Bachelor of Science in Mathematics (STEM)

at State University of New York College at Brockport USA

Computer Information Systems is the study of the use of computers for systematic organization of data that supports efficient and accurate collection, processing, analysis, and retrieval of information. An information system specialist applies existing technology to solve real-world problems. At SUNY Brockport, the Computer Information Systems (CIS) major trains students in state-of-the-art computing technology, applications, and business practices, with appropriate exposure to underlying fundamentals. The emphasis is on the use of computers in an organization to increase effectiveness and efficiency.

The Computer Information Systems major is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET. This major is recommended for students with a strong interest in business applications of computing.

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:

• 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.
• Support the delivery, use, and management of information systems within an information systems environment.

The graduate Master of Science in Athletic Training program is a two-year, 60 credit hour program that is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE).  The program is designed to fulfill CAATE standards and is predicated upon the latest in evidence based practice. Following completion of this program, student’s are eligible to complete the BOC, Inc. certification examination to become a Certified Athletic Trainer.

The program involves 47 credits of didactic course work and 13 credits of hands-on clinical experiences. During the four semesters of clinical experience, student’s will have the opportunity to practice within the on-campus Athletic Training Clinic and athletics program as well in numerous clinical affiliated sites around the greater Rochester area.  These sites may include hospitals, urgent care clinics, colleges/universities, high schools, and sports medicine clinics.

Student Learning Outcomes

The program’s expected learning outcomes are consistent with CAATE standards and are as follows:

• Develop an understanding of evidence-based practice concepts and their application to sound clinical decision-making and the critical examination of athletic training practice.
• Develop safe and effective clinical decision-making within the practice of athletic training in a manner that integrates evidence-based practice with patient-oriented outcomes.
• Develop advanced knowledge and clinical practice skills in the examination, diagnosis, and management of injuries and health conditions commonly seen in athletic training practice.
• Integrate evidence-based practice to deliver current therapeutic interventions to promote optimal patient care.
• Develop and implement strategies to mitigate the risk for long-term health conditions across the lifespan.
• Develop and understanding of the role of the athletic trainer in health care administration and the delivery of health care services.
• Practice athletic training in professional, ethical manner in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

The 36-credit Master of Arts in Dance is a graduate program that offers students an opportunity to focus on intensive scholarly study in dance. Students may also develop an interdisciplinary focus in dance/movement studies, which might include coursework and research in areas such as theatre, music studies, recreation and leisure studies, health and wellness, or women/gender studies.

While at Brockport, graduate students may perform in faculty and guest artist work, choreograph their own work, or assist in directing departmental touring performances. They may also travel to regional/national conferences and festivals; to countries with complimentary foreign study programs such as Ghana, England, Brazil or Norway; or to New York and other locations for approved and credited apprenticeships, internships or dance study.

Upon completion of their degrees, Brockport MA students go on to become college and university faculty; PreK-12 teachers; performers and choreographers; dance administrators; private studio directors; independent movement practitioners; and teaching artists.  Others pursue doctoral degrees in dance or related fields.

The Department of Dance offers an MA in Dance, or an MFA in dance. The Department of Dance seeks to provide a rigorous and nurturing environment for the development of artists, scholars, choreographers, and educators. We support creativity through conceptualization and performance.

The department has some of the best dance facilities in the country, including its own fully equipped 300-seat proscenium dance theater, a 270-seat large-space studio theater, five studios, a body-conditioning lab, and computerized music and design studios. Faculty and professional staff are nationally and internationally recognized in their areas of expertise and are leaders in professional organizations such as CORD, NASD and NDEO. SUNY Brockport is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Dance.

Student Learning Outcomes

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

• Apply artistry and individual expressivity across a range of movement aesthetics.
• Embody physical mastery of a variety of contemporary dance idioms.
• Generate and design choreography that demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of compositional tools and aesthetic framework.
• Articulate a critical understanding of aesthetics regarding dance styles through dance making, and/or oral and written forms.
• Summarize and synthesize concepts regarding history, aesthetics, and culture of dance.
• Identify and investigate an individual research agenda in creative and/or written scholarship.
• Situate individual interests in the context of the larger dance field.
• Exhibit appropriate professional conduct throughout choreographic process, performance, collaboration, and production.

The English major is designed for students who wish to pursue a passion for reading and writing, and for those who seek a versatile education as they prepare for careers in education, law, business administration, public relations, advertising, government, or any field where analytical excellence and effective use of the English language are essential. English majors choose between a literature or creative writing concentration (outlined below), where their course work is designed to develop analytical, research, and creative skills.

Preparing for Business, Law and Public Service: Literature courses which emphasize psychological, social and verbal analysis provide a solid basis for the type of critical thinking needed in professional positions, while courses in writing, business communication, journalism/ publication, etc. provide a solid basis in communication skills central to these areas.

