Category Archives: Get To Know A Major

Professional skydiver earns his degree

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“This degree will help me achieve my goals in life.”

Devin has a passion for skydiving, whether it’s jumping out of a plane for a national competition or at his job at iFly. When he isn’t winning national competitions he is hard at work earning a triple major. Devin is earning his degree in Zoology, Chemistry and Business. He still isn’t sure which path he will choose but he knows he will have options and security with his degree.

“School helps you in your everyday life, whether you are using your degree in a job or just to help build your confidence.”

 

 


Get To Know A Major: Computer Science

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Computers are all the rage these days, aren’t they? You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t at least heard of Angry Birds, updated their Facebook status on a smart phone, or finished homework on a laptop computer down at the local coffee shop. So what better way to secure a solid career for yourself than to major in a field that won’t be going away any time soon?

According to Weber State University’s Computer Science website, “In 2010, the Wall Street Journal had computer-related careers occupying two of the top three positions in best jobs in America in terms of current demand, stress level and salary. Salaries are consistently in the top-10 ranges with ComputerWorld reporting 2010 base salaries at, for example, over $71,000 for programmer/analyst and over $88,000 for Software Engineer. Computer software engineers are among the occupations projected to grow the fastest and add the most new jobs over the 2008–18 decade, resulting in excellent job prospects. according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.”

A small disclaimer for some: there is a certain amount of math involved. But it looks like there’s also some really cool classes. Check these out: Introduction to Interactive Entertainment, Mobile Development for the iPhone, Computer Graphics, and Game Development. Sounds pretty fun, right?

5 Clues You Might Be A Computer Science Major:

  1. You’d rather deal with a computer bug than a real bug.
  2. You’ve embraced your nerdiness, but insist it’s the “cool” kind of nerd.
  3. You already know that this sentence is a <li> within an <ol>.
  4. You’re more comfortable writing code than you are writing sentences.
  5. 01010011 01101001 01101100 01101100 01111001 00100000 01101000 01110101 01101101 01100001 01101110 00101100 00100000 01100010 01101001 01101110 01100001 01110010 01111001 00100000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01100110 01101111 01110010 00100000 01100011 01101111 01101101 01110000 01110101 01110100 01100101 01110010 01110011 00101110 00100000 01000010 01101100 01100101 01100101 01110000 00101101 01100010 01101100 01101111 01101111 01110000 00101101 01100010 01101100 01100101 01100101 01110000 00101110

Degrees / Programs Available:

  • Bachelor of Science (BS)—choose from one of three emphases:
  1. Software Engineering Emphasis
  2. Network Security and Administration Emphasis
  3. Customized Emphasis
  • Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Computer Science
  • Departmental Honors in Computer Science
  • Minor, Teaching Minor, or Bachelor of Integrated Studies (BIS) in Computer Science
  • Game Development Certificate

Career Opportunities:

From weber.edu/cs: “The computer industry continues to grow at a rapid pace, and currently the job outlook for our graduates is very high. In the spring of 2006, Money Magazine rated occupations across the nation based on job demand, salary and stress level and ‘Software Engineers’ rated as #1. A wonderful resource for learning the current job situation and salary information for any field is http://www.bls.gov/oco/.”

Advising / Contact:

If you are considering a degree in Computer Science, contact Richard Fry, the department advisor. You can self-schedule an appointment at http://WSUComputerScience.clickbook.net, or call 801-626-7929 to make an appointment.

For more information about the Computer Science department, visit weber.edu/cs.

(Don’t know binary code? Convert it here.)

Get To Know A Major: Physics

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More than just the study of falling fruit.

When you see an apple falling from the tree, does it make you ponder the wonders of science or do you just feel guilty about not eating any fruit today? For Isaac Newton, it was definitely the former (he was renown for his fruit consumption).

The Physics department at Weber State University is a great place to learn exactly why the apple falls the way it does (hint: it starts with a G). You’ll also learn about astronomy, thermodynamics, electromagnetism, optics, and other brain-boggling fields. Then, in the end, you’ll learn that (SPOILER ALERT) all these seemingly disparate fields are closely related to each other! Wow!

Indoor star gazing.

