| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 54.32 |
| Liaison | Emma Parsley |
| Submission Date | Dec. 12, 2022 |
Texas State University, San Marcos
AC-2: Learning Outcomes
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.05 / 8.00 |
James
Vollrath Director Office of Sustainability |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Part 1. Institutional sustainability learning outcomes
Yes
Which of the following best describes the sustainability learning outcomes?:
Sustainability-supportive
A list of the institution level sustainability learning outcomes:
General Education Core Curriculum
In order to acquire the fundamental skills and cultural background that are the marks of an educated person, all undergraduate students at Texas State complete a 42 semester credit hour program of general education core curriculum courses, which serves as the common foundation for all majors and accounts for about 35 percent of the approximately 120 semester credit hours required for a bachelor’s degree. At the end of the bachelor’s program, the student is prepared not only in a field of study, but also in the general abilities of critical thinking, communication, empirical and quantitative skills, teamwork, personal responsibility and social responsibilities that remain universally useful skills in a rapidly changing world. Texas State graduates have the raw materials to build solutions as they fulfill career and civic responsibilities.
General Education Core Curriculum Components
Communication Component Code 010 (6 semester credit hours)
Mathematics Component Code 020 (3 semester credit hours)
Life and Physical Sciences Component Code 030 (6 semester credit hours)
Language, Philosophy, and Culture Component Code 040 (3 semester credit hours)
Creative Arts Component Code 050 (3 semester credit hours)
American History Component Code 060 (6 semester credit hours)
Government/Political Science Component Code 070 (6 semester credit hours)
Social and Behavioral Sciences Component Code 080 (3 semester credit hours)
Common Experience
Texas State University presents an engaging theme each year with events for everyone. This is OUR Common Experience. We offer opportunities to interact with some of the world's leading voices. During the fall and spring semesters, we offer an array of diverse events that support student development, which include film screenings, philosophy dialogues, panel discussions, exhibitions, conferences, and performances in music, theater and dance. Among these is the LBJ Distinguished Lecture Series, named for Texas State’s most famous alumnus, Lyndon Baines Johnson, 36th President of the United States. The series fulfills his 1973 promise to bring important leaders to the university to share their philosophies, perspectives and experiences. As part of the Common Experience, we provide all incoming first-year students with an inspiring book related to the year's theme that can challenge preconceived notions. Students will engage in dialogue with the Common Reading book and explore the theme in University Seminar (US 1100) classes and other courses — encouraging multiple, sustained conversations throughout the year. While many of the approaches may be tailored specifically for first-year students, most events are intended for all students — undergraduates and graduates — as well as faculty, staff, and community members. Our Common Experience truly is for everyone. We provide a platform for students to be influencers in the Texas State and San Marcos communities. We encourage student created, student led, and student facilitated events with the support of Texas State faculty and staff. The Common Experience continues to evolve and embrace new challenges and directions each year, showing students through collaboration with other students, faculty, and staff how to discover new ways to approach issues. The Common Experience embraces the power of interdisciplinary collaborations and communications. Our thematic approach and remarkable collaborations enable us to offer more academic event opportunities than any other university in the nation. Because we present so many opportunities for Texas State students, they're able to choose events that match their interests. As a result, our first-year students' participation ranks highest in the nation among similar programs that offer numerous events.
2019-2020 Truth
The 2019-2020 Common Experience will examine truth through an array of perspectives: a quest for truth and an examination of authenticity. Areas of exploration will range from an understanding of university truth — in scholarship and research — to a definition of Universal Truth with a capital T, and from one's own personal truth to a sense of honesty, accuracy, validity and truthfulness. The theme will highlight discourse, from the stories shared with friends to the words seen online to the labels read when shopping to answer one key question — how does one know what’s true? Among the year’s innumerable activities, the university will host a new series of dialogue events focused on illuminating facts for students. Topics will include "The Truth about Life after College," "The Truth about Finances" and "The Truth about Urban Legends and Myths."
2020-2021 Dynamics
When people discuss dynamics, they’re talking about movement. Dynamics is motion — but it’s more than that. Dynamics are the motivating forces behind everything, everywhere. There are physical forces, moral forces and driving forces. The dynamics in growth, change, inspiration and action can be seen and felt. The Common Experience will consider the movement from where one is to where one will be, approaching dynamics both literally and metaphorically, from the observations of astrophysics to the momentum of daily life. As part of the Common Experience, all incoming first-year students receive a critically acclaimed book related to the year’s theme. Students discuss the book in their university seminar class and other courses. The 2020-2021 Common Reading book is American Like Me, edited by award-winning actress America Ferrera. The book is a collection of first-person reflections by prominent figures about the experience of growing up between cultures.
2021-2022 Compassion
Texas State presents an academic theme each year, providing numerous opportunities for everyone — students, faculty, staff and community members — to share in a Common Experience. The Common Experience theme for the 2021-2022 academic year is Compassion. It's an academic and real-world look at the self. The university community will focus on topics such as mindfulness, support, relief and genuine human kindness — for oneself, for others and for everything around us. This Common Experience theme focuses on compassion as a concept that unites in commitment to affect change for the better beginning with the self and expanding throughout the campus, community, country and world. With profound implications for personal wellbeing and growth, dynamic potential for application and collaboration across disciplines, and promise of deeper connection between students, faculty, staff and administration, moving toward compassion can empower our university and its members to shape lasting personal and collective change for the better on the Texas State campuses and beyond.
In order to acquire the fundamental skills and cultural background that are the marks of an educated person, all undergraduate students at Texas State complete a 42 semester credit hour program of general education core curriculum courses, which serves as the common foundation for all majors and accounts for about 35 percent of the approximately 120 semester credit hours required for a bachelor’s degree. At the end of the bachelor’s program, the student is prepared not only in a field of study, but also in the general abilities of critical thinking, communication, empirical and quantitative skills, teamwork, personal responsibility and social responsibilities that remain universally useful skills in a rapidly changing world. Texas State graduates have the raw materials to build solutions as they fulfill career and civic responsibilities.
General Education Core Curriculum Components
Communication Component Code 010 (6 semester credit hours)
Mathematics Component Code 020 (3 semester credit hours)
Life and Physical Sciences Component Code 030 (6 semester credit hours)
Language, Philosophy, and Culture Component Code 040 (3 semester credit hours)
Creative Arts Component Code 050 (3 semester credit hours)
American History Component Code 060 (6 semester credit hours)
Government/Political Science Component Code 070 (6 semester credit hours)
Social and Behavioral Sciences Component Code 080 (3 semester credit hours)
Common Experience
Texas State University presents an engaging theme each year with events for everyone. This is OUR Common Experience. We offer opportunities to interact with some of the world's leading voices. During the fall and spring semesters, we offer an array of diverse events that support student development, which include film screenings, philosophy dialogues, panel discussions, exhibitions, conferences, and performances in music, theater and dance. Among these is the LBJ Distinguished Lecture Series, named for Texas State’s most famous alumnus, Lyndon Baines Johnson, 36th President of the United States. The series fulfills his 1973 promise to bring important leaders to the university to share their philosophies, perspectives and experiences. As part of the Common Experience, we provide all incoming first-year students with an inspiring book related to the year's theme that can challenge preconceived notions. Students will engage in dialogue with the Common Reading book and explore the theme in University Seminar (US 1100) classes and other courses — encouraging multiple, sustained conversations throughout the year. While many of the approaches may be tailored specifically for first-year students, most events are intended for all students — undergraduates and graduates — as well as faculty, staff, and community members. Our Common Experience truly is for everyone. We provide a platform for students to be influencers in the Texas State and San Marcos communities. We encourage student created, student led, and student facilitated events with the support of Texas State faculty and staff. The Common Experience continues to evolve and embrace new challenges and directions each year, showing students through collaboration with other students, faculty, and staff how to discover new ways to approach issues. The Common Experience embraces the power of interdisciplinary collaborations and communications. Our thematic approach and remarkable collaborations enable us to offer more academic event opportunities than any other university in the nation. Because we present so many opportunities for Texas State students, they're able to choose events that match their interests. As a result, our first-year students' participation ranks highest in the nation among similar programs that offer numerous events.
2019-2020 Truth
The 2019-2020 Common Experience will examine truth through an array of perspectives: a quest for truth and an examination of authenticity. Areas of exploration will range from an understanding of university truth — in scholarship and research — to a definition of Universal Truth with a capital T, and from one's own personal truth to a sense of honesty, accuracy, validity and truthfulness. The theme will highlight discourse, from the stories shared with friends to the words seen online to the labels read when shopping to answer one key question — how does one know what’s true? Among the year’s innumerable activities, the university will host a new series of dialogue events focused on illuminating facts for students. Topics will include "The Truth about Life after College," "The Truth about Finances" and "The Truth about Urban Legends and Myths."
2020-2021 Dynamics
When people discuss dynamics, they’re talking about movement. Dynamics is motion — but it’s more than that. Dynamics are the motivating forces behind everything, everywhere. There are physical forces, moral forces and driving forces. The dynamics in growth, change, inspiration and action can be seen and felt. The Common Experience will consider the movement from where one is to where one will be, approaching dynamics both literally and metaphorically, from the observations of astrophysics to the momentum of daily life. As part of the Common Experience, all incoming first-year students receive a critically acclaimed book related to the year’s theme. Students discuss the book in their university seminar class and other courses. The 2020-2021 Common Reading book is American Like Me, edited by award-winning actress America Ferrera. The book is a collection of first-person reflections by prominent figures about the experience of growing up between cultures.
