Bachelor of Arts, Major in Philosophy

at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth USA

Do you dream of exploring the ocean environment, conserving species, and understanding the complexity of marine organisms? UMass Dartmouth's Biology department offers a bachelor's degree in biology with an option in marine biology.

When you study marine biology at UMass Dartmouth, you begin with a solid foundation in fundamental biological principles and practices. Then you'll focus on your specific interests, from the biology of sharks and fishes to marine ecology.

Our faculty's research interests in marine and coastal biology place them at the forefront of their fields, from molecular and cellular biology to marine and terrestrial ecology.

We emphasize field and laboratory opportunities, so you will learn marine biology while studying living organisms. Our nearby coastal environments will be your living laboratories.

You'll be prepared for employment in biological oceanography, ecology, education, fisheries biology, industry, marine biology, project management, and research fields. With a strong background in fundamental biological principles and practices, you'll be prepared for graduate study in marine biology and related disciplines.

As a photography major, you will gain expertise in both traditional and digital techniques and explore photographic imagery in all contexts. When you pursue your BFA in Art + Design: Photography, you will develop your own photographic vision and deepen your expressive communication.

The BFA is a professional degree with concentrated areas of specialization, so you will take more art courses than you would in a BA program. At UMass Dartmouth, you also have the advantages of a university education where you can diversify your studies and expand your career opportunities.

Your studies will include:

• Black & white darkroom photography
• Color digital imaging & printing
• Large format photography
• Studio lighting
• Video
• The history of photography
• Contemporary practice

Your work will culminate in a gallery exhibition and a portfolio that demonstrates your individual style, technical proficiency, and aesthetic sophistication.

A degree in photography will prepare you for a career as a fine art and commercial photographer, photojournalist, videographer, photo editor, gallery or museum director, curator, image consultant, multimedia designer, photo educator, photo archivist, studio manager, filmmaker, web designer, lab technician, and professional printer.

The master's degree program in data science prepares you for leadership positions in data analytics, information management, and knowledge engineering. It is jointly offered by the departments of Computer Science in Engineering and Mathematics in Arts & Sciences.

With a master's degree in data science, you will:

• Develop skills in computer programming, statistics, data mining, machine learning, data analysis, and visualization
• Be prepared to solve challenging problems involving large, diverse data sets from different application domains

You will explore the rapidly emerging fields of data analytics and discovery informatics—which integrates mathematics and computer science for the quantification and manipulation of information from a cognate area of application (such as science, engineering, business, sociology, healthcare, planning).

The program emphasizes:

• Strong foundations in information theory, mathematics, and computer science
• Current methodologies and tools to enable data-driven discovery, problem solving, and decision-making

Focus your studies on international affairs. The Political Science Department offers a BA degree in political science with a concentration in international politics.

The International Politics Concentration promotes critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity with respect to international politics; it enables students to address global issues and contribute to the public good.

Building on a strong foundation of American and comparative politics, international relations, and political theory, the international politics concentration provides you with the knowledge and analytical skills to understand politics within other countries and politics among countries.

Through experiences in and out of the classroom, you’ll learn to address critical global issues and contribute to the public good. You’ll acquire proficiency in writing, communication, advocacy, and comparative analysis: all vital skills in today’s global workplace.

You’ll be prepared for careers in international business, development, and diplomacy, and to continue your education at the graduate level.

The On-campus B.S. in General Business Administration (GBA) is designed for mid-career students returning to college to complete their undergraduate degree. We generally encourage such students to complete a degree in a specific discipline, but recognize that this doesn't suit some mature students. To enroll in the On-campus GBA program, application must meet the following requirements.

• Must be applying for admission to the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and bringing in a minimum of 45 transfer credits completed elsewhere. Must possess significant full-time professional work experience away from college.
• Must meet the minimum transfer credit requirement and/or be a returning student who has been away from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth for five years or more. Those who lack the minimum 45 hours of transfer credit are encouraged to take courses at a Community College (though with no guarantee of admission to the GBA program).
• Submit a short essay explaining why you seek the GBA instead of a degree in a specific discipline. The essay should also describe the kinds of upper-level business courses you intend to take.

