Bachelor of Arts in Literature

at Kaplan Group - Simmons University USA

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.

Students in our Communications degree at Simmons University are progressive and innovative, whether they're working on a publication, shooting a video, designing a website, or crafting a clever tweet.

Why pursue a degree in Communications?
Communication is key in all aspects of life; it is how we interact, connect, and make impressions on each other and the world around us. The Communications degree at Simmons University focuses on how people use messages to generate meaning within and across contexts, cultures, channels, and media.

Generating and conveying meaning is central to the work we do in our Communications major, as is an emphasis on media convergence—the intersection and interaction of the multiple media disciplines.

The Financial Mathematics major, which is interdisciplinary among the Mathematics and Statistics, Economics and Management programs, prepares students for careers in the financial services and actuarial industries.

Among the possible very rewarding career paths are becoming a financial planner, a private wealth manager, an investment manager (for a mutual fund, pension plan, or endowment) and an actuary. The major also helps prepare students for the first Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exam and for the first three Society of Actuaries exams.

Our majors have had internships at financial services firms, private wealth management firms, investment banks and mutual fund companies. Our graduates work in all these settings, at hedge funds, at insurance companies, and in other settings requiring a deep knowledge of these fields and strong analytical skills.

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.

The goals of the Program in Women’s and Gender Studies are to educate students in the theoretical, empirical, and methodological perspectives for considering the status and experiences of women; to consider gender in diverse national and international contexts by studying the multiple and contested meanings and roles of gender; and to develop an understanding of how gender is related to other social categories including race, class, age, sexuality, religion, and nationality. Women’s and Gender Studies courses, whether taken as part of the major or to enrich another discipline, invite students to understand past and present experiences in order to prepare for challenges and opportunities in their future personal, work, and social lives. Majoring in Women’s and Gender Studies has led to careers in management, law, academia, counseling, education, library, museum or archival work, health care, social services, public administration, writing, publishing, and the media.

Learning Outcomes:
Upon graduation students with a BA in Women’s and Gender Studies will have gained the following skills, knowledge, and abilities:

• Critical-Historical Awareness – Students will be adept at considering gender in diverse national and international contexts as a result of studying the multiple and contested meanings and roles of gender from an historical, a multidisciplinary, and a trans-national perspective and will have developed an understanding of how gender is related to other social categories such as race, ethnicity, social class, sexuality, religion, and nationality.
• Interdisciplinary Content – Students will have acquired theoretical, methodological, and empirical perspectives for studying and critically analyzing the history, status, and experiences of women from diverse backgrounds.
• Disciplinary Skills – Students will be skilled at integrating theory and practice and will be able to communicate effectively in both writing and speaking.
• Practical Skills – Through independent learning or internships, students will be prepared to enter the workplace, graduate programs, and community-based volunteer work with an understanding of social justice issues informed by interdisciplinary scholarship and feminist perspectives.
• Leadership Skills – Students will continue in leadership roles that they have either begun or further developed while at Simmons.

You'll critically understand every element of website development — from designing the perfect layout to writing the code behind the scenes — and build innovative, interactive websites.

The World Wide Web has driven a need for web designers and developers. People who understand both the art and the science of web development are particularly valued. Graduates will have a firm understanding of the principles of design as well as an understanding of the technical issues involved in the development of an active website. Students graduating from this major will have an advantage over traditional web designers because they will have both a clear understanding of the elements of web development and deep knowledge of the elements of design.

This major combines existing classes from the Communications and Computer Science programs to create a cohesive major in Web Design & Development. It seeks to draw students who are interested in integrating the two facets of website creation, rather than focusing on either the Graphic Design concentration or the Computer Science major.

Are you ready to dive into the inner workings of the human mind? Earning a Psychology degree at Simmons University enables students to examine the intricacies of psychology from neurons to mental health.

Why pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology?
A Psychology degree from Simmons gives graduates an edge, regardless of their career path. Professionals across all fields benefit from an understanding of the human psyche, what motivates and shapes behavior, and social processes.

Why major in Psychology? Students in the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology program survey contemporary approaches to mental health and think critically about human behavior. Simmons’ psychology classes will also teach transferable writing, research and analytical skills. Upon graduation, psychology degree holders are able to apply their expertise to real-world quandaries.

As a sociologist, you'll investigate society from a grounded and critical perspective.

Do you want to change the world? First you have to understand it
You'll study everything from crime to religion, developing a unique understanding of what motivates human behavior. Our Students are encouraged to study abroad and apply your substantial training to the real world. The culture at Simmons is focused on community service and activism, giving you ample opportunities to connect and grow within our community.

Our faculty encourages diverse learning styles, offering many options for personalized courses of study and independent learning. You'll benefit from a well rounded liberal arts education with classes in specialties like women's and gender studies, Africana studies and international relations.

With their technical and intellectual experience, our students find successful careers in community organizing, law, public policy, teaching, higher education and social work.

As a Finance major at Simmons University, you'll master content knowledge in financial theory, including time value of money, risk preferences, financial markets, and investment analysis.

A degree in finance can prepare a student to work in a corporate or nonprofit finance department, enter a management training program, pursue a career in the financial services industry, or be part of a startup or entrepreneurial venture. Students with BSBA degrees in finance are prepared to specialize in financial practice or look for applications across the organization because understanding the financial structure and demands of a company is a broad-based skill. In the course of their studies, students in finance learn how to evaluate the organization’s financial needs, including cash flow, return on uses of cash, short- and long-term asset management, and issues of growth and capital structure. Few would deny the need for knowledgeable, dedicated, and ethical finance participants in our global economy.

The formal joint major in Economics and Mathematics is offered with the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and is administered by the Department of Economics. The specialization has arisen because of the increased role of mathematics and statistics in economic analysis, Also, for students with good mathematical aptitude who do not wish to specialize only in mathematics and statistics, the joint major in Economics and Mathematics provides the opportunity to develop a field of applied mathematics.