2021-2022 Compassion
Texas State presents an academic theme each year, providing numerous opportunities for everyone — students, faculty, staff and community members — to share in a Common Experience. The Common Experience theme for the 2021-2022 academic year is Compassion. It's an academic and real-world look at the self. The university community will focus on topics such as mindfulness, support, relief and genuine human kindness — for oneself, for others and for everything around us. This Common Experience theme focuses on compassion as a concept that unites in commitment to affect change for the better beginning with the self and expanding throughout the campus, community, country and world. With profound implications for personal wellbeing and growth, dynamic potential for application and collaboration across disciplines, and promise of deeper connection between students, faculty, staff and administration, moving toward compassion can empower our university and its members to shape lasting personal and collective change for the better on the Texas State campuses and beyond.
Part 2. Program-level sustainability learning outcomes
8,941
Number of graduates from degree programs that require an understanding of the concept of sustainability:
1,179
A brief description of how the figure above was determined:
The total number of graduates from degree programs was calculated by adding together the total number of Bachelor degrees and Master degrees that were awarded during FY 21. From there a total number of graduates from sustainability-focused programs were calculated by adding together the number of degrees award from specific programs that have specific sustainability related learning outcomes and/or required courses using the university's degrees awarded by level database.
A list of degree programs that require an understanding of the concept of sustainability:
LO - Major in Agriculture: Based on a multidisciplinary approach, this major will expose students to the breadth of agriculture. Students will take classes in agribusiness, agricultural mechanics, agriculture education, animal science, horticulture, and soil science. In this program students will gain expertise knowledge in the relationship between global trade, food policy, climate change, food losses and food waste, transboundary pests and disease, governance for food and nutrition security, and agricultural productivity and innovation as it relates to societies across the globe.
RC - Horticulture Concentration. This concentration teaches management of commercial establishments and institutions that produce ornamental plants such as greenhouses and nurseries, floral shops and plant therapy businesses. This concentration examines the relationship between the processes of how plants grow, how humans cultivate plant species, and cultural uses. The major also contains specialized courses in horticulture that utilize greenhouses, the Freeman Center and the Living Library Gardens. Required courses include Organic Gardening AG 3308, International Food and Fiber Systems AG 3319, and Agricultural Resource Economics AG 4383.
RC - Teacher Certification in Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. A comprehensive educational program concerned with the broad field of agriculture. Emphasis in the major is on production techniques, managerial skills and competencies necessary to function as agricultural scientists, educators, or agricultural managers in today’s complex agricultural industry. Agriculture teachers are certified to teach in grades six through twelve in the public schools of Texas. Required courses include International Food and Fiber Systems AG 3319.
LO- Major in Agricultural Business and Management. This major reaches far beyond the farm to encompass the activities involved in bringing food and fiber to consumers. The degree prepares students to be competent in agribusiness management, agricultural marketing in domestic and international trade, food safety, sustainability, and agricultural and natural resource policy. The coursework includes six fields of study, which ensures that students graduate with a well-grounded understanding of the agricultural industry and agribusiness landscape. These six fields are: Production, Consumption, Economics, Policy, Environmental, and International.
RC- Minor in Agriculture: The minor in Agriculture requires 19 semester credit hours. A minor in agriculture is ideal for someone majoring in the life sciences, family and consumer sciences, or in any discipline where knowledge of the food and fiber industry would be beneficial. Required courses include International Agricultural Trade AG 3355, International Food and Fiber Systems AG 3319, Agricultural Policy AG 4381, Global Agriculture AG 4390
RC- Minor in Agricultural Mechanics: The minor in Agricultural Mechanics requires 18 semester credit hours. The minor in Agricultural Mechanics opens additional career opportunities for students in Engineering, Technology, Geology, and the students majoring in Agricultural Business. This program includes courses such as Agricultural Structures and Environment, Land Surveying, and Agriculture Irrigation Technology. Required courses include Agriculture Irrigation Technology AG 4379.
RC- Minor in Plant and Soil Science: The minor in Plant and Soil Science requires 20 semester credit hours and includes required courses such as Fruit and Vegetable Crop Production AG 4302 and Organic Gardening AG 3308.
LO- Master of Science in Integrated Agricultural Sciences: The M.S. program in Integrated Agricultural Sciences is the first of its kind in Texas, and its development is motivated by the need for graduates with the multidisciplinary technological and professional skills capable of addressing and solving complex food system challenges. Specifically, this M.S. program integrates animal science, plant and soil science, agricultural economics, and agricultural education into one program, so that students will develop the technical and leadership skills necessary for addressing and solving complex, real-world food, cultural, and agricultural challenges. This integrated approach combines research and education concerning land use strategies, crop and animal production, distribution, sales, economics, policy, and the environment. Through this M.S. program, students will be provided with new opportunities, enriched and rewarding experiences, and future personal and professional success.
RC- Major in Anthropology: Anthropology is the study of human cultural and biological variation and evolution. It is a holistic discipline taking into consideration all aspects of human existence. In a general sense, anthropology is concerned with determining what humans are, how they evolved, and how they differ from one another. Anthropology at Texas State is divided into three major sub-fields: cultural anthropology, biological anthropology, and archaeology and we offer coursework and training in each of these areas. Includes required courses such as Cultural Anthropology ANTH 1312, Anthropology of Peace and Violence ANTH 3351, Anthropology and the Law ANTH 3331E.
RC- Minor in Anthropology: The minor in Anthropology requires 20 semester credit hours and requires completion of the following courses: Cultural Anthropology ANTH 1312, Anthropology of Peace and Violence ANTH 3351, Applied Cultural Anthropology ANTH 3303.
RC- Major in Civil Engineering: The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree with a major in Civil Engineering is designed to provide students with an education that addresses the emerging field of technology-enhanced (Smart) infrastructure, as well as fundamental concepts in environmental, geotechnical, materials, structural, transportation, and water resources engineering. Required courses include Environmental Engineering CE 3320, Transportation Planning and Infrastructure CE 3360, Urban Infrastructure Management GEO 4356.
RC- Major in Construction Science and Management: The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree with a major in Construction Science and Management (CSM) prepares students to enter professional careers in the construction industry. To meet the growing demands of industry, students may choose a residential or a commercial construction concentration. Graduates may become construction project managers, estimators, schedulers, field engineers, virtual design and construction (VDC) specialists, general and/or subcontractors, code inspectors, material suppliers and technical sales representatives. Students learn the technical aspects of how construction projects are built through classes in residential, commercial, and heavy civil/highway. The required course includes Sustainable & Lean Construction Practices CSM 4368.
RC- Major in Engineering Technology, concentration on Environmental Engineering Technology: The Bachelor of Science in Technology (B.S.T.) degree with a major in Engineering Technology provides students with the technical background to work in engineering projects related to designing and planning production processes and automated systems, designing products and production facilities, developing tooling, establishing quality assurance and continuous improvement procedures, implementing test and maintenance plans, developing safety programs, and establishing work methods and lean systems. Required courses include Environmental Technology I TECH 2340, Environmental Technology II TECH 3340, Design for Environment TECH 4340, Environmental Engineering CE 3320
RC- Master of Science in Engineering Management - The technology management graduate program at Texas State University is designed for those who seek careers or career advancement in the management of engineering and production activity in the construction and concrete industries, in the semiconductor, cast metals, machining, fabrication, and other manufacturing industries, or in the fields of power generation, environmental management, and occupational health and safety. Required courses include Industrial Ecology and Sustainability Engineering TECH 5382.
RC- Major in Geography Resource and Environmental Studies: The Bachelor of Science major in Geography Resource and Environmental Studies prepares students for a wide variety of government and private sector occupations relating to resource conservation and/or environmental management. Required courses include Natural Resource Use and Management GEO 3313, Solid Waste Planning and Management GEO 4350, Air Quality Management GEO 4352, Environmental Management GEO 4313.
LO & RC - Major in Geography Urban and Regional Planning: Planning is a diverse profession, which draws upon fields of knowledge and technical skills closely related to geography. The Bachelor of Science major in Urban and Regional Planning provides the means to evaluate and facilitate programs that benefit our neighborhoods, communities, cities, and regions. Upon completion of the degree, students will gain expertise knowledge in the relationship between population growth, economic development, transportation, education, public services, and the environment. Required courses include Community and Regional Planning GEO 3320.
RC- Major in Geography Water Resources: The Bachelor of Science major in Geography Water Resources provides a focused study of the physical, chemical, social, political, and economic factors of water resources from the geographic perspective. As water resources become ever more critical to the nation, and in particular Texas and the Southwest Borderlands, this degree program addresses the increasing need for professionals in this crucial field. Graduates are highly sought after by government agencies, from local, state to federal, industries that have large water demands, agricultural interests and private consulting firms that specialize in water resource issues. Required courses include Water Resources GEO 3434, River Basin Management GEO 4314, Water Resources Planning GEO 4317, Groundwater Resources GEO 4334.
