Undergraduate Academic Accelerator Pathway (2-Term) - Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts with concentrations in Painting and Drawing

at Shorelight Group - Auburn University at Montogomery USA

The photographer Garry Winogrand famously said, “The problem of the artist is to state the problem.” In other words, the artist wants you to speculate and examine problems, not solve them. At AUM, we want you to learn how to think like a fine art photographer. It’s not simply a matter of receiving instruction in how to take a technically proficient image, but rather how to communicate a concept to the viewer in a compelling manner. The Department of Fine Arts offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a Photography concentration. Photography students will receive a foundation in film that will serve as the basis of all future photo and video courses. Why film? Will Fenn, Chair and Associate Professor in Photography at AUM, believes the limited number of frames available to a photographer with film encourages a person to learn how to carefully construct and compose an image. This results in a photographer being able to capture what he or she wants more economically. In the Photography program at AUM, you’ll receive practical, hands-on experience in both film and digital photography. Class sizes tend to be small which promotes student and faculty interaction.

Environmental scientists use their knowledge of earth’s systems to protect the environment and human health. They do this by cleaning up contaminated areas, making policy recommendations, or working with industry to reduce pollution and waste. Soil and plant scientists, and ecologists often work in remediation efforts, for a sanitation company, in manufacturing, at a university, or for a not-for-profit organization. Other environmental scientists are engaged in environmental policy, planning, and management for local governments, performing research-intensive work. Some professionals in this field have careers at the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Park Service, the United States Geological Survey and other agencies.

Environmental scientists are problem solvers. They research environmental and health problems to determine their causes and come up with solutions. They also use what they learn to make recommendations and develop strategies for managing environmental problems. From wading through swamps studying the impact of encroaching human populations on endangered species, to monitoring pollution levels in lakes and rivers, graduates of AUM’s Environmental Science program get the training needed for a fascinating and rewarding career.

Environmental scientists use their knowledge of earth’s systems to protect the environment and human health. The Environmental Health and Toxicology concentration in the Environmental Science bachelor’s degree program prepares students to look at their environment critically and assess how changes to their environment can affect their health and the health of their environment

Environmental scientists use their knowledge of earth’s systems to protect the environment and human health. They do this by cleaning up contaminated areas, making policy recommendations, or working with industry to reduce pollution and waste. Soil and plant scientists, and ecologists often work in remediation efforts, for a sanitation company, in manufacturing, at a university, or for a not-for-profit organization. Other environmental scientists are engaged in environmental policy, planning, and management for local governments, performing research-intensive work. Some professionals in this field have careers at the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Park Service, the United States Geological Survey and other agencies.

Environmental scientists are problem solvers. They research environmental and health problems to determine their causes and come up with solutions. They also use what they learn to make recommendations and develop strategies for managing environmental problems. From wading through swamps studying the impact of encroaching human populations on endangered species, to monitoring pollution levels in lakes and rivers, graduates of AUM’s Environmental Science program get the training needed for a fascinating and rewarding career.

The Environmental Biology concentration in the Environmental Science bachelor’s degree program helps students prepare for a graduate degree program from another university or for potential job titles such as:

• Water Quality Technician
• Air Quality Technician
• Wildlife Biologist
• Environmental Consultant
• Park Ranger
• Environmental Planner
• Environmental Educator
• Outdoor Educator
• Environmental Scientist

Although a common career goal of many undergraduate psychology students is to become a psychologist or counselor, there are a number of career paths a student can pursue with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

As a Psychology major at AUM, you’ll develop critical skills as you apply the scientific method to people’s thoughts, feelings, and actions. You’ll develop abilities that will help you succeed in the business world, law school, and many other careers, including, of course, taking graduate studies to become a professional psychologist. You’ll learn to conceptualize problems, evaluate evidence, and defuse potential conflict as you study the underlying causes of human behavior.

As one of the concentrations in the Sociology bachelors’ degree program, the Pre-Social Work program provides an academic foundation for a career in social work. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) defines social work as

“The professional activity of helping individuals, families, groups or communities enhance or restore their capacity for social functioning or creating societal conditions favorable to that goal.” 

Social workers with a bachelor’s degree meet this goal by serving the community in a number of ways, including helping people cope with life challenges such as adopting a child or being diagnosed with a terminal illness. They also work with groups, community organizations, and policymakers to develop or improve programs, services, policies, and social conditions.

The AUM Theatre program’s strength is preparing emerging artists for careers in production as performers, directors, designers, technicians, stage managers and more.

You’ll learn through faculty coaching and practical experience. At AUM, as you learn about all aspects of production, you’ll also cultivate valuable traits that will serve you well– communication, leadership, confidence, self-discipline, work ethic, dedication, creativity, and teamwork.

Students in the Theatre option of the Communication and Theatre department put classroom training and skills to work in every aspect of the department’s mainstage theatre lab productions. This award-winning program participates in and provides leadership for state, regional and national theatre organizations such as the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, Southeastern Theatre Conference, United States Institute of Theatre Technology and the Alabama Conference of Theatre.

The Biology Health Sciences concentration is designed for students seeking a degree in biology while preparing for application to healthcare related professional school including veterinary, pharmacy, physician’s assistant, dentistry, physical therapy, or medical school. The courses in this concentration help student fulfill admission requirements or recommendations and are useful in preparing for professional school admission tests (MCAT, PCAT, and similar).  In addition there a number of electives that, with the help of our pre-health advisor (link to advising), are chosen to fulfill program specific requirements.

All students in our Health Sciences concentration meet with our pre-health sciences advisor regularly. Our advisor will help you choose classes and shape your degree path for your chosen profession and helps with applications. This includes assisting with mock interviews and coordinating committee letters of recommendation. To date our advisor boasts a 90% placement rate for students meeting entrance requirements.

The Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies is a distinctive degree plan designed to serve students with unique needs or academic interests. The flexibility of the program makes it ideal for students returning to the university to complete a degree or those who have completed significant credit hours at another institution, military service school, or in another degree plan. It is also a perfect fit for students who want to create an individually-tailored course of studies.

The Department of Fine Arts offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a Graphic Design concentration. You’ll spend most of your time getting practical, hands-on experience, guided by experienced faculty. Class sizes tend to be small which promotes student and faculty interaction. In professional practice, graphic designers create visual concepts, using computer software or by hand, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and captivate consumers. They develop the overall layout and production design for applications such as websites, motion graphic animations, advertisements, packaging, magazines, and logos.

Courses in drawing, digital photography, computer graphics, and typography will give you the technical mastery of the skills you’ll need to take a project from conception to completion. You’ll build a professional portfolio, and many AUM Graphic Design students get paid internships at firms like Stamp Idea Group in Montgomery that lead to permanent jobs after graduation.

Health Sciences offers a rewarding career in healthcare and related fields. If you plan to go on to medical school or another health professional school, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree and a set of prerequisite courses, so it makes sense to choose a concentration within your major in which you are interested, and one that contains as many of the prerequisite courses as possible. Most of the prerequisite courses come from chemistry, physics, and mathematics, the courses needed for the chemistry major. So, you will be earning your degree at the same time you are meeting the requirements for professional school.