concepts and become practiced at applying these principles to real world problems.
• Students will be able to use interdisciplinary and collaborative decision-making processes to devise practical solutions for managing environmental problems.
• Students will be able to analyze and critique sustainability issues balancing multiple disciplinary perspectives and research approaches (e.g., social, ecological, ethical, philosophical, political, and economic).
• Students will demonstrate analytical proficiencies, both quantitative and qualitative, to support data-driven decisions.
• Students will understand the system interactions and feedbacks between human activities and social institutions and the natural environment.
• Students will be experienced in communicating their learnings both in writing, visually, and orally, and for specific and general audiences.

The English major invites students to engage in the study of literature, composition, language, and film. English majors learn how to write well, read critically, develop research skills, and work hands-on in digital environments. The English major allows students to create print, visual, and digital texts across a range of genres including poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.

Through a diverse range of course offerings, the English major develops a student’s abilities to engage with the world while also cultivating a variety skills, including:

• Analytical writing
• Critical interpretation
• Original inquiry and research
• The ability to develop, discuss, and debate complex ideas

Program Highlights

• Choose to explore an area of concentration: Creative Writing, Professional and New Media Writing, or Race, Ethnicity, and Literature.
• Choose to pursue initial teaching licensure in the English Teaching program.
• Work side-by-side with professors and fellow students in small, discussion-based classes on a diverse range of topics.
• Participate in extracurricular activities, ranging from the Sigma Tau Delta Honors Society to the Literary Theory Reading Group.
• Be prepared to enter the workforce, with a one-credit mini-course on “English 457: Careers in English and Preparing for the Job Market.”
• Engage with a dynamic and accomplished faculty. The English Department hosts vibrant events—such as guest speakers, creative writing readings, and contests—that are free and open to the UMass Boston community.
• Participate in The Watermark, a journal of literature and artwork created by UMass Boston students.

UMass Boston's MBA is a streamlined 12-course, AACSB-accredited, immersive business program. focused on equipping you with the knowledge and skills you need to succeed as a business leader. The program is designed for professionals who want to gain a deeper understanding of the ever-changing business world to advance their career, change careers, or start their own business. Explore foundational business theories, gain experience with emerging technologies, and develop your analytical skills.

UMass Boston's computer science master's program thoroughly prepares students for a professional career in software development. This established and innovative program stresses the integration of theoretical knowledge with practical applications. Our Computer Science MS graduates are in high demand with major tech sector employers and startups.

The field of Latin American and Iberian studies explores the languages, literatures, and histories of Spain, Portugal, Latin America and the Caribbean. Insight into these cultures trains students to think critically from different perspectives—an important skill in a world where communication and understanding across boundaries is essential. Latin American and Iberian studies graduates are prepared for careers in international affairs, government, education and many other fields.

Upon completion of the Major in Latin American and Iberian Studies, students will be able to:

• Communicate proficiently, using all four skills (i.e. speaking, listening, reading and writing), in academic, professional, and everyday settings in the language that is required by their selected track.1
• Conduct and disseminate academic research both orally and in writing in the language that is required by their selected track.
• Identify and analyze cultural representations of the languages, cultures and societies of the Latin American and Iberian world, both their own and those produced by others, in accordance with academic standards.
• Document data and formulate concrete research questions in order to conduct academic research at undergraduate level.
• Recognize and utilize appropriate methodologies in order to explicitly outline a research plan to conduct academic research at undergraduate level.
• Produce scholarly work in dialogue with academic fields such as anthropology, history, and geography at undergraduate level.
• Apply pre-professional translation skills to a variety of documents in both directions, Spanish to English and English to Spanish.2
• Assess a variety of theoretical approaches to Translation Studies in order to adopt adequate methodologies for the translation of a variety of documents.

UMass Boston's MBA is a streamlined 12-course, AACSB-accredited, immersive business program. focused on equipping you with the knowledge and skills you need to succeed as a business leader. The program is designed for professionals who want to gain a deeper understanding of the ever-changing business world to advance their career, change careers, or start their own business. Explore foundational business theories, gain experience with emerging technologies, and develop your analytical skills.