College of ARTS & SCIENCES
DR. CHRIS WINSTEAD, DEAN NICHOLAS GRUBER, COLLEGE RECRUITMENT SPECIALIST
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES:
A Biological Sciences degree from Southern Miss is the pathway to hundreds of di erent careers ranging from medicine to conservation biology. After some foundational coursework, students have the flexibility to choose from five di erent degree plans to allow them to focus their training, including Biomedical Sciences and Conservation Biology. Because of USM’s low student-to-faculty ratio, faculty are able to provide hands-on research opportunities for undergraduate students in nearly every area of biology.
Southern Miss students do much of their learning outside the classroom. USM is the lead institution for the MS IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence, which provides many lab-based opportunities for students. Biology faculty also manage the Lake Thoreau Environmental Center, a 300acre nature center focusing on conservation of southeastern ecosystems. During the annual summer trip to Belize and Guatemala, students can earn credit studying the flora and fauna in di erent tropical ecosystems.
Students who complete their degree at USM are wellprepared for life after graduation. Internships, lab work and field studies prepare students for careers in medicine, biotechnology, environmental analysis, natural resource management and sustainable development. Recent graduates have gone on to work as conservation biologists, medical professionals, environmental protection specialists, professors and veterinarians.
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT:
Influential construction professionals from around the state make up the USM School of Construction & Design’s Industry Advisory Council, which advises on construction program initiatives and curriculum. Council members often teach in the program or appear as guest lecturers to ensure students are up to date on industry trends and the latest technology, and it’s why Southern Miss graduates are in such high-demand across all sectors of the construction industry.
The American Council for Construction Education (ACCE) recently approved a six-year full re-accreditation of the USM Construction Management program. USM’s courses apply the management principles and innovative technologies required to lead, organize and manage every conceivable construction
project. Students are provided opportunities to visit active job sites during classroom excursions and participate in summer internships to experience the work environment they will enter upon graduation. Internships often lead to full-time job o ers as architects, project managers and engineers.
Construction curriculum consists of major modules such as planning, design, bidding, contracts, scheduling, estimating, construction and safety. At USM, a Construction Management degree can be completed entirely online or in-person with a low student-to-faculty ratio. There are more than 20 program-specific scholarships available and several opportunities to study abroad to locations such as Tokyo, London and Paris.
MUSIC:
With proud alumni teaching around the world, the music education program uses a hands-on learning approach to focus on practical teacher training which prepares future educators for the classroom. Southern Miss Music students go on to teach band, orchestra, choir, general music and more with 100% placement rate in teaching positions or in graduate schools. The completely tenure-track faculty within every discipline allow our graduate program in music education to strike a balance between further developing and refining their teaching skills and allowing students to study and conduct research. The coursework also serves as preparation for the National Board Certification process or continued graduate study.
Guys and Dolls by The Southern Opera and Musical Theatre Company Music EducationAs a comprehensive School of Music, degrees in performance are available on every instrument and voice, from the undergraduate to graduate level. For exceptional performers, the individual attention from world-class faculty from tuba to harp and everything in between is the secret to our longstanding success with internationally renowned performers around the globe. Coupled with the opportunity to soar in every type of ensemble, from the 103-year-old Symphony Orchestra to the incredible Wind Ensemble, and the spectacular Southern Choral to the award-winning Southern Opera and Musical Theatre Company, Southern Miss provides its students opportunities to uniquely strengthen on-stage talents.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE:
By combining traditional classroom style learning with practical exercises, USM’s criminal justice program prepares students for exciting careers that have a positive and lasting impact on the safety and security of our communities. The curriculum is designed to educate students on types of crime, investigation of crimes, prosecution and defense of crimes, courtroom rules and procedures, and other areas involving the United States justice system.
online and seminar courses, faculty strive to cultivate knowledge, understanding and analytical skills among their students. Faculty serve as advisors and mentors for students to better assist them with career planning and degree progress. Additionally, student organizations provide valuable opportunities for our students to interact with faculty, professionals in the field and to develop important connections in civic and campus life.
In addition to exciting coursework, students can earn academic credit for approved internship experiences and get valuable career insight. Possible internship placements for criminal justice majors include law enforcement agencies, prosecutor and defense attorney o ces, court administration and victims’ services organizations. These valuable experiences ensure that USM produces professional graduates who are competitive in state, national and global markets.
OCEAN ENGINEERING:
Statistics show that 35% of the workforce in three Gulf Coast counties – Harrison, Jackson and Hancock – is related to the blue economy, with a contribution of $14.9 billion toward Mississippi’s Gross Domestic Product.
Established to meet this critical need for workforce development, USM’s School of Ocean Science and Engineering o ers the only bachelor’s degree in ocean engineering in the State of Mississippi and one of only 10 such programs in the nation.
The program, housed at the University’s Gulf Park campus, attracts a diverse student body and features interdisciplinary coursework that integrates multiple engineering fields (e.g., mechanical, civil, electrical, computer, environmental). Our students work with faculty in marine science and other oceanographic disciplines to gain hands-on experience with AUVs, gliders, ROVs and other sensor systems in the lab or in the field from USM vessels, such as R/V Point Sur.
The pre-engineering components of the program are available at both the Gulf Park and Hattiesburg campuses during freshmen and sophomore years. During junior and senior years, students are at the Gulf Park campus, where they get to experience the unique opportunity to access laboratory facilities in Stennis Space Center as well as at the Marine Research Center in Gulfport.
The faculty at Southern Miss are prominent scholars in their respective areas of expertise. Through lecture, Criminal Justice Students Music Education