Undergraduate Extended Accelerator Pathway (3-Term) - Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology

at Shorelight Group - American University USA

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.

French studies focuses on language and culture, integrating topics from around the francophone world, including history and literature. A language background can be a great advantage in your career, whether you work in business, industry, or government service. AU Abroad programs will help enhance your language skills and immerse you in culture.

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.

The Master's in Computer Science (MS) will give you an edge in this dynamic, growing field. You will build a solid foundation in computer science with our core curriculum, and can customize your degree to fit your career goals by choosing one of three tracks of specialization: applied computer science, game and computational media, or data science. Students can further personalize their degrees by choosing to pursue research and a traditional master’s thesis, or a combination of research and an internship.

The Peace, Global Security, and Conflict Resolution Thematic Area explores the causes and consequences of war as they relate to competing understandings of peace and security. Courses in this area help students assess the choices as well as challenges involved in preventing, resolving, and managing conflict. Students engage theories and historical cases from international security, strategic studies, human security, peace studies, and conflict resolution to conceptualize war and insecurity. The gateway course begins this journey by establishing the broader philosophical traditions associated with competing schools of thought. Students examine the different definitions of peace, security, and conflict as well as general patterns of violence and insecurity in the world. The course builds on this foundation by introducing students to the dynamics of political violence and different peacebuilding and conflict resolution mechanisms.

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 American University School of Communication Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media Arts provides you with a professional skill set in photography, film, video, and digital media.

Our undergraduates take advantage of the broad opportunities that Washington, DC offers with internships at national media organizations including USA Today, National Geographic Television, and PBS.

You'll be positioned on the forefront of social purpose filmmaking at nonprofits, NGOs, and government agencies such as the World Wildlife Fund, Smithsonian Institution, and the National Park Service. Graduates of our program go on to have successful careers in the media industry.

The nation’s capital is your classroom, and our DC location offers unparalleled resources for research, internships, and jobs. Our outstanding faculty are actively involved with archives, museums, nonprofits, and government institutions. Whatever route you wind up taking, a BA in history from AU is your stepping stone to a rewarding career.

The African American and African Diaspora Studies program offers a rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum that provides students with an understanding of the historical and contemporary realities of African-descended peoples in the United States and across the diaspora. Students explore Black social movements and race politics, racial ideologies and critical race theory, and the distinctive artistic, literary, cultural practices of African peoples worldwide.

The Global Inequality and Development Thematic Area directly addresses issues concerning the theory and practice of achieving equitable and sustainable human development. Courses will encompass a broad examination of issues related to poverty and inequality as they intersect with urban and rural geographies, the built and natural environment, food systems, conflict, education, gender, youth and development, and possibilities for bilateral and multilateral cooperation. This area will include historical analysis of the field of development studies from colonialism through the present with a focus on understanding and analyzing conflicts, shared goals, and normative values embedded in development objectives. Students will become equipped to understand and analyze the multiple causes and consequences of development and inequality, and will become better equipped to understand the mechanisms of governance best able to respond to these challenges.