Master of Humanities

at Wright State University USA

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.

The urban affairs major is right for you if you want to make communities better places to live, if you want to fix problems such as vacant housing, decaying infrastructure, access to healthy food, ensuring safe neighborhoods, reducing homelessness, city planning, economic development, and equal education and job opportunities for future generations.

In the 1960s, national foundations asked universities to create teams of faculty from diverse disciplines, such as political science, sociology, geography, and economics, to solve the nation’s urban problems. These initiatives led to new social programs, new curriculum, and new academic degrees. The first Wright State urban affairs major graduated in 1971 and this major remains a strong reflection of Wright State's commitment to contribute to healthy, sustainable communities in our region and beyond.

The urban affairs major prepares you for professional positions in a broad range of fields, including government, nonprofit organizations, and private sector businesses.

Students graduating with the B.A. in urban affairs will be able to:

• Apply analytical tools to analyze problems relevant to the public sector or the nonprofit sector.
• Use critical thinking skills to analyze and evaluate local, national, or global political, legal, or social issues.
• Communicate effectively in writing.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the value of diversity and multicultural competence in today's global environment.

Geography is the study of the location and interrelationships of human and physical phenomena on the earth’s surface. Because of its emphasis on spatial organization and distribution of these phenomena, geography has a broad cross-disciplinary base. Such topics of study as cartography, climatology, landform analysis, remote sensing, settlement theory, spatial interaction, geographic information systems, and urban morphology indicate the breadth of contemporary geography. The undergraduate major in geography includes the study of cultural, economic, physical, and regional geography, as well as quantitative methods and field work. Backgrounds in the natural and social sciences, humanities, statistical methods, and computer programming are useful to, but not required for, the geography major.

The Bachelor of Arts degree in geography focuses on examining the processes of the formation and characteristics of the cultural landscape. Students may select an area of study from physical geography, human geography, resource analysis, land management, or economic geography with careful selection of elective courses.

Geography may be selected as an academic major, as a secondary teaching concentration in a social science or earth science program, or as part of an elementary teaching major. Students majoring in geography may qualify for licensure at the secondary level by meeting the minimum requirements in professional education courses for licensure by the state of Ohio. Because of sequential requirements and prerequisites, students are strongly urged to consult with a geography advisor before registering. Students in any major may also minor in Geography.

Geography majors should participate in the department’s internship program if they do not have professional experience in the field. The internship is designed to complement geography students’ class work and gives them experience in the actual work environment. Students interested in the internship should contact the department internship coordinator or their advisor.

The honors program in the Department of Art and Art History is designed to give students with outstanding academic ability and superior accomplishments in art history the opportunity to complete a program that encourages and recognizes their distinguished efforts. These students may earn an honors degree by completing the departmental major requirements, maintaining a high academic record, and successfully completing a senior honors project. Students are usually admitted to the program during their junior year. Interested students can obtain information on the honors program from the Department of Art and Art History office.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Have integrated drawing skills into their aesthetic sensibility.
• Demonstrate an acquaintance with the materials and procedures of four of the studio disciplines taught at Wright State.
• Show appropriate levels of proficiency in several of the studio disciplines
• Have an understanding of the evolution of art history.
• Have integrated the study of original works of art into their artistic practice.

Philosophy is worth studying because, as Socrates is credited with saying, the unexamined life is not worth living. By challenging you to analyze concepts clearly and evaluate evidence and arguments critically, philosophy hones your analytical reasoning skills, stimulates your intellectual creativity, and enriches your understanding of yourself, others, and the world. It makes your life more intellectually interesting and rewarding.

• You love discussing life’s fundamental questions: What is reality? What is human consciousness? What is knowledge? Does God exist?
• You love discussing ethical questions: How should we live? What are the values that make life meaningful? How should society be organized?
• You want to read what the great philosophers have written about these questions, and try to formulate your own answers.
• To develop the skills of critical thinking and effective writing employers demand.
• To improve research skills.
• To prepare for law school or graduate school in philosophy.

The Applied Behavioral Science Program currently offers Master of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and Social Problems.

The Criminal Justice and Social Problems track emphasizes methodology and theoretical courses and topics-focused workshops aimed at improving the research and intellectual foundations for employment and professional advancement in the criminal justice fields. Students in the program typically work for, or plan to work for, the courts, probation offices, police agencies, prison administrations, or private and public programs for juvenile offenders.