LO-Major in Physical Geography: The Bachelor of Science major in Physical Geography emphasizes the physical science elements of geographical study. This major prepares students with the knowledge in applied climatology and meteorology, oceanography, geomorphology, resource evaluation, environmental analysis, and areas where an understanding of the complex relationship between nature and society is required.
RC - Minor in Environmental Studies: The minor in Environmental Studies requires 20-22 semester credit hours. The Environmental Studies minor is designed for students seeking to enhance their preparation for environmental careers or graduate work in environmental studies. Includes courses such as, Global Environmental Change, Natural Resource Use and Management, Energy Resource Management, Water Resources, Solid Waste Management and Planning. Required courses include Natural Resource Use and Management GEO 3313, Water Resources GEO 3434, Solid Waste Planning and Management GEO 4350, and Air Quality Management GEO 4352.
LO- Minor in Geography: The minor in Geography requires 19 semester credit hours. Texas State Geography offers a wide range of content courses that can provide distinct career preparation and competitive advantages to many majors. Students pursuing a Geography minor will choose to focus their studies in these areas, developing a strong holistic perspective between the relationship of the natural environment and the man-made environment: Urban Planning and Land Development; Water Studies; Geographic Information Science; Regional International Studies; Physical Geography/Earth Science; Environmental Resource Management; or Cultural Geography and Demographics.
RC - Minor in Geology: The minor in Geology requires 26-28 semester credit hours. Geology is the science and study of the solid matter of the Earth, its composition, structure, physical properties, history, and the processes that shape it. A geology minor is an ideal complement to a number of majors in the natural, social, and applied sciences. Includes courses such as Geomorphology, Structural Geology, Hydrogeology. Required course includes, Survey of Economic Mineral Deposits GEOL 4330C.
RC- Minor in Nature and Heritage Tourism: The minor in Nature and Heritage Tourism requires 22 semester credit hours. Nature and Heritage Tourism is the most rapidly growing segment of the overall tourism industry. The minor in Nature and Heritage Tourism concentrates on planning, development and management of nature and heritage tourism activities that have a strong learning content. Required courses include Parks and Protected Places GEO 4326 and Planning and Development of Nature and Heritage Tourism NHT 4301
LO- Master of Arts in Applied Geography – Resource and Environmental Studies: The Master of Applied Geography (M.A.Geo.) degree with a major in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies requires 33 semester credit hours. The applied geography program learning outcomes includes such sub-fields as environmental management, land use planning, location analysis, land management, transportation systems planning, applied physical geography, geographic aspects of environmental law, remote sensing, cartography, and geographic information science. The degree is intended to prepare the student for middle management employment, but research skills taught in this program are excellent training for students who intend to proceed to doctoral work.
LO- Master of Arts in Applied Geography – Geographic Information Science: The Master of Applied Geography (M.A.Geo.) - Geographic Information Science degree program is designed to prepare geographers to use their skills and background knowledge to solve real-world problems with geographic dimensions. The applied geography program learning outcomes includes environmental management, geographic education, GIS, cartography, land use planning, location analysis, land management, transportation systems planning, applied physical geography, geographic aspects of environmental law, and spatial modeling as it relates to social and environmental development.
LO- Master of Arts in Applied Geography – General Geography Concentration: The Master of Applied Geography (M.A.Geo.) degree with a major in Geography is designed to prepare geographers to use their skills and background knowledge to solve real-world problems with geographic dimensions. The applied geography program learning outcomes includes such sub-fields as Environmental Management, Geographic Education, GIS, Cartography, Land use Planning, Location Analysis, Land Management, Transportation Systems Planning, Applied Physical Geography, Geographic Aspects of Environmental Law, and Spatial Modeling.
RC- Master of Science in Geography - The Master of Science (M.S.) degree with a major in Geography is designed to give highly qualified students exposure to geographic theory and research at the pre-doctoral level. Programmatic emphases include Environmental Geography, Geographic Education, Geographic Information Science, and other specialty areas in geography represented by the current active research interests of the faculty. Required courses include Managing Urbanization GEO 5312, Geographic Elements of Environmental Law GEO 5314, Environment Problems of the US Mexico Border GEO 5318, Geography of Hazards GEO 5330, Applied Water Resources GEO 5334.
LO- Major in History: As an undergraduate major, the discipline of History provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to participate in our increasingly global society and economy. Emphasizing societies, cultures, and politics in the United States and around the world, the History Program helps to impart understandings of human motivation and interaction which form an essential background for all current activities whether they are in the realm of business, law, journalism, politics, education, or public history.
LO- Minor in Peace and Social Justice: The minor in Peace and Social Justice Studies requires 18 semester credit hours. This minor is an interdisciplinary minor that focuses on practical questions of how to realize peace and justice in the everyday world. It is designed to provide students with a historical perspective on injustice and corresponding movements for social justice and on the philosophy and methods of nonviolent protest and conflict resolution. It cultivates the knowledge and skills necessary to build peace with justice locally, at the family and community level, while also preparing students for a wide range of occupations in governmental and nongovernmental organizations that focus on diplomatic problem-solving and mediation of disputes.
LO- Master of Arts in History: Our graduate studies program offers an M.A. degree with a concentration in History, Public History, or History Education. The Department offers five fields of graduate study: Public History, Borderlands History, Race and Identity, Gender and Sexuality, Atlantic World, and Empire, Colonialism, and Postcolonial Studies, spread across the subfields of United States History, Latin American History, European History, and World History. Public history explores history in the public sphere, including the ways that popular audiences engage with history. Public historians work in museums and archives, historic preservation organizations, state and federal agencies, film and media centers and in a wide variety of other settings. Borderlands History explores the rich and unique history that emerges in places where distinct societies meet, such as the US-Mexico border. Borderlands History emphasizes the contested and contingent nature of social life and culture in zones where cultural amalgamation, social interchange, and economic exchange structure daily life. Students and faculty in the Race and Identity cluster explore the fundamental role of race and identity in the making of the modern world. These scholars explore the origins of racial concepts and identities and how they have changed over time; the historical roles they have played as both a way to subordinate "others" and as a source for positive individual and collective self-identifications; and how they have both shaped and been shaped by social, political, and economic history in different epochs and regions of the world. The Gender and Sexuality cluster explores the ways that what it means to be a man and a woman has a past that historians can trace. The History of Gender and Sexuality emphasizes the socially constructed nature of gender roles, women’s contributions to the past, and the ways in which sexuality has been organized. The history of the Atlantic World maps the interactions among peoples and empires from the sixteenth century to the nineteenth century. It emphasizes the exchange of peoples, commodities, and ideas between the four continents that border the Atlantic Ocean. Many of our faculty explore empire, colonialism and postcolonial studies. Courses offered can be global in scope or may focus on one particular empire or region.
LO - Minor in Honors Studies: The Honors College at Texas State University provides highly motivated students with unique and challenging educational experiences. Through partnerships with other academic units and community organizations, the college fosters intellectual curiosity and research activity while preparing students to engage meaningfully in our increasingly complex and diverse society. Honors courses are taught by faculty from numerous disciplines and are intended to promote interdisciplinary inquiry, creativity, and a lifetime love of learning. In small seminar- and workshop-style classrooms, students regularly engage with peers and faculty, interrogate assigned readings, embark on field trips, or present their research and creative projects. Through the Honors Independent Study, the Honors Contract course or the Honors Thesis, students may design their own course of study. The Cross-Cultural Experience (CCE) is a requirement of the Minor in Honors Studies. It is designed to prepare honors students to act and lead in a world that is increasingly diverse and complex. Each student who completes their CCE is expected to develop key intercultural competencies, such as the ability to: Empathize with others, Adapt and thrive within unfamiliar circumstances, Act with sensitivity and awareness in a cultural setting that differs from their own, Analyze similarities and differences among people, places, creative practices, or traditions, Evaluate current geo-political realities in a historical context, Interpret the nuances of globalized cultural exchange.
LO & RC - Major in Political Science: Political science is the study of government, the most important decision-making part of society, and of the social, economic, and other institutions and practices that influence this decision-making process. On the one hand, it is a discipline that can trace its roots to the ancient Greek political community, the polis; but it is also a modern social science, which uses techniques such as content analysis, public opinion surveys, and statistical analysis to create and evaluate generalizations about how government and people behave. Required courses include Public Policy Process PA 3350.
LO & RC - Major in Public Administration: Public Administration is a field of academic study that emphasizes professional training in carrying out the actions of government. The program is designed to provide an understanding of bureaucratic organizations, to encourage and develop critical analytical skills, and to apply those skills in the implementation and evaluation of public policy through the lens of social equity and economic development. Required courses include Public Policy Process PA 3350, Issues in Law and Public Policy PA 4340.
LO & RC - Minor in Political Science: Political science is the study of government, the most important decision-making part of society, and of the social, economic, and other institutions and practices that influence this decision-making process. On the one hand, it is a discipline that can trace its roots to the ancient Greek political community, the polis; but it is also a modern social science, which uses techniques such as content analysis, public opinion surveys, and statistical analysis to create and evaluate generalizations about how government and people behave. Required courses include Public Policy Process PA 3350.
