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Designed for those interested in working in settings related to instructing and planning programs that contribute to an active lifestyle for children, youth, and adults. These settings include recreational facilities, youth camps, social service agencies, and coaching. Coursework provides students with knowledge related to understanding, developing, and administering programs. This program offers multifaceted educational opportunities to become a well-versed professional.

Concentration Requirements

Take one (1) of the following:

• BIO 161 Principles of Human Physiology (4)
• KNH 188 Physical Activity and Health (3)

Take two (2) of the following:

• KNH 242 Personal Health (3)
• KNH 245 Health Issues for Children (3)
• SLM 212 Introduction to Sport Management (3)
• DST/EDP/SOC 272 Introduction to Disability Studies (3)

Take one (1) of the following:

• APC 336 Advanced Interpersonal Communication (3)
• APC 339 Introduction to Organizational Communication (3)
• FSW 245 Children and Families: Ages Conception - 12 (3)
• FSW 363/SOC 363 Sociology of Families (3)
• PSY 231 Developmental Psychology (3)

Take one (1) of the following:

• BIS 345: Ethics and Information Overload: Discerning Fake from Fact (3)
• ENG 413 Grant and Proposal Writing (3)

This concentration provides preparation for employment in settings such as business and industry, government and non-governmental agencies, nonprofit agencies, human resources, marketing, program evaluation, social research, public policy, community development, and a variety of other applied settings that require an understanding of human culture and behavior informed by sociological concepts, methods and theories.

The internship experience is a central component of the program. Internships and volunteer community service positions offer an excellent opportunity to explore career options and gain practical experience. Some of the internships are paid positions. Students learn a variety of valuable skills through participation in settings where sociological concepts, methods and theories are applied. Data show that sociology students who complete internships find it much easier to find preferred employment later.

Concentration Course Requirements

Take one (1) of the following:

• SOC 153 Sociology in a Global Context (3)

Take both (2) of the following:

• SOC 201 Social Problems (3)
• DST/EDP/SOC 272 Introduction to Disability Studies (3)

Take one (1) of the following:

• APC 336 Advanced Interpersonal Communication (3)
• APC 363 Advanced Methods in Applied Communication (3)
• BIS 345: Ethics and Information Overload: Discerning Fake from Fact (3)
• CRE/FSW/SOC 362 Family Poverty (3)

Take one (1) of the following:

• STC 236 Intercultural Communication (3)
• APC 428 Communication in Conflict Management(3)
• SOC/WGS/FSW 451 Family Violence (3)

This concentration explores American society at the outset of the 21st century by examining the relationships between the dominant and minority cultures, the quest for identity on the part of individuals and groups, and the social, political, and cultural changes of the post-World War II era. This concentration enhances students’ ability to succeed in careers in social work or community services jobs, as well as any business whose customer base or workforce is diverse.

Concentration Course Requirements

Take one (1) of the following:

• AMS 205 Introduction to American Studies (3)
• AMS 207 America: A Global Perspective (3)
• POL 142 American Politics and Diversity (4)
• FST/IDS/MAC 206 Diversity in American Film (3)

Take three (3) of the following:

• AAA 248/ENG 248 Asian American Literature (3)
• AAA 249/ENG 249 Asian and Asian American Cinema (3)
• AMS 310 Special Topics in American Studies (3)
• APC 332 Argumentation and Debate (3)
• BIS 315 Comic Books in American Culture (3)
• CRE/ENG 338 African American Writing, 1946 - present (3)
• ENG/WGS 232  Women Writers (3)
• ENG/LAS 254 Latino/a Literature and the Americas (3)
• STC 236 Intercultural Communication (3)
• WGS/HST/AMS 382 Women in American History (3)

Take one (1) of the following:

• EGS 410 Readings in Multicultural Perspectives (3)
• EGS 460 Issues in Literary and Cultural Studies (3)
• APC 438 Political Communication (3)

This concentration is designed for students who seek a broad, multi-disciplinary approach toward careers in organizations with cross-cultural and international activities. This concentration allows the individual to selectively combine several disciplines to develop skills needed to function effectively in cross-cultural and global environments. Students use economic analysis to examine the nature of organizations operating within a global economy, develop the skills needed to manage people in diverse environments and think from multiple perspectives, and learn to analyze similarities and differences in verbal and non-verbal communication among different cultures as they relate to norms, values, and practices.