The best part about the Physics department? They have their own planetarium! (The Ott Planetarium is where the astronomy classes are taught, but they also offer free star shows to the public and make it available for reservations. More about the planetarium here.) Best classroom ever? Yep. So if you’re curious about the physical world around you, get your celestial body into a class and open your mind up to some really nerdy stuff (in a cool way).

5 Clues You Might Be A Physics Major:

 

1)   Raising kids taught you that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
2)   You spend your days trying to conserve energy and power.
3)   You constantly refer to your car as an “object in motion.”
4)   You understand that string theory has nothing to do with clothes.
5)   To you, we are all nothing more than beautifully choreographed dances of electrons and protons, skirting our way through the universe on heavenly beds of mathematics, as surely as Europa orbits Jupiter and ?Fa,b = –?Fa,b .

Degrees / Programs Available:

Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts (BS or BA)

  • Physics
  • Applied Physics
  • Physics Teaching
  • Physical Science Composite Teaching

Minor

  • Physics
  • Physics Teaching

Career Opportunities:

Physics majors can be accepted into industrial and technological fields such as aerospace, electronics, and software design. Plus, starting salaries range from $40,000 to $65,000, depending on the position.

Advising / Contact:

 

1) For the Physics Major/Minor or the Applied Physics Major

  • Advisor:  Dr. Brad Carroll, department chair
  • Contact info:  Room SL 202C, phone (801) 626–7921, e–mail: bcarroll@weber.edu

2) For the Physics Teaching Major/Minor or the Physical Science Composite Teaching Major

  • Advisor:  Dr. Adam Johnston
  • Contact info:  Room SL 207, phone (801) 626–7711, e–mail: ajohnston@weber.edu

For more information, visit the Physics Department website.

Get To Know A Major: Visual Arts

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You know, not all schoolwork involves crunching numbers and pouring through dense textbooks every night. It can be fun, too. In the Department of Visual Arts (DOVA), you are encouraged to express yourself and harness your own creative problem–solving abilities. While in the art department, you’ll experience painting (Picasso never worried about paint on his clothes, why should you?), photography, drawing (but if naked bodies freak you out, stay far away from Figure Drawing), graphic design, art history, ceramics and many other disciplines.

The Department of Visual Arts (DOVA) is housed in a new, state–of–the–art (pun fully intended!) facility, is ran by experienced professors (all of whom are practicing artists), and provides a great opportunity to work hard, get creative, and release some of that pent up energy and frustration (thanks boss!).

5 Clues You Might Be An Art Major:

1)   You are the foremost expert in macaroni art.
2)   Thanks to the kids, your fridge is now an art gallery, and you are its curator.
3)   You reward yourself by watching Bob Ross on TV during the day.
4)   You wish scrap–booking could be a career.
5)   You marvel at the inherit beauty of a perfectly engineered tower of dirty dishes in the kitchen sink, and are moved as warm tap water slowly and elegantly cascades from the crowning Sippy cup, down and around the abundance of mucky utensils, and into the pedestal–like cereal bowl which, though still half–full, glistens a pale pink, colored by the presence of soggy marshmallows… or something like that.

Degrees / Programs Available:

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA):

  • Art Teaching—provides a depth of knowledge for prospective art teachers
  • 2D Media—for artists interested in painting, drawing, or printmaking
  • 3D Media—for artists interested in ceramics, sculpture, or small metals/jewelry
  • Photography—provides technical and artistic expertise in both digital and analog imaging
  • Visual Communication—for artists interested in the graphic design profession

Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts (BS or BA)

  • Art Teaching Composite (requires a teaching minor)—for prospective teachers who feel they might need a greater breadth (as opposed to depth) of knowledge
  • General Art—a generalized education that focuses on foundations and provides more breadth of knowledge

For more information about Visual Arts degrees, visit the DOVA website below.

Career Opportunities:

Depending on your chosen program, visual art majors can be employed as self–sustaining artists, professional photographers, graphic and web designers, arts administrators, teachers, and many more.

Advising / Contact:

For those students interested in studying in the Department of Visual Arts, consult with Outreach Coordinator/Advisor Lydia Gravis at lydiagravis@weber.edu or (801) 626–7689.

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