Bachelor of Arts in Geography

at EDUCO - University of Nebraska - Lincoln USA

Philosophy is the critical study of the fundamental concepts and assumptions involved in all central areas of human experience, including religion, morality, science, and art. The department offers an introduction to philosophy course designed for the general student, as well as introductory courses in logic and current issues.

The basic philosophy curriculum includes courses in the history of philosophy covering the period which begins with the development of rational inquiry by the philosophers of ancient Greece and which concludes with the construction of the modern philosophical systems of the Enlightenment as well as courses in each of the major fields of philosophical study: ethics, which is concerned with the basis of morality; metaphysics, which explores different views about what fundamentally exists; epistemology, which examines the nature and limits of human knowledge; and logic, which studies general methods of reasoned argument and analysis.

A number of courses reflect the role of philosophy in investigating the fundamental concepts and assumptions of other disciplines, including courses in medical ethics, the philosophy of law, the philosophy of science, and the philosophy of mathematics.

Other courses focus on the role of philosophy in the critical analysis of basic evaluative conceptions and assumptions. Courses in political philosophy critically examine the evaluative concepts and assumptions involved in our beliefs about government, individual liberty, and social and economic justice. Courses in the philosophy of religion do the same for beliefs about the nature and existence of God and about the relations between faith and knowledge.

The department also offers courses in aesthetics, the philosophical study of art, music, and literature understood as fundamental forms of human culture and significant expressions of the human spirit.

The interdisciplinary character of philosophy, together with its focus on evaluative issues and its unique emphasis on general methods of reasoned argument and analysis, leads to an unusually broad and intellectually sound major for students preparing themselves for such professions as law, medicine, social work, government service, and the ministry. The philosophy major is indispensable for those who wish to prepare for a career as a philosopher within a college or university setting.

This specialization is a joint program between the Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design and the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. The student combines a background in textiles including coursework in textile science, textile and apparel design and merchandising, with the advertising area of journalism.

A major in management at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln equips students with the essential skills to effectively manage people and resources in today’s business systems and organizational structures. Our management curriculum prepares students for careers in leadership and supervision of employees in the workplace, project management, starting up and managing a business, and utilizing the critical role of information in strategy and operations of the business world.

What you will learn
Management and entrepreneurship are critical to the future of the United States and other nations around the world. At the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, we equip students with the essential skills to effectively manage people and resources in today's business systems and organizational structures. Our curriculum prepares students for careers in leadership and supervision of employees in the workplace, starting and managing business ventures and analyzing information and data to create effective business strategies.

The School of Art, Art History and Design offers students the opportunity to investigate visual art through a variety of experiences. The art major enables students to attain proficiency in the practice of art and knowledge of the history of art as part of a general college education. Some may want to devote themselves to a period of intensive studio art education, while others may be interested in pursuing art for the purpose of building cultural awareness and critical thinking skills. Two undergraduate degrees are available to art majors. The student’s career goals will determine the appropriate option.

The bachelor of arts degree (BA) is a liberal arts degree with about forty-five percent of the coursework in the School of Art, Art History and Design, providing the flexibility to study various academic disciplines outside of art. The bachelor of fine arts degree (BFA) is a professional degree, the usual preparation for professional careers or graduate study in studio art, and includes about seventy percent of the coursework from the School of Art, Art History and Design. Increased studio art requirements in the BFA allow for specialization within a chosen area or a customized studio experience.

The degree program in water science is designed to educate students in basic and applied sciences related to water resources. The goal is to educate individuals to gather and synthesize information from several disciplines, to formulate rational and broadly informed solutions to complex water related problems, and to effectively implement various water-based programs.

The curriculum is designed to meet the needs of students who intend to pursue careers in public and private organizations that conduct scientific water research or manage water resources, in private consulting companies that offer water research or management services, in agencies that form or implement water related policy, and in a broad range of nonprofit institutions that are interested in water resources. The program also provides students the opportunity to prepare for graduate study in water/hydrological sciences and water resources.

