Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education

at Concordia University, St. Paul USA

Concordia’s Criminal Justice programs offer students a comprehensive educational foundation of the multi-systemic criminal justice system. Through the program, students will explore alluring issues of crime and justice that critically impact the perspectives of interrelationships, functions, and operations within the dynamic components related to human behavior, cultural aspects, and global controversies.They will also gain a deeper understanding of patterns and behavioral causation of crime, ethical decision making, balancing crime control with civil liberty preservation, and the mounting importance of security and safety.

The Criminal Justice program is designed for students who desire to enter or are newly entering a Criminal Justice System (CJS) profession and those already established seeking long-term career aspirations. The course content is an overarching view of the multi-systemic CJS highlighting foundational and evolving changes, current research trends, professionalism, ethics, creative decision-making, and leadership development as central themes throughout the program.
This program offers students the opportunity to explore their criminal justice interests and develop leadership aptitude while building valuable, career-ready, and promotable skillsets upon graduation. The CJ-BA Program has been approved by the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) academic licensure requirements, and continuing education (CE) credits toward annual licensure requirements.

The BA Public Health degree involves learning the science of protecting the safety and improving the health of communities through education, policy-making, and research for disease management and prevention. Being a public health professional enables you to work around the world, address health problems of communities as a whole, and influence policies that affect the health of societies.

This program is designed to prepare students for creative professions like graphic design and other communications-related fields that rely on visual imagery. Students will gain an understanding of design theories and practices related to production in all areas of graphic design for traditional and emerging digital media. Upon completion of the program, students will have advanced craft, theory, process, and technical skills, and the ability to produce thoughtful and informed work in such areas as institutional branding and identity, new media, web development and interactivity, package design, publication design, advertising, illustration, signage and exhibition design, sustainability, spirituality, or social change.

The Music Business major is a joint offering of the Music and Business Departments. The major is designed for students who wish to work as promoters, marketers, assistants, or managers of musical organizations and individual artists in either the commercial or non-profit realms.  The degree provides students a foundational knowledge base in music and business, culminating in an internship with a professional musical organization in the Twin Cities.  The skills obtained in this degree prepare graduates for entry level positions in a variety of music and arts organizations.

The English major is an excellent choice for people who enjoy reading and writing. Contrary to popular belief, an English major does not doom graduates to a life of starvation or menial labor. In fact, our graduates go on to find success in a variety of occupations, including journalism, marketing, magazine writing, creative writing, public relations, web content creation, technology, management, and more. English majors also go on to graduate school in a variety of areas, including education, business, literature, creative writing, law, library science, and fashion history.

In the English major, students will gain broad-based knowledge of literature from all periods and from around the world. They will learn to write clearly and persuasively, think independently, create original works, present alternative viewpoints, and solve problems. Students can choose from four emphasis areas within the English major: literature, creative writing, journalism, or professional writing.

The Church Music major develops students into well-rounded church musicians, preparing them for careers as music professionals in a Christian worship setting.  It enjoys all of the opportunities in Concordia's Music program, but also provides these additional features:

• There are organ, choral, piano, guitar, instrumental, composition, and self-designed tracks, thus equipping students to lead both traditional liturgies and contemporary worship formats.
• Each track shares the core musicianship (music theory/analysis/writing/ear-training/keyboard harmony) and music history courses. Private lessons and ensembles applicable to each track are also part of the core.
• Each track has specialized courses, culminating in a senior project/recital in the track.
• The program culminates in recital performance in the student's chosen track(s) and an internship in a metro area church.
• Students may add Director of Parish Music Certification by completing the Lutheran Theology minor, compiling a portfolio, and passing entrance and exit interviews with the Department of Theology and Ministry. This leads to rostered church worker status as a Commissioned Minister in The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.

With several tracks available, the Church Music Major at Concordia allows students to pursue music ministry in the area that best suits their interests and talents.

The study of History at Concordia University is not only about the past – it is also about the present and the future. A student in this program will learn to think critically about change over time and how contemporary society has been shaped by all those who came before. The program stresses both global and community education. The program offers students the global knowledge they will need to compete in the 21st century. At the same time, students can experience and witness local history first-hand. The History major will allow students to develop skills in both research and content knowledge. The program offers courses that focus on the entire globe. Students get a mix of political, social, economic, and diplomatic history. The major requires a senior research project, where students do an original research paper, as well as a senior readings course. The remaining classes are electives, with the stipulation that at least one of those courses has a global focus. History majors are also required to do an internship, which helps them prepare for their careers and the job market.

The Sport Psychology major focuses on current psychology and kinesiology applications as foundational concepts in sport psychology. Students learn sport and psychological theory and have numerous opportunities to bridge theory into practical applications. This degree prepares students for careers in injury rehabilitation, fitness/wellness centers, coaching, and health and wellness education. The program also serves as preparation for post-baccalaureate study in areas such as sport psychology and sport management.

Students graduating with a Family Science major develop lifelong skills in scientific thinking and understanding human thought, behavior, and family interaction. The educational outcomes in combination with the internship experience prepare students to enter a career of choice or graduate school.

The Community Arts program fosters students’ involvement, engagement, and service within the local arts community. In this interdisciplinary program, students learn both traditional and new media techniques, grounding them in practical applications. In the classroom, they gain a foundation in western and global art history and are introduced to community arts history and concepts. The program emphasizes social justice through arts applications. The 45-credit major starts with core studio requirements that familiarize students with various materials and concepts used to understand the nature of visual language. Students then take studio courses to enable a general and versatile art skill base. Students are also encouraged to add electives in theatre, graphic design, or specialize within studio arts. All community arts majors at Concordia take the foundational community arts class and during their final year, complete 8 credits of an internship. Students will be prepared to pursue a variety of career options upon graduation, from advanced degree in the arts to a variety of art-centered careers within community development and engagement. As a community arts major, you will be taught by an experienced faculty of active professionals with close ties to the vibrant Twin Cities art community. You will have complete facilities for ceramics, photography, digital art, printmaking, sculpture, as well as painting and drawing.