LO & RC - Minor in Public Administration: Public Administration is a field of academic study that emphasizes professional training in carrying out the actions of government. The program is designed to provide an understanding of bureaucratic organizations, to encourage and develop critical analytical skills, and to apply those skills in the implementation and evaluation of public policy through the lens of social equity and economic development. Required courses include Public Policy Process PA 3350, Issues in Law and Public Policy PA 4340.
LO - Master of Public Administration: The Master of Public Administration Program's mission is to cultivate practical, research-oriented students for careers as reflective practitioners guided by democratic values, integrity, and service. Students will be prepared for careers as managers and leaders in public service if they are able to meet the following objectives (student learning outcomes). In a contemporary context, any program that seeks to prepare graduate students for careers in public administration must focus on administrative action and public policymaking in the context of depleting resources, increasing populations, and the ubiquitous, drastic effects of climate change. Regardless of the career paths students take in public administration, our program must instill awareness of these realities in order to produce effective decisionmakers. This program’s activities are aimed at enhancing sustainability awareness and knowledge, not only to avoid depletion of natural resources, but to encourage practices that regenerate them. The International Sustainable Engagement Program (I-STEP) is a project of Texas State University's Public Administration program and aims to provide a platform for re-envisioning how transportation can work to shape healthy, vital communities.
LO & RC - Major in Public Health: The Public Health major will provide students with the breadth of knowledge, skills, and experiential learning for careers in public health. The purpose of the program is to facilitate development of knowledge and skills to promote health in public health settings (e.g. community, governmental, educational, healthcare) by using evidence-based practices to design, implement, and evaluate public health programs that impact individual behavior, community environments, and public policy. Graduates of this program play a vital role in health promotion teams in public health agencies, industries, non-profit organizations, and various clinical settings with specializations in obesity and diabetes prevention, epidemiology, mental health, substance abuse prevention, public policy, environmental health, maternal, child, and adolescent health, or worksite wellness. Required courses include Environmental Health PH 3301,
RC- Major in Recreation Studies: The Recreation Studies Outdoor Recreation Concentration major combines classroom learning, field-based learning and on-the-job training in two career tracks: recreation administration and therapeutic recreation. Students study recreation programming, leadership, marketing, evaluation, administration, and therapeutic recreation. Recreation Administration graduates work in camps, nursing homes, recreation centers, resorts, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, fitness centers, and state and national parks. The program is nationally accredited by the Council on Accreditation, Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions (COAPRT) in both recreation administration and therapeutic recreation. Graduates of this program are eligible to sit for certification examinations for National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist - CTRS) and/or the National Recreation and Park Association (Certified Park and Recreation Professional - CPRP). Required courses include Environmental Health PH 3301, Parks and Protected Places GEO 4326, and Planning and Development of Nature and Heritage Tourism NHT 4301
LO & RC - Minor in Public Health: The minor in Public Health requires 18 semester credit hours and will provide students with the breadth of knowledge, skills, and experiential learning for careers in public health. The purpose of the program is to facilitate development of knowledge and skills to promote health in public health settings (e.g. community, governmental, educational, healthcare) by using evidence-based practices to design, implement, and evaluate public health programs that impact individual behavior, community environments, and public policy. Graduates of this program play a vital role in health promotion teams in public health agencies, industries, non-profit organizations, and various clinical settings with specializations in obesity and diabetes prevention, epidemiology, mental health, substance abuse prevention, public policy, environmental health, maternal, child, and adolescent health, or worksite wellness. Required courses include Environmental Health PH 3301
LO & RC - Major in Sociology: Sociology is the scientific study of individuals and groups within society. Through research and critical examination, sociologists study human interaction and social institutions to answer society's most complex questions. The Department of Sociology is home to student-centered faculty who bring diverse research interests into the classroom. Students have the opportunity to take courses from content areas of race and social class, gender and sexuality, criminology and social deviance, aging and dementia, popular culture, social movements, sustainability, and the environment. Sociology remains essential to a liberal arts education by preparing students to think critically about the world around them while applying practical skills in research methods and data analysis. Required courses include Sustainable Cities SOCI 3367, Society and Environment SOCI 3365, Food and Society SOCI 3372 Globalization and Development SOCI 3330.
RC - Minor in Latina/o Studies: The minor in Latina/o Studies requires 18 semester credit hours. The Latina/o Studies minor is an interdisciplinary program for students to learn about social, political, economic, historical and cultural processes that impact Latina/o communities in the United States. Using a complement of courses from disciplines across the university, this minor will: (1) offer an academic and scholarly foundation for students to understand the experiences of Latinas/os using a global perspective; (2) educate students about the cultural competency skills necessary to work with Latina/o communities; and (3) expose students to the theoretical and research methodologies in Latina/o Studies. Required courses include Population Dynamics SOCI 3320, Innovative Community Engagement with Vulnerable Populations SOWK 4300K.
LO & RC - Minor in Sociology: The minor in Sociology requires 18 semester credit hours. Sociology is the scientific study of individuals and groups within society. Through research and critical examination, sociologists study human interaction and social institutions to answer society's most complex questions. The Department of Sociology is home to student-centered faculty who bring diverse research interests into the classroom. Students have the opportunity to take courses from content areas of race and social class, gender and sexuality, criminology and social deviance, aging and dementia, popular culture, social movements, sustainability, and the environment. Sociology remains essential to a liberal arts education by preparing students to think critically about the world around them while applying practical skills in research methods and data analysis. Required courses include Globalization and Development SOCI 3330, Society and Environment SOCI 3365, Sustainable Cities SOCI 3367, Food and Society SOCI 3372
Minor in Studies in Popular Culture: The minor in Studies in Popular Culture requires 18 semester credit hours. The minor is designed to acquaint students with trends in American popular culture. Techniques of research, social meanings and consequences of popular culture are the major foci of the minor. Courses for the Studies in Popular Culture minor were selected because they deal with significant aspects of everyday life ranging from mass media through the history of cultural trends and phenomenon. The courses selected deal with subjects that both are influenced by and influence popular culture. Required courses include SOCI 3372, Food and Society, SOCI 3365, Society and Environment .
LO & RC - Minor in Sustainability Studies: The minor requires 18 semester credit hours. Sustainability Studies examines the human dimensions of the environment and sustainability in an interdisciplinary context. The program goals include providing students with an opportunity to explore the connections between social and physical systems, developing skills consistent with critical analysis and interdisciplinary knowledge for students who seek careers in sustainability, and a mechanism for students to learn about sustainability and to apply that knowledge to real-world problems. Required courses include Environmental Ethics PHIL 3323, SOCI 3365, Society and Environment.
LO & RC - Master of Science in Sustainability Studies: The Master of Science (M.S.) degree with a major in Sustainability Studies is specifically designed to prepare committed leaders to address emerging sustainability issues. Students completing the program will have the technical skills to formulate and solve problems at the appropriate scale, as well as the breadth of vision to recognize the inter-connectedness and complexity of human-environment systems. Graduates will be prepared for admission into strong doctoral programs or professional schools, and important positions in the growing field of sustainability-related careers within local, state, or federal government, regulatory agencies, non-governmental organizations, consulting firms and within relevant industries. The program is available to graduate students seeking a more diversified program of study than is generally available for students specializing in a single discipline. The program is open to any qualified graduate student and is particularly relevant for those wishing to improve their subject matter competence in more than one discipline. The M.S. in Sustainability Studies is designed for students inclined toward social sciences, natural sciences, economics, policy, ethics or related fields. The program is tailored to accommodate both full-time and part-time graduate students.
RC - Master of Arts in Sociology: The Master of Arts degree prepares graduates for a variety of careers that include government, private enterprise, education, and social services. It also provides a sound background for those who anticipate further doctoral studies. The mission of our sociology graduate programs is to provide students with an advanced understanding of sociological theory, methods, and principles that can be applied in public and private agencies and nonprofit organizations. The Department of Sociology prepares graduates to become informed citizens, scholars, researchers, and leaders in their communities at the local, state, and national levels. The department provides an environment conducive to intellectual exchange characterized by innovative and outstanding: teaching and curricula, service to students and community, scholarship and research, sociological practice, commitment to multiculturalism and diversity. Required courses include SOCI 5368, Seminar in Environmental Sociology, Seminar in Globalization and Development SOCI 5390, Seminar in Globalization and Development SOCI 5390, Global Insecurity SOCI 5395.
RC- Master of Science in Applied Sociology: The Master of Science with a major in Applied Sociology focuses on evaluation skills including both qualitative and quantitative research, general statistical analysis, impact analysis, and grant writing. Concerns over issues like the environment, urban development, health, aging, and a competitive global economy have increased the demand for social scientists and trained evaluators. Required courses include SOCI 5367, Seminar in Sustainable Cities, SOCI 5368, Seminar in Environmental Sociology, SOCI 5390, Seminar in Globalization and Development, SOCI 5395, Global Insecurity.
