Bachelor of Arts in International Studies

at State University of New York College at Brockport USA

Political Science is the study of the state and of power relations within and among states, as they are and as they ought to be. It seeks a better understanding of political and governmental behavior and institutions in order to enable society to use its collective resources more effectively for the general welfare. The principal sub-fields of the discipline are: American politics, comparative politics, international relations and political theory.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Students should have a college level understanding of American Government
• Students should have a fundamental understanding of the politics of at least 1 country/region/ system of government outside of the US
• Students will have a working familiarity with social science methodologies common to PLS/INS (including Theory and Quantitative methods)
• Students should have writing and speaking skills commensurate with BA/BS at SUNY Brockport

Administered by the Department of Journalism, Broadcasting and Public Relations, the major in Journalism and Broadcasting (JRB) prepares students for careers in online, TV, radio, newspaper and magazine journalism; public and community relations; public information; advertising; corporate communications; television and radio station sales, promotions and management, independent and corporate production studios, corporate media centers and government service.

What You’ll Learn

The media impact our politics, economy, and culture. Prepare yourself to enter the fast-growing field of journalism, broadcasting, and public relations. Learn to craft compelling stories, research sources and subjects, pitch stories to the media, and perform production work in the field and the studio.

Choose from four concentrations: Multimedia Journalism, Media Production, Media Studies, or Public Relations.

Physics is the study of the physical properties of the universe and of the fundamental properties and interactions of matter and energy. Physics has applications in every field of pure and applied science, such as engineering, optics, materials science, space science, and medicine.

The major in Physics Adolescence Inclusive Education is intended for students who want to become certified to teach both high school Physics and Students with Disabilities (SWD). It includes 53 credits in the Physics Content Core and 43 credits of Pedagogy Content offered by the Department of Education and Human Development (EHD). Because of the large number of required credits in this major, students should plan their time at Brockport carefully and consult with their advisors in both Physics and EHD.

The Physics Adolescence Inclusive Education major leads to initial dual certification (see 'Certification' below) under the 'Adolescence Physics Inclusive Generalist' category as outlined by the New York State Education Department (NYSED):

• Adolescence Physics, 7-12
• Adolescence Physics, 5-6 Extension
• Students with Disabilities, 7-12, Generalist

What You’ll Learn

Physics pursues answers to how the Universe works on scales both large and small. High school teachers get to share these answers with their students and spark their curiosity about the natural world.

Your Physics Inclusive Education degree will provide you with the content and skills necessary to become an outstanding educator in Physics and prepare you to teach in today's diverse classrooms. Our program stands apart from those at other schools because you will leave with an initial dual certification in teaching Physics and Students with Disabilities.

The Department of Women and Gender Studies works to make the diversity of women’s and gendered perspectives visible and to promote student success within an academic, professional, and personal context. The major curriculum seeks to provide students with the occasion to investigate the intersections of sex, gender, race, ethnicity, class, age, sexuality, and ability as dimensions of social identity, and as considered at local, national, and transnational levels.

This interdisciplinary major offers students a well-rounded undergraduate education leading to expertise in a wide variety of skills that prepare students for career and graduate school success. Students have an opportunity to understand themselves and their society within an inclusive view of the human experience.

Recent Women and Gender Studies graduates have gone on to highly competitive masters and doctorate programs in law, sociology, gender studies, history, social work, communications, public health, and English at nationally recognized research universities. Graduates stepping into the workforce have assumed careers as crisis counselors, government officials, librarians, human rights activists, and Peace Corps/AmeriCorps volunteers.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Describe why centering anti-racist and decolonizing work is essential to effective social justice work and feminist thinking.
• Explain how patriarchy and other sex/gender systems of power intersect with other systems of power.
• Theorize ways in which bodies and social identities are culturally and historically constructed and shaped.
• Identify and critically evaluate research and scholarly arguments within the field of Women and Gender Studies.
• Identify and analyze language, media representation, and dominant forms of communication to produce an original argument about how power and privilege operate in society.
• Apply collaborative strategies and knowledge of Women and Gender to imagine and create transformative feminist futures.

