Bachelor of Arts in African and African American Studies

at Wright State University USA

Program Outcomes

• Master graduate level quantitative or qualitative research skills as appropriate to the study of international relations and comparative politics.
• Master formal graduate writing skills appropriate for the creation of graduate theses and projects.
• Have a solid understanding of the knowledge of their chosen specialties within international relations or comparative politics, with an understanding of the surrounding their topic of inquiry and the methodologies used to examine it.
• Have effective communication skills, both oral and written.
• To change the world by first understanding it better.
• A program that produces difference makers.
• A program that is tailored to your area of interest.
• A program that is flexible to your time, availability, and commitment level.

African and African American Studies (AAFS) is an innovative interdisciplinary program in the College of Liberal Arts that offers you the opportunity to explore the experiences of people in Africa and the African Diaspora (the spread of people of African descent throughout the world), including the United States, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Asia. The mission of the AAFS program is to provide you with a rigorous education that will enable you to become a productive citizen committed to using your learning to better understand the world you live in and also find ways to improve it.

You will investigate the culture and contributions of Africans and African Americans to world civilizations and cultures. You will also be able to develop a global view, essential for living in an increasingly diverse society.

Sociology is concerned with social relations:

• How people relate to each other as individuals, in families, and in other groups
• How they interact within various social institutions, including the workforce and government
• How their behavior is judged socially acceptable or deviant by others

The Bachelor of Arts Program in sociology trains you to observe and analyze social interactions, predict likely outcomes, and determine how we can develop programs
for the good of individuals and society.

To help prepare for future work and service, you will be required to take five or more upper-level courses designed to develop your writing and critical thinking skills.

The honors program in English is designed to encourage and recognize superior academic accomplishments by English undergraduates. With the approval of the chair of the English department and the departmental honors advisor, students who meet the eligibility standards may enter the English honors program before the beginning of their senior year. Students may be admitted to the program on the recommendation of any member of the English department faculty, or students may petition to enter the program. Under the direction of a faculty tutor, students in the honors program will complete an honors project that culminates in their writing an honors thesis or project report. For further information on eligibility and enrollment, students should consult the departmental honors advisor.

Program Learning Outcomes:
All graduates with a B. A. in English will be:

• Informed readers, able to formulate readings of texts based on their knowledge of literary historical contexts and of basic critical strategies;
• Skilled writers, able to develop a thesis and sustain a coherent written argument about literature using secondary sources.

The master’s program offers you a broad education in accountancy-related topics, allowing you to work in a variety of business industries, governmental agencies, or non-profit organizations. The demand for graduates educated in accountancy is growing in a complex and competitive business environment.

Our Master of Accountancy program helps you meet the requirements to take the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam. Graduates of our Master of Accountancy program consistently perform above the national average for passing the CPA exam and our graduates usually post pass rates that are among the top rates of any program in the state of Ohio.  

Program Outcomes
If you complete the program, you will graduate with a Master of Accountancy degree. You will have a broad educational experience for completing professional accounting exams such as the Certified Internal Auditor or Certified Management Accountant exams, as well as meet the requirements to take the CPA exam. This program also provides an excellent background for students interested in pursuing a law degree in the future.

Crime and justice studies (CJS) is an interdisciplinary and incredibly varied field of study. Knowledge specific to the discipline relies upon research from fields as varied as sociology, law, history, psychology, and political science. It encompasses analysis of federal, state, and local entities that seek to understand, control, and deter crime. The principal agencies charged with these responsibilities are law enforcement, the judiciary, and corrections. More fundamentally, however, crime and justice studies examines questions of social justice—concerns related to equality, fairness, freedom, security, and social order. If you are interested in understanding the causes, responses, and consequences of crime for the individual as well as the larger society, consider this program.

Crime and justice studies is a liberal arts degree and therefore, our focus is on providing you with a well-rounded, critically engaged, and scientifically informed understanding of the field. While practical experience is a vital component of our curriculum, our larger mission is that, when you graduate, you will be an innovator and leader in your chosen occupations and will utilize scientific reasoning and sharply honed analytical skills on your path to success. You will be prepared for positions in a variety of occupations, including local and federal law enforcement, probation and parole, civil, criminal and juvenile courts, research, corrections, teaching, forensics, and a variety of other fields.

While crime and justice studies is an exciting and challenging major, it is not for everyone. Unfortunately, if you have a prior criminal record or a drug or alcohol dependency it will be difficult for you to obtain employment in the field once you graduate. Further, it is a field that generally requires not only keen analytic and technical skills but also the ability to empathize, establish strong interpersonal boundaries, and, most importantly, maintain fundamental respect for the rights and dignity of others.

You will study feminist activism and theory related to women and other marginalized groups within a multicultural and global context, including experience and identity related to gender and sexuality. You will gain excellent written and oral communication skills, research skills, and strong critical thinking skills. You can go on to work in a variety of fields including psychology, health, education, nonprofits, and other organizations and businesses.

Materials engineers are on the cutting-edge of technology in virtually every field. Materials science and engineering students learn how to turn raw materials into useful products and technology.

Materials science engineers (MSE) design everything from fuel cells, superconductors, titanium turbine blades, and nanomaterials to graphite fiber tennis rackets, skis, synthetic heart valves, and lithium-ion batteries.

Materials engineers are constantly developing and improving materials for new uses and emerging technologies. These include many diverse areas such as improved metals to make safer and more fuel-efficient cars, high-temperature superconductors, new coatings to make fabric waterproof, new ceramic and metallic materials for medical implants, advanced composites for lighter, stronger equipment, and higher frequency lasers for improved fiber optic communication systems.

New technology is creating a need for new materials, which is driving the demand for engineers in the basic materials and advanced research areas of the profession.

The program in motion pictures provides a study of film as a fine art. The curriculum offers two options: the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theatre with a concentration in motion pictures production and the Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre with a concentration in motion pictures history, theory, and criticism.

The Department of Theatre, Dance, and Motion Pictures is devoted exclusively to the training and education of undergraduate students in the areas of dance, motion pictures, and theatre. These programs lead to the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees.

The Department of Theatre, Dance, and Motion Pictures is empowered by the Ohio Revised Code to require particular preliminary training or talent for admission to specific programs, and each of the five B.F.A. degree programs has specific criteria for admission to each level of training. Students in all areas must earn a minimum GPA of 2.0 by the end of the freshman year to continue in a theatre arts major. Students who wish to be admitted as majors in acting, acting/musical theatre, or dance must successfully pass an audition or interview. Transfer students are admitted into B.F.A. programs on the basis of a successful audition, interview, or portfolio presentation. The department has an open admissions policy for students wishing to major in the B.A. programs in theatre studies and motion pictures history, theory, and criticism, and B.F.A. programs in design/technology and motion pictures production.

Wright State has partnered with Miami University to bring our students the Greater Miami Valley Joint MASW program since 2012. Due to the success of this joint program, which is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), both schools are forming their own, independent MASW programs. We expect both independent programs to be accredited by CSWE and fully operational when the joint program ends in May 2021. At that time, Wright State students who were admitted and are enrolled in good standing in the joint program will automatically be admitted and transitioned to the independent Wright State MASW program. Beginning in the 2020 Summer Semester, all MASW classes for Wright State students will be held on the Dayton campus.

The M.A.S.W. program at Wright State University prepares students to be advanced generalist competent and ethical social workers to engage and intervene with diverse populations. Full-time (2 years), part-time (3-4 years), or advanced standing (3 semesters) programs are offered to admitted graduate students.