RC- Major in Aquatic Biology: Aquatic Biology focuses on aquatic organisms and their relationships with their environments. Our faculty works in streams, rivers, springs, cave systems, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and wetlands. Their research uses the facilities at the Freeman Aquatic Building, the nearby Federal Fish Hatchery, and natural aquatic ecosystems from the swamps of east Texas to the Rio Grande River and the springs of the Trans Pecos. Study organisms include fish and benthic invertebrates, frogs and salamanders, turtles, snakes, aquatic mammals, birds, and their parasites. Required courses include, Global Ecology BIO 3308, Aquatic Toxicology BIO 3341 Marine Resources BIO 3371.
RC- Major in Wildlife Biology: Wildlife species and their habitats are impacted by human actions and demands on natural resources. At the same time, increasing numbers of Americans are participating in wildlife based outdoor recreation such as camping, hunting, fishing, birdwatching, picnicking, observing and photographing wildlife. Maintaining abundant and healthy wildlife populations and habitats requires an understanding of ecology, natural history, wildlife management, and human demands. These are the challenges facing wildlife biologists of today. The wildlife undergraduate and graduate programs at Texas State University adhere to the North American model of wildlife management, as well as a strong reliance on research at the graduate and undergraduate level. The goals of our programs are to graduate students prepared to enter the wildlife profession as biologists, managers, and research scientists. Required courses include Economic Botany BIO 3406, Wetland Plant Ecology and Management BIO 4429, Wildlife and Recreation: Impact, Policy, and Management BIO 4304.
Master of Science in Biology: This graduate program offers opportunities for advanced study and research leading to the Master of Science degree in Biology. A thesis option is offered to students who want an opportunity to develop expertise in research techniques and data analysis; a nonthesis option is offered for those who want the opportunity to earn the Master of Science degree through organized coursework. The thesis option is recommended for students who plan a career in research or contemplate pursuing a doctorate in one of the life sciences. The nonthesis option might be suitable for students interested in secondary school teaching in the life sciences. Graduate faculty research interests include biochemistry, cellular biology, development biology, ecology, genetics, microbiology, neurobiology, physiology, and plant sciences. Biology is the study of living things and encompasses every aspect of their existence from zygote to maturity. Biological sciences include studies of organisms and their component parts as well as the environment in which they live. Required courses include Seminar in Aquatic Resources BIO 7102
RC- Master of Science in Aquatic Resources – Aquatic Biology Concentration: The Aquatic Resources Master of Science Program at Texas State University is a multi-disciplinary program of study and research based on aquatic sciences and resources. This is a thesis-based degree program and students within the program receive their degree through the Department of Biology. Students in the Aquatic Biology concentration will focus on the biology and ecology of aquatic organisms and an understanding of the dynamics and management of aquatic ecosystems. Students in this track can focus on aspects of the aquatic biology and ecology at the level of individual genes to entire ecosystems and the processes contained therein. Required courses include Seminar in Aquatic Resources BIO 7102, Human Dimensions of Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation BIO 5331, Global Climate Change Biology BIO 5351I,
LO & RC - Master of Science in Aquatic Resources – Aquatic Systems Concentration: The Aquatic Resources Master of Science Program at Texas State University is a multi-disciplinary program of study and research based on aquatic sciences and resources. This is a thesis-based degree program and students within the program receive their degree through the Department of Biology. Students in the Aquatic Systems concentration will focus on an understanding of the structure and functioning of aquatic systems as integrated physical, biological, and socioeconomic entities and will emphasize practices aimed at protecting, maintaining, and restoring the health and sustainable use of these resources. This area of concentration encourages investigation of aquatic systems at the level of the watershed, as influenced by atmospheric and terrestrial processes. Required courses include Seminar in Aquatic Resources BIO 7102, Human Dimensions of Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation BIO 5331, Global Climate Change Biology BIO 5351I,
LO- Master of Science in Population and Conservation Biology: The M.S. with a major in Population and Conservation Biology is a research degree that requires a minimum of two years full-time coursework and research leading to a thesis. The program is envisioned as an interdisciplinary course of study that combines principles of population biology with strong training in measurement and analysis of biological systems, augmented with the student’s choice of study in particular specialties. Students are required to complete a two-semester series in statistics and experimental design in the first year. The course of study in the second year of the program includes a two-semester seminar sequence in population biology as well as elective courses. The Population Biology seminar courses pair small groups of students with faculty who conduct research in population and/or conservation biology. These seminars explore current topics in the field, including theoretical advances, contemporary research and methodological issues. Elective courses in the second year allow students to specialize in particular sub-disciplines of the field, including: ecology of populations, population management, conservation biology or evolutionary ecology and genetics.
LO- Master of Science in Wildlife Ecology: Wildlife ecology has grown as an area of study and concern and is now a major factor determining land/water use, wildlife populations, and recreation in the United States. Wildlife issues are no longer confined to hunting, fishing, and agricultural pursuits, but rather encompass much larger issues pertaining to energy sources, urban and suburban development, overpopulation of some species, threatened and endangered species, water use and availability, and coastal development. Nowhere is this more pronounced than in Central Texas. Land use in Texas must be balanced between the demands of a burgeoning human population and the requirements of wildlife species for habitat. Attaining this balance can create conflict. The conflicts increase with the growth of human populations, and ethical and practical consequences of land development must be considered as new challenges present themselves. These areas of concern bring with them positions requiring well-trained wildlife ecologists. The Wildlife Ecology M.S. program at Texas State University has a long history of interagency cooperation with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Students have been supported financially in research by interagency contracts and many graduates of Texas State are employed by these agencies. Cooperation with these agencies has allowed students on the cutting edge of wildlife research in the state. As a result, student interest in wildlife ecology has risen substantially - especially at the Master’s level.
RC - Horticulture Concentration. This concentration teaches management of commercial establishments and institutions that produce ornamental plants such as greenhouses and nurseries, floral shops and plant therapy businesses. This concentration examines the relationship between the processes of how plants grow, how humans cultivate plant species, and cultural uses. The major also contains specialized courses in horticulture that utilize greenhouses, the Freeman Center and the Living Library Gardens. Required courses include Organic Gardening AG 3308, International Food and Fiber Systems AG 3319, and Agricultural Resource Economics AG 4383.
RC - Teacher Certification in Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. A comprehensive educational program concerned with the broad field of agriculture. Emphasis in the major is on production techniques, managerial skills and competencies necessary to function as agricultural scientists, educators, or agricultural managers in today’s complex agricultural industry. Agriculture teachers are certified to teach in grades six through twelve in the public schools of Texas. Required courses include International Food and Fiber Systems AG 3319.
LO- Major in Agricultural Business and Management. This major reaches far beyond the farm to encompass the activities involved in bringing food and fiber to consumers. The degree prepares students to be competent in agribusiness management, agricultural marketing in domestic and international trade, food safety, sustainability, and agricultural and natural resource policy. The coursework includes six fields of study, which ensures that students graduate with a well-grounded understanding of the agricultural industry and agribusiness landscape. These six fields are: Production, Consumption, Economics, Policy, Environmental, and International.
RC- Minor in Agriculture: The minor in Agriculture requires 19 semester credit hours. A minor in agriculture is ideal for someone majoring in the life sciences, family and consumer sciences, or in any discipline where knowledge of the food and fiber industry would be beneficial. Required courses include International Agricultural Trade AG 3355, International Food and Fiber Systems AG 3319, Agricultural Policy AG 4381, Global Agriculture AG 4390
RC- Minor in Agricultural Mechanics: The minor in Agricultural Mechanics requires 18 semester credit hours. The minor in Agricultural Mechanics opens additional career opportunities for students in Engineering, Technology, Geology, and the students majoring in Agricultural Business. This program includes courses such as Agricultural Structures and Environment, Land Surveying, and Agriculture Irrigation Technology. Required courses include Agriculture Irrigation Technology AG 4379.
RC- Minor in Plant and Soil Science: The minor in Plant and Soil Science requires 20 semester credit hours and includes required courses such as Fruit and Vegetable Crop Production AG 4302 and Organic Gardening AG 3308.
LO- Master of Science in Integrated Agricultural Sciences: The M.S. program in Integrated Agricultural Sciences is the first of its kind in Texas, and its development is motivated by the need for graduates with the multidisciplinary technological and professional skills capable of addressing and solving complex food system challenges. Specifically, this M.S. program integrates animal science, plant and soil science, agricultural economics, and agricultural education into one program, so that students will develop the technical and leadership skills necessary for addressing and solving complex, real-world food, cultural, and agricultural challenges. This integrated approach combines research and education concerning land use strategies, crop and animal production, distribution, sales, economics, policy, and the environment. Through this M.S. program, students will be provided with new opportunities, enriched and rewarding experiences, and future personal and professional success.
RC- Major in Anthropology: Anthropology is the study of human cultural and biological variation and evolution. It is a holistic discipline taking into consideration all aspects of human existence. In a general sense, anthropology is concerned with determining what humans are, how they evolved, and how they differ from one another. Anthropology at Texas State is divided into three major sub-fields: cultural anthropology, biological anthropology, and archaeology and we offer coursework and training in each of these areas. Includes required courses such as Cultural Anthropology ANTH 1312, Anthropology of Peace and Violence ANTH 3351, Anthropology and the Law ANTH 3331E.
