Bachelor of Arts in Russian studies

at Shorelight Group - University of Kansas USA

The overall program mission for the B.S. degree in chemical or petroleum engineering is to provide a modern chemical or petroleum engineering education with proper balance between theory and practice. Graduates are prepared for professional practice in industry or government and for post-undergraduate training in chemical or petroleum engineering, medicine, etc. In addition to scientific and engineering training, students receive training in educational skills and in the humanities and social sciences.

Petroleum engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the drilling, recovery, production, and distribution of petroleum and natural gas. It includes knowledge of the properties of fluids and rocks in surface and subsurface environments as well as methods of exploiting the economic production of oil and gas from petroleum reservoirs. A major subdivision at KU is reservoir engineering, or the development of processes to improve production from oil and gas reservoirs. Reservoir engineers use sophisticated mathematical techniques and computer technology to obtain optimum production. Through such techniques, petroleum engineers continue to extract oil and gas from reservoirs that only a few years ago would have been considered uneconomical. This branch of engineering is somewhat different from the other in that production is far removed from physical observation.

Computer scientists study the very nature of computing and information in order to advance the state of the art. They often specialize in software design and implementation through web development, interface design, mobile computing, and other areas. Computer scientists address fundamental computing problems, such as the efficient and secure collection of information. From medicine and business to video games and films, they are devising new ways to use computers. Integrating the theoretical aspects of computing with real-world applications offers an array of industry and research opportunities for computer scientists. Information technology (IT) professionals have a complex demanding job that requires a solid foundation in applied computing and management skills. In overseeing the IT infrastructure, they must select and integrate the appropriate hardware and software to meet the needs of the organization. They must define the requirements of the system and then design, deploy, integrate, and maintain system throughout its lifecycle. In addition to their vast computing knowledge, IT professionals must be able to communicate the impact of technology decisions to non-technical coworkers along with the latest policies and trends in IT.

Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Theatre Design is intended as general preparation for the professional designer of scenery, costumes or lighting working in theatre and/or film or as preparation for graduate studies. Students learn through small-class studio courses, laboratories, and involvement in productions in the University Theatre. Students in the B.F.A. Theatre Design program take 69 hours in the Departments of Theatre & Dance, Visual Art, and Art History in addition to the KU Core and electives.

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.

The strategic communication track prepares students for careers in advertising, corporate communications, public relations and integrated marketing communications. Students develop core skills in writing, editing, storytelling and design throughout their freshman and sophomore years. In upper-level classes, students further develop skills in areas more focused on strategic communications, such as message development, research methods in strategic communications and strategic campaigns. The idea is to help students understand the fundamental skills of journalism, while specializing in more strategic communication based courses. 

The bachelor's degree in community health at the University of Kansas prepares students for career paths in a variety of public and community-based settings. The program is rigorous and dynamic and allows students who are passionate about health issues in a community setting to work with individuals to develop healthy attitudes and behaviors. Students in this program acquire the knowledge and skills to engage with diverse communities in the development, implementation, and assessment of health promotion programs. Coursework also prepares students for the Certified Health Education Specialist exam.

Astronomy is often called the oldest science -- in many ways, it is also one of the newest! Astronomers today rely on cutting-edge technology and  computer programming skills to generate and analyze the enormous data sets we use to examine the universe around us. Our business is studying the physics of objects like exoplanets, stars, gas, black holes, and galaxies in the observable universe, which is why we are sometimes referred to as astrophysicists. Because the objects we study are too distant and too large to bring back samples or replicate them here on earth, astronomy is very different from most other experimental laboratory sciences. Astronomers that work with data are called observers, as the only experiments we can run consist of pointing our telescopes at different parts of the sky to gather information about new objects that will test our hypotheses. We rely on the information we can infer just from light (color, temperature, velocity, and chemical composition) to get insight into the formation and evolution of objects ranging from extrasolar planets to stars to entire galaxies.

Interdisciplinary computing graduates collaborate with scientists or other professionals, applying their computing expertise to large-scale problems. They might use grid computing to study the first few picoseconds after the Big Bang or process enormous data streams from telescopic mapping experiments to analyze the orbits of potential Earth-crossing asteroids. They could manage and expand biological databases to study the causes of worldwide biodiversity decline, apply machine learning techniques to design better chemotherapies, or develop optimization techniques to locate tornado sirens for maximum population coverage.

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. Biology degree at KU is the broadest major available in biology.  This major provides students with much flexibility in their major course choices.  Several core course options include ecology, microbiology, organismal physiology, and biochemistry.