Undergraduate Academic Accelerator Pathway (2-Term) - Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy

at Shorelight Group - American University USA

There is no better place to learn how to report the news than in the nation's capital, where news is made every minute of every day. At American University School of Communication, students regularly report on Capitol Hill, the DC government, federal agencies, and the policies forged here that have impact around the world. You'll gain valuable experience and earn bylines and credits through internships at major national and international news outlets including The Washington Post, USA TODAY, Politico, NBC4, and National Public Radio.

Our journalism program helps you hone your skills with courses in various forms of writing, advanced reporting, digital media, journalism ethics, and communication law as you learn from the School of Communication's richly experienced faculty. Our students take advantage of the most advanced video, audio, and film equipment in our Media Innovation Lab as they gain confidence being behind and in front of the camera. You'll graduate with strong writing and reporting abilities, an impressive multimedia portfolio, and connections throughout the industry that will help you build a successful career in journalism.

Combine business and STEM courses to develop an analytical skill set for the modern business world. Learn from top-credentialed faculty interested in your success. Specialize in accounting, analytics, entrepreneurship, finance, information systems and technology, international business, management, or marketing. Gain real-world experience by solving problems for local businesses or interning at DC’s many financial institutions, consulting firms, and policy institutes.

The Religious Studies (BA) major at American University prepares students for careers across diverse fields by exploring how religion informs, influences, and directs social action and thought. Because “religion” pervades all aspects of life, our major allows students to focus on specific areas of interest, grounding religion in an historical and pluralistic framework while also bringing the topic into the modern world, recognizing how religion continues to shape politics, international relations, law, education, and economics.

The Religious Studies major is inclusive, investigating religion through diverse methodologies like critical theory, feminism and womanism, psychology, philosophy, and lived religion. Studying religion at American University expands students’ worldview, preparing them to be community leaders and changemakers.

A more integrated world has raised the living standards of millions of people, yet it is blamed for causing all sorts of damages to societies, the environment, national cultures, and domestic sovereignty. In the Global Economy Thematic Area, students will study the political economy of this evolving international landscape and analyze economic growth, winners and losers, and the legitimacy of these changes. They explore how globalization changes the world and alters the political, economic, and social prospects of nations and their citizens. They also consider how international organizations struggle to manage this complex process and create governance structures to adapt to these changes, and how national governments attempt to balance their sovereign mandate to govern and protect their people with the frequently disrupting financial and trade-related impacts of global competition.

Philosophy is the passionate study of ideas, concepts, arguments, and ideologies. It is also a practice of critically attending to forms of experience, perspectives, and discourses that shape and express our lives. In this way, pursuing a degree in philosophy offers an opportunity to think differently and to think otherwise. The undergraduate program in philosophy at American University does this by exposing students to a wide variety of philosophical traditions and methods, while helping them to cultivate an attunement to issues of ethics and social justice. As such, our philosophy students grapple with the longstanding mysteries of knowledge and existence in the face of urgent political issues and the state of our world today, while also honing their thinking, writing and communication. Ultimately, the philosophy BA program helps students acquire useful skills for many trades and professions (former students have gone on to careers in academia, business, government, journalism, law, non-profit, public administration, etc.); but above all, it nurtures powers of the mind and heart for future changemakers. 

American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its accelerated bachelor's/master's programs. Undergraduate students may complete up to 3 credits for every 9 credits required for the graduate degree that may be applied to the requirements for both degree programs. The department that oversees the graduate program the student enters will determine if the courses the undergraduate student completes will satisfy master's degree requirements. Bachelor's/master's students must complete at least 18 in-residence credit hours at the graduate level after the bachelor's degree is earned and maintain continuous, sequential enrollment in the two programs.

This program allows qualified students to complete both the BA in Anthropology and the MA in Public Anthropology.

This program is designed to give you the breadth of background necessary in these four disciplines to participate effectively in decision making in the public arena, especially the practical training necessary to deal with social problems as public issues.

This interdisciplinary degree encompasses feminist, masculinity, queer, and sexuality studies. The multicultural program is committed to an intersectional approach that embraces diverse perspectives, and courses emphasize participatory education in which student involvement, critical thinking, and personal insight are integral to the learning process. You can put your insights into practice through learning experiences at leading organizations throughout the nation's capital. 

If you’re interested in how power works and how societies are governed, DC is the place to be. Our program provides a foundation in American politics, comparative politics, and political theory. AU is one of the nation’s most politically-active campuses. A short Metro ride away are internships with organizations like the Brookings Institution, Human Rights Campaign, and Emily’s List.

The BS in Health Promotion provides rigorous academic preparation in the scientific and clinical knowledge of human anatomy and physiology, nutrition, exercise physiology, and health psychology combined with aspects of health communication and programming.  Drawing upon behavior change theory and health sciences, health promotion is a discipline dedicated to supporting healthy lifestyles. This curriculum prepares students for a health promotion position in a corporate, community, commercial, or school environment, or for graduate work in a health-related field.

Are you interested in:

• Establishing and managing wellness programs for employees and their families?
• Developing effective media campaigns for emerging health issues?
• Helping clients achieve fitness and nutrition goals?
• Researching health policy and establishing state and national programs?
• Integrating health promotion and disease management activities into the healthcare system?
• Instituting innovative community-outreach programs?
• Advocating for health issues and promoting wellness in communities?