The three new minors all fall under the Communication Arts program at Western. Starting Fall 2018, students can minor in Film, Public Relations and Theatre.
Western’s Film minor provides students instruction and experience with video and audio production as well as media writing, developing skills that can be used in most any discipline, from the humanities to the sciences. The Public Relations minor provides students with opportunities to create comprehensive strategic campaigns on behalf of organizations or clients, connecting them with audiences to manage crises or reach objectives. The Theatre minor offers students experience with live performance, audience awareness and stage management that applies to a wide range of careers such as human resources, marketing, politics and law.
The new Communication Arts minors were the product of increasing interest among students to acquire media and performance skills that might augment their careers in other fields. Western designed the new minors to better equip these students to handle communication needs in the 21st century.
Recognizing a growth in cybersecurity jobs, Western has added an Information Security emphasis to its Computer Science program. Beginning with the 2018-19 academic year, five new classes focused on topics such as information security, cryptography, network security, hacking and malware will be available to students.
Western’s new Environmental Geology emphasis is designed to prepare students with the technical skills and Geoscience knowledge to address some of society’s most pressing issues, including water supply and quality, natural hazard mitigation, and infrastructure planning. Graduates will be prepared to work in environmental consulting, hydrogeology and geotechnical fields. With a strong general geology and associated sciences background, Environmental Geology majors will also be well prepared for graduate school and advanced study in many Earth Science fields.
The third of the three new emphases: Public History within the History program. Public History engages, presents and preserves the past by applying history to real-world issues and challenges. Among the new courses at Western: Introduction to Public History, Oral History Workshop, Monuments and Museums and History of the National Park Service. Graduates will have a strong foundation for graduate studies in Public History or Cultural Resource Management and will be prepared for careers as historical consultants, museum professionals, historical preservationists, government and business historians, historical interpreters for film and media producers, and policy advisers.
