Undergraduate Extended Accelerator Pathway (3-Term) - Bachelor of Arts in History

at Shorelight Group - American University USA

Explore the richness, impact, and dimensions of Jewish history, culture, and politics (American, Jewish, and Israeli) with our award-winning faculty. Enjoy a wide realm of Jewish cultural activities including lectures, performances, exhibits, and study abroad opportunities. Intern at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, on Capitol Hill, or at one of the many Jewish organizations headquartered in the nation’s capital. 

Philosophy is the passionate study of ideas, concepts, arguments, and ideologies. It is also a practice of critically attending to forms of experience, perspectives, and discourses that shape and express our lives. In this way, pursuing a degree in philosophy offers an opportunity to think differently and to think otherwise. The undergraduate program in philosophy at American University does this by exposing students to a wide variety of philosophical traditions and methods, while helping them to cultivate an attunement to issues of ethics and social justice. As such, our philosophy students grapple with the longstanding mysteries of knowledge and existence in the face of urgent political issues and the state of our world today, while also honing their thinking, writing and communication. Ultimately, the philosophy BA program helps students acquire useful skills for many trades and professions (former students have gone on to careers in academia, business, government, journalism, law, non-profit, public administration, etc.); but above all, it nurtures powers of the mind and heart for future changemakers. 

This interdisciplinary degree encompasses feminist, masculinity, queer, and sexuality studies. The multicultural program is committed to an intersectional approach that embraces diverse perspectives, and courses emphasize participatory education in which student involvement, critical thinking, and personal insight are integral to the learning process. You can put your insights into practice through learning experiences at leading organizations throughout the nation's capital. 

This program is designed to give you the breadth of background necessary in these four disciplines to participate effectively in decision making in the public arena, especially the practical training necessary to deal with social problems as public issues.

Master of Public Administration (MPA) at the AU School of Public Affairs is to prepare students to lead with distinction in programs that serve the public good, both in the U.S. and abroad. Accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA), our program delves into the prime components of leadership in public and nonprofit organizations, the realm of public policy, and the analysis of issues critical to public administration today.

Majors in the BS program receive firm grounding in the theory and techniques of algebra, analysis, and other fields as a basis for further work in pure or applied mathematics and for graduate studies. Graduates go on to work for organizations such as Pew Research Center and Environmental Defense Fund.

Neuroscience is a rapidly growing, interdisciplinary field, including psychology, chemistry, biology, physics, and mathematics/computer science. You’ll study biological and chemical mechanisms of both typical and atypical brain functions with faculty experts in behavioral, computational, and cognitive neuroscience. You achieve depth in the field through upper-level specialization and research experience, and develop breadth by selecting courses from a range of electives.

The Global and Comparative Governance Thematic Area is designed for students who are interested in how a range of actors—local, national, global—seek to understand and solve the compelling security, development, environmental, and economic problems of our time. This thematic area focuses on the role that states, regional and global institutions (the United Nations, EU, World Bank, etc.), civil society, and the private sector play in addressing regional and global problems. Students also have the option of specializing in a geographical region. Students will take a multidisciplinary approach and will acquire the skills to empirically evaluate phenomena, anticipate emerging trends, and interpret data through an innovative curriculum that emphasizes theory and applied knowledge.

To study physics is to study the universe and all of its parts. As a fundamental science, a background in physics prepares you for diverse fields like astronomy, medicine, engineering, consulting, science policy, and more. The BS prepares you for graduate school and careers in science and technology. It features three tracks: traditional physics, chemical physics, and computational physics.

The Religious Studies (BA) major at American University prepares students for careers across diverse fields by exploring how religion informs, influences, and directs social action and thought. Because “religion” pervades all aspects of life, our major allows students to focus on specific areas of interest, grounding religion in an historical and pluralistic framework while also bringing the topic into the modern world, recognizing how religion continues to shape politics, international relations, law, education, and economics.

The Religious Studies major is inclusive, investigating religion through diverse methodologies like critical theory, feminism and womanism, psychology, philosophy, and lived religion. Studying religion at American University expands students’ worldview, preparing them to be community leaders and changemakers.