Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science with Geoscience option (STEM)

at University of Massachusetts Lowell USA

The first year of undergraduate study is devoted to developing writing skills and subjects in mathematics and science that serve as a foundation for upper level professional studies.

During the second year of study, students learn the principles of engineering mechanics, strength of materials and surveying.

Junior and senior year course work gives students a working knowledge of structural, environmental, geotechnical and transportation engineering. In addition to education in these four basic areas of civil engineering practice, advanced elective courses are available in each area during the senior year. Engineering design, concepts and computer aided engineering are integrated throughout the program.

This program provides students with knowledge of the key issues, research, and theories in the important and emerging field of Peace and Conflict Studies.

Students are challenged to answer the following key content questions:

• How do factors such as poverty, lack of education and social inequity lead to conflict, both internationally and domestically
• What are the causes and conditions which generate and sustain conflict and violence?
• What are the principles and methods for the resolution of conflict and violence?
• What are the norms, practices and institutions for conflict transformation and building peace?

At the local, national and regional level, our healthcare system confronts new challenges in coping with the many changes in technology, information systems, financing and management.

Choose the MPH Healthcare Management option if you want to learn the conceptual, organizational, personnel and financial skills required to become an effective and compassionate public health manager.

Graduates of the program gain an advanced education in healthcare finance, law and ethics in healthcare, operations analysis and quality improvement, healthcare management and healthcare information systems. You’ll be prepared to assume leadership positions in the complex healthcare industry, especially those industries that contribute to the public health of communities and populations.

Graduates of the MPH Healthcare Management program have found exciting and meaningful careers in:

• Healthcare institutions such as Boston Medical Center, Partners Health Care, Lowell Community Health Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Tufts Medical Center.
• Private corporations such as Vinfen, Signify Health, Caduceus Healthcare, JSS Medical Research, SCM Insurance Services, and Spring Street Exchange.
• Public sector organizations including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and the Government of Indonesia.
• Non-profit organizations such as Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts Medical Society, The Bridge of Central Massachusetts

The Bachelor of Science in Meteorology & Atmospheric Science is for students who wish to explore weather and the environment and fulfills the education requirements for federally employed meteorologists. The program guidelines follow those of the American Meteorological Society.

The Creative Writing concentration invites English majors to study literary artistry in small group workshop classes that emphasize style, technique, and other aspects of craft. Where most undergraduate programs staff creative writing classrooms with visiting lecturers or graduate students, UMass Lowell retains a permanent faculty of distinguished writers specializing in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Focused on reading widely and writing well, the concentration’s multi-genre, progressively rigorous course of study culminates in a capstone portfolio project.

Students can expect to take part in the English Department's vibrant and active literary and creative community. The campus literary magazine, The Offering, is entirely student-run and -edited, and many creative writing students work on the editorial team or publish work in the magazine. Students have access to any number of public literary events each semester, including student readings, and can meet and speak to award-winning, nationally recognized authors through our Writers on Campus series. Our program, like the other department concentrations, offers a degree in English, and provides a solid foundation for students hoping to pursue a writing life beyond the classroom. Graduates of our program have published work in prominent literary magazines, been accepted in top-ranked MFA programs, released books with major publishers, and won prestigious national awards.

Sociologists study many different subjects: race and ethnicity, social policy, gender and sexuality, family and kinship, the nature of industrial capitalism, the effect of technology on modern society and interpersonal relationships. These are just a few of the many areas sociologists are interested in understanding. What draws these different areas together is the emphasis on understanding social life, both in our own society and cross-culturally.

The sociology major offers students the opportunity to learn about our social world. Courses cover a wide range of fields. As part of their program, students are encouraged to work in the Lowell community. Many students complete corporate or agency internships in which they work within a field setting to gain needed job experience.

Department members value the search for meaningful social change. Students who are interested in working in human services, social work, personnel management, urban planning, elder services, communications, law, education, research, community activism or full-time academic work might consider a major in sociology.   

Policy and Social Problems Concentration
Students may choose a concentration in Policy and Social Problems, which provides a pathway for those who want to focus specifically on applying analytical tools of sociological thinking to social problems and their solutions.

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.

The Master of Music in Music Education degree programs at UMass Lowell provide advanced study of music teaching and professional preparation for those engaged in or aspiring to a career as a music educator.

The Master of Music in Music Education has two non-certification options consisting of the research-based Research Thesis/Project option for fully-certified music teachers who are seeking professionalization, and our newly created Community Music option which serves to broaden the definition of music education to include other venues beyond public school teaching, such as community outreach programs, arts organizations and educational media.

The degree program is designed to facilitate students' growth and development as:

• Leaders in the profession of music education.
• Creative problem solvers and innovative thinkers.
• Individuals who love music and the arts and utilize their knowledge of and enthusiasm for music to inspire students.
• Contributors, through research, to the profession and discipline of music education.

The Literature concentration introduces students to a range of historical periods, genres, and critical approaches to literature. It prepares them for graduate work in literary and cultural studies as well as careers in publishing, law, teaching, business, the arts, and other professions that require skilled reading, writing, research, and communication. Students take at least two courses that fulfill the department’s Diverse Literary Traditions requirement. These courses explore authors and texts through the historically under-represented perspectives of race, ethnicity, gender, disability, post-coloniality, and sexuality. The concentration includes a capstone course that provides a culminating opportunity to complete a substantial learning project. Some capstones focus on in-depth, advanced study of a particular author or period; others encourage deep research into an individual area of interest or provide an internship experience.

The Master of Science program in Security Studies prepares students for careers in the rapid expanding field of cyber security, as well as weapons of mass destruction (CBRNE) and how to address threats to our critical infrastructure.

Students pursuing this area of concentration will develop competency and knowledge to manage the increasingly complex security challenges at regional and international airports, commuter and commercial railways, maritime ports, and roadways of the Commonwealth and the broader region. Emphasis is placed on integrating a “big picture” policy perspective with an understanding of sensor technologies, transportation security, systems engineering, human behavior, and intelligence analysis.