Concentration Course Requirements

Take one (1) of the following:

• ATH 175 Peoples of the World (3)
• CMR 244 Introduction to Global Business (3)
• IDS 159 Strength Through Cultural Diversity (3)
• IDS 253 Voices Intergroup Dialogue (3)
• HST 296 World History Since 1945 (3)
• ITS 201 Introduction to International Studies (3)

Take two (2) of the following:

• ATH 307 The Middle East: Anthropological Perspectives (3)
• CRE/SOC 348 Race and Ethnic Relations (3)
• CRE/ENG 336, 337, OR 338 (only one (1) of these can count) African American Writing (3)
• LAS 208 Introduction to Latin America (3)
• POL 272 World Politics (3)

Take two (2) of the following:

• APC 428 Communication in Conflict Management (3)
• CJS 451 Comparative Justice Systems (3)
• STC 236 Intercultural Communication (3)

This concentration provides students with grounding in the fundamentals of plant and animal biology as related to ecology and conservation. This concentration could enhance a student’s ability to work or advance in a variety of settings, including positions in landscaping, public land or park policy, or with companies whose businesses affect the environment such as construction, land development, housing, etc. The Environmental Studies concentration will match up very well with students who already have an Associate’s degree in Horticulture. 

Concentration Course Requirements

Take one (1) of the following:

• BIO 121 Environmental Biology (3)
• BIO 131 Plants, Humanity, and Environment (3)
• BIO 176 Ecology of North America (3)
• GLG 121 Environmental Geology (3)

Take one (1) of the following:

• BIO 206 Evolutionary Biology (3)
• BIO 209 Fundamentals of Ecology (3)
• GLG 244 Oceanography (3)
• GEO 242 Mapping a Changing World (3)

Take two (2) of the following:

• BIO 314 Plant Diversity (4)
• BIO 311 Vertebrate Zoology (4) 
• BIO 312 Invertebrate Zoology (4)
• BIO 342 Genetics (3)
• BIO 351 Environmental Education: Focus on Natural History (4)
• BSC 313 Microbial Diversity (4)
• GEO 271 Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Conservation (3)
• GLG 307 Water and Society (3)

Take one (1) of the following:

• ATH 471 Ecological Anthropology (MPT) (3)
• APC 311 Science and Medicine in Public Communication (3)
• BIO 351 Environmental Education: Focus on Natural History (4)
• BIO 467 Conservation Biology (3)
• BIO 400W Capstone: Contemporary Issues (3)
• BSC 415 Problem Solving and Research (3)
• IES 431 Principles and Applications of Environmental Science (3)
• GEO 441 Geographic Information Systems (3)

This concentration is designed to provide students with an interdisciplinary view of family life in contemporary times, preparing students to work or to advance in careers requiring work with families, children, teens, and/or the elderly. Courses focus on analysis and examination of familial relationships, systems, and structures in varied settings. This concentration works well as a follow up to a Pre-K Associate degree or for those previously in early childhood education who have decided to apply their skills in other career fields.

Concentration Course Requirements

Take three (3) of the following:

• DST/EDP/SOC 272 Introduction to Disability Studies (3)
• ENG 262 Children's Literature (3)
• FSW/KNH 207 Serving and Supporting Children, Youth, and Families (4)
• FSW 261 Diverse Family Systems Across the Life Cycle (3)
• FSW 245 Children and Families: Ages Conception - 12 (3)
• PSY 231 Developmental Psychology (3)
• SOC/WGS 203 Sociology of Gender Roles (3)
• FSW/SOC/WGS 221 Sexualities (3)
• WGS 201 Introduction to Women's Studies (3)
• WGS 202 Introduction to GLBT Studies (3)
• WGS/ENG 232 Women Writers (3)
• WGS/ENG 237 GLBTQ Literature (3)

Take two (2) of the following:

• FSW 481 Adolescent Development in Diverse Families (3)
• CRE/FSW/SOC 362 Family Poverty (3)
• WGS 301 Women and Difference: Intersections of Race, Class, and Sexuality (3)
• WGS/ENG/FST 356 Women and Gender in Film (3)
• AMS/HST/WGS 382 Women in American History (3)

GISci teaches techniques for collecting and analyzing geographic information in our environment. The courses complement each other with some that provide a technical foundation and understanding and others introducing GISci concepts and providing a chance to apply them to various types of situations. Students learn how to use technologies including satellite and aerial imaging, global positioning systems, and remote sensing. The concentration provides the training and hands-on experience to solve problems in fields such as natural resources, urban planning, military and business decision-making, architecture, archaeology, law enforcement, education, health and many others. By taking one additional course or 18 credits, students may also earn a GIS certificate in addition to their degree. Note: Some of these courses are only available at the Oxford campus.

