Bachelor of Science in Human Development with Concentration in Higher Education Concentration

at State University of New York at Albany USA

Are you ready to make a difference? Perhaps you'd like to counsel children with behavioral difficulties or work with seniors, run a homeless shelter or treat addictions, promote workplace diversity or change social welfare policy - all to help people function at their best in society. That would make you an ideal social welfare major or minor.  

The undergraduate social welfare program at UAlbany teaches you how to advance social, economic and environmental justice and to serve people who are vulnerable, marginalized, and oppressed. You will gain firsthand experience working with individuals, families, groups, organizations and/or communities to create change and improve social conditions. 

Ranked among the top 20 public affairs programs in the nation, the Rockefeller College Master of Public Administration program prepares you to excel as a government administrator, policy analyst, information technology manager, or strategic and financial leader of public and nonprofit institutions.

As you move through the 49-credit MPA curriculum and complete your professional internship, you learn how to successfully oversee projects, support and motivate teams, improve organizational performance, and monitor policy impact to help solve complex socioeconomic problems.

Public Policy
If you're interested in public policy we have two main concentrations and a set of substantive concentrations in specific policy areas (e.g., health policy; education policy; criminal justice policy; women and public policy, global affairs, etc) that you might choose to design with the assistance of your advisor.

If you're interested in more applied quantitative or qualitative skills in conducting policy analysis, we recommend the Policy Analytic Methods concentration.

If you have an interest in the policy process and politics (i.e., drafting legislation, political advocacy/strategy, lobbying, etc), we recommend the Policy Process, Politics and Institutions concentration.

Learn how to analyze and report on policy issues, and how to manage information resources in the public and not-for-profit sectors.

To develop specialized skills, you can earn sub-concentrations by taking multiple courses in one or two sub-fields:
Policy Analysis
Work at a research institute or a government agency to evaluate how well policies and public programs work. Work as a legislative analyst to identify the best policy to implement. Whatever your career aspiration, the nationally ranked MPA program at Rockefeller College will prepare you for success in the field of policy analysis.

Policy Process, Politics and Institutions
Understand the role of public institutions in policies development and the administration of political systems of the United States and other countries.

To support the well-being of individuals and communities, you need to understand the psychological, social, cultural, and biological aspects of human development and learning across the life span.

In the interdisciplinary bachelor's in human development, you work toward your long-term career goals by personalizing your course of study with a concentration in your specific area of interest.

Graduates are employed as behavioral specialists, at-risk youth counselors, child development consultants, program evaluators, academic advisors, and institutional research analysts.

Common workplaces include schools, social services, pediatric hospitals, juvenile justice systems, wellness clinics, disability support providers, VA hospitals, and mental health agencies.

Educational Psychology Concentration
Optimize student outcomes by studying learning sciences and assessment and by mastering research methods.

If you want to dig deep into financial challenges and influence potential economic outcomes with research-driven data, an MA in Economics from the University at Albany will empower you to excel as a modern economist. Enhance your understanding in economics analysis while honing in on a concentration like finance, economic forecasting, international economics and more.

This program prepares you for careers in administration and research in government, business and other private organizations. Acquire advanced training in economic analysis to become an expert in your designated area of concentration.

Develop a deeper understanding of the living world with the BS in Biological Sciences program at the University at Albany. You will gain the scientific background needed to succeed in a wide variety of careers including the medical, dental, veterinary, optometry and podiatry fields.

The course sequence in biology, chemistry, physics and math provides you with a broad foundation to build upon specialized areas of knowledge. From studying plants, animals and microscopic creatures you will branch out into biology courses tailored to your interests and career goals such as genetics, neurobiology and immunology.

You will be prepared to continue your education leading to an MS and PhD for an in-depth education in biological sciences or enter a professional school in the medical field.

Experience exceptional methods of training in quantitative, qualitative and historical-comparative methods throughout the program. UAlbany offers small classes for one-on-one interaction with professors and an in-depth learning experience. Topics of discussion include:

• Women and welfare
• Cultural sociology
• Medical sociology
• Population health
• Crime and deviance
• Migration in global perspective
• Economic sociology
• Sociology of children and youth

Faculty mentors will guide you towards your thesis topic, providing resources and valuable insight for your focus area.

If you recently earned your bachelor's degree and want to enhance your knowledge before entering the workplace; or if you have been working and want to make a career change, the Full-Time MBA program at the University at Albany is the right program for you.

In your first year, you learn fundamental concepts in finance, accounting, marketing, operations, human resource management, organizational behavior, and information technology. You will also travel abroad and participate in an international consulting project.

During your second year, you work closely with research faculty and regional business leaders as you develop leading edge knowledge and practical skills in your concentration area through hands-on experiences in real business settings.

Concentration options include cybersecurity, entrepreneurship, finance, human resource information systems, information systems and business analysis, and marketing.

Information Systems and Business Analytics
Learn how to improve business operations using application-based analytics and asset management systems, and gain skills in database design, business intelligence, data mining, and big data.

Courses for this concentration cover technical aspects of database management, data visualization, and data mining, and prepare you to use information systems and analytics to support decision making, solve problems, and increase business performance.

A year-long research project gives you hand-on experience managing expectations, project deadlines, and quality outcomes for a real business.

Make a positive impact on the wellness of at-risk populations with skills and experience you can use to help public health organizations achieve their goals.

The Master of Public Health (MPH) provides you with a strong foundation in primary public health fields and advanced knowledge in your area of interest. Concentration options include biomedical sciences, biostatistics, environmental health, epidemiology, health policy and management, and social behavior and community health.

Accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health, the two-year MPH program includes professional internships that let you directly contribute to the success of public programs that aim to eradicate disease, develop vaccines, reduce infant mortality, ensure food safety, monitor water quality, and more.

Population Medicine (for licensed physicians and FAPH Fellows)
Population Medicine is open only to physicians in the Fellowship in Applied Public Health and to other licensed healthcare professionals by permission of the fellowship director.

Prepare for leadership roles in state and local health departments with a focus on public health practice. Analyze public health research methods and study designs, evaluate public health communications, examine priorities of current public health policy, and develop a deep understanding of how surveillance systems are used to provide evidence for public health practice and decision-making.

Push the bounds of theoretical, experimental and computational physics to discover innovative solutions to challenges that bridge our physical and digital world. With the master’s in physics program at the University at Albany, you will dive into pertinent research on subjects like condensed matter, digital holography, and Bayesian data analysis.

Along with research experience you will gain a sound understanding in foundational areas like computational methods, electrodynamics and statistical mechanics. You will be prepared to launch your career in academia, industry or research and development, or an advanced doctorate degree.

Learn the language, history, culture, religion, politics or geography of East Asia. Whether your interest is based on uncovering centuries of art and history or understanding this extremely influential region's position in modern world affairs, you'll find your path in the East Asian Studies major at the University at Albany. An experienced faculty, made up of renowned scholars, will help you delve deeper into the subjects and topics of ancient regional practices, contemporary trade policy or anything in between.