The training received in basic social science skills and knowledge is also a useful foundation for those who wish to proceed to doctoral-level study in a number of fields. An optional practicum provides field experience for those without prior experience in a criminal justice field. The program culminates in an applied research effort that, at the student’s option, takes the form of either a journal article project or a traditional thesis. Courses are offered primarily in the evenings and workshops primarily on the weekends to accommodate employed students.

Program Outcomes

• Students will master graduate level knowledge concerning computer based  research skills.
• Students will master graduate level quantitative and qualitative skills as appropriate to the study of criminal justice. 
• Students will master formal graduate writing skills appropriate for the creation  of graduate theses/projects and research articles. 
• Students will master the skills of reviewing applied programs (e.g., a program for felons whose crimes are tied to alcohol abuse) in terms of the extant literature, logical cohesion and current empirical knowledge.
• Students will be able to use their skills in the creation and administration of applied programs in both public and private agencies.

Businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies are increasingly relying on data to drive decision-making and increase productivity and profitability. This graduate program is designed for working professionals like you to help advance your career. This program is one year with a flexible, convenient blended education approach. You will spend four weekends in on-campus residences and do the remaining coursework online.

The program focuses on a problem-solving approach to information management, using real-life experiences, case materials, and simulations taught by outstanding faculty and industry experts. If you are curious, passionate about innovation, and like solving problems, a Master of Information Systems will enhance your existing experience, help you achieve your goals, and advance your career.

Program Outcomes
In this program, your work is focused on problem-solving, student-focused experiences, and business or organization involvement. This master’s program is a one-year program requiring 33 credit hours. Six credit hours are dedicated to the extensive capstone project designed for the program by the sponsoring business or organization. The remaining credit hours are focused on advanced topics in information system design, development methodologies, database management systems, electronic business, and data communications. This program will prepare you to work in supply chain management jobs and careers or to continue your education with another graduate or doctoral degree. 

Biomedical engineers make some of the most important medical breakthroughs. Become a part of exciting new advances in engineering and medicine.

Biomedical engineering (BME) is a dynamic field and combines traditional engineering approaches with other crucial sciences to advance technology and improve quality of life—you could be working to solve problems in biology, chemistry, or medicine. Specialized areas of BME include bioinstrumentation, biomaterials, biomechanics, medical imaging, orthopedic engineering, and systems physiology.

For students interested in a career in medicine or other post-baccalaureate health professions, biomedical engineering can prepare students with related technical skills and practical applications necessary for success.

Program Outcomes
The following student outcomes of the biomedical engineering program will prepare graduates to attain the program educational objectives:

• An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
• An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
• An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
• An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which most consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
• An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
• An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgement to draw conclusions
• An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies

The B.S. Degree Program in Earth and Environmental Sciences, Earth Sciences Concentration is designed to provide the knowledge, skills, and experience required for graduate study and to prepare students for professional careers in a variety of fields including energy resources, water resources, environmental protection, and environmental site investigation and remediation.

The goal of the program is to train students in modern electrical and computer engineering design skills, with the objective of post-graduation employment in a related field.  This will be achieved through attainment of the following student outcomes, as specified by the ABET Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission.  Each of these outcomes is addressed in one or more curricular requirements of the program.

Program Core Skills

• An ability to select and apply the knowledge, techniques, skills, and modern tools of the discipline to broadly-defined engineering technology activities
• An ability to select and apply a knowledge of mathematics, science, engineering, and technology to engineering technology problems that require the application of principles and applied procedures or methodologies
• An ability to conduct standard tests and measurements; to conduct, analyze, and interpret experiments; and to apply experimental results to improve processes
• An ability to design systems, components, or processes for broadly-defined engineering technology problems appropriate to program educational objectives
• An ability to function effectively as a member or leader on a technical team
• An ability to identify, analyze, and solve broadly-defined engineering technology problems
• An ability to apply written, oral, and graphical communication in both technical and non-technical environments; and an ability to identify and use appropriate technical literature
• An understanding of the need for and an ability to engage in self-directed continuing professional development
• An understanding of and a commitment to address professional and ethical responsibilities including a respect for diversity
• A knowledge of the impact of engineering technology solutions in a societal and global context
• A commitment to quality, timeliness, and continuous improvement