Undergraduate Academic Accelerator Pathway (2-Term) - Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

at Shorelight Group - American University USA

Combine business and STEM courses to develop an analytical skill set for the modern business world. Learn from top-credentialed faculty interested in your success. Specialize in accounting, analytics, entrepreneurship, finance, information systems and technology, international business, management, or marketing. Gain real-world experience by solving problems for local businesses or interning at DC’s many financial institutions, consulting firms, and policy institutes.

A more integrated world has raised the living standards of millions of people, yet it is blamed for causing all sorts of damages to societies, the environment, national cultures, and domestic sovereignty. In the Global Economy Thematic Area, students will study the political economy of this evolving international landscape and analyze economic growth, winners and losers, and the legitimacy of these changes. They explore how globalization changes the world and alters the political, economic, and social prospects of nations and their citizens. They also consider how international organizations struggle to manage this complex process and create governance structures to adapt to these changes, and how national governments attempt to balance their sovereign mandate to govern and protect their people with the frequently disrupting financial and trade-related impacts of global competition.

The Photography BA program is for students interested in all forms of photography, from fine art to photojournalism. Combining the resources and expertise of AU's Department of Art, College of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Communication, the program includes historical, theoretical, and practical approaches to photography.

Students study the evolution of photography, and can gain hands-on experience in darkrooms and digital editing labs. Students who complete the program understand the why and how of photography's adoption by fine artists, commercial studios, and the general public; and photography's changing role in the greater art world. Students relate technical developments in the medium to aesthetic and conceptual developments, citing movements and trends that also coincided with a broader art history. Through a final project and exhibition, students delve into a relevant topic of their choice and analyze it through a specific socio-cultural lens.

If you're seeking a broad, intellectually challenging course of study that will allow you to expand and deepen your understanding of the political, social, cultural, global, and historical dimensions of communication disciplines, the Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies is for you.

The Communication Studies degree is research-focused, and culminates in a capstone research project, mentored by PhD faculty. It offers students in-depth exposure to the development of scholarship and intellectual trends in communication. We empower you with the fundamental concepts that cut across the field, including journalism, public communication, and film. The breadth and rigor of this major will prepare you for graduate studies or a professional career in the field of communication.

Issues of identity, whether avowed or ascribed and socially constructed or naturally derived, fundamentally shape people's lives and society. In particular, race, gender, class, religion, sexual orientation, and nationality are determinate identities for many, though in reality, everyone holds multiple identities at the same time. Although these identities often appear to be static and fixed from the outside, they are dynamic and ever-changing, driven by the broader cultural and social influences in which they arise and exist. Courses in this Thematic Area examine the nature of these identities in a world in transition. Our courses, embodying both theoretical and grounded approaches, explore each of these identities in their own right, as well as in a historical and an intersectional manner that explores the relationship between them.

French studies focuses on language and culture, integrating topics from around the francophone world, including history and literature. A language background can be a great advantage in your career, whether you work in business, industry, or government service. AU Abroad programs will help enhance your language skills and immerse you in culture.

The American Studies program at American University examines American institutions, cultures, and society, while also inviting students to engage in community research and service in Washington DC and the metropolitan area.

American Studies at American University is interdisciplinary. That means our program gives students the freedom to take core classes in American Studies as well as electives in history, literature, cultural studies, politics, and the social sciences.

Our MA in political science will help build your expertise in campaign management and public affairs advocacy. You’ll have opportunities to research how America’s political system influences public policy, and gain hands-on experience interning on Capitol Hill and on the K Street lobbyist corridor. You’ll network with and learn from guest speakers well known in American politics. 

Delve into the art and science of music technology with a bachelor’s in audio technology. Through our program, you'll gain practical experience through courses in sound synthesis, audio production, digital audio workstations, electronics, and physics. You’ll master industry technologies in our recording studio designed by one of the premier studio design firms in the country.

Get some insight into how your mind works and improve your understanding of others. You’ll study clinical, social, personality, developmental, behavioral, and cognitive neuroscience, learning, and memory. Much of your learning will happen experientially, in the lab, or in the community. Contribute to departmental research. Internships at one of DC’s numerous mental health agencies is a short Metro ride away.