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

at Shorelight Group - The University of Utah USA

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.

The Spanish program at the University of Utah is ideal for students who wish to gain a deeper understanding of the Spanish language and the cultures of those who speak it. Students of this program will study the language, literature, history, and society of Spain and Spanish-speaking countries, gaining cross-cultural understanding and an appreciation of diversity. The curriculum consists of courses in Spanish grammar, composition, conversation, and reading. Electives are then chosen from a variety of allied fields, allowing students to focus on the aspects of the language and its speakers that fascinate them most. Topics covered include the literature, film, linguistics, and culture of Latin America and Spain. The program also offers a wide range of seminars in Golden Age, Modern Peninsular, Colonial Latin American, Caribbean, Contemporary Latin American, and U.S. Latina/o studies, as well as Spanish linguistics. This diverse range of study ensures that students will graduate with the language literacy and critical thinking skills they need to be successful in a number of careers.

The Family, Community and Human Development (FCHD) Major is housed in the Department of Family and Consumer Studies (FCS). The objective of the FCHD major is to provide students with a broad and detailed understanding of the processes of personal development in the context of the family, and as impacted by community and societal forces beyond the family. More specifically, students with a FCHD major will acquire an understanding of:

• The key features of development through each stage of life (infants, children, adolescents and adults);
• How these key features of development are impacted by experience to account for the ways that each of us is unique;
• How family members develop and maintain relationships within and across generations;
• The decisions people make about managing resources such as time, money, and material assets;
• The ways that individual and family well-being are impacted by community and societal forces;
• The impact of local, national, and international policies and laws on individual, family and community well-being;
• How research in these areas is conducted and evaluated, and how the findings from these works may be applied to enhance the well-being of individuals (at every age) and families

In addition to the breadth and depth of our FCHD major as summarized above, our department offers students three opportunities for diving more deeply into specific areas of focus that are both relevant to the broader goals of our major and oriented toward specific career opportunities.

Philosophy is the study of knowledge, reality, and existence. If you want to better understand yourself and the important issues surrounding life, knowledge, and values, consider studying philosophy. This program will provide a broad understanding of the central problems and positions in philosophy, through coursework from the four central areas of philosophy: ethics and value theory, metaphysics and epistemology, the history of philosophy, and logic and formal methods. A major in philosophy offers a wide range of opportunities for intellectual growth and self-development to students who have a variety of interests, preparing you for a number of careers that require critical thinking and decision-making.

Psychologists study human and animal behavior, seeking to understand how people and nonhuman animals function in their environments: through this, a psychologist ultimately wants to understand, predict, and resolve behavioral and psychological problems. If you are interested in how the mind works and functions in an effort to help people achieve and maintain mental health, consider studying psychology at the University of Utah. The Psychology curriculum includes coursework in the following topics: psychology as a science and profession, cognition and behavior neuroscience, intergroup relations, development in infancy, emotions, human performance, personality, sexuality, health, among others. Through coursework, and hands-on experience through research, internships, peer advising, and/or teaching assisting, you will gain the knowledge base and critical thinking skills you need for success in post-college careers or graduate school.

The undergraduate studio art program will prepare you for an exciting career in creative expression. This program offers education in topics such as visual arts, animation, education, or design. The curriculum helps students to develop a range of hands-on, formal, and conceptual skills. The program is structured as a balance between the visual and the physical: students study Studio Arts Foundations in the first year and focus on a specific Emphasis starting in their second year. Students are given the opportunity to develop hands-on skills through direct practice with material and tools of the trade; the program also covers topics such as form, process, and technique. Ultimately, an Art BFA will allow you to understand contemporary art theories, engage with new forms, and explore art as an active part of culture today.

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.

Biomedical engineers combine engineering principles with medical and biological sciences, with the goal of designing and creating equipment, devices, computer systems, and software to be used in healthcare. At the University of Utah, the Department of Bioengineering’s mission is to advance human understanding, health, and the quality of life through research and education in this field. The department is internationally recognized for its research, discovery, and invention in the area of biomedical engineering, with research strengths in biomaterials, biomedical devices, neural engineering, and cardiovascular engineering; the Bioengineering program is additionally accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. It prepares its graduates for success and leadership in industry, as well as future study in medicine, science, and engineering. In addition to education in biology concepts, bioengineering students will receive training through the College of Engineering to deliver biobased solutions to traditional engineering problems. Regardless of your specific interest area, bioengineering is an exciting field that will allow you to combine your passions for biology and engineering while helping to improve people’s lives.

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,

The Spanish program at the University of Utah is ideal for students who wish to gain a deeper understanding of the Spanish language and the cultures of those who speak it. Students of this program will study the language, literature, history, and society of Spain and Spanish-speaking countries, gaining cross-cultural understanding and an appreciation of diversity. The curriculum consists of courses in Spanish grammar, composition, conversation, and reading. Electives are then chosen from a variety of allied fields, allowing students to focus on the aspects of the language and its speakers that fascinate them most. Topics covered include the literature, film, linguistics, and culture of Latin America and Spain. The program also offers a wide range of seminars in Golden Age, Modern Peninsular, Colonial Latin American, Caribbean, Contemporary Latin American, and U.S. Latina/o studies, as well as Spanish linguistics. This diverse range of study ensures that students will graduate with the language literacy and critical thinking skills they need to be successful in a number of careers.