Student Life: The Writers Forum connects students with significant contemporary writers and critics. The English Club offers a variety of activities, including the publication of a student-run literary journal. Sigma Tau Delta, an international honor society, recognizes significant academic accomplishment. Awards are available for student scholarship and outstanding literary-critical, fiction, poetry and non-fiction writing.

Study Abroad: A variety of study abroad programs are available and encouraged. Our students have spent semesters abroad everywhere from England and Australia to France and Spain. Contact the Center for Global Education and Engagement to explore these opportunities.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the program,

Creative Writing Track students will be able to:

• Analyze the relationship between literary form and meaning, taking into consideration literary techniques and devices.
• Construct arguments about literary works using historical contexts.
• Apply basic elements of creative writing craft, including such elements as control of form and figurative language.
• Identify reputable and relevant sources, and incorporate the words and ideas of others without misrepresentation and with appropriate documentation practices.
• Write in conformity with standard usage and grammar.

Literature Track students will be able to:

• Analyze the relationship between literary form and meaning, taking into consideration literary techniques and devices.
• Construct arguments about literary works using historical contexts.
• Argue with a command of the rhetorical strategies, terms, and major interpretive methods characteristic of academic writing in the Humanities.
• Identify reputable and relevant sources, and incorporate the words and ideas of others without misrepresentation and with appropriate documentation practices.
• Write in conformity with standard usage and grammar.

The study of philosophy is excellent preparation for a career in any field that requires clear, analytical thinking, writing, and speaking, including law, government, teaching and education, the ministry, business and management, publishing, and many other fields. Philosophy is traditionally considered the premier major for those planning to apply to law school. Philosophy majors score on average significantly higher on the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) than do the majors in any of the humanities or social sciences, including political science, history, and English; and philosophy majors on average are accepted to law school at higher rates than are students majoring in many other popular pre-law fields. Philosophy is also an excellent double major.

The Department of Philosophy sponsors the College's chapter of Phi Sigma Tau, the International Honors Philosophy Society, which recognizes student academic excellence. The Department also operates the Center for Philosophic Exchange, which sponsors free public guest lectures on campus by distinguished philosophers and publishes the on-line journal, Philosophic Exchange.

Student Learning Outcomes:

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

• Present a philosophical problem, by (1) concisely and precisely stating a philosophical problem to be resolved by an argument or essay, (2) explaining why the problem is significant, (3) explaining the scope of the problem, (4) defining any terms necessary for understanding the problem.
• Explicate the meaning of a philosophical theory by (1) correctly deducing the logical implications of that theory, (2) describing those implications in terms of specific examples, (3) recognizing when another statement or theory contradicts the relevant theory explicitly, (4) recognizing when another statement or theory contradicts the relevant theory implicitly.
• Demonstrate understanding of evidence by (1) correctly stating what counts as relevant evidence for a philosophical position, (2) correctly stating what counts as relevant evidence against the argument for a philosophical position and recognizing that evidence as such, (3) explaining why any cited evidence is relevant or irrelevant to a philosophical position, (4) distinguishing evidentiary claims about a philosophical position from rhetorically persuasive but specious claims about a philosophical position.
• Demonstrate knowledge of logic, by (1) recognizing arguments, (2) constructing good arguments, (3) evaluating arguments, (4) avoiding fallacies (e.g. begging the question).
• Demonstrate knowledge of dialectical method in philosophy, by (1) formulating possible objections to the thesis of an essay, (2) formulating possible objections to the argument for the essay's thesis, (3) responding to possible objections to the essay's thesis by showing that they are mistaken, (4) responding to possible objections to the argument for the essay's thesis by showing that they are mistaken.

Anthropologists study human behavior and thought in both the past and the present with the goal of improving our world. We holistically draw on sociocultural, archaeological, and biological approaches to engage with humanity’s current challenges: the outcomes of the humanity-environment relationship; human rights abuses and the need for social justice; and the complexities of human heritage and identities. Whether through ethnographic fieldwork, archaeological excavation, biological lab work, or visual and material cultural analysis, our students and faculty collaborate closely to learn and improve our knowledge of human variation. This is an invaluable resource for our students as they prepare for a more complex future.

The Anthropology Major consists of 24 required course credits plus 12 elective credits that allow students to augment their education with a dual major or minor in another field applicable to their goals and needs.

Student Learning Outcomes

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

• Knowledge base. Students gain an understanding of the broad knowledge base of human biocultural diversity through time and across cultures, as provided through archaeology, biological and cultural anthropology.
• Methods. Students gain knowledge and skills in the different anthropological research methods used in the sub-fields of archaeology, biological or cultural anthropology.
• Theory. Students learn to define and describe anthropological theory as used in current and past practice by anthropologists, in archaeology, biological and/or cultural anthropology.
• Critical Thinking. Students develop the ability to question, reflect and critique the data and arguments upon which evaluations of human diversity, behavior and change are made.
• Analysis. Students learn to apply theories and methods to explain or interpret anthropological problems, including cross-cultural patterns of social behavior, human evolution, and social change over time and space.
• Ethics. Students learn the appropriate procedures and protocols for obtaining informed consent or access permissions, in order to avoid harm or wrong to one’s human or non-human subjects and descendants.

