Rationale Essay Section: Academic Expectations

Student 1

Area of Study: Human Development
Concentration: Psychology

I have consulted Empire State College’s Area of Study Guidelines for Human Development as well as information regarding the APA guidelines for a psychology degree and feel that my degree plan has all the necessary components. Many of my courses will add to the skills that are necessary in the psychology field.

To improve my understanding of the biological bases of development, I have chosen to take Brain and Behavior as well as Biology.  To improve my understanding of the cognitive and emotional bases of development, I have chosen to take Cognitive Psychology, Learning and Memory, and Attachment Across the Lifespan. To improve my understanding of the social bases of development, I have chosen to take Social Psychology and will be taking one of the many courses dealing with the Family. To improve my understanding of the cultural bases of development, I have chosen to take Theories of Personality and I took Abnormal Psychology at SUNY Alfred State. I will also be taking Cultural Psychology. To improve my understanding of research skills, I will be taking Social Science Research Methods, and I will also take a related course in Statistics, since so much research in the areas of psychology and human development requires statistical competency. To improve my understanding of ethics, I will be taking a course in ethics.  Many of my courses address human development across the lifespan such as the course in Attachment. I feel that I have well addressed the knowledge and skills expected for a concentration in the area of human development.

According to the APA guidelines for undergraduate degrees in psychology on the APA website, there are five goals of an undergraduate degree in psychology, areas which mesh clearly with ESC guidelines: Knowledge Base in Psychology, Scientific Inquiry and Critical Thinking, Ethical and Social Responsibility in a Diverse World, Communication, and Professional Development. Knowledge Base in Psychology has been dealt with, with Introduction to Psychology and various other psychology courses such as Abnormal Psychology, Cultural Psychology, Social Psychology, and others.  Scientific Inquiry and Critical Thinking will be covered with Social Science Research Methods as well as a course in Experimental Design.  Ethics will be covered by an ethics course, and diversity is covered, again, with Cultural Psychology. I have developed knowledge of professional communication skills via my current position, which I have held for over five years, as a volunteer youth counselor.  In this position, I need to listen carefully, respond responsibly to issues that young people share with me, and find help in the community, often needing to explain the need for referrals and help while still maintaining professional integrity and not disclosing information I should not be disclosing.  I also have to write reports, and in coursework, I have to research and write analytical papers.  I have a strong combination of practical and academic work with communication.  Professional development, according to the APA guidelines (https://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/about/undergraduate-major.aspx) deals with ethics and also with the ability to work in teams, reflect on one’s self as a professional, and identify one’s own developmental needs.  I have dealt with coursework such as Counseling Theories and have applied the information in professional settings in my youth counselor role.  I also have worked on teams where I volunteer, as we often counsel in groups.  And I have been asked to reflect on and report when sessions did not go well – that is built into the process at the organization.  So I have been exposed to and practicing these skills related to professional development.  I have also researched and talked with a number of people where I volunteer, and know what I need to do in order to take appropriate classes and complete my degree in order to be considered for full-time employment.  Just as I have dealt with ESC guidelines, I also have dealt carefully with APA guidelines for knowledge and skills.

By researching other college’s requirements, Empire State Colleges Catalog, and consulting the guidelines for a psychology degree, I feel that I have created an excellent path to completing my Bachelor Degree in Human Development with a concentration in Psychology. I am positive that the combination of past education, volunteer experience, present experience with Empire State College and life experience will completely prepare me for continued course work and advancement in this field.

Student 2

Area of Study: Cultural Studies
Concentration: Creative Writing

I am addressing the general guidelines in the following ways:

Knowledge

• Identify major authors, works, ideas and developments in the field. – I have courses in Shakespeare, Contemporary American Woman Writers, 20th Century American Fiction, and U.S. Multicultural Fiction.
• Distinguish among and apply different forms and approaches in the field. – I have courses in which I have both studied and created short fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction essays.
• Explain and apply theories, critical approaches and methodologies in the field. – I have a course in Literary Interpretation as a Method of Inquiry which examines critical approaches and methodologies.
• Examine diverse cross-cultural and historical perspectives which may address questions of gender, class, race, sexuality, disability, etc. – I have courses in U.S. Multicultural Fiction, Fiction of Contemporary India in Translation, and Fiction of the Oppressed.
• Demonstrate understanding of current issues and trends as appropriate to the selected field. – I have a course in Digital Storytelling, as digital formats are the most important current trend.  I also expect to take a course in Information Design which will enhance my abilities to create and self-publish fiction in digital formats.

