Bachelor of Science in History, Specialization in Applied Historical Methods

at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville USA

At SIUE, we have a graduate student-to-faculty ratio of two-to-one, so our students receive personalized attention from faculty recognized for outstanding teaching and excellent research. The Department of Mathematics and Statistics at SIUE provides learning and research opportunities in many areas and students are exposed to various cultures from diverse faculty members in the College of Arts and Sciences.

What can I do with a degree in Mathematics?
Professionals holding positions as mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries consistently rank their careers at the top of surveys on job satisfaction and security. According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook in these fields remains strong, and growth is projected at 25% over the next 10 years.

The mass communications program in the College of Arts and Sciences at SIUE prepares students to succeed in careers in one of the fastest growing and most dynamic areas: the mass media.

The Department of Mass Communications at SIUE is accredited by the highly selective Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC). This means our students get one-on-one attention from their instructors due to small class sizes and curriculum that keeps with changes in the media industry. Our students have access to state-of-the-art facilities and faculty members who dedicate themselves to serving the professional and intellectual needs of the students.

The Department of Mass Communications offers three sequences: journalism, media production, and advertising and strategic media. While most of the curriculum is a shared experience by all majors, students take advanced courses specific to their chosen sequence. This approach is in keeping with the converged nature of today’s media industries. At its heart, our department is all about teaching students how to tell stories, whether in the form of advertising campaigns, news stories, documentaries, or any of an almost limitless use of this major. Students who major in mass communications but choose not to enter the media industry will be well-prepared, thoughtful and effective communicators.

What can I do with a degree in Mass Communications?
Graduates of the Department of Mass Communications choose various career paths. Our graduates have become reporters, editors and photojournalists for newspapers, magazines, and online publications. Others work in radio and television, for advertising agencies, and in marketing and communications positions at major corporations and non-profits; many become the social media experts in their positions. Some graduates take an entrepreneurial approach and create careers as independent videographers, event planners, graphic designers, web developers, and freelance communications specialists.

SIUE's College of Arts and Sciences offers the art history specialization through the Department of Art and Design. At SIUE, art history students study art and architecture, both as expressions of human creativity and as uniquely informative historical documents, to promote an understanding of its cultural and social value. Art history students gain a greater aesthetic appreciation of art and a deeper understanding of its purposes in different times and places through extensive study. An understanding of the historical development of art contributes significantly to our students’ comprehension of the overall development of human culture through the ages.

The art history curriculum at SIUE is designed such that students gain an understanding of broad historical traditions in the visual arts as well as specialized knowledge in one or more specific areas in the field of art history. Our students are also challenged to think critically and reason logically in written and verbal analysis of the visual arts. Three of our faculty members are art historians who offer courses on a broad range of topics from prehistoric to contemporary art, at both the introductory and advanced levels. Art history courses are taught in two smart classrooms, housed in the newly built Art and Design West building. Students also have access to the Art History Resource Room, which provides a variety of supporting research materials, including videos, books, magazines and a digitized image database.

What can I do with a degree in Art History?
Students specializing in art history at SIUE are prepared for a wide variety of careers, including work in museums, art galleries, cultural institutions, and academia, as well as graduate school. Recent graduates have pursued advanced degrees at Washington University in St. Louis; University of Illinois, Springfield; and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Our students have gained employment at area institutions such as the Pulitzer, the Saint Louis Art Museum, and Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. Many of our graduates also pursue the certificate in museum studies at SIUE, which is an interdisciplinary post-baccalaureate certificate that offers those students with an interest in exploring a museum career an opportunity to gain expertise that will aid in their career advancement.

The Master of Marketing Research (MMR) program in the School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International, and is designed to prepare individuals with diverse backgrounds for careers in marketing research and to meet the needs of business, government or nonprofit organizations for competent marketing research professionals. The MMR program at SIUE consistently boasts 100% job placement within three months of graduation, and 95% of all students receive significant financial assistance, including full tuition waivers.

The MMR graduate will be well prepared to practice marketing research and to make substantial contributions to the marketing research profession. The curriculum combines coursework involving a balance of theoretical studies and applications through projects with emphasis on the role of research and the effectiveness of marketing decisions within organizations. Most courses in the MMR program are offered in a flexible, evening/hybrid format.

Students pursuing the Master of Science (MS) in chemistry through SIUE's College of Arts and Sciences explore advanced topics in chemistry and become proficient in lab techniques and problem-solving skills. The Department of Chemistry is housed in the recently built Science Building West. Our students have access to state-of-the art equipment and laboratories. The MS program can be completed within a two-year timeframe.

What can I do with a degree in Chemistry?
Students earning a master’s degree in chemistry will be well-prepared to pursue a variety of careers. Our graduates learn skills in the classroom and in research laboratories that ensure they are productive problem solvers throughout their career. SIUE graduates are frequently sought after by local employers.