RC- Minor in Anthropology: The minor in Anthropology requires 20 semester credit hours and requires completion of the following courses: Cultural Anthropology ANTH 1312, Anthropology of Peace and Violence ANTH 3351, Applied Cultural Anthropology ANTH 3303.
RC- Major in Civil Engineering: The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree with a major in Civil Engineering is designed to provide students with an education that addresses the emerging field of technology-enhanced (Smart) infrastructure, as well as fundamental concepts in environmental, geotechnical, materials, structural, transportation, and water resources engineering. Required courses include Environmental Engineering CE 3320, Transportation Planning and Infrastructure CE 3360, Urban Infrastructure Management GEO 4356.
RC- Major in Construction Science and Management: The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree with a major in Construction Science and Management (CSM) prepares students to enter professional careers in the construction industry. To meet the growing demands of industry, students may choose a residential or a commercial construction concentration. Graduates may become construction project managers, estimators, schedulers, field engineers, virtual design and construction (VDC) specialists, general and/or subcontractors, code inspectors, material suppliers and technical sales representatives. Students learn the technical aspects of how construction projects are built through classes in residential, commercial, and heavy civil/highway. The required course includes Sustainable & Lean Construction Practices CSM 4368.
RC- Major in Engineering Technology, concentration on Environmental Engineering Technology: The Bachelor of Science in Technology (B.S.T.) degree with a major in Engineering Technology provides students with the technical background to work in engineering projects related to designing and planning production processes and automated systems, designing products and production facilities, developing tooling, establishing quality assurance and continuous improvement procedures, implementing test and maintenance plans, developing safety programs, and establishing work methods and lean systems. Required courses include Environmental Technology I TECH 2340, Environmental Technology II TECH 3340, Design for Environment TECH 4340, Environmental Engineering CE 3320
RC- Master of Science in Engineering Management - The technology management graduate program at Texas State University is designed for those who seek careers or career advancement in the management of engineering and production activity in the construction and concrete industries, in the semiconductor, cast metals, machining, fabrication, and other manufacturing industries, or in the fields of power generation, environmental management, and occupational health and safety. Required courses include Industrial Ecology and Sustainability Engineering TECH 5382.
RC- Major in Geography Resource and Environmental Studies: The Bachelor of Science major in Geography Resource and Environmental Studies prepares students for a wide variety of government and private sector occupations relating to resource conservation and/or environmental management. Required courses include Natural Resource Use and Management GEO 3313, Solid Waste Planning and Management GEO 4350, Air Quality Management GEO 4352, Environmental Management GEO 4313.
LO & RC - Major in Geography Urban and Regional Planning: Planning is a diverse profession, which draws upon fields of knowledge and technical skills closely related to geography. The Bachelor of Science major in Urban and Regional Planning provides the means to evaluate and facilitate programs that benefit our neighborhoods, communities, cities, and regions. Upon completion of the degree, students will gain expertise knowledge in the relationship between population growth, economic development, transportation, education, public services, and the environment. Required courses include Community and Regional Planning GEO 3320.
RC- Major in Geography Water Resources: The Bachelor of Science major in Geography Water Resources provides a focused study of the physical, chemical, social, political, and economic factors of water resources from the geographic perspective. As water resources become ever more critical to the nation, and in particular Texas and the Southwest Borderlands, this degree program addresses the increasing need for professionals in this crucial field. Graduates are highly sought after by government agencies, from local, state to federal, industries that have large water demands, agricultural interests and private consulting firms that specialize in water resource issues. Required courses include Water Resources GEO 3434, River Basin Management GEO 4314, Water Resources Planning GEO 4317, Groundwater Resources GEO 4334.
LO-Major in Physical Geography: The Bachelor of Science major in Physical Geography emphasizes the physical science elements of geographical study. This major prepares students with the knowledge in applied climatology and meteorology, oceanography, geomorphology, resource evaluation, environmental analysis, and areas where an understanding of the complex relationship between nature and society is required.
RC - Minor in Environmental Studies: The minor in Environmental Studies requires 20-22 semester credit hours. The Environmental Studies minor is designed for students seeking to enhance their preparation for environmental careers or graduate work in environmental studies. Includes courses such as, Global Environmental Change, Natural Resource Use and Management, Energy Resource Management, Water Resources, Solid Waste Management and Planning. Required courses include Natural Resource Use and Management GEO 3313, Water Resources GEO 3434, Solid Waste Planning and Management GEO 4350, and Air Quality Management GEO 4352.
LO- Minor in Geography: The minor in Geography requires 19 semester credit hours. Texas State Geography offers a wide range of content courses that can provide distinct career preparation and competitive advantages to many majors. Students pursuing a Geography minor will choose to focus their studies in these areas, developing a strong holistic perspective between the relationship of the natural environment and the man-made environment: Urban Planning and Land Development; Water Studies; Geographic Information Science; Regional International Studies; Physical Geography/Earth Science; Environmental Resource Management; or Cultural Geography and Demographics.
RC - Minor in Geology: The minor in Geology requires 26-28 semester credit hours. Geology is the science and study of the solid matter of the Earth, its composition, structure, physical properties, history, and the processes that shape it. A geology minor is an ideal complement to a number of majors in the natural, social, and applied sciences. Includes courses such as Geomorphology, Structural Geology, Hydrogeology. Required course includes, Survey of Economic Mineral Deposits GEOL 4330C.
RC- Minor in Nature and Heritage Tourism: The minor in Nature and Heritage Tourism requires 22 semester credit hours. Nature and Heritage Tourism is the most rapidly growing segment of the overall tourism industry. The minor in Nature and Heritage Tourism concentrates on planning, development and management of nature and heritage tourism activities that have a strong learning content. Required courses include Parks and Protected Places GEO 4326 and Planning and Development of Nature and Heritage Tourism NHT 4301
LO- Master of Arts in Applied Geography – Resource and Environmental Studies: The Master of Applied Geography (M.A.Geo.) degree with a major in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies requires 33 semester credit hours. The applied geography program learning outcomes includes such sub-fields as environmental management, land use planning, location analysis, land management, transportation systems planning, applied physical geography, geographic aspects of environmental law, remote sensing, cartography, and geographic information science. The degree is intended to prepare the student for middle management employment, but research skills taught in this program are excellent training for students who intend to proceed to doctoral work.
LO- Master of Arts in Applied Geography – Geographic Information Science: The Master of Applied Geography (M.A.Geo.) - Geographic Information Science degree program is designed to prepare geographers to use their skills and background knowledge to solve real-world problems with geographic dimensions. The applied geography program learning outcomes includes environmental management, geographic education, GIS, cartography, land use planning, location analysis, land management, transportation systems planning, applied physical geography, geographic aspects of environmental law, and spatial modeling as it relates to social and environmental development.
LO- Master of Arts in Applied Geography – General Geography Concentration: The Master of Applied Geography (M.A.Geo.) degree with a major in Geography is designed to prepare geographers to use their skills and background knowledge to solve real-world problems with geographic dimensions. The applied geography program learning outcomes includes such sub-fields as Environmental Management, Geographic Education, GIS, Cartography, Land use Planning, Location Analysis, Land Management, Transportation Systems Planning, Applied Physical Geography, Geographic Aspects of Environmental Law, and Spatial Modeling.
RC- Master of Science in Geography - The Master of Science (M.S.) degree with a major in Geography is designed to give highly qualified students exposure to geographic theory and research at the pre-doctoral level. Programmatic emphases include Environmental Geography, Geographic Education, Geographic Information Science, and other specialty areas in geography represented by the current active research interests of the faculty. Required courses include Managing Urbanization GEO 5312, Geographic Elements of Environmental Law GEO 5314, Environment Problems of the US Mexico Border GEO 5318, Geography of Hazards GEO 5330, Applied Water Resources GEO 5334.
LO- Major in History: As an undergraduate major, the discipline of History provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to participate in our increasingly global society and economy. Emphasizing societies, cultures, and politics in the United States and around the world, the History Program helps to impart understandings of human motivation and interaction which form an essential background for all current activities whether they are in the realm of business, law, journalism, politics, education, or public history.
LO- Minor in Peace and Social Justice: The minor in Peace and Social Justice Studies requires 18 semester credit hours. This minor is an interdisciplinary minor that focuses on practical questions of how to realize peace and justice in the everyday world. It is designed to provide students with a historical perspective on injustice and corresponding movements for social justice and on the philosophy and methods of nonviolent protest and conflict resolution. It cultivates the knowledge and skills necessary to build peace with justice locally, at the family and community level, while also preparing students for a wide range of occupations in governmental and nongovernmental organizations that focus on diplomatic problem-solving and mediation of disputes.
