Master of Fine Arts in Writing

at University of New Hampshire - Durham Campus USA

Earning a Master of Science (M.S.) degree can be the key to unlocking your potential, increasing your salary, and advancing your career. At UNH, the master’s in mechanical engineering will provide you with advanced training in any of a variety of specialized concentrations, including fluid dynamics and thermal science, mechanics, materials science, design and manufacturing, dynamic systems and control, and ocean engineering. You’ll have the opportunity to conduct original research, complete a thesis and publish papers in any of these areas. Moreover, students enrolled in this program are eligible for teacher assistant and research assistant funding.

The health and physical education (HPE) major provides a foundation for teaching through a four-year program (BS), or the UNH Department of Education fifth-year program leading to a masters of arts in teaching (MAT). Graduates become certified to teach kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) health and physical education in the state of New Hampshire. This licensure is transferable to all other states in the U.S. Extensive supervised practicum experiences that provide teaching skills, including adaptive physical education programming, offers an excellent foundation for preparing high-quality teachers. The combination of health with physical education and adaptive physical education makes graduates highly marketable.

Students choosing the Digital Media option use coursework and hands-on learning to explore the intersections of technology, creativity and artistry with a focus on audio, video and web-based media. Students gain a comprehensive overview of the different stages of a digital media project, from writing and pre-production through production and post-production. Courses cover topics such as web authoring and multimedia, audio and video production, social media and public relations, ethics and law in the digital age, and motion graphics. An internship in the area of digital media is required.

Majoring in sociology provides a solid, multifaceted foundation in the liberal arts, including analytical thinking and writing, and skills in collecting and analyzing data. Students learn diverse theoretical approaches to the social world and acquire tools for conducting and understanding social science research. The wide range of substantive areas taught in the UNH Department of Sociology include courses concentrating on family and work; environmental sociology; social policy; inequalities of race, class and gender; criminology, social control and deviant behavior; medical sociology; and religion.

Undergraduate training in sociology is an excellent background for a variety of careers, including the business world, where majors might work in marketing and sales or human resources; government and nonprofit services, where majors might work in education, health services, social welfare or criminal justice; and research. An undergraduate degree in sociology is also excellent preparation for graduate work in law, social work, criminal justice, counseling, public administration, public health, business administration, urban planning or further studies in sociology.

Biology is one of the most popular science majors since it provides a broad background in the biological sciences while allowing flexibility and specialization within the major. It integrates theoretical and practical (hands-on laboratory and field work) courses in different aspects of the biology of multicellular life. It encompasses the study of structural and functional relationships of living organisms at the molecular, cellular, and organismal level, the interactions of living systems with the environment and with each other, and the evolutionary relationships of life. Our goal is to create an environment for those with a scholarly interest in the biological sciences, and to extend their understanding, awareness, and appreciation of the diversity inherent in the biological sciences. Our major is aimed at promoting an excellent education in biological sciences by involving undergraduate students in a strong interaction with faculty both in the classroom and in research laboratories.

The biology major prepares students for post graduate degrees in the biological and medical fields, and for job opportunities in industry (environmental, biomedical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnological) and governmental research, and secondary school teaching. Completion of the four-year undergraduate program plus a fifth-year internship will be necessary for biology teaching certification. Students who plan to enter medical, dental, or related professional schools are advised to confer with their faculty adviser to work the requirements for these programs into their academic majors.

Core courses in the biology major are from departments that contribute to the biological sciences community at UNH. The core curriculum consists of introductory and upper-level science courses plus seven additional courses in the biological sciences; three of these must be selected from course lists in three broad categories.

While students are advised to declare the biology major as incoming first-year students to assure adequate program planning, transfer into this major at a later stage is also possible. Several of the other biological science majors share the same biology core curriculum. For the first to two years, it is quite easy to change to or from these other majors.

The Classical Languages and Literatures (CLL) option allows for the most in-depth study of the ancient languages and requires knowledge of both Ancient Greek and Latin. It thus provides the strongest preparation for students considering graduate study in classics or related areas, and can also be an appropriate choice (with careful planning) for those thinking about teaching Latin in secondary schools. At the same time, it is designed for any student who desires a solid liberal arts education.

Earning a master’s degree can be the key to unlocking your career potential or entering the world of entrepreneurship. In fact, earning an advanced degree in chemical engineering can translate into more than $15,000 annually in salary compared to those with an undergraduate degree alone. UNH’s M.Eng in chemical engineering will provide you with advanced training and experience in one of the many areas, including bioengineering, electrochemical engineering, advanced materials, reaction and energy engineering, as well as environmental engineering. The master’s degree program concludes with an engineering project, often with an industrial sponsor. 

Linguistics is the study of one of the most important characteristics of human beings—language. It cuts across the boundaries between the sciences and the humanities. The program is an excellent liberal arts major or preprofessional major for education, law, medicine, clergy and others. It is a particularly appropriate major for students who want to teach English as a second language. Dual majors with a foreign language, international affairs, business administration and the like are quite feasible.

Students interested in the major should consult with the program coordinator or with any professor who teaches linguistics courses. To declare a major in linguistics, a student must meet with the linguistics coordinator to design a course of study.

The Option in Accounting prepares students for careers in accounting and the qualifications to obtain certifications, such as certified public accountant (CPA), certified management accountant (CMA), and certified internal auditor (CIA). Accounting is called "the first language" of business for good reason: the fate of many products and marketing campaigns hinges on the financial officer's final analysis. For this reason, successful accounting professionals often assume leadership roles within their companies. 

Further, this option provides students with opportunities in a variety of fields, including internal audit, external audit, tax preparation and planning, and consulting. Demand for accountants is consistently strong. Students may also take advantage of the four-one (5 year) program to earn a M.S. in accounting at Paul College. Obtaining a master's degree aids in preparation and eligibility for the CPA exam and is recommended for future career progression.

Programs in Ocean Engineering are by definition interdisciplinary and require students to interact with the ocean science community as well as the traditional engineering disciplines. In this context, students are exposed to the broad-based issues of working engineering problems in the ocean environment. They are trained to develop responsible solutions to problems that will lead to sustainable activity and life in the ocean.