Bachelor of Arts in Black Studies

at State University of New York at New Paltz USA

Geology offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Through formal courses, field work, and research projects, students develop an awareness of the geological processes that shape our planet, and their impact on society and the environment. The undergraduate major in geology offers concentrations in General Geology and Environmental Geoscience and leads to either a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree. The BS degree in Geology is licensure qualifying: its coursework meets the education requirements for Professional Geologist licensure in New York State. 

The Department of Music strives to educate students by providing a rigorous undergraduate core program in music within the liberal arts context. We aspire to promote integrated student learning through a diversity of offerings within the department and across the campus. Prospective students - majors and non-majors alike - will find a variety of liberal arts and professional courses as well as a full range of performing ensembles. We also offer an extensive series of on-campus concerts involving faculty members, guest performers, students, and student ensembles.

The department offers Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in Music, with concentrations in Classical Performance, Jazz Performance, and Recording & Electronic Music, as well as a general music program with broad elective offerings in music genres and history, classical and jazz performance, recording and electronic music, music therapy, and composition.

• Geography is a diverse and integrative discipline that allows students to explore and make sense of place, space, and landscape and the connections between them, while also learning to analyze problems from multiple perspectives. Our programs are designed to prepare students for graduate study in geography or for employment in fields actively seeking geographers. Students may choose the general Geography major, leading to a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree, or Geography concentrations in environmental geography and in urban planning, leading to a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. The concentration in urban planning is for students who wish to undertake graduate study in planning or to obtain employment in that field. A Geographic Information System (GIS) sequence is offered in addition to courses in Cartography and Remote Sensing.
• Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary major drawing on social and physical science, the humanities and the arts to provide students a broad understanding of the relationship between humans and the earth. The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) program emphasizes environmental policy and social and economic aspects of the environment while providing a background in earth science. Much of environmental studies focuses on public and political discourse about scientific uncertainty, assessment of risks, and economic costs and benefits. Students majoring in Environmental Studies gain theoretical perspective and practical experience through a combination of coursework, activism, policymaking, applied-learning opportunities, and a capstone seminar.

This program designed specifically for college graduates holding an appropriate liberal arts degree in Biology, Chemistry, English, Geology, History, or Mathematics who have not had a formal background in education and who wish to prepare for a teaching career in adolescence education grades 7-12.

Upon successful completion of the program, candidates will be recommended to the New York State Education Department for Initial/Professional Certification.

Electrical Engineering continues to be a growth area in the field of engineering due to rapidly changing technologies and expanding industrial needs. New Paltz's program is designed to meet these needs, both generally and within the Mid-Hudson Valley, specifically. Our goal is to provide students with a solid knowledge of math, science and engineering concepts and the ability to apply them to engineering problems. The flexibility of the engineering curriculum serves full- and part-time students, traditional and non-traditional students, and students new to engineering as well as those who have some experience in technical areas.

The Electrical Engineering curriculum consists of a modified General Education Requirement, foundation coursework in math and science, required core courses, and technical electives. Design is emphasized throughout the curriculum.

The Speech-Language Pathology concentration comprises 61 credits and leads to New York State licensure and ASHA certification.

Psychology is an empirically based science. Therefore, it is desirable for psychology majors to have the skills to interpret and generate new information. To that end, courses in statistics and research methodology are required of all majors. In addition, psychology majors take a writing-intensive capstone seminar in which they demonstrate their mastery of the techniques and the content areas of the discipline. Students majoring in psychology are advised to acquire a broad range of training in the Liberal Arts. Taking a variety of elective courses in other disciplines is strongly recommended.

This program prepares students for careers in speech-language pathology, audiology, and related areas such as deaf education. The department offers a liberal arts major program which prepares students for graduate study in the fields of communication disorders. The department also offers ASHA-accredited graduate programs in Communication Disorders, with concentrations in Speech and Language Disabilities (with teaching certificate) and Speech-Language Pathology.

The Biology program at New Paltz offers students excellent preparation for graduate school, medical school, or a career in industry or one of the many allied health fields. Our faculty-mentored research opportunities are unparalleled, and our modern, research-quality instrumentation enables students to pursue every interest from molecular signaling and environmental conservation to neurophysiology and animal behavior.

The Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies Program draws on the expertise of faculty based in several departments, enabling students to develop a feminist perspective on traditional disciplines and to cross disciplinary boundaries in order to explore experiences nationally and globally. Students examine the ways that gender intersects with other systems of domination, think critically about ways to challenge violence and injustice, and work together to envision a more just and humane world.

In our practicum course, students gain experience working with organizations that serve or mobilize women. In our senior seminar, they pursue independent research in topics of their own choosing. An interdisciplinary course, Women: Images and Realities, provides the introduction to the program.