Bachelor of Arts in American Studies

at Shorelight Group - University of Kansas USA

Does learning about the past fascinate you ? Do you want to know more about different cultures around the globe ? Pursuing a History major or minor will help you gain a better understanding of yourself and the world around you by exploring the past, comprehending the present and building a successful future.

Why History?

• Useful: The research, writing, analytical and communications skills you will gain with a history major will carry over to many future career options. 
• Welcoming: We draw no boundaries between what you may and may not study, from labor, literature and art to war and rebellion. History shares students from a wide range of disciplines such as Environmental Studies, African and African American Studies and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
• Flexible: Because few courses have sequential prerequisites, History is easy to take as a minor or as a second major.
• Worldly: History is excellent preparation for travel and work abroad, and around thirty majors yearly participate in KU’s Study Abroad program. 
• Intimate: Courses in the department are usually small, and the larger courses always include trained Graduate Teaching Assistants to give individual attention and feedback.

Medical laboratory scientists are the specialized health care professionals that test patient specimens to help detect, diagnose and treat illness and monitor health. From wellness checks to the COVID-19 pandemic, medical laboratory scientists use sophisticated instruments to analyze blood and other body tissue and fluids to investigate events that make headlines all over the world.

As a student of KU's Clinical Laboratory Sciences (CLS), you'll prepare for hands-on work in clinical laboratories and will have opportunities for interprofessional collaboration working with doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals.

Working closely alongside our talented faculty, you'll build essential communication skills to explain complex information to your peers and the health care team. Our program's graduates are more confident in their first professional job because of the varied and broad experiences they've had within the KU CLS program.

The department offers a broad range of courses that provide a basic understanding of human language and communication. Linguistics courses examine features of language that underlie the human capacity to express concepts and communicate ideas. The courses address the connections between language, brain, culture, mind, and history. The major gives students a basic understanding of the human capacity to acquire, perceive, and produce language and of language’s role in contemporary society.

Linguistics is a superb preparation for careers that require expertise in the use of language as a means of communication, e.g., business, communications, personnel administration, teaching, health care, and social service. Many majors pursue graduate study in education, law, psychology, computer science, speech and hearing sciences and languages.

Sociology is the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. Since all human behavior is social, few fields have such broad scope and relevance for research, theory, and the application of knowledge.

A sociology major can give you the knowledge of social relations and society that will enhance your career opportunities. Depending on your interests, the sociology courses you’ve taken, and your second major, this degree opens doors to entry-level positions. The department’s graduates work in personnel administration, social service agencies, and business. They are journalists, researchers, social workers, and statisticians. Your sociology degree is excellent preparation for graduate studies in sociology as well as in areas such as social welfare, public administration.

Students studying business administration receive a broad business education through high-level exposure to all areas of study. As a business administration major, you will develop communication and leadership skills that will make you a competitive candidate for high-level management jobs across a variety of fields.

The mission of the Department of Psychology at the University of Kansas is to further the understanding of the mind, the brain, and human behavior through the classes we teach, the new discoveries we make in our research, and in our service to the people of Kansas and the world. At the undergraduate and graduate levels our students acquire knowledge and skills that will enable them to become leaders in the psychological sciences and in other professions.

Psychology is the scientific study of how and why people think, feel, and behave as they do.  Our scientific approach to understanding human behavior equips our students with a solid foundation of analytical, research and clinical skills for careers in many fields with a human service emphasis.

Our department offers a unique academic experience in which you will obtain a vast array of transferable skills that prepare you for a broad scope of professions. Students will be trained in research methodology, critical analysis, data and statistic collections and assessments, ICT skills, and project management. The undergraduate curriculum has been designed as part of a general education for students preparing for careers in various fields of psychology, for students that seek general professional positions, as well as for students anticipating graduate work.

A bachelor’s degree in public administration provides undergraduate students with the knowledge and skills needed for planning, implementing and evaluating public programs. As students learn to think critically and analytically about public policy, they will better understand the dynamics in their own communities and how to be more effective citizens and public officials.

Graduates of the program will be ready to work in settings like local and state government, nonprofit organizations and private sector businesses.

The public administration program is designed for students who have earned an associate's degree or equivalent hours and are looking to complete the final two years necessary for a bachelor's degree in public administration.

To study with the KU School of Music’s Theory and Composition (MTHC) Area is to engage the passions, both musical and intellectual, of six composers and scholars who have each earned national and international recognition for their contributions to the discipline.

Working with faculty in the division, you will be able to pursue a wide range of scholarly interests and musical styles. Our specialists in music theory research and teach a wide breadth of approaches on diverse subjects. In addition to critical assessment of the standard common-practice and contemporary repertoires, students have the opportunity to learn about specific fields of faculty expertise, including film music, philosophy and critical theory, rhythm and meter, and modern rock music.

Our composers in the division are also skilled teachers who can help you refine your craft and develop your unique compositional voice. Among their vast and varied portfolios, they have each made significant contributions in producing new music for a wide range of genres, including works for wind band and orchestra, opera and choral music, instrumental and vocal chamber music, music for film, and electronic music (particularly involving live performance).

The mission of the Department of Psychology at the University of Kansas is to further the understanding of the mind, the brain, and human behavior through the classes we teach, the new discoveries we make in our research, and in our service to the people of Kansas and the world. At the undergraduate and graduate levels our students acquire knowledge and skills that will enable them to become leaders in the psychological sciences and in other professions.

Psychology is the scientific study of how and why people think, feel, and behave as they do.  Our scientific approach to understanding human behavior equips our students with a solid foundation of analytical, research and clinical skills for careers in many fields with a human service emphasis.

Our department offers a unique academic experience in which you will obtain a vast array of transferable skills that prepare you for a broad scope of professions. Students will be trained in research methodology, critical analysis, data and statistic collections and assessments, ICT skills, and project management. The undergraduate curriculum has been designed as part of a general education for students preparing for careers in various fields of psychology, for students that seek general professional positions, as well as for students anticipating graduate work.

Welcome to American Studies, undergraduates! We are one of the best majors at KU for those students seeking a critically engaged and socially relevant area studies program. As an interdisciplinary department, we take an integrative approach to the study of the United States in relationship to the broader world, using history, literature, philosophy, popular culture, psychology, religion and sociology. In our department, undergraduates study hipsters to hip hop, old and new media, labor movements and changing work habits, popular media and music as an expression of American identity, local communities and globalization, social justice movements and changing cultural mores in American politics on race, gender, religion and sexuality covering the gamut from conservatives to left wingers. Our aim as an interdisciplinary department is not to indoctrinate students. It is our goal to teach you to use analytical tools for understanding our country and world and assist you in articulating your vision of leadership in it.