Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media Studies

at Shorelight Group - University of Kansas USA

KU's English Department is at the core of the humanities, highlighting the "human" through our individual, one-on-one interactions with our students, our emphasis on community and global engagement, and our abiding interest in our shared humanity through the stories of others. We seek to challenge the mind and to engage the imagination of our students, to teach them to ask questions and to seek for answers.  We encourage them to grapple with the complexity of a culturally and commercially interconnected world and the global networks and processes of cultural exchange. We believe that words and ideas will shape the world. We teach our students life-long skills, so that they learn to write clearly, creatively, and effectively—discovering themselves even as they lay a solid foundation for professional success. 

The B.A. Option in Italian is a program consisting of eight, three-credit courses in which students pursue studies in Italian beyond the beginning and intermediate levels. In consultation with departmental advisors, students combine their work with other academic disciplines and develop particular strengths and interests in Italian literature, language, and culture. Students pursuing the B.A. Option in Italian are strongly encouraged to study abroad.

Honors in Italian
Students may graduate with honors in Italian by completing 3 hours of ITAL 499 and one approved 3-hour course in a relevant field in addition to the 24-hour requirement for the option. Consult the department early in the junior year. To begin honors work and to graduate with honors, students must have minimum grade-point averages of 3.25 in all courses and 3.5 in Italian.

The University of Kansas offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Design with a major area of study in Photography, a program dedicated to evaluating and innovating the practice of photography and related media. We provide in-depth instruction in a range of analog and digital, still and moving, lens-based techniques within a rigorous intellectual and creative environment. Our students develop the distinct technical, conceptual and critical thinking skills, and personal vision vital to success as contemporary photographers and professional practitioners. Students enjoy unique access to state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, and studies culminate in a refined portfolio of work.

Undergraduates in the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing: Sciences and Disorders study the basic processes of human communication. Programs are designed for the student who seeks a career in speech, language, or hearing or is interested in normal communication development and communication disorders.

Beginning with the undergraduate experience, you'll find stimulating course work, clinical observation, and a variety of hands-on laboratory projects. To practice as a speech-language pathologist, you will need to earn a master’s degree. Plan to pursue doctoral studies if you want to practice audiology or do research in speech, language, and hearing processes and disorders.

The department offers three different concentration options for undergraduate students at the BA level.  Depending on their interests, students can pursue a concentration in Polish Studies, in Russian language, literature and culture, or in South Slavic (Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian) Studies.

Language Assessment of Slavic Majors - All majors in Slavic languages will complete degree-level assessment in the final semester of their Slavic major at KU (or somewhat earlier if desired) to demonstrate and document their attainment of the SLL learning outcomes for undergraduate students.

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.

Computer engineers combine expertise in software design and implementation with fundamental engineering skills - a highly valuable skill set. They design and maintain websites, networks, massive databases, and other applications, in the process developing and integrating new software and hardware. Computer engineers specialize in the development of computer systems designed to carry out specific functions in real-time, known as embedded systems, which operate airplanes, cell phones, vending machines, medical equipment, etc. Their vast computing knowledge and problem solving skills make computer engineers an invaluable asset to industry. As individuals and corporations become more dependent on computers, there is an abundant need for well-trained computer engineers.

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.

Civil engineering, the oldest and broadest of the divisions of engineering, implements a range of public and private projects for improving society’s physical infrastructure and the environment. Civil engineers specializing in environmental engineering integrates scientific principles with engineering experience to plan, design, and construct environmental pollution control systems, storm water systems, and  water purification and distribution systems that maintain, protect, and enhance the quality of life. Like all civil engineers,  those specializing in environmental engineering are trained to consider the societal effects as well as the physical and environmental factors that constrain the planning, design, construction, and operation of their projects. 

The undergraduate program gives students the theoretical background, instruction in the engineering application of scientific principles, and professional attitude to serve the public. It typically leads to entry-level positions or to graduate work in technical specialties, business administration, or other professions.

In addition to environmental pollution control and water resources systems, courses that address the behavior and design of steel and reinforced concrete structures, foundations, and surface transportation systems are integrated into the curriculum, culminating in a series of senior-level professional design courses. These simulate the design processes used in the major areas of civil engineering and prepare students for entry-level positions. Most faculty members are licensed professional engineers. KU graduates have successful records in professional practice, research in academic institutions, government and private laboratories, and in managing firms and corporations of all sizes.

In philosophy we ask big, important questions. While asking such questions is easy, answering them is difficult. Because these questions are often abstract and vague, it is necessary to use precise reasoning and analysis to clarify what exactly it is we are asking. Only then can we attempt to develop answers. For example:

• What is the morally right thing to do?
• What is the nature of the mind?
• When can we know something, rather than merely believing it?
• Do the sciences exhaust what can be known about the natural world?
• What is justice?
• What assumptions do we make when we try to answer questions like these?
• Plus many, many others...

In studying philosophy, you will learn what others have thought about life's big questions. You will also learn to challenge those views, and to develop your own thoughts in a precise, logical manner. Philosophy will help you develop critical thinking skills, enabling you to analyze the underlying logic and assumptions in arguments about a variety of topics. This is a skill that generalizes to virtually every area of life.