LO- Master of Arts in History: Our graduate studies program offers an M.A. degree with a concentration in History, Public History, or History Education. The Department offers five fields of graduate study: Public History, Borderlands History, Race and Identity, Gender and Sexuality, Atlantic World, and Empire, Colonialism, and Postcolonial Studies, spread across the subfields of United States History, Latin American History, European History, and World History. Public history explores history in the public sphere, including the ways that popular audiences engage with history. Public historians work in museums and archives, historic preservation organizations, state and federal agencies, film and media centers and in a wide variety of other settings. Borderlands History explores the rich and unique history that emerges in places where distinct societies meet, such as the US-Mexico border. Borderlands History emphasizes the contested and contingent nature of social life and culture in zones where cultural amalgamation, social interchange, and economic exchange structure daily life. Students and faculty in the Race and Identity cluster explore the fundamental role of race and identity in the making of the modern world. These scholars explore the origins of racial concepts and identities and how they have changed over time; the historical roles they have played as both a way to subordinate "others" and as a source for positive individual and collective self-identifications; and how they have both shaped and been shaped by social, political, and economic history in different epochs and regions of the world. The Gender and Sexuality cluster explores the ways that what it means to be a man and a woman has a past that historians can trace. The History of Gender and Sexuality emphasizes the socially constructed nature of gender roles, women’s contributions to the past, and the ways in which sexuality has been organized. The history of the Atlantic World maps the interactions among peoples and empires from the sixteenth century to the nineteenth century. It emphasizes the exchange of peoples, commodities, and ideas between the four continents that border the Atlantic Ocean. Many of our faculty explore empire, colonialism and postcolonial studies. Courses offered can be global in scope or may focus on one particular empire or region.
LO - Minor in Honors Studies: The Honors College at Texas State University provides highly motivated students with unique and challenging educational experiences. Through partnerships with other academic units and community organizations, the college fosters intellectual curiosity and research activity while preparing students to engage meaningfully in our increasingly complex and diverse society. Honors courses are taught by faculty from numerous disciplines and are intended to promote interdisciplinary inquiry, creativity, and a lifetime love of learning. In small seminar- and workshop-style classrooms, students regularly engage with peers and faculty, interrogate assigned readings, embark on field trips, or present their research and creative projects. Through the Honors Independent Study, the Honors Contract course or the Honors Thesis, students may design their own course of study. The Cross-Cultural Experience (CCE) is a requirement of the Minor in Honors Studies. It is designed to prepare honors students to act and lead in a world that is increasingly diverse and complex. Each student who completes their CCE is expected to develop key intercultural competencies, such as the ability to: Empathize with others, Adapt and thrive within unfamiliar circumstances, Act with sensitivity and awareness in a cultural setting that differs from their own, Analyze similarities and differences among people, places, creative practices, or traditions, Evaluate current geo-political realities in a historical context, Interpret the nuances of globalized cultural exchange.
LO & RC - Major in Political Science: Political science is the study of government, the most important decision-making part of society, and of the social, economic, and other institutions and practices that influence this decision-making process. On the one hand, it is a discipline that can trace its roots to the ancient Greek political community, the polis; but it is also a modern social science, which uses techniques such as content analysis, public opinion surveys, and statistical analysis to create and evaluate generalizations about how government and people behave. Required courses include Public Policy Process PA 3350.
LO & RC - Major in Public Administration: Public Administration is a field of academic study that emphasizes professional training in carrying out the actions of government. The program is designed to provide an understanding of bureaucratic organizations, to encourage and develop critical analytical skills, and to apply those skills in the implementation and evaluation of public policy through the lens of social equity and economic development. Required courses include Public Policy Process PA 3350, Issues in Law and Public Policy PA 4340.
LO & RC - Minor in Political Science: Political science is the study of government, the most important decision-making part of society, and of the social, economic, and other institutions and practices that influence this decision-making process. On the one hand, it is a discipline that can trace its roots to the ancient Greek political community, the polis; but it is also a modern social science, which uses techniques such as content analysis, public opinion surveys, and statistical analysis to create and evaluate generalizations about how government and people behave. Required courses include Public Policy Process PA 3350.
LO & RC - Minor in Public Administration: Public Administration is a field of academic study that emphasizes professional training in carrying out the actions of government. The program is designed to provide an understanding of bureaucratic organizations, to encourage and develop critical analytical skills, and to apply those skills in the implementation and evaluation of public policy through the lens of social equity and economic development. Required courses include Public Policy Process PA 3350, Issues in Law and Public Policy PA 4340.
LO - Master of Public Administration: The Master of Public Administration Program's mission is to cultivate practical, research-oriented students for careers as reflective practitioners guided by democratic values, integrity, and service. Students will be prepared for careers as managers and leaders in public service if they are able to meet the following objectives (student learning outcomes). In a contemporary context, any program that seeks to prepare graduate students for careers in public administration must focus on administrative action and public policymaking in the context of depleting resources, increasing populations, and the ubiquitous, drastic effects of climate change. Regardless of the career paths students take in public administration, our program must instill awareness of these realities in order to produce effective decisionmakers. This program’s activities are aimed at enhancing sustainability awareness and knowledge, not only to avoid depletion of natural resources, but to encourage practices that regenerate them. The International Sustainable Engagement Program (I-STEP) is a project of Texas State University's Public Administration program and aims to provide a platform for re-envisioning how transportation can work to shape healthy, vital communities.
LO & RC - Major in Public Health: The Public Health major will provide students with the breadth of knowledge, skills, and experiential learning for careers in public health. The purpose of the program is to facilitate development of knowledge and skills to promote health in public health settings (e.g. community, governmental, educational, healthcare) by using evidence-based practices to design, implement, and evaluate public health programs that impact individual behavior, community environments, and public policy. Graduates of this program play a vital role in health promotion teams in public health agencies, industries, non-profit organizations, and various clinical settings with specializations in obesity and diabetes prevention, epidemiology, mental health, substance abuse prevention, public policy, environmental health, maternal, child, and adolescent health, or worksite wellness. Required courses include Environmental Health PH 3301,
RC- Major in Recreation Studies: The Recreation Studies Outdoor Recreation Concentration major combines classroom learning, field-based learning and on-the-job training in two career tracks: recreation administration and therapeutic recreation. Students study recreation programming, leadership, marketing, evaluation, administration, and therapeutic recreation. Recreation Administration graduates work in camps, nursing homes, recreation centers, resorts, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, fitness centers, and state and national parks. The program is nationally accredited by the Council on Accreditation, Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions (COAPRT) in both recreation administration and therapeutic recreation. Graduates of this program are eligible to sit for certification examinations for National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist - CTRS) and/or the National Recreation and Park Association (Certified Park and Recreation Professional - CPRP). Required courses include Environmental Health PH 3301, Parks and Protected Places GEO 4326, and Planning and Development of Nature and Heritage Tourism NHT 4301
LO & RC - Minor in Public Health: The minor in Public Health requires 18 semester credit hours and will provide students with the breadth of knowledge, skills, and experiential learning for careers in public health. The purpose of the program is to facilitate development of knowledge and skills to promote health in public health settings (e.g. community, governmental, educational, healthcare) by using evidence-based practices to design, implement, and evaluate public health programs that impact individual behavior, community environments, and public policy. Graduates of this program play a vital role in health promotion teams in public health agencies, industries, non-profit organizations, and various clinical settings with specializations in obesity and diabetes prevention, epidemiology, mental health, substance abuse prevention, public policy, environmental health, maternal, child, and adolescent health, or worksite wellness. Required courses include Environmental Health PH 3301
LO & RC - Major in Sociology: Sociology is the scientific study of individuals and groups within society. Through research and critical examination, sociologists study human interaction and social institutions to answer society's most complex questions. The Department of Sociology is home to student-centered faculty who bring diverse research interests into the classroom. Students have the opportunity to take courses from content areas of race and social class, gender and sexuality, criminology and social deviance, aging and dementia, popular culture, social movements, sustainability, and the environment. Sociology remains essential to a liberal arts education by preparing students to think critically about the world around them while applying practical skills in research methods and data analysis. Required courses include Sustainable Cities SOCI 3367, Society and Environment SOCI 3365, Food and Society SOCI 3372 Globalization and Development SOCI 3330.
RC - Minor in Latina/o Studies: The minor in Latina/o Studies requires 18 semester credit hours. The Latina/o Studies minor is an interdisciplinary program for students to learn about social, political, economic, historical and cultural processes that impact Latina/o communities in the United States. Using a complement of courses from disciplines across the university, this minor will: (1) offer an academic and scholarly foundation for students to understand the experiences of Latinas/os using a global perspective; (2) educate students about the cultural competency skills necessary to work with Latina/o communities; and (3) expose students to the theoretical and research methodologies in Latina/o Studies. Required courses include Population Dynamics SOCI 3320, Innovative Community Engagement with Vulnerable Populations SOWK 4300K.
LO & RC - Minor in Sociology: The minor in Sociology requires 18 semester credit hours. Sociology is the scientific study of individuals and groups within society. Through research and critical examination, sociologists study human interaction and social institutions to answer society's most complex questions. The Department of Sociology is home to student-centered faculty who bring diverse research interests into the classroom. Students have the opportunity to take courses from content areas of race and social class, gender and sexuality, criminology and social deviance, aging and dementia, popular culture, social movements, sustainability, and the environment. Sociology remains essential to a liberal arts education by preparing students to think critically about the world around them while applying practical skills in research methods and data analysis. Required courses include Globalization and Development SOCI 3330, Society and Environment SOCI 3365, Sustainable Cities SOCI 3367, Food and Society SOCI 3372
Minor in Studies in Popular Culture: The minor in Studies in Popular Culture requires 18 semester credit hours. The minor is designed to acquaint students with trends in American popular culture. Techniques of research, social meanings and consequences of popular culture are the major foci of the minor. Courses for the Studies in Popular Culture minor were selected because they deal with significant aspects of everyday life ranging from mass media through the history of cultural trends and phenomenon. The courses selected deal with subjects that both are influenced by and influence popular culture. Required courses include SOCI 3372, Food and Society, SOCI 3365, Society and Environment .
