Bachelor of Arts in International Studies

at EDUCO - University of West Florida USA

The Bachelor of General Studies degree program provides interdisciplinary study across academic disciplines and professional fields. It is designed for nontraditional students whose age, residence, academic interests, or career objectives require a more individualized university degree. The Bachelor of General Studies degree program is designed to:

• Meet the University of West Florida’s mission to provide students with access to high-quality, relevant, and affordable undergraduate learning experiences, and therefore better serve the general educational needs of region;
• Provide students an opportunity to earn a bachelor's degree while maintaining family, military, and/or employment obligations;
• Offer a degree option including studies in several disciplinary areas;
• Give students the option to complete courses at the Pensacola campus, Emerald Coast campus, and/or online; and
• Provide students an opportunity to build upon the associate of arts degrees offered by other institutions.

Effective communication is vital to the success of any organization. The Department of Communication empowers students to creatively manage professional communication challenges. Graduates learn to speak effectively, write clearly, communicate persuasively, solve problems, lead, and practice professional ethics. The program for majors in the Department of Communication consists of 39 credit hours.

Department students have been recognized in a resolution by the State of Florida House of Representatives, won the State Advertising Championship seven times, won more than 100 ADDY Awards for Creative Excellence, won a National Forensic Association Championship, received numerous accolades from the Southeast Journalism Conference, and been recognized with the Florida Public Relations Association's Golden Image Award multiple times. The Department of Communication provides students opportunities to extend their classroom education with hands-on skill-building through internships and involvement with The Voyager, UWF Forensics, and a multitude of community engagement opportunities.

A bachelor’s degree in Psychology enables students to study human behavior.  An understanding of psychological processes entails understanding the multiple influences created by the biological characteristics of the organism, the effects of learning and experience, social and cultural dynamics, and developmental change.  As a scientific discipline, the study of psychology requires competence in research methodology and critical thinking.  Psychology is also an applied discipline with applications in behavioral and physical health, business, education, medicine, and law, among others.

Students completing the Bachelor of Science in Psychology will be prepared to pursue a wide range of science- and research-related careers at the bachelor’s level or to pursue an advanced degree in a STEM related field.  Students will attain a high-quality scientific degree focused on knowledge in the discipline of psychology, integrity in the application of that knowledge, effective project management, and excellent critical thinking and communication skills.

A B.S. in Health and Physical Education prepares you for positions in teaching, the health and fitness industry, recreation services or for graduate study. We offer two specializations: Fitness and Sport Coaching, and Physical Education Teacher Education.

The B.S. in Physics focuses on the study of matter and its motion.  Ultimately, the goal of physics is to understand how nature behaves from the smallest sub-atomic particle to the entire universe, making it the most fundamental natural science. The various topics covered include electricity and magnetism, electronics, fluids, mechanics, optics, quantum phenomena, concepts of relativity, thermodynamics, waves, and several related laboratory activities.

The Physics Department offers the traditional B.S. program in Physics with specializations in Physics or Engineering Physics.  In addition to graduate school, a trained physicist may enter the employment market as a research scientist. Those with an engineering physics background are eligible for entry-level jobs as engineers in organizations such as the Department of Defense, NASA, and the various national labs.

Students interested in obtaining certification to teach this subject area in secondary education need to contact an advisor in this department to carefully plan the course work to satisfy degree and some teacher certification requirements. A degree in this major is required for participation in teacher education certification options.

The Commission of Accreditation for Athletic Training Education (CAATE) recently announced that the professional degree for athletic training will be at the master's level and that, effective fall 2022, baccalaureate programs may not admit, enroll, or matriculate students into the athletic training program. UWF plans to transition to a master’s degree in the summer of 2021.

The Athletic Training (AT) Program is designed to prepare students for a professional entry-level healthcare career in the athletic training profession. This program, specifically designed to meet national and state licensure requirements, is a two-year master's level program (54 credit hours) that combines classroom and clinical education teaching/learning strategies.  Students completing this MS degree program will be eligible to sit for the Board of Certification (BOC) examination.

The Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) degree is offered through the UWF Department of Movement Sciences and Health (MSH).

The University of West Florida is one of only a few institutions in the United States which offers a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology. The program is provided through the Department of Biology. The curriculum includes a series of seven core courses fundamental to all areas of biology. Elective courses emphasize theoretical and practical aspects of aquatic/marine biology. Wetlands and estuarine marshes of the main campus, as well as the nearby Santa Rosa Island campus and the Gulf of Mexico, provide living specimens for study and serve as laboratories supporting elective courses. Graduates may seek careers in marine biology, fisheries management, aquaculture, pollution biology, and marine toxicology, and find employment in local, state, and federal departments of environmental regulation and education, as well as the private sector. Graduates are also well prepared to pursue advanced degrees. Prospective students need to be aware that some biology lab courses involve the use of live animals; students may wish to seek details from course instructors before enrolling.

The Zoo Science Specialization is designed for and limited to students who have completed an A.S. in Zoo Animal Technology from Santa Fe College (Gainesville, FL). It provides further study of the field with an emphasis on the biological sciences. The specialization has been designed to prepare students for a wide variety of careers in the animal industry, in such fields as zookeeper, curator, or director or operating one’s own animal industry business. It is not designed as a pre-veterinary medicine program and does not include all of the courses normally required for admission to a college of veterinary medicine.

Medical laboratory professionals are health care detectives. In this program, you will learn to gather evidence and uncover clues needed to effectively diagnose and treat patients.

Studying medical laboratory science at UWF sets you up for a successful career in a medical lab setting. Many of our students have job offers before they graduate. As the only MLS program in North Florida, hospitals across the Florida Panhandle and the South Alabama area rely on us to help fill positions in this high-demand career.

The mission of the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering is to offer undergraduate and graduate programs of excellence in engineering that serve the needs of the West Florida region, the state, and the nation. The goal of these programs is to prepare students for a successful professional career in their respective chosen discipline of study. All programs shall be revised continuously to improve quality and respond to current workforce needs.

The Electrical Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET.  ABET is the recognized accreditor for college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering and technology and is among the most respected accreditation organizations in the United States.

The program’s educational objectives are to ensure:

• Graduates of the program will be successful in the professional practice of engineering or related fields and will advance in their chosen careers.
• Graduates of the program will be successful in pursuing advanced degrees in engineering or related fields.

Electrical Engineering is science-oriented and primarily concerned with all phases and development of the transmission and utilization of electric energy and intelligence. Because of the extremely rapid growth and changes relating to the application of electrical engineering principles, the curriculum is designed to concentrate on a solid core of foundation courses. Twelve hours of electives are included to permit a student to delve deeply into selected subject matter.