Skills

• Critically read and interpret information, including the ability to distinguish main and supporting ideas, evaluate the logic of a presentation, identify underlying assumptions and interpret levels of meaning. – all of my literature courses deal with interpretation and analytical writing, which requires supporting a main insight with evidence from the literary texts.
• Communicate ideas fully, precisely and creatively in discussion and writing. – All of my writing courses, both creative writing and analytical writing, emphasize clear presentation of ideas.
• Research and use sources appropriate to the field from a variety of modes, including digital and social; evaluate sources; cite sources correctly. – All of my advanced-level courses required research and evaluation of sources.
• Demonstrate research that includes comparison and analysis of diverse perspectives, values and beliefs. – My Literary Interpretation course offered different lenses through which literature has been viewed, historically and in contemporary times.

Student 3

Area of Study:  Business, Management and Economics
Concentration: Business Administration

At Empire State College I am pursuing a concentration in Management which falls under the Business, Management and Economics (BME) Area of Study. Students in the BME area of study are expected to have knowledge in the following areas: communication skills, information management, economics, ethical and social responsibility, quantitative skills, understanding of people in organizational contexts, and understanding organizations within broader contexts. My previous academic and life experiences coupled with courses from ESC should satisfy these requirements.

Communications skills in their various forms are essential to business. Primary classes that have taught me communications skills were English Composition I and II and Public Speaking. In English courses I learned how to express my ideas in writing in an organized fashion. On the other hand, by taking Public Speaking I learned public speaking skills. Other courses that I have taken and plan to take teach various forms of communication skills as well, which include numerous papers on a variety of topics, concise summaries of books, and electronic communication.

Information management has become essential to business in the 21^st century as well and now students are expected to have basic knowledge of information technology and systems that are relevant to their area of study. I plan to gain that knowledge by taking a Management Information Systems course in the future. According to the online course description it is designed to explore how information systems help solve many organizational problems and challenges giving organizations a competitive edge.

Economics principles are woven into the fabric of business and thus an understanding of its principles is a requirement for a BME area of study. I have fulfilled that requirement by taking Macroeconomics and Microeconomics courses at ESC. These courses have given me understanding of many economics principles that are assumed in further business courses.

I plan to satisfy the ethical and social responsibility requirement by taking a Business Ethics course. This course shows how business ethics are a part of various aspects of business such as corporate philosophy, environmental concern, and management behavior. In the course the students study in-depth several important social issues that relate to doing business in modern society.

I have gained quantitative skills though courses previously taken, namely Calculus and Introduction to Statistics. These courses are built on a wide knowledge of mathematical principles and equipped me with deeper quantitative skills and taught me how to approach a quantitative problem in a systematic way.

In order to understand people in an organizational context I plan to take courses in Organizational Behavior, Human Resource Management and Development, and Management Principles. Organizational Behavior explores the sociological and psychological foundations of behavior in organizations addressing topics such as individual and group decision-making, organizational theory, motivation, communication, organizational diversity. By taking Human Resource Management and Development I can examine the personnel/human resource portion of an organization in more detail. And since management in business in large portion relies on basic management theories, taking a course in Principles of Management will lay the foundation of my studies in business.

In order to understand organizations within broader contexts and provide a foundation for graduates of ESC to function effectively in a complex and changing world the guidelines encourage students to include learning that addresses diversity, political, international, technological or environmental issues. According to course descriptions both Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management & Development courses include learning that address organizational diversity and how organizations deal with the demands of external environments. A course in International Management should provide further understanding of how international issues affect organizations. In addition, my life experiences should contribute to understanding how to effectively function in a complex and changing world. I grew up and graduated from high school in Kazakhstan and after that moved to the U.S. where almost every aspect of life differs from what I’ve known before. I had to learn to adapt to a different cultures and different sub-cultures by living both in the Southeastern and Northeastern United States. Working in an Emergency Room for 5 years also gave me a chance to interact with people from a very wide range of demographics.

Concentration (Management)

I have management principles to address the “broad-based knowledge of management fundamentals,” along with HR Management.  Management Practice/Specific Knowledge resides in courses devoted to Management Theory, Leadership, Project Management, and Accounting. Critical Thinking and Applied Learning Skills were covered in Organizational Behavior. And I will be taking a course in Business Ethics to address that guideline.  My capstone study will be in Strategic Management, as I feel that this is the most general and applicable capstone available.
I have taken both micro and macroeconomics courses in order to satisfy the requirement in economics. Macroeconomics has helped me see a big picture of how economy as a whole works and Microeconomics has helped me see understand principles that affect decision making of individual firms. These courses are foundational to any study of business.