As RBA students are not allowed to have a major, an Area of Emphasis gives them the opportunity to show a focus as part of the RBA degree. Areas of Emphasis are optional and not required for the degree.

Specific courses are determined by academic departments, so substitutions are generally not possible.

All Areas of Emphasis in the RBA require a minimum of 15 hours of 300-400 level courses.

You must have ‘C” or higher in each course for an Area of Emphasis. 

Area of Emphasis in Organizational Studies (24 hours): 
ECN 200 – Survey of Economics or ECN 250 – Principles of Microeconomics; LE 207 – Legal Environment for Business; ACC 310 – Accounting for Entrepreneurs (or 6 hours of other Accounting Courses); Mgt 320 – Principles of Management; MKT 340 – Principles of Marketing; MGT 419 – Business and Society; MGT 422 – Organizational Behavior; MGT 423 – Organizational Development.

Computer-Related

Area of Emphasis in Computer Forensics (18 hours):
IST 264 – Topics in Computer Hardware Technologies; IST 463 – Digital Computer Evidence; CJ 314 – Crime Scene Investigation or  CJ 326 Computer Crime; and 3 courses from the following: IST 446 – Digital and Multimedia Evidence, IST 447 – Search and Seizure Techniques in Digital and Multimedia Evidence, IST 448 – Forensic Uses of Digital Imaging, or IST 449 – Data Recovery and Analysis .  

Area of Emphasis in Web Application Development (21 hours):
IST 163 – Programming Practicum with C++; IST 263 – Web programming; IST 303 – C# Net Programming; IST 365 – Database Information Management; IST 430 – Electronic Commerce; IST 431 -  Advanced Web Programming; ART 454 – Designing for Multimedia.

Area of Emphasis in Game Development (21 hours):
IST 163- Programming Practicum with C++;  IST 236 – Data Structures; IST 360 – Game Development I;  IST 438 – Computer Graphics for Gaming;  IST 439 – Game Development II;  IST 460 – Game Development III;  ART 454 – Designing for Multimedia

Humanities-Related

Area of Emphasis in Religion Studies (18 hours): 
Any 18 hours of 300-400 level courses. At least 6 hours must be Marshall University courses.

Area of Emphasis in Literature in English (15 hours):
No more than 6 hours can be taken at the 300 level. Choose 15 hours from:  ENG 350, 409, 411, 317, 413, 417, 436, 437, 438, 446, 462, 410, 412, 319, 414, 415, 433, 447, 321, 421, 422, 323, 423, 424, 434, 405, 475, 476, 478, 303, 340, 341, 342, 428, 450, or 451.

Writing-Related

Area of Emphasis in Creative Writing in English (15 hours): 
Choose any 15 hours from the following courses, but no more than 6 hours may be from the 300 level:  ENG 303 – Appalachian Literature;  ENG 360 – Introduction to Creative Writing; ENG 377 – Creative Writing: Poetry; ENG 378 – Creative Writing: Fiction;  ENG 408 – Advanced Expository Writing;  ENG 444 – Rendering the Landscape;  ENG 491 – Creative Writing: Poetry Workshop; ENG 492 – Creative Writing: Fiction Workshop; ENG 493 – Creative Writing: Nonfiction Workshop.

Social Science-Related

Area of Emphasis in Anthropology (18 hours):
ANT 201 (Cultural Anthropology), ANT 332 (Archaeology), ANT 361 (Ethnographic Methods) or ANT 491 (Theory in Ethnology), and 3 additional courses in the 300-400 level.

Area of Emphasis in Psychology (18 hours):
Psy 201 and any 15 hours of 300-400 level courses.

Area of Emphasis in Sociology (18 hours):
SOC 200 (Introductory Sociology), SOC 344 (Social Research I), SOC 360 (Sociological Perspectives), and 9 additional hours of SOC courses at the 300-400 level.

Area of Emphasis in Women’s Studies (18 hours):
WS 101 (Introduction to Women’s Studies) and any 15 hours of WS designated courses at the 300-400 level.  An acceptable course must have the WS designator.

Education-Related

Area of Emphasis in Preschool Development (21 hours): 
ECE 215 – Family Relationships: ECE 303 – Child Development; ECE 322 – Language, Literacy, and Numeracy for Young Children; ECE 323 – Assessment in Early Childhood; ECE 430 – Preschool Curriculum and Methods; CISP 320 – Special Education: Survey of Exceptional Children I; CISP 420 - Special Education: Survey of Exceptional Children II.

Posted May, 2011