Bachelor of Arts in Christian Thought

at Concordia University Wisconsin USA

Let’s talk about the long term. Upon graduation you’ll have acquired the skills and knowledge and a year of practice experience to immediately enter into generalist professional practice. So, how do you get there? Everything that you learn will be centered around the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) nine competencies. They include: demonstrating professional behavior, advancing human rights, using practice-informed research and research-informed practice, and engaging with a diverse range of people.

What makes us unique? Simple. Our philosophy of education. We believe that Christian service, quality research, and hands-on learning are the best ingredients for your growth as a competent professional. You’ll learn comprehensive methods in providing support and counsel to individuals, families, and groups, communities and organizations in need.
The primary mission of the CUW social work program is to prepare graduates for baccalaureate level, generalist, social work practice, within the context of faith, service and social justice.  To fulfill this mission, the CUW Social Work program is based on CSWE’s nine competencies:

• Demonstrate Ethical & Professional Behavior
• Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice
• Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice
• Engage in Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice
• Engage in Policy Practice
• Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
• Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
• Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations and Communities
• Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

You’ll learn Hebrew, Greek, and either Latin or German in order to read the Bible and major theological works in their original languages. Reading these texts creates a closer connection to God’s Word, and offers a deeper understanding of the early Christian world and subsequent Church history. Concordia’s curriculum and faculty will help you attain a  high level of competency for reading and translating these original languages. Plus, this program is excellent preparation for seminary requirements and other graduate work in theology. This major can be combined easily with the applied theology major, the Christian thought major, or others.

Yes, you are going to be challenged. You’ll be learning two new alphabets that likely you’ve never encountered before. However, your future faculty, classmates, and tutors are eager to give you the support and resources needed to succeed. You’ll learn and practice self-discipline (which is necessary for language acquisition). In terms of benefits, you’ll experience the Bible and theological literature in a depth not possible with English translations. You’ll be preparing to spend a lifetime digging into Scripture and writings by Church Fathers with more clarity than before. Plus, through the study of other languages, your mastery of English will also improve. Alongside your languages courses, you’ll also get to take classes with our committed theology faculty.

You’ll be taking 25 credits of required coursework to give you a firm basis in drawing, color, design, art history, and aesthetics (the stuff that everyone who is serious about art needs to be aware of). But after that, you get to choose what aspects of art to focus on. We’ve got plenty of options to pick from and you’ve got 15 credits worth of courses to fill with whatever 2D or 3D electives inspire you!

By the time you finish this program you’ll have refined your artistic skills creating original designs, manipulating imagery, and applying design principles to visual communication. As you develop your unique artistic style, you will have a clearer understanding of how your artistic talents make a difference in the world. You will have an opportunity to showcase your work with an exhibit in the CUW Art Gallery and to assemble a professional portfolio highlighting the best of your work.

Diagnostic medical sonography (DMS) is a multi-specialty profession which utilizes high frequency sound waves to image the human body. Sonographers use their knowledge of anatomy, physiology and applied critical thinking to assess function and the presence of disease processes. Sonographers work under the guidance of an interpreting physician in a variety of health care settings. Concordia University offers a Bachelor’s Degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography. The degree includes two years of core requirements and prerequisite classes specific to the major.

• Interested in human anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, technology, and patient care
• Being a key member of a health care team
• Providing one on one care to a variety of people
• Using high tech instrumentation to create images of the human body to assist in medical diagnosis
• Commitment to lifelong learning in a rapidly growing health care profession
• Projected job growth for sonographers is 17% (much faster than average) between 2016-2026 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Designed 4 year completion in a growing market with a competitive salary. 2017 median wage level for a diagnostic medical sonographer according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is reported to be $71,410 with a range between $50,000 and $99,840.

Objectives

• To monitor the community needs for sonographers and respond to those needs.
• To monitor the practice of Sonography within our community and adjust our academic and clinical training to meet those needs.
• Facilitate, monitor, and support the implementation of best practices in sonography education.
• Develop an empathetic approach to the patient as a person, rather than a bearer of disease or injury.
• Acquaint the student with the emotional and technical aspects of being a member of a health care team.
• Incorporate meaningful relationships between didactic and clinical experiences.
• Provide a personalized curriculum within the guidelines of school policies and procedures.
• Foster an environment that enables students to master the skills necessary for functioning as a diagnostic medical sonographer.
• To have 80% of our graduates, as measured on a rolling 3 graduating class average, take and pass the ARDMS boards that the school is accredited for.
• To further the mission of our sponsoring institution, Concordia University of Wisconsin.

The theology major or minor gives you a strong understanding of the Christian faith that will support you in your chosen vocation. As a university of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), our courses are taught in accord with the Lutheran Confessions. The theology program is not intended to stand alone. Rather, it is intended primarily for those of you who are preparing for certification as professional church workers such as Lutheran School Teachers or Directors of Church Ministries (DCM). (That is why the internship is specific to your track.) If you aren’t interested in the education or church ministries routes, we highly recommend checking out the Christian Thought program.