Concentration Course Requirements

Take one (1) of the following:

• CIT 214 Database Design and Development (3) 
• CSE 174 Fundamentals of Programming and Problem Solving (3)
• ENT 135 Computer-Aided Drafting (3)

Take all of the following:

• GEO 441 Geographic Information Systems (3)
• GEO 442 Advanced Geographic Information Systems (3)
• GEO 443 PYTHON Programming for ArcGIS (3)
• GEO 448 Techniques and Applications of Remote Sensing (3)

In order to complete the GISci certificate program, students must also take one (1) of the following:

• GEO 242 Mapping a Changing World
• GEO 340 Internship (1-20)
• GEO 444 GIS Techniques in Landscape Ecology (3)
• GEO 445 Geographic Information Systems for Criminal Justice (3)
• GEO 460 Advanced Systematic Geography (3)
• IMS 259 Art and Digital Tools 1 (3)
• IMS 461 Virtual Reality (3)

The concentration in Health Care Administration is designed to provide knowledge and skills to individuals who are working in technical health care occupations and desire to assume administrative, managerial, and supervisory positions. At least one NSG course is required for either Concentration I or Concentration II.

Concentration Course Requirements

Take two (2) of the following:

• APC 201 Introduction to Health Communication (3)
• CIT 231 Health Care Information Technology Around the World (3)
• CMR 224 Medical Terminology (3)
• CMR 301 Personal Organization Skills (3)
• CMR 302 Financial Information for Managers (3)
• CMR 282 Computer-Based Business Analysis (3)
• ECO 201 Principles of Microeconomics (3)
• NSG 263 Community Health Nursing (3)

Take two (2) of the following:

• APC 311 Science and Medicine in Public Communication (3)
• BIS 345 Ethics and Information Overload: Discerning Fake from Fact
• CIT 331 Healthcare Workflow and Process Improvement (3) (co-requisite of  CIT 338)
• CIT 338 Business Intelligence Tools (3)
• MBI 361 Epidemiology (3)
• NSG 321 U. S. Health Care System and Culture (3)

Take one (1) of the following:

• APC 428 Communication in Conflict Management (3)
• CIT 448 Global and Strategic Issues in Information Technology (3)
• CMR 401 Leadership Decision Skills (3)
• NSG 435 Challenges in Health Care Delivery (3

The goal of the health communication concentration is to improve quality of life and public health by understanding how communication influences individual health decisions and overall health outcomes.

Required:

• STC 136
• APC 201
• STA 261 

Take one (1) of the following:

• STC 262
• APC 363 

Take one (1) of the following:

• APC 428,
• APC 401 (note: students choosing APC 401 must take both STC 262 and APC 363 as prerequisites)

This concentration is designed for individuals working in any number of occupations in profit and nonprofit sectors who want a four-year degree indicative of their ability to advance within the organization and lead or supervise others. Organizations employing such individuals include business, government, health care, and not-for profit in areas such as client/customer service, fund raising, human resources, human services, manufacturing, office administration or management, public affairs, retailing, sales and training.

Concentration Course Requirements

Take two (2) of the following (including at least one APC course):

• APC 239 Communication Theory (3)
• APC 339 Introduction to Organizational Communication (3)
• APC 336 Advanced Interpersonal Communication (3)
• CIT 201 Advanced Spreadsheets and Analytics (3)
• CMR 282 Computer-Based Business Analysis (3)
• CMR 441 Social Media and Career Development (3)
• PSS 310 Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology

Take three (3) of the following:

• APC 428 Communication in Conflict Management (3)
• CIT 306 Agile: Business Value Analysis (3) (Students who complete this course earn the ICAgile Business Value Analysis certification.) 
• CIT 338 Business Intelligence Tools (3)
• CMR 301 Personal Organization Skills (3)
• CMR 302 Financial Information for Managers (3) or ACC 222 Introduction to Managerial Accounting (3)
• CMR 401 Leadership Decision Skills (3)

The concentration in Personal and Community Health Perspectives is designed to provide knowledge and skills to individuals who are working or intend to work in health care occupations.