The Music Education program develops skillful teachers who are in demand throughout New England and across the country.

We take a global approach to music education, encouraging you to explore the world's musical heritage and bring diverse experiences to the classroom. You'll receive thorough training as both an instrumentalist/vocalist and as a teacher of music at the elementary and/or secondary levels.

The program emphasizes how to develop and conduct vocal and instrumental ensembles, methods for teaching music, music education's historical foundations, and up-to-date electronic teaching tools. Your supervised field experiences will culminate in a semester of student teaching.

The Music Education program leads to the Massachusetts Initial License to teach in schools and is approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

As a music major, you'll develop your performance abilities and explore the world's musical heritage from the Americas to Africa, Asia and Oceania, Europe, and the Middle East/West Asia.

The BA in Music program provides opportunities for intensive study in applied music, the history of music, music education, and theory. Grounded in the importance of cultural, geographical, and social contexts, our curriculum is distinguished by its focus on the study and performance of music from diverse cultures, including jazz and world music.

Technology is an important part of the curriculum, emphasizing skills for contemporary music and its integration with time-based arts such as computer music, dance, theater, video/film, and the visual arts.

Your studies in music at UMassD will prepare you for careers in composition, education, performance, recording, and sound design—as well as for advanced study in music and related disciplines.

The BFA in Art + Design: Painting offers professional, studio-based training in the visual arts with all the advantages of a university education.

The BFA is a professional degree with concentrated areas of specialization, so you will take more art courses than you would in a BA program. At UMass Dartmouth, you also have the advantages of a university education where you can diversify your studies and expand your career opportunities.

As a painting student, you'll learn fundamental skills and contemporary practices through a wide spectrum of course offerings such as:

• Form
• Color & space
• The human figure
• Concept-development
• Mixed media
• Abstraction
• Time-based media
• Installation

You'll develop cross-disciplinary sensitivity—with the possibility of combining painting with printmaking, photography, digital media, textiles, and other disciplines in contemporary art making. You'll also be able to explore fields across the university, such as business, engineering, and science.

Fine artists are inherent problem-solvers, negotiators, collaborators, and team-players; they have excellent hand/eye coordination and can illustrate their ideas—often quickly—so that others can understand a concept beyond the written or spoken word. The skills of a fine artist can be applied in education, business, advertising, set design, and arts management (gallery directors, administrators), to name a few.

The demand for accountants is growing since industries of all sizes and types need accountants.

The Charlton College of Business prepares accounting students with the essential financial knowledge and practical skills necessary to become problem solvers and decision makers. Because accounting is an information system, we emphasize information technology skills, including the use of accounting, spreadsheet and database applications as well as the use of technology for accounting and tax research.

There are four major career paths in accounting:

• Public accountant
• Management accountant
• Government accountant
• Auditor

You'll prepare for a successful career in a public accounting firm, a private corporation, or the nonprofit sector.

An accounting degree from CCB will help you to prepare for the CPA, CMA, CFE (Certified Fraud Examination), and other professional accounting certifications.

Portuguese is the official language of more than 200 million people in eight countries on four continents. After English and Spanish, it is the third most widely spoken European language, and the sixth most spoken language in the world.

Situated in the heart of the region that boasts the largest concentration of Brazilian, Cape Verdean, and Portuguese immigrants in the U.S., UMass Dartmouth provides a unique environment to learn Portuguese in a richly varied immersion setting. As a Portuguese major, you’ll study and explore the language, literatures, and cultures of the Portuguese-speaking world.

A degree in Portuguese offers access to careers in education, foreign service, immigration, international business, international relations, journalism, linguistics, politics, print and visual media, social and non-profit/non-governmental organizations, translation, and other fields.