As the nations of the world become more interconnected and interdependent, proficiency in other languages is a vital skill that allows you to engage with the world in a more immediate and meaningful way. Spanish language and culture studies prepare you for future opportunities to compete and succeed in the global economy. Through interdisciplinary instruction and the development of intercultural understanding, our curriculum is designed to help you become proficient in Spanish and prepares you to reach your career aspirations in your chosen field of interest. We encourage our students to double major and to participate in study abroad programs in Spanish-speaking countries sponsored by the Center for Global Education and Engagement.

The Spanish major consists of 33 credits and enables students to acquire an advanced level of proficiency in the language. Literature and culture courses are designed to provide a historical, political and social overview of the Spanish-speaking world. All courses are taught in Spanish.

Recent Modern Languages and Cultures' graduates have gone on to highly competitive Master's and PhD programs in Higher Education Administration, TESOL, French Literature, and Counseling at recognized research universities. Others have joined the workforce as Bilingual, French, and Spanish elementary and high-school teachers in Rochester and around NY state, ESL teachers for adult learners, translators, interpreters for defense attorneys, social workers, law enforcement officers, and health professionals.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of a baccalaureate degree in Spanish, graduates will be able to:

• Narrate and describe using a variety of time frames, extended discourse, and specialized vocabulary.
• Deliver oral presentations on a wide variety of topics, using a variety of strategies to tailor the presentation to the needs of their audience.
• Narrate and describe in all major time frames with good control of aspect and a range of general vocabulary in writing for personal and professional needs.
• Identify the main facts and many supporting details in conventional narrative and descriptive oral texts.
• Identify some of the essential points of argumentative texts in areas of special interest or knowledge.
• Explain key perspectives of  some Spanish-speaking cultures within a comparative framework and connect them to cultural products and practices.
• Interpret and synthesize ideas and critical issues from a wide range of historical and contemporary cultural artifacts.

Computer Science is the theory and practice of computation.  A computer scientist creates new hardware and software that is more efficient, effective, and reliable.  At SUNY Brockport, the Advanced Computing (AC) and the Software Development (SD) Tracks of the Computer Science (CSC) major train students in lasting fundamental principles of computing, with appropriate exposure to modern hardware/software products and applications.  The emphasis is on computer problem solving and the development of new software and hardware.

The Advanced Computing Track of the Computer Science major is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET.  This track is recommended for students with a strong preparation in mathematics and science. The Software Development Track is recommended for transfer students and double majors with interest in software development.

Useful information for students, such as career guidance, advisement, sample plans of study, student awards, and scholarships can be found at the department website.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:
Advanced Computing Track

• Analyze a complex computing problem and to apply principles of computing and other relevant disciplines to identify solutions.
• Design, implement, and evaluate a computing-based solution to meet a given set of computing requirements in the context of the program's discipline.
• Communicate effectively in a variety of professional contexts.
• Recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles.
• Function effectively as a member or leader of a team engaged in activities appropriate to the program's discipline.
• Apply computer science theory and software development fundamentals to produce computing-based solutions.

The studio art major is designed to provide a well-rounded, multi-disciplinary education in the appreciation and creation of visual art and design, encompassing two-dimensional and three-dimensional media, art and design history and criticism, and a four-course disciplinary concentration in one area such as Ceramics, Drawing, Graphic Design, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture. Students majoring in art are encouraged to explore other knowledge areas through a double major and/or minors. NOTE: For GRAPHIC DESIGN CONCENTRATION requirements, scroll further down the page.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Apply technical skills and the elements of art and principles of design to achieve basic visual communication and expression in one or more media.
• Identify and holistically discuss major works of art through formal and conceptual analysis, socio-historical contextualization, and interpretation.
• Identify and demonstrate ways to utilize and apply their skills and abilities to postgraduate professional practices.
• Make viable connections between concept and form/media.
• Create works of art and/or design that respond to contemporary, relevant issues inside and/or outside of the discipline.

