Bachelor of Arts in Africana Studies

at Kaplan Group - Simmons University USA

With a Bachelor of Arts in Literature, you will be able to write insightfully, read closely, think critically, and do independent research in ways that serve you in a variety of career paths or further degree programs.

Students will be able to read closely, write critical essays driven by their own insights in conversation with those of published scholars, do research independently, reflect critically on their own analytical thinking, and talk intelligently about their insights in discussions or formal presentations.

Students will be able to discuss how literary works fit into the context of their times and grow out of a society with a particular history and politics. They will be able to discern the complex relationship of representation to issues of power in relation to race, class, gender, and sexuality.

If science is your passion, the chemistry management joint major will help you translate that interest into a business career.

The chemistry-management joint major is designed for students who would like to apply their scientific interests to a business career. The major is appropriate for a variety of careers at the interface of the two disciplines, such as sales and marketing specialists for chemical and pharmaceutical companies, business officers in science-based industries or institutions, and scientific information liaisons (e.g., public relations, political advising, and lobbying).

You will be able to immerse yourself in a subject you love as you prepare yourself for a career that brings you lifelong joy.

At Simmons, we believe in your passion for music
You can focus on music history or performance, or study music as part of arts administration. You'll enjoy Boston's rich music and cultural scene and attend concerts by world-renowned orchestras and performers. You will benefit from the extracurricular groups and partnerships designed just for our students. These include the Simmons Concert Choir, many performing arts opportunities and private lessons at the New England Conservatory. View performances and listen to samples of our students' work.

Our students find success in a wide variety of fields, including teaching, performance, arts management, marketing and development.

The Bachelor of Science (BS) in Neuroscience and Behavior degree blends social, natural, mathematical, and life sciences to address the intriguing issues related to behavior and experience.

Have you ever wondered what makes people act the way they do? The interdisciplinary field of Neuroscience and Behavior explores the nervous systems of the body and how they influence the expression of human behavior. It is a complex and ever-evolving study comprised of extensive research of the mind, combining aspects of psychology and biology to dig deeper into the biological bases of behavior, conscious experience, and the relationship between physical and mental health.

Why study Neuroscience and Behavior?
Through the Bachelor’s in Neuroscience and Behavior degree, students closely examine cognition, behavior, and emotion in order to better understand the layers and intricacies of the mind and nervous systems. From this meticulous scientific study of the brain, students can reveal reasoning for much grander expressions and psychological patterns, as well as how disease and disorder can change behavior.

Molecular, cellular, and behavioral studies intersect together through an engaging and rigorous curriculum that covers core courses in biology, psychological science, statistics, chemistry, biological psychology, research methods, and the philosophy of mind. Going beyond this technical knowledge, the Neuroscience and Behavior curriculum also prepares students with the professional skills to communicate findings clearly and with confidence in order to innovate and push the boundaries of the field.

The major in art includes courses in art history and studio art practice. Students choose either area to emphasize, depending upon interest and career plans. Either emphasis can serve as a foundation for further study at the graduate level. The study of art leads to careers in a wide variety of fields, such as teaching, publishing, arts administration, art conservation, museum or gallery work, commercial art and design, architecture, city planning, painting, photography, or printmaking, etc. In all of these areas, the major in art would profitably be combined with a major in another area, such as English, history, chemistry, philosophy, management, communications, or mathematics.

Students are encouraged to augment the required courses with in-depth study in the liberal arts and additional courses in the major. Students work with their advisor to develop a coherent course program that will meet their educational goals. Students considering graduate study should plan to take as many upper level courses in their major as they can accommodate in their schedules, especially during junior and senior years.

The Arts Administration Program integrates art history, studio art and music with Simmons’ pre-professional programs in business, communications and information science to prepare students for leadership in today’s changing creative economy. Internships and other practical experiences in the field are made possible through an array of institutional partnerships in Boston and beyond. With this combination of discipline-specific knowledge, practical skill and professional experience, graduates pursue arts-related careers in fields like development, education, marketing and digital communications within nonprofit cultural institutions, performance organizations, museums, art galleries and auction houses.

The intellectual domain of Africana Studies (AST) consists of four major areas:

• The study of African and European American relationships beginning in the 16th century.
• The study of African/African American community building, i.e., African Americans’ founding and organization of economic, educational, religious, and cultural institutions and related achievements of self-determination.
• Africanity and diaspora studies in the Americas, Africa, and Europe.

Africana women’s studies which seeks to study race, gender, and culture in ways that allow us to understand often interrelated diasporic experiences across the globe.
Each of these areas may be examined further by focusing upon specializations in the humanities (e.g., literature, film, journalism), social sciences (e.g., research, public policy, health care), physical sciences (e.g., environmental studies), interdisciplinary studies (e.g., women’s and gender studies, management, education) or in professional programs (nursing, teacher preparation, social work). An AST major or minor is appropriate for students with strong interests in studies of Americans of color; in the intersectional study of race, gender, and class in the humanities or social sciences; or in one or more subject areas indicated above. The department prepares students for the labor market and continued professional and graduate training by providing a solid foundation of critical, analytical, and technological skills. Pre-graduation internships are available for all interested students. Study abroad and modern language skills are highly recommended. Students interested in dual degree programs or self-designed majors should consult with program faculty to design an individualized program.

Simmons University’s Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics degree focuses on the study of practices and tools that improve the health, quality of life, and eating behaviors of a multicultural and diverse population.

Why study Nutrition and Dietetics?
The Simmons BS in Nutrition and Dietetics program is firmly rooted in the ideal that food can be the best medicine and reflects how integrated the field of nutrition is with all other scientific, medical, and biological studies.

The chemistry of food can cause a wide range of reactions to the body’s functions and long-term health. Accordingly, coursework establishes a base in core scientific subjects, such as biology, anatomy and physiology, chemistry, and biochemistry. Nutrition students then move on to more advanced, specialized topics in dietetics, including food science, community nutrition, nutrient metabolism, and food production.

Statistics is the science of learning from data. Statistics is the “glue” that holds together all of modern quantitative research in areas as disparate as public health, medicine, and the social, political, and physical sciences. Today, the demand for those trained in statistics is large and growing. The major in Statistics includes a foundation in mathematics, a core of applied and theoretical statistics courses, and relevant computing courses. A Statistics major can usefully be combined with any major in a field that makes use of quantitative methods.

There are two tracks within the statistics major: the Biostatistics track and the Mathematical Statistics track. The Biostatistics track will be attractive to students who are comfortable with mathematics and who wish to apply statistical methods in medicine and/or public health. (It is a perfect complement to a major in Biology or Public Health.) The Mathematical Statistics track is intended for students with a stronger than average mathematical background who are interested in applying quantitative methods beyond medicine and public health.

The major in East Asian Studies (EAS) is designed to provide students with knowledge and understanding of East Asia, a region that has become increasingly significant in the post-Cold War era. Students acquire this knowledge by studying an East Asian language as well as courses in other disciplines that may include art history, economics, film studies, history, literature, philosophy, political science, religion, and sociology.

The major prepares students for further growth beyond college along a variety of paths, such as graduate study, careers in education, employment abroad or in business and institutions specializing in East Asia, and service within and to the Asian American community.