You can expect to benefit from a well-rounded study of biblical and systematic theology, along with the application of that theology in your life within the Christian Church. You’ll  join renowned scholars  as you delve into the Old and New Testaments, systematic doctrine, and practical theology (teaching and worship). We offer many theology electives, so you can explore and grow in the particular areas that interest you.

Music therapy is the process of using music to aid changes in behavior and brain function in order to promote health and wellness. Our music therapy program is an equivalency program offered by CUW through Alverno College. What does that mean? You’ll benefit from a well-rounded Bachelor of Arts in Music degree through CUW, while earning a Music Therapy Equivalency Degree at Alverno College. This allows you to focus on the specific courses required to become a board certified music therapist. You will follow our liberal arts music curriculum and graduate from CUW with a music therapy concentration.

A key element of your studies is learning how to work within a multidisciplinary team in medical and psychiatric hospitals, hospice, schools, and clinics. A day in your future life could involve helping Alzheimer’s patients retain memories, Parkinson’s patients improve mobilities, infants reduce their stay in the neonatal ICU, and people suffering from depression deal with their symptoms.

Because of our partnership with Alverno College, you’ll be assisted in securing a top internship position to gain hands-on experience and build up your resume for the future. As a CUW student, you will be exposed to and have opportunities to participate in a wide range of musical ensembles including band, orchestra, choir, and handbells. Besides the regular classes, we have many student-led musical groups and events to enjoy throughout the school year. The liberal arts music major program offers you the chance to interact with and learn from other music students outside of the music therapy program.

As part of the MBA in Finance program,  you’ll learn from current industry professionals – worldwide practitioner instructors – who are dedicated to leading others in their field of expertise. You’ll gain the tools necessary to make a powerful impact in a wide variety of positions within business. This program offers the benefit of flexible classes designed for working professionals and the unique perspectives that result from a diverse student body. By the time you earn your MBA, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge and experience today’s employers are looking for so you can stand out in the workforce as a highly competitive candidate.

With an MBA in Finance, you’ll develop the skillset to make important decisions based on financial analysis and strategic thinking. You’ll know how to handle fraud and legal issues, how to manage large financial institutions, and how to treat mergers and acquisitions. You’ll even graduate with a portfolio of your work that you can show future employers to stand out from other candidates. What’s more, you’ll leave this program with the ability to communicate more clearly, lead diverse groups of people, and have confidence in your work.

A leader in business has strong foundations in numerous areas - accounting, business law, HR, marketing, economics and more. This degree allows you the flexibility to meet your career goals while building you a strong foundation.

The CUW business management program builds a strong foundation and offers broad liberal arts and business training you’ll need to not just manage, but to lead in today’s ever shifting business environment.

While in the program, you’ll master current software for designing and managing business projects, while adopting proven project management tools and techniques at each stage in a project’s lifecycle. You’ll gain an understanding of how to integrate organizational strategies that involve the parent, supplier, and sub-supplier organizations working together in domestic and global environments. You will have the opportunity to develop a comprehensive business plan. With successful completion of the program, students will be equipped to demonstrate their skills to manage and coordinate resources to achieve organizational goals.

With a Bachelor’s in Management from CUW, you’ll be well prepared for a huge variety of career paths, including Business analyst, sales, project management, operations and owning your own business. You’ll emerge from the program ready to take on anything from designing business projects to how to manage projects domestically and internationally. Your academic advisors will help you plot the right course for your life. The expertise you gain in this program will serve you throughout your career.

We live in a data-age, and the demand for professionals with business analytics skills is growing. Most companies are generating, collecting, and storing information that is used to drive up the value of their business. This fast-growing career path has applications in every industry and companies of all sizes.

Program Outcomes

• Summarize principles of Christian ethics related to business intelligence.
• Apply the principles and techniques of database design, administration, and implementation to enhance data collection capabilities and decision-support systems.
• Determine the principles and techniques of database design, administration, and implementation for data collection and decision- support systems.
• Describe models for effective decision making to achieve business objectives.
• Compare different organizational behaviors and adapt change management strategies.
• Articulate assumptions, analyses, and interpretations of data in a written and oral format.

Our graphic design courses prepare you for careers in both digital and print design. In order to offer the fullest education possible, Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW) has partnered with the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD), which is just a 25-minutes drive from our Mequon campus. Most of your classes (all core requirements, over half major requirements, and your minor) will take place at CUW. Because we have a lab specially designed for our graphic design students, you’ll be able to work on your projects right on campus. Only 15-18 credits of your classes will take place at MIAD. It is worth noting that while graphic design is a highly-demand career, we highly encourage you to  pursuing a complementary minor, such as business or marketing.

The classes you will take in this program will lay the groundwork of good design principles that will guide you through the rest of your career as a designer. Much of your learning will  occur outside of the classroom. Why? Because outside the classroom is where you’ll be putting into practice the design principles you learned in the classroom, developing your creative ideas and completing projects.

As a CUW graphic design student, you will have opportunities to work on professional projects with real-world clients. This, in addition to regular coursework, will contribute to your professional portfolio, which will be published (physically or digitally). One final note on what to expect: in order to be successful, it is critical that you meet project deadlines during your time with us. The faculty are always happy to work with you, so don’t be afraid to ask them for advice.