Bachelor of Science in International Studies

at Shorelight Group - The University of Utah USA

International Studies (IS) is a flexible and interdisciplinary major. It is designed to provide students with a sophisticated understanding of some of the modern world’s most persistent and challenging problems. Students learn about global issues in local, national, and international contexts. They develop the analytical skills and cultural competencies necessary to launch into fulfilling careers that make a difference. Students in the International Studies program typically begin by taking one introductory course on each of three themes: Peoples, Challenges, and Systems. They draw connections between these in the core course, Foundations of International Studies, and they take electives drawn from disciplines across campus as they develop an emphasis on any one of seven focus areas: Development & Sustainability, Foreign Relations & Security, Global Health, Culture & Identity, Trade & Commerce, European Studies, or Human Rights. No matter the chosen focus area, all International Studies majors must also complete a learning abroad program or an international internship.

The Latin American Studies program provides students with the opportunity to explore interdisciplinary approaches to Latin America. Students will not only have the chance to become literate in one of four Latin American languages— Spanish, Portuguese, Nahuatl, or Quechua—but they will also be able to explore the people, culture, and history of the region. The remainder of the curriculum is comprised of core courses in Latin American civilizations and cultures, with students choosing electives from the Latin American Studies department and other allied fields (such as humanities, anthropology, and linguistics). The culminating experience of the program is a study abroad, internship, independent study, or research course, allowing students to synthesize their knowledge and skills. Cross-cultural understanding and foreign language proficiency are valuable skills for students to have as we move toward an increasingly global economy. Students may use the language and critical thinking skills the Latin American Studies program will give them to pursue a number of diverse career options or as a springboard to attending graduate school.

Learn a new language, gain an appreciation for another culture, and become an active participant in today’s global world with the Middle East Studies program. Students of this program will learn basic instruction in one of two major languages of the Middle East—Arabic or Persian—and will also complete a wide spectrum of courses that approach the Middle East from many different perspectives. In addition to area-specific courses, the Middle East Center also coordinates with other University of Utah departments to offer interdisciplinary courses in the following fields: anthropology, economics, geography, history, languages and literature, linguistics, and political science.

Finance deals with the concepts of time, money, risk, how they are interrelated, and how money is budgeted and spent. Finance students learn how to assign value to projects, companies and securities. They also study how individuals and businesses can efficiently allocate financial resources, invest, and raise capital. With these skills, Finance majors can determine wise investment strategies, value stock options, and help companies and individuals manage their money. A critical component of a finance students’ education is meaningful, real-world opportunities, balanced by worthwhile classroom experiences. The U’s Finance curriculum covers topics such as business statistics, business calculus, corporate finance, insurance, investments, and real estate. A global perspectives course allows students to apply an international context to the business skills and perspectives they are learning.

In addition to the traditional major, students may pursue an emphasis in Advanced Financial Analysis, an honors-level program that provides students with a deeper foundation in finance and accounting, supplemented by additional technical competence in financial modeling and coding as applied to finance problems. Courses will focus on developing technical skills and applying those skills to solve problems in realistic settings.

That catchy jingle, that distinctive symbol or image, and all the other cues we associate with a specific product become embedded in our brains thanks to marketing. Marketing is an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers. Through strategic thinking, business acumen, and carefully-designed communications, marketing specialists ultimately help organizations identify and satisfy customer needs. As a marketing major at the University of Utah, you will study diverse topics such as market research, consumer behavior, advertising, sales and business development, and international marketing, with one goal in mind: learning how to build brands that people want.

Geography is a unique field that bridges the physical and social sciences: geographers study not just natural Earth systems but also human societies, examining the interaction between the two. Geographers work with powerful technologies such as geographic information systems (GIS), digital Earth imagery (remote sensing), and spatial modeling. Geography also has a long-standing field tradition, often involving travel to spectacular locations. The University of Utah’s Geography program will provide you with a collaborative, integrated approach to understanding complex geographical challenges, such as climate change, globalization, sustainability, urbanization, and living with hazards. The program curriculum includes courses in environments, human geography, geographical analysis, cartography, and GIS; students then choose courses from the broader areas of physical and human geography, as well as electives from allied fields (such as atmospheric sciences or geology). Geography has a “No Student Left Inside” Initiative that encourages field work and labs in their courses to get technical, real world experiences. If you want to focus your studies on a particular area,

Social workers provide mental health services to individuals and communities across the United States. They work in family and child service agencies, hospitals, schools, criminal justice agencies, nursing homes, and other places, providing intervention, evaluation, and counseling services. If you want to enter this challenging but rewarding field, the U’s Social Work (B.S.W.) program will provide you with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills you need to professionally practice social work in a number of settings: a B.S.W. degree prepares students for immediate entry into human service positions across the country. Students in the program complete coursework in the following areas: human behavior and social environment, social work as a profession, social diversity and cultural understanding, research and evaluation, and welfare policy. In preparation for professional practice, students also complete a supervised internship in the field.

The Business Administration degree provides students with a strong knowledge base across the fundamental disciplines of business: accounting, finance, management, marketing, opersations and supply chain, and information systems. At the David Eccles School of Business, students learn to manage technology and identify entrepreneurial opportunities, learning the social implications of doing global business and developing the values and ethics to succeed and prosper. The Business Administration curriculum consists of classes in accounting, finance, management, marketing, operations and supply chain,  and information systems. Graduates of this program possess a mix of business, technical, and essential communication skills required of management and leadership roles, preparing them for a wide range of business careers.

An economy is a social system where people produce and distribute goods and services. Economists study these systems, focusing on issues related to decision-making in governments, social and economic institutions, firms and industries. Our world is shaped in a fundamental way by economic forces. High unemployment, financial uncertainty, and growing public debt present great challenges for all of us. Concerns about energy sources, and about the environmental impact of economic activity will also be with us for decades to come. Studying economics will allow you to understand these challenges more deeply and will give you tools to help solve these problems. The Economics major is an excellent preparation for a wide range of jobs and graduate and professional studies. Students in the program gain critical thinking and quantitative analysis skills, and these abilities can be used to solve economic and other real-world problems. Beyond the core sequence in micro- and macroeconomics and quantitative and statistical methods, students can choose elective courses focused on money and banking, environmental economics, economic development in poor countries, labor economics, health economics, econometrics, and many other topics.

The Ethnic Studies program at the University of Utah explores differences in power as expressed by the state, civil society, and individuals, challenging social constructions of race, ethnicity, nationality, sexuality and gender. Students examine traditional forms of history and culture from the perspective of people who are underrepresented, while considering the role that race and racism play in today’s world. The curriculum includes required courses in Ethnic Studies experiences and theory, as well as electives from six different content groups: African American Studies, American Indian Studies, Asian Pacific American Studies, Chicana/o/x and Latina/o/x Studies, Pacific Islands Studies, and general Ethnic Studies. Through your coursework, you will learn to conceptualize socio-historical and political issues from the viewpoints of the various peoples that constitute U.S. diverse populations, using various disciplinary frameworks to do so. You can then apply this framework to current issues of race, gender and ethnicity. Students with this degree work in any career field - healthcare, nonprofit, business, government – bringing their knowledge working with historically underserved populations into their industries.