Bachelor of Science in Philosophy

at State University of New York College at Brockport USA

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.

Neuroscience is a growing interdisciplinary field that draws upon the knowledge-base from biology, chemistry, and psychology. You will learn how to effectively communicate and work with experts across all three fields as well as how to apply their varied approaches to problem-solving. Select from many upper-division courses to deepen your knowledge in what interests you the most about neuroscience.

SUNY Brockport is one of the first SUNY institutions to offer an undergraduate degree in neuroscience.

You will have the opportunity for hands-on instruction through lab and field courses as well as high-impact experiences through undergraduate research and internships.

What You’ll Learn

You will receive a solid foundation in biology, chemistry, and psychology in order to communicate and work with experts to uncover the how our brain and nervous system work.

Recreation management, therapeutic recreation, and tourism are some of the most exciting and diverse human service professions. The field provides opportunities to work with all types of people in a variety of settings, to strengthen communities and improve quality of life through recreation. Students are required to choose one of three concentrations.

• Students studying recreation management will prepare for employment in a variety of settings including municipal parks and recreation, non-profit recreation services, and commercial recreation.
• Students studying therapeutic recreation will prepare for employment in community agencies and clinical settings, such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools, transitional or residential centers, treatment centers, physical medicine and rehabilitation and psychiatric institutions.
• Students pursuing the tourism management concentration will prepare for professional positions in resorts, attractions, destination marketing organizations, and wedding and event planning.

All of the concentrations provide students with academic and experiential opportunities that foster an enriching undergraduate experience and launch an exciting career.

Student Learning Outcomes

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

• Students graduating from the program shall demonstrate the following entry-level knowledge: a) the nature and scope of the relevant park, recreation, tourism or related professions and their associated industries; b) techniques and processes used by professionals and workers in these industries; and c) the foundation of the profession in history, science and philosophy. (COAPRT 7.01)
• Students graduating from the program shall be able to demonstrate the ability to design, implement, and evaluate services that facilitate targeted human experiences and that embrace personal and cultural dimensions of diversity. (COAPRT 7.02)
• Students graduating from the program shall be able to demonstrate entry-level knowledge about operations and strategic management/administration in parks, recreation, tourism and/or related professions. (COAPRT 7.03)
• Students graduating from the program shall demonstrate, through a comprehensive internship of not less than 400 clock hours and no fewer than 10 weeks, the potential to succeed as professionals at supervisory or higher levels in park, recreation, tourism, or related organizations. (COAPRT 7.04)

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.

Physics is the study of the physical properties of the universe and of the fundamental properties and interactions of matter and energy. Physicists work to understand why and how things work, addressing questions ranging from how the efficiency of a solar panel can be improved to why the expansion of the universe is accelerating. Physics underlies and has applications in the pure sciences – astronomy, chemistry, biology, earth science – and applied sciences, such as engineering, optics, and materials science.

Physics majors take a wide variety of courses that develop technical and essential skills, including problem-solving, instrumentation, data analysis, teamwork and communicating results. Graduates who enter the job market immediately find their knowledge and skills, particularly any specialized training gained through research experiences, are strong selling points. A physics degree is also excellent preparation for graduate or professional school, and recent graduates have pursued advanced degrees in physics, astronomy, applied math, engineering, and medicine.

Student Learning Outcomes

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

• Apply the principles of Classical Mechanics in the analysis of physical problems.
• Apply the principles of Classical Electrodynamics in the analysis of physical problems.
• Apply the principles of Quantum Mechanics in the analysis of physical problems.
• Use scientific instruments to gather, analyze, and display data with the intention of identifying patterns.
• Communicate scientific concepts and the results of scientific research both orally and in writing.
• Apply conservation principles appropriately in the investigation of physical problems.

International Studies (INS) is a major that helps students understand competition, conflict, and cooperation around the world today. INS majors study the politics, history, economics, languages, and cultures of countries and communities around the globe. They graduate having developed a thorough familiarity with the dominant trends and dynamics shaping the world – something that many employers prize in today's globalized and interdependent economy.
Brockport's INS major provides excellent preparation for a range of careers. In the public sector, INS majors' knowledge of the world makes them competitive for positions in military service, diplomacy, intelligence, economic development, or law enforcement. In the private sector, majors are strong candidates for positions in international business, lobbying, health, journalism, and education. In the non-profit sector, INS majors can find work in global development, humanitarian assistance, human rights, and environmental conservation. Finally, the INS major helps prepare students for graduate programs in law, business, foreign affairs, and public administration.

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 Teacher 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. You will leave with an initial single certification in teaching Physics.