The environmental studies major is designed for students who want to make a difference and contribute to solving environmental challenges on a local to global scale. Solutions to challenges such as climate change, pollution, and resource conservation require individuals who have a broad-based knowledge in the natural and social sciences, as well as strength in a specific discipline. The environmental studies major will provide the knowledge and skills needed for students to work across disciplines and to be competitive in the job market. The environmental studies program uses a holistic approach and a framework of sustainability. This framework recognizes the necessity of meeting current resource needs without compromising the environment or the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

We aim to develop both the mindset and skillset that will make our graduates outstanding global citizens who are effective in one of six functional areas, namely: business administration (i.e., general international business), economics, finance, management, marketing, and supply chain management and analytics. Our international business (IB) major is designed to give students a combination of skills in a functional area (i.e., a specialization) and global business.  Therefore, international business graduates pursue careers in one of the six areas they choose to specialize in.

To succeed in international business, one must thrive in unfamiliar and dynamic conditions. Cultural and language barriers, socioeconomic diversity, geopolitical tensions, and unstable legal regimes are some of the constant challenges we prepare our students to face. These conditions are present in domestic and international markets.

Excelling within such conditions requires a high level of understanding, patience, judgment and other social skills.  International Business students are well-grounded and confident even when they face being wrong in order to get it right. Their quest for understanding breeds good judgment and intuition to lead through empathy.

We push students to become aware of cognitive biases that permeate all human interaction and impede understanding and decision making. We give them tools to control their own biases using mindfulness practice. We also nurture skills for framing discussions to avoid biases in others. We study techniques developed in international diplomacy for negotiation in the international context. The ethical dilemmas common to international business and how they appear in everyday dealings are examined.

Our rigorous coursework draws on practical academic disciplines that prepare students to perform different business functions. In addition, we constantly strive to develop students’ skills and feed their intellectual curiosity. We require students to advance their foreign language skills, not simply for practical reasons but to develop empathy and neuroplasticity; and we require an international internship or practicum to develop character and experience. Finally, students immerse within the global context to challenge and develop their skills through our global immersion programs where they work on multidisciplinary projects in established markets (e.g., parts of Europe) as well as in frontier markets, including Africa, Asia, and South America.

What you will learn
The international business major combines the solid base of a bachelor of arts in business administration with advanced language study, international experience and academic studies in international business. Students in international business study the business practices of other nations and learn how international trade laws affect the world economy. They also learn about the culture and management methods that differ around the globe.

The plant biology major is designed to provide a flexible entry for undergraduate students that have an interest in the plant sciences. Once enrolled in the program, students will take a core of classes that will allow them to continue in the plant biology major or would also allow them to easily transfer to other Life Sciences programs. Students will have the opportunity to interact with the faculty of the Center for Plant Science Innovation as well as other departments and schools for advising and research opportunities.

The goal of the plant biology program is to offer a field of study to students who are interested and talented in the basic sciences and mathematics and who:

• May never have considered applying this knowledge to plants.
• Have always dreamed of this field of study.
• Have always had an interest in plants but are uncertain that this field of study is right for them.

Studying plant biology will allow students to explore and understand plants at molecular, cellular, physiological, organismal, population, and community levels and by taking ecological, evolutionary, agricultural, and horticultural perspectives. This is accomplished through required courses in different scientific fields (e.g., biology, biochemistry, chemistry, agronomy, horticulture) and through different options in the major (ecology and management option and biotechnology option).

Ethnic studies involves the exploration and examination of factors that bear on the lives and experiences, both past and present, of ethnically diverse peoples. The Institute for Ethnic Studies is interdisciplinary and intercollegiate and focuses on the experiences of individuals and groups who are of African, African-American, Latino/a, Latin American, or Native origin of descent both in the United States and elsewhere.

The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures offers courses in Arabic, German, Japanese, the Romance Language group (French, Spanish), and the Slavic group (Czech, Russian). Whenever possible, the courses are conducted in the language that is studied. The aim of instruction is reading, writing, aural and oral proficiency, and an understanding of the life, literature, and culture of the country. Lectures and films in the language studied are offered during the school year for the benefit of the students in the department. Language laboratories supplement class work.