Bachelor of Arts in Political Science

at Shorelight Group - University of Illinois at Chicago USA

The Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship provides the business training needed to launch and grow a successful enterprise.

Chicago now ranks second in the nation in the number of fast-growing small businesses. To immerse our students in the city's vibrant entrepreneurial community, we partner with startup hubs and connect students with internships.

The software engineering concentration emphasizes the knowledge and skills needed to begin a professional practice in software engineering. In addition to the fundamental areas of computer science, including programming, data structures, discrete mathematics, algorithms, formal languages, computer architecture, and operating systems, students study key topics such as software cost estimation, large-scale software development, and risk management.

Students interested in an education that emphasizes an understanding of human behavior should consider a major in psychology. Psychology as a major/minor can lead to a broad range of career possibilities. An education that focuses on behavior principles is valuable for anyone whose future involves interacting with others.

Psychologists pursue careers in such areas as clinical services, health services, business, industry, testing, education, and behavioral research. There are plenty of career opportunities for students with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, particularly in the areas of social work, healthcare, business, and human resources. Career opportunities in some specializations may require a master’s degree, while career opportunities in others require a doctorate. Therefore, students should take time to examine their own interests, values, and goals in addition to job requirements and career options in their area of interest before embarking on an educational journey in psychology.

The Bachelor of Science (BS) in Liberal Arts and Sciences, Major in Psychology is appropriate for students who wish to gain a strong base of knowledge for understanding the theories and scientific method of psychology. Students considering graduate study in a research-oriented psychology program or who plan to pursue an advanced degree in another discipline where a degree in a scientific discipline is required or preferred (e.g., medicine, occupational therapy) may choose this major.

Bioinformatics develops methods and computing tools for understanding biological data. As an integrative field of science, bioinformatics combines computer science, statistics, mathematics and engineering to analyze and interpret biological data.

Political science is the systematic study of politics and its connection to human life as a whole. It focuses on the way people are governed and govern themselves in a wide variety of settings—including the state, the workplace, schools, and the family—and the way in which governance in those settings affects their life chances and shapes their sense of self. Students who elect this major examine, among other things, the relationships between law and political institutions, economic and political power, and culture and political identity. They develop the analytical, interpretive, and critical methods necessary to understand these relationships at local, national, regional, or international levels, and thus, to act as responsible citizens at those levels. They also learn to write well. In short, political science is central to a well-rounded liberal arts education.

Political science also provides excellent preparation for careers in law, government, teaching, journalism, business, and the nonprofit sector.

In addition to the BA with a Major in Political Science program, the department offers two concentrations: the Concentration in Law and Courts and the Concentration in Urban Politics.

Chemical engineering answers the question of what chemistry can do to improve the world around us. Chemical engineers are problem-solvers who take raw materials and turn them into useful materials. Our undergraduate program includes a thorough immersion in the core concepts of chemistry—general, organic, physical, and analytical—followed by a series of upper-level chemical engineering courses that develop your ability to apply these concepts to develop new, innovative solutions to engineering problems.

The coursework in our program culminates in the Senior Design course, in which student teams, working with industry mentors, put their knowledge to work on a real-world issue that matters to them. Recent projects have focused on creating biofuels from wood chips, reducing greenhouse-gas emissions by using chemical solvents to capture carbon dioxide, and meeting an increasing global demand for the chemical propylene. Senior Design projects offer a true opportunity to pick a cause you are passionate about and spend two semesters working on it—and the experience often proves valuable when applying for full-time jobs.

UIC chemical engineering also is home to a concentration in biochemical engineering, which is of particular interest to students who love not only chemistry, but also biology. This concentration helps to position students for jobs or further study at the intersection of bioengineering and chemical engineering.

Philosophy (from the Greek “love of wisdom”) originated as the search for understanding concerning the most basic features of reality, the natural world, and human life. The discipline prizes and develops the skill of engaging effectively with arguments on a tremendous range of subjects. In ancient times, philosophers pioneered the study of topics from the physical cosmos to the gods to human conduct. They debated not only the character of fundamental reality but also questions of how we can attain knowledge of it. To this day, philosophy engages with questions drawn from every part of our life and experience. For example: Is there such a thing as a purely objective observation? Am I identical with my brain? Is it ever permissible to break the law? Why is there evil in the world? Is death to be feared, and why?

Job candidates and applicants to professional schools can only be helped by being able to examine both sides of a question, think critically, write cogently, and solve very general abstract problems. Moreover, the powers of reflection, imagination, self-expression, and engagement with the ideas of others that philosophy cultivates are in themselves of fundamental value for human life.

The Department of English offers a Major in English and Minor in English, Minor in Professional Writing, and a Major in Teacher Education and Minor in Teacher Education.

The field of English focuses on the study and practice of various forms of writing in English. It includes:

• The study of written works in English—whether by writers from the United States, Britain, former colonies, the Commonwealth nations, or elsewhere—whose aesthetic achievement and cultural significance qualifies them as literature;
• The study of literary criticism and theory, of the relationship between literature and popular culture, and of allied narrative forms such as film, performance, electronic communications, and other new media;
• The study of the English language, its historical development, and its rhetorical dimensions;
• The theory and practice of writing, whether of poetry, fiction, nonfiction prose, or other expository forms;
• The theory and practice of teaching English language and literature, particularly at the secondary level.

Students who major in English develop broad reading and writing skills that make possible both an analytical engagement with, and a critical understanding of, diverse fields of cultural and aesthetic production. The English major offers excellent preparation for careers in writing, editing, publishing, teaching, government, law, and advertising.

The Information and Decision Sciences program at UIC Business is grounded in a research-based curriculum and corporate-sponsored project courses that give students the proven experience firms are looking for. IDS majors explore the potential of new technology to alter business operations, analysis and strategy. Students leave our program ready to meet the growing demand for business technologists.

IDS students are in top demand because of the skills they learn here at UIC Business. Bridging the gap between technology and business, IDS prepares students to analyze, design and implement information technology systems.

Students gain conceptual knowledge in how information is used effectively throughout all areas in the business cycle. They also gain practical experience in more technological based courses such as Business Database Technology, Advanced Spreadsheet Analysis, Business Data Mining and Business Systems Analysis and Design. IDS students are given the tools to become proficient professionals, capable of putting their technical, analytic and critical thinking skills to use in a real-world setting.

At UIC Business, we help students find their dream careers. Some students may choose a “specialization” for their studies that lead to certain career paths in IDS. These include Management Information Systems; Business Analytics; and Operations and Supply Chain Management.

The Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts and Sciences, Major in Integrated Health Studies (IHS) is an innovative collaboration of the research and educational expertise in the health sciences across multiple programs, departments, and colleges at UIC. The primary goal of the degree program is to offer a diverse, interdisciplinary curriculum that includes relevant core content spanning the life sciences, natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

Students graduating with the Major in Integrated Health Studies in either the Behavioral Health Concentration or the Health and Science Concentration will have a comprehensive understanding of how human health and disease are impacted by culture, social and economic forces, the environment, and personal behavior, as well as an appreciation for health issues that are unique to rural, urban, and global contexts.