Bachelor of Arts in Writing

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.

By combining new media practices with a firm writing foundation, our students cultivate the tools necessary to thrive in today's evolving market.

Are you ready for the future of journalism?
You'll actively engage with the challenge of communication for the screen, the page, and the web while gaining an understanding of the impact of the media on society and the individual.

Our faculty are seasoned media professionals offering their expertise in all journalism activities — like our student run newspaper and award-winning radio station — and developing projects that show students what the front lines of media really look like.

You'll hone your skills through internships in Boston and beyond and enter this rapidly changing industry with an impressive portfolio, ready to take on anything.

We offer two tracks within the Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Food program: Food Service Management; and Nutrition, Wellness, and Health Promotion.

Do you have a passion for food? It's time to put it to use
In the Food Service Management track, you'll focus on the controls of the food service system — like accounting, budgeting, pricing and regulations — and critically understand the theories and applications of human resources management, marketing and organizational design.

Through in-depth team projects, our students focus on modern food production, design, quality and productivity. You'll understand the health effects of nutrient inadequacies and excesses — and learn the value of producing quality food to achieve organizational and nutritional goals.

Are you interested in communicating nutrition information through social media, believe in exercise as part of a holistic approach, and have an entrepreneurial spirit? In the Nutrition, Wellness, and Health Promotion track you will work across disciplines to gain an appreciation for communicating sound nutrition information to targeted populations and communities to encourage individuals to make healthy decisions. You’ll learn to assess and evaluate community programs, while taking advantage of our location to work in a wide range of program sites.

Our students apply their skills through internships at organizations like Panera Bread, Women's Lunch Place, Rosie's Place, The Boston Elder Protective Services Program, Aramark and the Somerville Health Department. Our graduates are leaders in the food service management industry and find success as directors, planners and managers.

The interdisciplinary major in international relations seeks to understand the political, economic, social, and cultural relations among states as well as the transnational roles of non state actors. Such an understanding is critical in today’s world and can support a variety of career options. The major consists of core courses in international politics, economics, history, and women’s studies. Electives are chosen from these disciplines, as well as from modern languages and sociology. The senior year includes an integrative seminar and, if the student chooses, an internship or independent study. Students have interned at organizations involved in international relations such as the World Affairs Council, the United Nations Association, Amnesty International, the International Business Center, the offices of U.S. Senators, and Grassroots International.

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).

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.

Simmons University offers a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree that provides exceptional training in social work and scholarship.

Our BSW students learn through classroom settings, multiple field placements, and innovative practices such as simulations where you will have the opportunity to practice and hone your skills. Students in our BSW degree program benefit from our nationally regarded School of Social Work (SSW) — including acclaimed BSW faculty, remarkable alumnae/i and Simmons University's ideal location in the Fenway and Longwood Medical Area.

In Simmons' Bachelor of Social Work degree program, we’ll prepare you to work with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. You’ll learn the theories needed to understand human development, how society functions, and how policy impacts individuals and communities.

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.

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.

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.