Bachelor of Science in Applied Biomedical Sciences with Medical Laboratory Science Option

at University of Massachusetts Lowell USA

Information technology pervades every aspect of healthcare delivery today, providing access to rich and voluminous data. Those who can analyze and understand how data can best be used to improve healthcare outcomes are in high demand. The UMass Lowell Master of Science in Health Informatics and Management program, ranked the 16th best online master’s degree in this field in the country,* helps students advance their careers and, if they wish to, enter technical fields within the health care industry. Master’s-prepared employees in the field can earn more than $91,000 per year, according to Payscale.com.

While more technical or business-focused programs teach students how to crunch numbers in order to improve the bottom line, UMass Lowell’s program teaches these skills as ways to improve the quality of healthcare provided to patients in organizations that offer satisfying and rewarding work experiences to all staff members. Courses have been developed by faculty in the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences Department of Public Health, while drawing upon the expertise of industry experts, through an organizational affiliation Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS). The program is fully online, offering working professionals flexibility.

Due to the breadth and long history of health-related academic programming, UMass Lowell has close connections with dozens of healthcare providers in Massachusetts and New England, including Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Lahey Clinic, Lowell General Hospital, UMass Memorial Medical Center, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Kindred Healthcare, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, and Lowell Community Health Center.

The UMass Lowell Chemical Engineering program provides the opportunity for graduate students to study the fundamentals and applications of chemical engineering principles at an advanced level.

Master of Science in Environmental Studies (Environmental Engineering Sciences Concentration) with a thesis or a non-thesis track option.

Enrollment in the program is open to individuals with a baccalaureate degree in science (e.g., biology, chemistry, geology, physics). Others may be admitted with the approval of the graduate coordinator. Undergraduate course prerequisites must be satisfied. Students may make up course prerequisite deficiencies while in the program, although these credits will not count toward the total required for the master's degree. Frequently students entering the program are required to take additional undergraduate courses to develop analytical skills and to prepare for advanced level course work. Undergraduate courses may include calculus, statistics, chemistry, computer programming or courses designed to develop problem-solving skills.

The thesis track requires completion of an approved program of study involving a minimum of 24 credits of core courses and electives, and six credits of thesis, consisting of laboratory research or scholarly investigation for a total of 30 credits. Students may only register for thesis research with the prior approval of a thesis advisor. The thesis work is to be guided by a principal advisor who is a member of the University of Massachusetts Lowell faculty and by two additional committee members, at least one of whom must be a member of the faculty.

The Bachelor of Arts in Digital Media at UMass Lowell helps students turn their talent and passion into careers in the diverse and rapidly expanding field of media production. With an interdisciplinary structure and real-world approach, this program offers a rigorous curriculum taught by industry experts. Students can build their skills and explore their interests through a wide range of courses in video, film, sound production, editing, motion graphics, broadcasting and screenwriting.

The digital media program offers many opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience with regional media companies through professional internships and co-ops in film, TV, animation, marketing and digital production. See examples below.

Students can take courses in the history of philosophy and philosophical movements; political, mathematical and scientific philosophies; metaphysics; linguistics and aesthetics. Students will learn how to analyze, reason, deduct and apply persuasive arguments in a disciplined and systematic way while developing their oral and written communication skills.

The department does not specify particular course work for the major, but recommends that the sequence of courses be designed in close consultation with the student’s faculty advisor. Students who plan to go to graduate school are strongly encouraged to take at least two courses from the History of Philosophy series. They should also consider a second major in a cognate field, e.g., American studies, English, French, history, mathematics, or political science.

The Management Concentration focuses on the development of knowledge and skills applicable to professional positions in any functional area of management.

The Management Concentration provides you with the broad range of skills needed to become a highly competent manager in today’s complex global economy. The skills you acquire can be applied in any company and functional area of business. Concentration coursework will assist you to:

• Develop the 21st century leadership skills that are so necessary for company competitiveness and personal advancement.
• Effectively deal with the complex human resource issues that contemporary managers must face every day.
• Develop the team building, project, negotiation and conflict management skills that lead to better problem solving and decision making.
• Skillfully manage your own career by developing strategies that maximize your life-long professional potential.

Management is your choice if you:

• Find challenge in solving the complex organizational issues confronting modern businesses.
• Aspire to lead diverse and often distant business work teams.
• Wish to contribute to the development of competitive and sustainable companies.
• Are interested in combining your studies in one of the School’s other Business concentrations with one that focuses on the key managerial responsibilities necessary for success in any business enterprise.

The Management knowledge and skills you will acquire include: leadership, managing teams and projects, current human resource policies, practices and laws, negotiating, managing conflict, career management and other current and emerging issues in the field.

The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Concentration in Accounting is designed to provide students with a general understanding of multiple areas of accounting and the knowledge and skills needed to prepare them for entry-level accounting positions that require only an undergraduate degree, and for graduate business and accounting programs. Accounting courses will help students learn the “language of business" and translate the daily activities of a business into useful financial information to facilitate decision making.

The bachelor's degree program with accounting concentration is based on the UMass Lowell general education courses that consist of 56 credits in areas outside of the Manning School of Business. In addition, the Manning School of Business foundation and core curriculum include 67 hours of courses from all the business disciplines including 24 hours of courses from accounting.

The UMass Lowell American Studies Program offers both a major and a minor. It includes faculty from departments such as English, Cultural Studies, History, Psychology, Sociology and Political Science.

Graduates of the program have pursued careers in government and social services; others seek certification to teach elementary or high school. Having developed skills in writing and analysis, American Studies majors have become successful executives, public relations representatives, product managers, speech writers, press secretaries, and journalists. American Studies has proven a strong foundation for students continuing their studies in law or in library and information sciences.

American Studies is a vibrant interdisciplinary field practiced around the nation and world. It examines the intersection between such subjects as globalization and economics, music and politics, history and gender, race and environment, technology and art. This willingness to cross the boundaries of traditional disciplines allows for creative critical thinking and research.

In this concentration, students learn how to write for an audience as a journalist, technical communicator, or a writer in other professional contexts. Students begin by taking Introduction to Professional Writing and continue with coursework that focuses on learning different aspects of professional writing. Journal and Professional Writing courses offer opportunities to learn about digital rhetoric, editing, publishing, grant writing, language and literacy, new media, reflective writing and visual rhetoric, just to name a few. All students in this track complete a portfolio that showcases their work in professional settings. That work often comes as part of an internship. Ultimately, the Journalism and Professional Writing concentration prepares students for writing situations and challenges beyond the classroom.

Geoscience is the study of the physical environment. The curriculum at UMass Lowell is centered around a strong geoscience core, but includes additional course work in the biological sciences, hydrogeology, hydrochemistry and geographical information systems. This concentration provides a broader preparation than the traditional geology course of study and also is recommended for students who might wish to obtain certification as earth science teachers. It provides the requisite course work for students who wish to pursue a graduate degree in environmental science or geology.
Graduates of this concentration are qualified for a variety of employment opportunities in traditional areas of geological employment in the petroleum and mining industries, as well for expanding opportunities in hydrogeology, hazardous waste assessment and management, groundwater remediation, wetlands delineation and evaluation, and environmental management.
Previous graduates have found employment in the petroleum industry, in asbestos identification and remediation, in environmental testing laboratories as analytical specialists, and in the field evaluating hazardous waste sites and ground and surface water contamination.