Meteorology majors must earn a minimum of 43 credits in required core courses, and complete three semesters of calculus and differential equations, two semesters of calculus-based physics, and one semester each of chemistry and computer programming.The major in Meteorology prepares students for careers in weather forecasting, atmospheric research, environmental consulting and air quality management. The strong physical science orientation of the program allows students to compete in related fields, such as environmental and computer science, hydrology, and alternative energy utilization. The major meets the federal guidelines for meteorologists, enabling graduates to begin careers in federal, state and private employment.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Explain the manner with which variables and data, relevant for meteorology, are properly collected using a discipline-appropriate methodology (fieldwork, instrumentation, remote sensing, or derived products from models).
• Properly interpret meteorology data using discipline-accepted qualitative analysis.
• Properly interpret meteorology data using discipline-accepted quantitative analysis.
• Define a scientific question and develop a methodology for answering it.
• Locate, evaluate, and interpret primary source scientific literature.
• Effectively express meteorology concepts and research results following the accepted written format for the discipline
• Explain meteorology concepts and communicate research results following the accepted oral format for the discipline

Sociology explores how our lives, behaviors, and identities are shaped by our ties to others, from intimate spheres to global ones. Completing the Sociology major gives you the tools to understand the complex structures of the social world and how they interact. Sociology courses at Brockport include topics as diverse as sport, health, race and ethnicity, food, gender, education, and human rights.

At the core of sociology is what C. Wright Mills calls "The Sociological Imagination," the awareness that "neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both." Rigorous research and creative concepts enable sociologists to, in Pierre Bourdieu's words, "think in a completely astonished and disconcerted way about things you thought you had always understood."

Both scientific and humanistic, sociology is a classic, liberal-arts discipline. Sociology students learn to examine both cultures and social structures, gaining significant insights into society, social change, and their own social identities. Research and analytical skills, combined with an emphases on effective communication and critical thinking, prepare sociology students for success in graduate school or careers in the social service, nonprofit, public-sector, and business fields.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Apply sociological theories to understand social phenomena
• Explain how culture and social structure shape individual experiences and opportunities
• Rigorously analyze social science data
• Effectively communicate sociological concepts and empirical findings

The bachelor of arts or bachelor of science in liberal studies degrees provide a wide range of educational options leading to an individualized educational program. The required seminar courses are offered online and through independent study while the electives may be completed online, hybrid or in a traditional classroom. The program focuses on social sciences, natural sciences, humanities/fine arts, and an individualized area of research.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Student learning outcomes (SLOs) for Liberal Studies students must be understood in the context of a multidisciplinary program with no prescribed core of specific courses (although there is a core of prescribed disciplinary categories), considerable variation in courses making up each Liberal Studies candidate's plan of study (POS), and each student's differing personal and professional goals. Nevertheless, a number of SLOs are expected for all Liberal Studies candidates. These include:

• Contributors to Knowledge – Examine the unique perspective of the arts and humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences as contributors to knowledge.
• Multidisciplinary Nature of Knowledge – Analyze the multidisciplinary nature of knowledge, and assess the value of a multidisciplinary approach to scholarship.
• Self and Nature within Contemporary Society – Provide examples of the way in which insights and methodologies from the arts and humanities, the social sciences and the natural sciences contribute to an understanding of one's self and nature within contemporary society.
• Knowledge Skills and Application – Assess interrelationships between areas of knowledge and skill within the Plan of Study, illustrate how these areas provide an integrated holistic overview.
• Critical Reasoning – Use critical reasoning skills to evaluate and synthesize knowledge from different disciplinary perspectives.
• Effective Communication – Employ effective communication skills through coherent and well-organized written and verbal presentations.