Concentration Course Requirements

Take one (1) of the following:

• APC 201 Introduction to Health Communication (3)
• CIT 231 Healthcare Information Technology Around the World (3)
• CJS 245 Human Trafficking and Slavery (3)
• DST/EDP/SOC 272 Introduction to Disability Studies (3)
• KNH 102 Fundamentals of Nutrition (3)
• KNH 188 Physical Activity and Health (3)
• MBI 111 Microorganisms and Human Disease (3)
• MBI 131 Community Health Perspectives (2) and MBI 123 Experimenting with Microbes (1)

Take three (3) of the following:

• APC 231 Small Group Communication (3)
• APC 311 Science and Medicine in Public Communication (3)
• CMR 224 Medical Terminology (3)
• FSW 245 Children and Families: Ages Conception - 12 (3)
• KNH 242 Personal Health (3)
• KNH 245 Health Issues for Children (3)
• MBI 361 Epidemiology (3)
• NSG 317 Teaching Strategies in Health Care (3)
• NSG 321 U. S. Health Care System and Culture (3)

Take one (1) of the following:

• STC 236 Intercultural Communication (3)
• ENG 413 Grant and Proposal Writing (3)
• NSG 435 Challenges in Health Care Delivery (3)
• NSG 441 Health and Aging: Current Perspectives and Issues (3)

Students may design a customized primary and/or secondary concentration tailored to their educational goals. In order to self-design their concentration, students must identify a set of courses and develop a rationale that explains how these courses will work together as a unit of study. Self-designed concentrations must involve multidisciplinary approaches and include at least one 400-level course, the same as standard concentrations. The course list and rationale must be submitted for approval to the SEO Petition and Review Committee (SPRC), the group that oversees the BIS curriculum. 

Guidelines for Self-Designed Concentrations

If a student elects to self-design their concentrations, their course selection must meet the following general requirements:

• Concentrations must include at least five classes and at least 15 credit hours.
• Across the two concentrations, no subject code (e.g., ENG, STC, WGS) may be used more than five times.
• Course level minimums: self-designed concentrations may include at most one class (3 – 4 credits) at the 100 level and must include at least one class (3 – 4 credits) at the 300-level and one class (3 – 4 credits) at the 400-level or higher.
• A Minor may be used for Concentration 2.
• The Thematic Sequence must be different from the concentrations, i.e., no subject code used in the TS may appear in Concentration 1 or Concentration 2.
• Concentrations must not replicate a degree already offered by ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ.

Rationale for a Self-Designed Concentration

In general, Self-Designed Concentrations are held to higher expectations in terms of the rationale supporting the SEO. Because students are, in essence, creating part of their degree from ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ, we expect that students support their proposed program of study with extensive research and clearly articulate how their choices will provide them with a BIS degree that will help them reach their personal and professional goals.

This concentration is designed for students who are interested in pursuing a career in the staffing and talent management fields. This concentration allows the individual to select and combine disciplines to develop skills needed to function effectively in this dynamic and complex area.

Concentration Requirements

Select one (1) of the following: 

• CMR 105 Introduction to Marketing
• CMR 106 Introduction to Business and the Economy
• CMR 108 Introduction to Business Law
• CMR 111 Introduction to Management I
• CMR 151 Introduction to Hospitality Management

Select two (2) of the following:

• CMR 202 Payroll Records and Accounting
• CMR 241 Management of Business Operations
• CMR 242 Management of Small Business Operations
• CMR 243 Management of Worker Relations
• CMR 244 Introduction to Global Business
• CMR 261 Customer Service & Satisfaction
• NCS 202 Introduction to Nonprofits and NGOs
• STC 236 Intercultural Communication

Select one (1) of the following:

• APC 339 Organizational Communication
• ENG 313 Technical Writing
• PSS 310 Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology

Select one (1) of the following: 

• APC 428 Communication in Conflict Management
• CMR 401 Leadership Decision Skills

This concentration offers students opportunities to enhance their critical grasp of how the media influences our contemporary culture in multiple arenas, including politics and the economy. A deeper understanding of the interplay between media and culture will enhance students’ productivity and ability to advance in many professional fields, including sales, fundraising, politics, advertising and entertainment-related occupations.

Concentration Course Requirements

Take one (1) of the following:

• ART 183 Images of America (3)
• ART 256 Design, Perception, and Audience (3)
• MJF 105 Media, Culture, and You (3)

Take two (2) of the following:

• AAA 249 Asian and Asian American Cinema (3)
• ENG/FST 220 Literature and Film (3)
• ENG 224 Digital Writing and Rhetoric (3)
• FST 201 Film History and Analysis (3)
• FST 206 Diversity and Culture in American Film (3)
• FST/ENG 235 Classical Hollywood Cinema (3)
• FST/HST 252 History at the Movies (3)
• MAC 212 Media, Representation, and Society (3)

Take two (2) of the following:

• BIS 315 Comic Books in American Culture (3)
• MAC 325 Social Media Cultures (3)
• ENG/FST 356 Women and Gender in Film (3)
• MAC 447 Mass Media Criticism (3)