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

at Shorelight Group - The University of Utah USA

Communication is much more than just the written word. Communication is also verbal or non-verbal, and it takes place at both an interpersonal and mass scale. With the University of Utah’s Communication program, students learn how to be effective communicators for all different types of audiences. Communication is a diverse discipline and offers a variety of skills to prepare students for their careers. Through a combination of theoretical and technical training, the Communication program allows students to develop a comprehensive portfolio to market themselves to the industry. If you want to focus your studies on a particular area, you can pursue an emphasis in one of the following emphases:

• Communication Studies
• Journalism
• Science, Health, Environmental, and Risk Communication
• Strategic Communication

Religious studies scholars examine religions from the perspective of a religion’s followers, studying the similarities, differences, and core tenets of a belief system. If you want to gain a broader understanding of religions and their traditions, consider the Religious Studies program at the University of Utah. Courses of study include Jewish Studies, Coptic Studies, Western Christianity, Islam Studies, Mormon Studies, and Religion & Conflict. Through critical analysis and discussion of these faiths, students will learn how theology shapes individuals and communities across the globe. Regardless of emphasis area, the Religious Studies program consists of courses from 13 departments: English, History, Communication, Philosophy, World Languages & Cultures, Political Science, Social Work, Sociology, Anthropology, Art & Art History, Theatre, Health Promotion & Education, and the Middle East Center. Within these fields, religious studies courses are divided into four areas: Text and Literature, Theory and Methodology, Art, Culture and Society, and World Religions. The culminating experience of the program is a capstone seminar, a student-conducted research project that demonstrates your knowledge and skills in religious studies. Graduates of the program are ultimately equipped with social awareness and theological knowledge that can be used in a variety of careers.

Speech and Hearing Science professionals evaluate, diagnose, and treat individuals with speech and hearing disorders, such as disorders of communication, the voice, swallowing, and cognition. The undergraduate major in Speech & Hearing Science (SPHS) is a pre-professional degree for speech language pathology and/or audiology. Students in the program complete courses in phonetics, anatomy and physiology of speech and hearing, language science, pediatric and medical speech-language pathology, hearing disorders and evaluation, and psychometrics (measuring mental abilities and processes). Electives in allied fields -biology, physics, and psychology, for example- are also required, along with 25 hours of field experience observing treatment practices for speech, language, and hearing. Students who complete this program earn a BS in Speech and Hearing Science and are then prepared to enter graduate programs in the field: a master's degree is required for professional practice in speech-language pathology, and a doctor of audiology (AuD) is required for professional practice in audiology.

Physics is the field of study concerned with the nature and properties of matter and energy: how we define measurable quantities, like energy and speed, and how these concepts are related (for example, Newton’s Law of gravity or the theory of special relativity). If you want to learn more about how the universe is structured and functions, consider studying physics at the University of Utah. In addition to learning scientific and theoretical concepts and facts, physicists also develop excellent analytical thinking skills and problem-solving techniques, and expertise in computational methods.

Urban Ecology is an interdisciplinary field concerned with the interrelationships among social, environmental, and economic systems, with the goal of enhancing the vitality and sustainability of places and communities. The University of Utah’s Urban Ecology program is designed to respond to problems and opportunities that exist in cities, suburbs, small towns, and rural places for example, environmental management, fragile landscape protection, recreation and tourism, public lands planning, rapid population growth, regional transportation, energy production, and sprawl. As a student of the Urban Ecology program, you will take classes in urban ecology, planning, field studies, economics, law and social justice; you can also choose from a variety of electives topics, such as green infrastructure, sustainable development, community leadership and cities in literature. In your senior year, you will do an internship and take on a real world problem in the Ecological Planning Workshop.

Sociology investigates the relationships between social order and social change in three interconnected areas along the scale of individual to global; our personal lives, the communities we live in, and the world as a whole. When examining personal lives, sociologists study deviant behavior, family dynamics, and individuals’ racial, ethnic, gender, and sexual identities. At the community level, sociologists study poverty, prejudice and discrimination, education, corporate and business behavior, the criminal justice system, housing and homelessness, the health care system, and social movements. Finally, at the global level, they review human population dynamics, societal conflict, cultural diversity, socially-induced environmental change, globalization, and modernization.

 The Sociology program consists of five core courses that serve as an introduction to sociological theory and application, research methods, and social statistics. The remainder of the curriculum is comprised of courses from four areas of sociology: Diversity, Globalization, Criminology, and Population and Health, as well as a selection of electives. By the program’s end, graduates have invaluable critical thinking skills and awareness of social issues that affect all areas of modern life. This set of knowledge and skills is necessary to find work in a variety of fields, and invaluable in our increasingly globalized and culturally diverse society.

With a major or minor in Russian, you will learn how to speak and understand the Russian language, and you will also gain a deeper understanding of Russia and Russian-speaking countries. Russia has a rich, proud history and culture, making it perfect for examination in an academic environment. Through study of Russian language, literature, and society, students will develop critical thinking skills, cross-cultural understanding, and social awareness. The program curriculum includes four semesters of Russian language courses, and instruction then continues with advanced language classes and coursework in phonetics and morphology, as well as Russian history, literature, and culture. As we become an increasingly global world, the skills and knowledge you gain from the Russian program will prepare you for a number of international and domestic careers.

Technology is vital to the success of every business, and companies need professionals who can use technology to meet strategic business objectives. With a degree in Information Systems, you will create efficient information management within organizations, establishing processes that are most helpful to users. As technology continues to evolve, it remains an essential component of business, and professionals in Information Systems are needed to support it. The University of Utah’s degree in Information Systems will give students the tools to manage the technical direction of business, solve technological issues, and implement new technological advances to enrich business operations. Program coursework focuses on the intersection of business and technology: students take classes in not only business concepts but also information systems concepts, such as databases, programming, networking, and web development.

Conflict exists both within ourselves and in our interpersonal relations: with friends, families, or our community, locally and globally. If you want to be able to recognize and peacefully resolve conflict, consider the Peace & Conflict Studies program at the University of Utah. Offered collaboratively by the College of Humanities, Department of Communication, and College of Social and Behavioral Science, Peace & Conflict Studies will give you the knowledge, skills, and values you need to be a peacemaker in the world. Students in this program choose one of three themes for their studies: Conflict Resolution, Social Justice, or Global Perspectives. Regardless of emphasis area, students take courses in topics like negotiation, poverty and inequality, international affairs and human rights, world religions and politics, and the economics of race and gender. The culminating experiences of the program include a capstone course, seminar, and required internship. Through your studies, you will develop your communication, social awareness, and critical thinking skills, enabling you to pursue careers in a number of fields.

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.