Bachelor of Science in Human Development

at State University of New York at Albany USA

Learn how governments, political organizations, individuals, and nations act to create and realize public values and goals. You’ll prepare for responsible and effective citizenship, political participation, and advanced academic or professional studies. You will also learn to understand and appreciate different political values, institutions, and processes that operate in local, national, and international systems.

The political science bachelor's program allows you to focus on the subjects that interest you most, with upper-level concentrations available in American politics; citizenship; equality and inequality; global politics; law and institutions; political theory; political economy and development; public law; security and statecraft.

Located less than one mile from the New York State Capitol, it’s easy to get a head start on a career in law or government as political science major at the widely respected Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy.

Global Politics
Learn about current changes in the world and the comparative study of political systems. Course topics include civil-military relations, political economy, gender and LGBTQ rights, human rights, political violence and terrorism, contentious politics, foreign policy, regional integration, nationalism, ethnicity and international relations, international conflict and security, international regimes, WMD, and economic statecraft. Focus in areas such as Latin America, Southeast Asia, Europe, Israel-Palestine and China.

Develop the oral, written and analytical skills needed to improve communication practices central to all industries. You will gain crucial insight into media, organizations, individuals and society as you study to become a communication professional.

Through coursework and internships you will be prepared to pursue a career in areas including public relations, marketing and media with the bachelor’s in communication program at the University at Albany.

You will acquire a foundation in communication topics, trends and concepts through exposure to the critical role of media in public life, politics and industry. 

Hone your ability to analyze and improve communication processes as you gain tools to measure how effectively communication practices serve varying populations and audiences.

Customize your BA in Communication with electives in these concentrations:

• Organizational Communication and Public Relations
• Political Communication
• Interpersonal/Intercultural Communication
• Mass Communication & New Technologies
• Health Communication

Create useful applications and solve practical data management problems with interdisciplinary skills in information technology and computer science taught in the bachelor's program in informatics.

Through team-based activities and hands-on exercises, you'll learn how to store and retrieve data, employ emerging technologies, and build user-centered systems – all of which are embedded in the day-to-day operations of every organization.

From relational databases to client-based web technologies, and internal computer architecture to networking fundamentals, you'll be prepared to lead complex digital projects from start to finish.

Social Media
Choose courses like Introduction to Data Analytics: Seeking Information in Data with Computation, Current Topics in Social Media, Nonfiction Media Storytelling, Sociology of Culture, Mass Media.

Gain insight into how we interact with others through the study of linguistics. You will develop essential problem-solving, critical-thinking and clarity-of-expression skills by understanding the intricacies of language structure and use.

Foundational groundwork that focuses on the history, structure, function and evolution of language will prepare you for careers in areas like public relations, education, machine learning, speech pathology, translation, technical writing, publishing and foreign services with a bachelor’s in linguistics from the University at Albany.

Learn how to create thriving, productive, and sustainable communities by earning your bachelor’s in urban studies and planning at the University at Albany.

This interdisciplinary major provides you with the skills you need to craft ecologically and socially sound city plans and carry out regional community and economic development projects in the real world. Program coursework covers changing demographics, accessibility issues, economic inequalities, public safety concerns, and more.

Ultimately, you’ll know how planners and designers conceive new residential, commercial, and recreational areas and then collaborate with real estate developers, government officials, community leaders, architects, surveyors, and other professionals to make them a reality.

Develop the skills you need to become an agent for positive social change and an effective advocate for marginalized people across gender, race, class, sexuality, and nationality differences.

In the master's program in women's, gender and sexuality studies at UAlbany, you examine how gender at the intersections of race, ethnicity, economic status, and sexual identity impacts and is impacted by different political, social, and cultural systems.

For your final project, you complete original research that aims to connect feminist theory with actionable community engagement.

Learn how geology, natural resources, weather, waterways, and ecosystems have impacted and been impacted by human settlement and urbanization, agriculture, immigration, mass transportation, man-made disasters, and global cultures and economies.

The BA in Geography program at the University at Albany has a strong international focus. Courses cover existing and emerging social, economic, political, and environmental issues in Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Europe.

As a geography major, you get to choose from three areas of focus (clusters): human geography, environmental geography, and geographic information systems (GIS).

Curate your expertise on the cultures and histories of Africans and African Americans with a Master of Arts in Africana Studies. UAlbany was the first university to offer an Africana Studies graduate degree and remains one of the few institutions in the nation with an MA program in the field. The Africana Studies MA prepares you for many possible careers, from education to law, and for further study at the doctoral level.

A multi-disciplinary program, the MA in Africana Studies explores topics in politics, culture, history, and social science. Choose one of two concentrations – African Studies or African American Studies – and select from subfields such as psychology and literature to further align your program of study with your interests.

Gain a robust understanding of chemical principles while learning about the molecules and atoms that make up our universe. With a strong emphasis on lab work and analytical thinking, the bachelor’s in chemistry program will prepare you for graduate studies or a career in areas including medicine, forensics, pharmacology, and environmental science.

The Bachelor of Science in Chemistry program is a combined major and minor sequence. You can follow one of three tracks:

• General Chemistry
• Chemical Biology
• Forensic Chemistry

Each of these tracks features an honors program option. The chemistry curricula is designed according to American Chemical Society standards, which means you'll study two semesters of General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Physical Chemistry, along with formal laboratory experience.

Discover how to predict weather and climate changes through theory, modeling, and observation with the bachelor’s in an atmospheric science program at the University at Albany.

Lead the next generation of weather experts with a deep understanding of how atmospheric patterns impact resource use on a regional or global scale.

With meteorological events closely tied to the global economy, you will be prepared for careers in areas like homeland security, risk assessment, emergency management and environmental engineering. Many of our students also utilize their comprehensive training in atmospheric sciences to pursue advanced degrees in the field.