Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Computing

at Shorelight Group - University of Kansas USA

Position yourself as a leader and gain skills to effectively manage an organization. With various track options, you can customize your degree based on your interests.

Students studying management and leadership will gain a mix of theoretical and practical management knowledge and skills that will enable them to work as professional managers, HR professionals and business leaders. Tracks within the major allow students to specialize in specific areas of interest, including organizational leadership, entrepreneurship, and human resources.

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.

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 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.

The study of economics offers students insight into some of the most fundamental questions facing societies today: what goods and services should we produce? How should we produce them? How should we distribute them ? Economics offers an outstanding preparation for careers in policy analysis, international relations, business, and other careers that require rigorous analytic thinking. Economics also makes an excellent foundation for graduate study in economics, business, law, political science, or public administration.

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.

4 specialized options are available for students who plan professional careers in meteorology or atmospheric science. The general meteorology option satisfies all the traditional professional meteorology requirements for employment with the National Weather Service, airlines, or other agencies. The air pollution meteorology option meets the need for trained specialists. The hydrometeorology option may lead to a career as a meteorologist in one of the many water-related activities in private and governmental agencies. The news media forecasting option can lead to a career forecasting the weather on television or radio. The B.S. degree with any of these specialties also prepares students to begin graduate programs in meteorology or atmospheric science.

Microbiology is the study of bacteria, viruses, fungi, the immune system, and their roles in human health, the environment and beyond. Job prospects for Microbiologists with a bachelor’s or higher degree continue to be strong. The upper-division major courses in immunology, pathogenic microbiology, virology and microbial genetics couple laboratory courses with lecture courses in order to provide students with hands-on practical experience with the material. The B.A. Microbiology major includes a choice of three of the upper-division lecture and laboratory course pairs.  

The undergraduate program in the Department of Chemistry has two primary missions. One of these is to help its majors attain a mastery of the discipline in preparation for further study in chemistry or a chemical science, or for immediate employment in chemistry. The other is to provide an opportunity for students majoring in other disciplines to acquire a basic knowledge of the fundamental areas of chemistry.

The program for majors is designed to enable students to develop in-depth understanding of chemical principles; a working knowledge of the properties of chemical substances; a familiarity with the use of the chemical literature; skill in basic laboratory methods, including modern instrumentation; the ability to observe, record, critically interpret, and communicate experimental results; and a facility in analytical and logical problem solving.

The BA program allows many free electives for background courses in the sciences or liberal arts. The program permits study of traditional geology (with emphasis on the solid earth, the earth’s surface, or environmental geology and natural resources), environmental geology (with emphasis on water or urban environmental geology), or an individually tailored program.