According to the American Chemical Society, the fields employing the most chemists include biochemistry, analytical chemistry, organic chemistry and physical chemistry. Chemistry majors work as analysts, environmentalists, criminologists, librarians, patent examiners, production foremen, researchers, writers and teachers. Chemists also find work in sales and for private companies that produce items such as fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, plastics and semi-conductors. Careers in the public sector can be found in local, state and federal governments, as well as hospitals, high schools, colleges and universities.

The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) is a terminal studio degree designed to further the individual development of degree candidates and to provide them with professional competency in the studio arts. Areas of concentration in the Department of Art and Design include:

• Ceramics
• Drawing
• Graphic Design
• Metalsmithing
• Painting
• Photography and Digital Imaging
• Printmaking
• Sculpture
• Textiles

At SIUE, all areas of study are taught by College of Arts and Sciences faculty who are practicing art professionals who, maintaining vigorous national exhibition schedules, make SIUE one of the most comprehensive studio art programs in the region.

What can I do with a degree in Art and Design?
A graduate degree in art studio is intended to prepare students for a wide variety of careers, including work in museums, art galleries, cultural institutions and academia.

Psychology is all about understanding people, which is not only interesting, but also crucial to workplace success. Psychology is both a scientific discipline which seeks to understand and explain behavior, and an applied profession which seeks to alleviate psychological problems and enhance human potential. In the Department of Psychology at SIUE, undergraduate courses in psychology acquaint students with the methods used and the knowledge gained by psychologists in their continuing efforts to understand mental processes and behavior. Students majoring in psychology study basic psychological processes, such as learning, cognition and motivation; the development of behavior, personality, and coping skills from conception through old age; human interaction in social settings; and the effects of physical and psychological stress upon coping skills and mental health. The psychology program is housed in the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior.

What can I do with a degree in Psychology?
Students obtaining an undergraduate degree in psychology from SIUE will be well-prepared to pursue a variety of both public and private sector careers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, growth among popular career choices for those majoring in psychology is expected to be strong through 2028. Examples include mental health counselor (22%), social and human services assistant (13%), market research analyst (20%) and human resources specialist (5%).

Students who like solving problems creatively and expressing their point of view should think about pursuing a degree in theater and dance at SIUE. Theater is the study of literature, history and production of live theatrical performances. Students pursuing a degree in theater and dance from SIUE will complete an intense curriculum that will prepare them to take the next step in their professional careers or go on to graduate school. Students explore and build on their artistic talents - not only as actors and dancers, but as casting agents, box office managers, choreographers, set and lighting designers, and theater managers.

The theater and dance program in the College of Arts and Sciences at SIUE is known for its small class sizes and the artistic freedom afforded to its students. Faculty members encourage students to take risks to discover their creativity, and performance opportunities are ample. Each year, the department offers four theater productions, a dance concert, two student productions, a one-act festival, summer stock theater productions, an annual dance festival and a four-day experimental theater festival in the spring. The Department of Theater and Dance encourages a diverse mix of students and a well-rounded education with a solid liberal arts foundation.

What can I do with a degree in Theater and Dance?
Students with a degree in theater and dance find careers as actors, playwrights, screenwriters, directors, production designers, dancers, choreographers and critics. Theater and dance students obtain the skills to pursue a wide range of career paths within and outside the arts.

Performance
Through the performance specialization, a diverse ensemble of faculty and students are dedicated to building a dynamic learning environment and creating exciting and evocative works of theater. Our program includes foundation classes in basic acting, character building and voice/movement techniques, as well as upper-level courses in multicultural and experimental performance, Suzuki and Viewpoints Technique, period styles and careers in acting. Core classes are supplemented by electives in dialects, comedy, combat and the Meisner technique.

The early childhood education program in the Department of Teaching and Learning leads to initial teacher licensure in Illinois to work with children birth through second grade, as well as a non-licensure option to work in infant/toddler and preschool settings that do not require teacher licensure. The program addresses national standards set by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation and the National Association for the Education of Young Children, as well as state standards set by the Illinois State Board of Education. The department offers quality programs that connect learned theory to practical experiences in schools while keeping classes small and providing personal attention.

What can I do with a degree in Early Childhood Education?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the education field is expected to grow 12% through 2022, and teacher education programs at SIUE have an exceptional record of preparing highly effective early childhood, elementary, middle level, special education and secondary education teachers. Our graduates also pursue careers as parent educators, child development specialists, child service agency workers, child and family advocates, juvenile justice officers, and hospital play group directors, just to name a few.

Sociologists are interested in changing the world. But, we do so by systematically studying society rather than using our biases or assumptions. Once we understand the larger social forces that influence our own behavior and that of others, we can create policies, organizations, and even families that benefit the majority of people rather than the powerful few.

At SIUE, we focus on application. Students in the Department of Sociology participate in hands-on experiences so they can apply what they learn in their classes. Students pursuing general sociology work in communities helping gather data and provide suggestions on how to make those communities stronger. Diversity and social justice students complete internships in nonprofit organizations learning to write grants and help groups find resources. Students specializing in employment relations complete internships in organizations where they help uncover how to make workers more committed and productive. Through systematically gathering information from different groups, sociology can be a powerful tool for the betterment of communities and organizations.