Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Computing

at Shorelight Group - University of Kansas USA

In the Department of Visual Art, you get the best of both worlds. You will work side by side with world-class, practicing artists. Small classes provide time for directed and individual instruction and space for developing big ideas. You can explore all seven studio areas to create an education as individual as you are.

The Bachelor of Arts in Visual Art is a four-year, 120 credit hour degree program. The B.A. in Visual Art is a more traditional liberal arts undergraduate degree, requiring only 24 credit hours in Visual Art beyond the Foundations, as opposed to the 49 required by the more art intensive B.F.A. Because of this, students interested in pursuing a double major may find it easier to pair the B.A. with other more traditional undergraduate degrees. Popular double majors in Visual Art include: Visual Art/Psychology; Visual Art/Chemistry; Visual Art/Museum Studies.

The first year is spent in Foundations where students focus on the development of their creative and technical skills.

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.

Because political science advances our understanding of politics, power, governance, and public policy in the United States and across the globe.

In the broadest sense, political science is the study of governments and governmental procedures. Political science is as old as civilization, because people always have been interested in their government and in their leaders. But political science as it is thought of today, as one of the social sciences, is a comparatively new discipline. It developed in the United States during the last century as political scientists developed an ability to make increasingly scientific observations of government. Political scientists are concerned with the origins and sources of governmental organizations, their growth, and their decline, as well as with the processes and structure of government.

The classroom meets the stage in the University Theatre, a leading arts program serving the KU and Lawrence communities. KU Theatre students, faculty and professional staff work together to create up to eight fully-produced shows each year, from dramas to musicals to opera.  In our fully-equipped facilities students engage in all aspects of production onstage and backstage.  Production continues year round with the summer Kansas Repertory Theatre program.

Highly Qualified Faculty Scholars and Artists

The Theatre faculty are creative artists and researchers working in the areas of theatre technology, performance, design, dramatic literature, dramaturgy, pedagogy, as well as the historical, literary, and cultural study of theatre and performance. Our faculty include award-winning teachers and internationally recognized scholars and artists working in professional theatre and authoring books and articles.

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.  

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Physics is designed to provide a general background within Physics  for individuals with a primary interest in another field (e.g. high school science teaching, journalism, computer programming, etc.) where a broad but not deep understanding of a physical science can be of  benefit, but isn’t critical. Whether the degree ends with the achievement of a BA or BS or serves as a stepping stone to additional study, these programs offer an excellent undergraduate education, training some of the finest problem solvers and analysts of the future! All of our undergraduate BS majors and the majority of BA students are involved in research projects during their years here. Many earn summer scholarship support from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, through research grants to faculty supervising their projects, or through admission to one of the many summer REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) sponsored by the National Science Foundation. KU majors have also competed successfully on a regular basis for summer internships at REU sites around the country.

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.

Through our Department of East Asian Languages & Cultures, KU offers six languages: Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Tibetan, and Uyghur. Languages are supported by a variety of interdisciplinary courses ranging from literature and art history, sociology, anthropology, political science, business, and economics, to name but a few. KU students from all majors and professional schools are encouraged to explore East Asian studies.

The bachelor's degree in physical education (PE) plus at the University of Kansas prepares individuals to become PE teachers at the pre-kindergarten through the 12th grade levels. The PE plus program also prepares graduates to pursue a licensure endorsement (by KSDE examination) in a variety of areas, or earn a minor in business or sport management.

There are two emphases to choose from.  Production, with a focus on film and video production, will prepare you for a career in the film industry.  Culture and Studies will allow you the opportunity to not only work in film production but also explore the impact of film in various cultures and societies as well as the prospect of what the future holds for the development of new forms of media.

Film/Media projects originate in our media production courses. Many of these student works have won honors at regional, national, and international competitions. The Fiske Guide to Colleges has listed KU as one of the "Major Universities Strong in Film/Television" placing us with other film schools such as the University of Southern California and New York University.