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 MA in Psychology program is designed to prepare students for further study at the doctoral level and/or for careers in psychology and the helping professions. Students choose one of three tracks that best serves their educational goals:

• Clinical (with applied emphasis): a 48 credit program designed for students interested in developing clinical skills; it emphasizes diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of psychological and behavioral disorders, and it culminates in a semester-long practicum placement in an applied setting. *Please note that this track is currently on hiatus.  No new students are being accepted to this track.*
• Clinical (with research emphasis): a 39 credit program designed for students who want to move on to PhD programs, usually in clinical psychology; it emphasizes diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of psychological and behavioral disorders, but students in this track also engage in research; the culmination is a Master's thesis based on empirical research, rather than a practicum.
• General: a 30-36 credit program designed for students who want to move on to PhD programs, usually in non-clinical areas of psychology; through independent study and active research collaboration, this track provides the most opportunities for working closely with faculty mentors; the culmination is a Master's thesis based on empirical research.

All three tracks share a core set of courses, taken in the first year and building upon students’ undergraduate experiences, that provide advanced knowledge of scientific psychology, often in a seminar format. In the clinically-focused tracks, students are trained as scientists and practitioners, concerned with the application of psychological principles to the treatment and prevention of behavior disorders. Courses provide theoretical and practical training in contemporary methods of assessment, behavioral and cognitive-behavioral clinical intervention, and program evaluation.

Student Learning Outcomes

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

• Analyze the biological, developmental, and contextual determinants of behavior
  • Analyze the relationship between biological bases of behavior and human functioning
  • Describe the process of human development and acquisition of learned behaviors across the lifespan
  • Analyze how individuals' knowledge exists in the context of their environment (e.g., social, geographical, familial, institutional, cultural, etc.) and how the environment affects their functioning
• Critique and apply principles of research methods
• Apply psychological principles and evidence-based theories to practical problems in the field of psychology
• Synthesize clinical coursework and apply it outside the classroom (Applied Track)
• Produce a substantive research paper describing data that elucidates a psychological topic (Research Tracks)
• Apply ethical and professional standards to relevant research and/or clinical situations
• Explain the role of social and cultural diversity in human characteristics, experiences, and behavior
• Select appropriate intervention techniques, correctly administer tests, and accurately interpret results (Clinical Tracks)

Exercise science is the study of how the human body responds and adapts to exercise. In practice, exercise scientists are responsible for designing and implementing exercise programs for a wide breadth of populations. They work to improve the health and performance of individuals by conducting physiological assessments and using that information to design effective exercise programs. In addition, exercise science is a terrific undergraduate-level foundation for students looking to pursue graduate school in an allied health care field.

Exercise science students have the opportunity to match their area of interest with one of two concentrations within the major. Hence all students must select either: 1) The Exercise for Health Promotion Concentration, or 2) The Strength and Conditioning Concentration. All majors take the set amount of core courses before branching off into their concentration.

Exercise for Health Promotion Concentration
Students who pursue this concentration enjoy working with the general population and/or have an interest in clinical exercise science, such as cardiac rehabilitation. This concentration is designed to prepare students to sit for the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Certified Exercise Physiologist Exam.

Strength and Conditioning Concentration
Students who pursue this concentration enjoy working with athletes and have a strong interest in resistance training. This concentration is designed to prepare students to sit for the National Strength and Conditioning Association Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) exam.

Student Learning Outcomes:

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

• The student will be able to describe the core principles of exercise physiology and related exercise science for the general population.
• The student will be able to independently evaluate the five components of fitness of a client and then design an appropriate, safe, and effective training program to meet the client's needs.
• The student will identify the principles of clinical exercise physiology, as well as describe the pathophysiology of disease and their associated risk factors.
• The student will describe the principles of nutrition and physical activity behavior change in order to promote healthful living.
• The student will identify and explain the issues of safety, injury prevention, emergency procedures and program administration related to exercise program development and implementation.
• The student will apply the principles of exercise science in a practical learning environment.
• The student will describe the ethical demands/challenges of the exercise science related professions and the human/social context in which graduates will work.
• As a result of preparation by our curriculum, students will be prepared for, and participate in, a national credentialing exam (i.e. ACSM HFS, NSCA CSCS, etc.).
• Our undergraduates will complete their B.S. degree in Exercise Science and will be employed and/or accepted to graduate school within a year of graduation.

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.