Bachelor of General Studies in Political Science

at Shorelight Group - University of Kansas USA

The Mathematics Department offers two undergraduate degrees: the B.A. in Mathematics and the B.S. in Mathematics. The B.A. has fewer mathematics course requirements and more general education requirements. The B.S. requires more mathematics courses, an applied mathematics concentration, and fewer general education courses.

Chinese
In a few short weeks, CHIN 104: Elementary Chinese language students know their four tones and can speak beautifully about basic topics of daily life. Learning characters, the challenging but fun aspect of Chinese, starts slowly the first year, then accelerates the second and third years of study. Advanced-level students from KU can read newspapers and contemporary fiction by the time they graduate; graduating majors are fluent in Chinese.

Japanese
Often considered the "Gateway to the East," Japan is a center for commerce, trade, education, and culture in East Asia. KU alums with Japanese language skills have followed career paths such as acting for Japanese television, banking in Tokyo, and working as a legal expert for Microsoft, as well as many who pursued graduate work in Japanese culture and history. Beyond the practical advantages, studying Japanese possesses its own intrinsic rewards: learning one of the world's most complex languages exercises the mind in unique ways. Japanese language students are never bored!

Korean
Although Korean has been a spoken language for several thousand years, the development of its phonetic alphabet in 1446, hangul, made it the easiest East Asian language to master. Today Korean is the 11th most spoken language in the world. More than half of Korean's vocabulary can be traced to Chinese, and the structure and grammar are similar to Japanese. KU is the only institution in Kansas that teaches intermediate and advanced Korean language courses.

Gain a global perspective that complements another area of study with this co-major. With a growing demand for employees with international business and cultural competence, the program will give you a competitive advantage.

The business school offers a co-major in international business in response to increasing interest from students and a growing number of employers valuing international business competence.

This co-major encourages business school students to develop a highly valuable and marketable resume of competency in both international business issues and language skills, as well as a functional skill set.

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. The civil engineer integrates scientific principles with engineering experience to plan, design, and construct networks of highways and railroads, airports, bridges and dams, environmental pollution control systems, industrial structures, water purification and distribution systems, and urban transportation systems that maintain, protect, and enhance the quality of life. Civil engineers are trained to consider the social effects as well as the physical and environmental factors that constrain the planning, design, construction, and operation of their projects. Environmental engineering, a technical specialization with its origins in civil engineering, is a growing discipline dedicated to the protection of the environment.

The undergraduate program gives students the theoretical background, instruction in 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 (e.g., environmental, geotechnical, structural, and transportation), business administration, or other professions.

Electrical engineers design, test and manufacture electrical and electronic systems and devices. They collaborate on the development of hybrid vehicles, wireless communications, flight control systems, radar systems and numerous other innovations. Electrical engineers can specialize in power transmission, motor control and other facets of large electrical systems or in microprocessors and integrated circuits within small-scale electronic systems. Armed with technical knowledge and skills, electrical engineers have career opportunities in a variety of industries and research organizations.

The Communication Studies undergraduate major equips students with a diversity of skill sets by investigating communication in various cultural contexts, including relational, organizational, intercultural, political, and more.

In an increasingly globalized world, competent communication is crucial for career advancement, interpersonal relationships, and public democratic participation. Here’s what we know: humans rely on communication, and the creation and translation of symbols, language, and messages are integral to daily interactions. In other words, communication connects us.

The major expands on fundamental public speaking principles from the introductory course through emphasizing theories, methods, performances that apply to everyday communication practices.

The focus of the BS program in Aerospace Engineering is the design of aerospace vehicles and components. This is accomplished in a four year academic program that consists in the first year of basic sciences, mathematics, and communication courses. These courses form the key foundation for the rest of the program. Also, you will take an Introduction to Aerospace Engineering course that will give you an overview of the BS program. In the second year you will continue to take basic mathematics and science as well as engineering science courses. The engineering science courses apply the principles you have mastered in the basic sciences and mathematics to the solution of engineering problems. In the third year you learn the unique nature of aerospace problems. These courses cover the major subdivisions of Aerospace Engineering - fluid mechanics and aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, and flight dynamics. You will also have courses in complementary topics including computer graphics and instrumentation. Inyour fourth year, you have the opportunity to see how all the individual specialized technologies are used to design a vehicle.

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.

• A more broad-based, liberal arts and sciences curriculum with balanced contributions from natural sciences and mathematics, social sciences, and the humanities 
• The broadest preparation for admission into a professional program.
• An avenue for adding a bachelor’s degree to an already existing technical degree or licensure certificate.
• A degree option with maximum flexibility.
• A distance-education option for a KU degree.
• A degree that provides students the opportunity to build the skills and knowledge employers indicate are required for success in our changing economy and world community — skills that are limited in current college graduates.

The news and information track prepares students to adapt to an ever-changing media landscape.

Students develop core skills in writing, editing, storytelling, multimedia production, video, design and web, and then move deeper into a specialty area. For instance, students who want to become  web or print reporters will learn to tell stories with words, yes, but also with video, photo, audio, design and interactive media. Students who want to pursue TV news will learn not only broadcast production but gain skills in design, online storytelling, and writing.

The idea is to help students gain both depth and breadth to propel them into careers that will change many times over the coming decades.

Students who graduate from the news and information track often go on to jobs at websites, magazines, TV stations, sports organizations, startups and nonprofits. Career choices are limited only by the students' imaginations, though, as a journalism degree provides skills in research, critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, communication and creativity that organizations of all types need.