LO & RC - Minor in Sustainability Studies: The minor requires 18 semester credit hours. Sustainability Studies examines the human dimensions of the environment and sustainability in an interdisciplinary context. The program goals include providing students with an opportunity to explore the connections between social and physical systems, developing skills consistent with critical analysis and interdisciplinary knowledge for students who seek careers in sustainability, and a mechanism for students to learn about sustainability and to apply that knowledge to real-world problems. Required courses include Environmental Ethics PHIL 3323, SOCI 3365, Society and Environment.
LO & RC - Master of Science in Sustainability Studies: The Master of Science (M.S.) degree with a major in Sustainability Studies is specifically designed to prepare committed leaders to address emerging sustainability issues. Students completing the program will have the technical skills to formulate and solve problems at the appropriate scale, as well as the breadth of vision to recognize the inter-connectedness and complexity of human-environment systems. Graduates will be prepared for admission into strong doctoral programs or professional schools, and important positions in the growing field of sustainability-related careers within local, state, or federal government, regulatory agencies, non-governmental organizations, consulting firms and within relevant industries. The program is available to graduate students seeking a more diversified program of study than is generally available for students specializing in a single discipline. The program is open to any qualified graduate student and is particularly relevant for those wishing to improve their subject matter competence in more than one discipline. The M.S. in Sustainability Studies is designed for students inclined toward social sciences, natural sciences, economics, policy, ethics or related fields. The program is tailored to accommodate both full-time and part-time graduate students.
RC - Master of Arts in Sociology: The Master of Arts degree prepares graduates for a variety of careers that include government, private enterprise, education, and social services. It also provides a sound background for those who anticipate further doctoral studies. The mission of our sociology graduate programs is to provide students with an advanced understanding of sociological theory, methods, and principles that can be applied in public and private agencies and nonprofit organizations. The Department of Sociology prepares graduates to become informed citizens, scholars, researchers, and leaders in their communities at the local, state, and national levels. The department provides an environment conducive to intellectual exchange characterized by innovative and outstanding: teaching and curricula, service to students and community, scholarship and research, sociological practice, commitment to multiculturalism and diversity. Required courses include SOCI 5368, Seminar in Environmental Sociology, Seminar in Globalization and Development SOCI 5390, Seminar in Globalization and Development SOCI 5390, Global Insecurity SOCI 5395.
RC- Master of Science in Applied Sociology: The Master of Science with a major in Applied Sociology focuses on evaluation skills including both qualitative and quantitative research, general statistical analysis, impact analysis, and grant writing. Concerns over issues like the environment, urban development, health, aging, and a competitive global economy have increased the demand for social scientists and trained evaluators. Required courses include SOCI 5367, Seminar in Sustainable Cities, SOCI 5368, Seminar in Environmental Sociology, SOCI 5390, Seminar in Globalization and Development, SOCI 5395, Global Insecurity.
RC- Major in Aquatic Biology: Aquatic Biology focuses on aquatic organisms and their relationships with their environments. Our faculty works in streams, rivers, springs, cave systems, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and wetlands. Their research uses the facilities at the Freeman Aquatic Building, the nearby Federal Fish Hatchery, and natural aquatic ecosystems from the swamps of east Texas to the Rio Grande River and the springs of the Trans Pecos. Study organisms include fish and benthic invertebrates, frogs and salamanders, turtles, snakes, aquatic mammals, birds, and their parasites. Required courses include, Global Ecology BIO 3308, Aquatic Toxicology BIO 3341 Marine Resources BIO 3371.
RC- Major in Wildlife Biology: Wildlife species and their habitats are impacted by human actions and demands on natural resources. At the same time, increasing numbers of Americans are participating in wildlife based outdoor recreation such as camping, hunting, fishing, birdwatching, picnicking, observing and photographing wildlife. Maintaining abundant and healthy wildlife populations and habitats requires an understanding of ecology, natural history, wildlife management, and human demands. These are the challenges facing wildlife biologists of today. The wildlife undergraduate and graduate programs at Texas State University adhere to the North American model of wildlife management, as well as a strong reliance on research at the graduate and undergraduate level. The goals of our programs are to graduate students prepared to enter the wildlife profession as biologists, managers, and research scientists. Required courses include Economic Botany BIO 3406, Wetland Plant Ecology and Management BIO 4429, Wildlife and Recreation: Impact, Policy, and Management BIO 4304.
Master of Science in Biology: This graduate program offers opportunities for advanced study and research leading to the Master of Science degree in Biology. A thesis option is offered to students who want an opportunity to develop expertise in research techniques and data analysis; a nonthesis option is offered for those who want the opportunity to earn the Master of Science degree through organized coursework. The thesis option is recommended for students who plan a career in research or contemplate pursuing a doctorate in one of the life sciences. The nonthesis option might be suitable for students interested in secondary school teaching in the life sciences. Graduate faculty research interests include biochemistry, cellular biology, development biology, ecology, genetics, microbiology, neurobiology, physiology, and plant sciences. Biology is the study of living things and encompasses every aspect of their existence from zygote to maturity. Biological sciences include studies of organisms and their component parts as well as the environment in which they live. Required courses include Seminar in Aquatic Resources BIO 7102
RC- Master of Science in Aquatic Resources – Aquatic Biology Concentration: The Aquatic Resources Master of Science Program at Texas State University is a multi-disciplinary program of study and research based on aquatic sciences and resources. This is a thesis-based degree program and students within the program receive their degree through the Department of Biology. Students in the Aquatic Biology concentration will focus on the biology and ecology of aquatic organisms and an understanding of the dynamics and management of aquatic ecosystems. Students in this track can focus on aspects of the aquatic biology and ecology at the level of individual genes to entire ecosystems and the processes contained therein. Required courses include Seminar in Aquatic Resources BIO 7102, Human Dimensions of Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation BIO 5331, Global Climate Change Biology BIO 5351I,
LO & RC - Master of Science in Aquatic Resources – Aquatic Systems Concentration: The Aquatic Resources Master of Science Program at Texas State University is a multi-disciplinary program of study and research based on aquatic sciences and resources. This is a thesis-based degree program and students within the program receive their degree through the Department of Biology. Students in the Aquatic Systems concentration will focus on an understanding of the structure and functioning of aquatic systems as integrated physical, biological, and socioeconomic entities and will emphasize practices aimed at protecting, maintaining, and restoring the health and sustainable use of these resources. This area of concentration encourages investigation of aquatic systems at the level of the watershed, as influenced by atmospheric and terrestrial processes. Required courses include Seminar in Aquatic Resources BIO 7102, Human Dimensions of Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation BIO 5331, Global Climate Change Biology BIO 5351I,
LO- Master of Science in Population and Conservation Biology: The M.S. with a major in Population and Conservation Biology is a research degree that requires a minimum of two years full-time coursework and research leading to a thesis. The program is envisioned as an interdisciplinary course of study that combines principles of population biology with strong training in measurement and analysis of biological systems, augmented with the student’s choice of study in particular specialties. Students are required to complete a two-semester series in statistics and experimental design in the first year. The course of study in the second year of the program includes a two-semester seminar sequence in population biology as well as elective courses. The Population Biology seminar courses pair small groups of students with faculty who conduct research in population and/or conservation biology. These seminars explore current topics in the field, including theoretical advances, contemporary research and methodological issues. Elective courses in the second year allow students to specialize in particular sub-disciplines of the field, including: ecology of populations, population management, conservation biology or evolutionary ecology and genetics.
LO- Master of Science in Wildlife Ecology: Wildlife ecology has grown as an area of study and concern and is now a major factor determining land/water use, wildlife populations, and recreation in the United States. Wildlife issues are no longer confined to hunting, fishing, and agricultural pursuits, but rather encompass much larger issues pertaining to energy sources, urban and suburban development, overpopulation of some species, threatened and endangered species, water use and availability, and coastal development. Nowhere is this more pronounced than in Central Texas. Land use in Texas must be balanced between the demands of a burgeoning human population and the requirements of wildlife species for habitat. Attaining this balance can create conflict. The conflicts increase with the growth of human populations, and ethical and practical consequences of land development must be considered as new challenges present themselves. These areas of concern bring with them positions requiring well-trained wildlife ecologists. The Wildlife Ecology M.S. program at Texas State University has a long history of interagency cooperation with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Students have been supported financially in research by interagency contracts and many graduates of Texas State are employed by these agencies. Cooperation with these agencies has allowed students on the cutting edge of wildlife research in the state. As a result, student interest in wildlife ecology has risen substantially - especially at the Master’s level.
Documentation supporting the figure reported above (upload):
Do the figures reported above cover one, two, or three academic years?:
Three
Percentage of students who graduate from programs that require an understanding of the concept of sustainability:
13.19
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Degrees Awarded by Level database: https://www.ir.txst.edu/student/Public-Student-Reports/Degrees-Awarded-By-Level.html
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