The Communication Studies major explores human communication in a variety of contexts, including interpersonal, professional, public, mediated, and cross-cultural settings, and examines the social influence of language and media. Students investigate a variety of communication practices with learning experiences in theory, history, criticism, application, and performance.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the Communication Major, students will be able to:

• Speak well: Deliver an extemporaneous presentation that meets the needs of a given speaking situation and audience.
• Integrate multiple perspectives: Integrate multiple Communication theories/concepts to analyze and recommend multiple solutions for a socially significant communication problem, case, or situation.
• Advance quality arguments: Advance a sequence of evidence based arguments to support a given position.
• Write well: Write clearly and at a level appropriate to a given audience.
• Critically Evaluate: Critically evaluate a communication message using relevant theories/concepts.
• Demonstrate influence: Demonstrate influence strategies to address relevant social problems.

This major allows a typical student to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology from SUNY Brockport upon the satisfactory completion of all program requirements. A typical student fulfills the General Education and major requirements during the first three years. The fourth year, Clinical Year, is completed at an approved clinical site (Hospital/Medical Lab) and includes both theoretical study and practical work. The BS in Medical Technology is awarded upon the satisfactory completion of these program requirements. Completing the Clinical Year (sometime referred to as internship) makes the student eligible to take the National Registry Examination, which the student must pass to be certified as a Registered Medical Technologist.

Student Learning Outcomes

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

• Define and accurately use biological terminology and nomenclature.
• Evaluate and analyze biological problems using knowledge of cell structure and function.
• Integrate interdisciplinary concepts to assess tissues, organs and systems.
• Evaluate and analyze biological problems using knowledge of genetics and evolution.
• Compare and contrast origins and diversity of life to explain life processes.
• Competently employ common laboratory equipment.
• Analyze and interpret scientific data, using relevant computer skills.
• Use quantitative reasoning to analyze complex biological problems.
• Apply biological knowledge to societal issues.
• Apply clinical knowledge of Medical Technology as demonstrated by satisfactory score on the New York State Licensure Examination.

African and African-American Studies offers students a broader and deeper understanding of our world. We promote global and inclusive perspectives—drawing from history, literature, the arts and the social sciences—to explore the realities and life experiences of Africans and African Americans. For students of any ethnic background, a major in AAS offers a uniquely rounded liberal arts education that can lead to a wide variety of career options or further studies.

Student Learning Outcomes

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

• Articulate the purpose and history of the field of African and African-African American Studies, and its proclivity to offer a corrective to mainstream representations of Africa and Africans.
• Interpret the Africana experience by applying methodologies and perspectives in African and African American studies.
• Identify key themes on how race, ethnicity, class and gender impact issues in African and African American Studies from a variety of disciplinary approaches.
• Analyze the historical experiences of African people on the continent of Africa and in the Diaspora, underscoring crucial themes relevant to their experiences.
• Analyze the literary expressions and contributions of African people on the continent of Africa or in the Diaspora, including analysis of seminal literary treatises from ancient times to the present.
• Analyze the experience of African people on the continent of Africa or in the Diaspora from the perspective of the social sciences.
• Apply the skills and knowledge acquired in their studies to practical use, such as going on for further study or serving as agents of change in their own settings and communities.

The study of History promotes the knowledge, breadth of perspective, intellectual growth, and skills essential to achieving career success, leading a purposeful life, and exercising responsible citizenship. History majors develop strong critical thinking, research, communication and problem-solving skills that prepare them to succeed in a wide range of rewarding careers, including law, teaching, business, entrepreneurship, public administration, journalism, information technology/library science, publishing, urban and regional planning, social work, and government.

The Department of History offers students a comprehensive range of courses that covers the world across all time periods and features a diverse array of topics. In addition, it offers professional development courses that help students reflect on how the study of history can help serve their personal and professional goals after graduation. The History major is flexible, allowing students to select classes that match their interests, and at 36 credits enables students to complete other majors or minors that complement the History degree. This flexibility also allows majors the opportunity to broaden their horizons through study abroad and to explore future career paths through internships coordinated through the Department of History.

Students who want to teach history at the middle or high school level should enroll in the Social Studies Inclusive Education (SSI) major, which leads to certification as both a Social Studies and Special Education teacher, or the Social Studies Education (SSE) major, which leads to certification solely as a Social Studies teacher. 

Student Learning Outcomes:

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

• Articulate a thesis in response to a historical problem
• Advance in logical sequence principal arguments in defense of a historical thesis.
• Provide relevant evidence in defense of a historical thesis.
• Evaluate the significance of a historical thesis by relating it to a broader field of historical knowledge.
• Express themselves clearly in writing that forwards a historical analysis.
• Use disciplinary standards (Chicago Style) of documentation when referencing historical sources.