Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering

at Shorelight Group - The University of Utah USA

Philosophy is the study of knowledge, reality, and existence. If you want to better understand yourself and the important issues surrounding life, knowledge, and values, consider studying philosophy. This program will provide a broad understanding of the central problems and positions in philosophy, through coursework from the four central areas of philosophy: ethics and value theory, metaphysics and epistemology, the history of philosophy, and logic and formal methods. A major in philosophy offers a wide range of opportunities for intellectual growth and self-development to students who have a variety of interests, preparing you for a number of careers that require critical thinking and decision-making.

The Family, Community and Human Development (FCHD) Major is housed in the Department of Family and Consumer Studies (FCS). The objective of the FCHD major is to provide students with a broad and detailed understanding of the processes of personal development in the context of the family, and as impacted by community and societal forces beyond the family. More specifically, students with a FCHD major will acquire an understanding of:

• The key features of development through each stage of life (infants, children, adolescents and adults);
• How these key features of development are impacted by experience to account for the ways that each of us is unique;
• How family members develop and maintain relationships within and across generations;
• The decisions people make about managing resources such as time, money, and material assets;
• The ways that individual and family well-being are impacted by community and societal forces;
• The impact of local, national, and international policies and laws on individual, family and community well-being;
• How research in these areas is conducted and evaluated, and how the findings from these works may be applied to enhance the well-being of individuals (at every age) and families

In addition to the breadth and depth of our FCHD major as summarized above, our department offers students three opportunities for diving more deeply into specific areas of focus that are both relevant to the broader goals of our major and oriented toward specific career opportunities.

Over the last decade, the gaming industry has continued to increase in popularity. Today, there are two entire degrees devoted to the study of games and game-making. Through the BS in Games and CS/EAE degrees at the University of Utah, students will learn how to develop entertainment software and serious games addressing health, collaboration, or social needs. Housed in the Entertainment Arts & Engineering (EAE) program, both degrees offer technical coursework in math and computation, as well as training in digital game design, game art, and production. In the BS in Games, students will take 10 EAE electives focusing on game design, game arts, and game production. Students will also complete additional coursework in allied fields related to EAE such as digital media, storyboarding, graphic design, gender studies, and management. The pinnacle of the program is a joint Capstone project in which all game development students will work in teams to make and publish their own video game.

Rhetoric is the study of effective speaking and writing: it is the art of argument and persuasion. Through the Writing and Rhetoric Studies program, you will become a strong analytical thinker and proficient writer. Students of this program learn rhetorical analysis and the ways that culture and society shape what we define as “literacy,” giving you critical thinking skills and social awareness that can be applied to a number of pursuits. Students in the program choose courses from topics such as under-represented rhetorics, rhetorics of gender, writing poplular non-fiction, professional discourse, grammar and stylistics, digital storytelling, writing as a social practice, and others. The culminating experience of the program is a senior seminar, synthesizing all of the student's undergraduate work into a portfolio piece. Employers consistently rank written communication skills as among the most-desired abilities in job candidates, and strong writing and argumentation abilities are excellent assets for graduate-level coursework.

Social workers provide mental health services to individuals and communities across the United States. They work in family and child service agencies, hospitals, schools, criminal justice agencies, nursing homes, and other places, providing intervention, evaluation, and counseling services. If you want to enter this challenging but rewarding field, the U’s Social Work (B.S.W.) program will provide you with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills you need to professionally practice social work in a number of settings: a B.S.W. degree prepares students for immediate entry into human service positions across the country. Students in the program complete coursework in the following areas: human behavior and social environment, social work as a profession, social diversity and cultural understanding, research and evaluation, and welfare policy. In preparation for professional practice, students also complete a supervised internship in the field.

Environmental and Sustainability Studies (ENVST) is a STEM interdisciplinary program that offers a major with several emphases to focus your study, as well as a minor. The curriculum explores ecological systems and the impact of human-environment interactions from the perspectives of the natural sciences, the social and health sciences, and the humanities. The U’s program strives to foster an understanding the multi-faceted issues of the environment and sustainability and finding solutions through systemic analysis, peer learning, and community engagement, social responsibility, leadership, and having a science-based focus on solutions and integrated problem solving.

Finance deals with the concepts of time, money, risk, how they are interrelated, and how money is budgeted and spent. Finance students learn how to assign value to projects, companies and securities. They also study how individuals and businesses can efficiently allocate financial resources, invest, and raise capital. With these skills, Finance majors can determine wise investment strategies, value stock options, and help companies and individuals manage their money. A critical component of a finance students’ education is meaningful, real-world opportunities, balanced by worthwhile classroom experiences. The U’s Finance curriculum covers topics such as business statistics, business calculus, corporate finance, insurance, investments, and real estate. A global perspectives course allows students to apply an international context to the business skills and perspectives they are learning.

In addition to the traditional major, students may pursue an emphasis in Advanced Financial Analysis, an honors-level program that provides students with a deeper foundation in finance and accounting, supplemented by additional technical competence in financial modeling and coding as applied to finance problems. Courses will focus on developing technical skills and applying those skills to solve problems in realistic settings.

Psychologists study human and animal behavior, seeking to understand how people and nonhuman animals function in their environments: through this, a psychologist ultimately wants to understand, predict, and resolve behavioral and psychological problems. If you are interested in how the mind works and functions in an effort to help people achieve and maintain mental health, consider studying psychology at the University of Utah. The Psychology curriculum includes coursework in the following topics: psychology as a science and profession, cognition and behavior neuroscience, intergroup relations, development in infancy, emotions, human performance, personality, sexuality, health, among others. Through coursework, and hands-on experience through research, internships, peer advising, and/or teaching assisting, you will gain the knowledge base and critical thinking skills you need for success in post-college careers or graduate school.

The Health, Society and Policy (HSP) Program addresses the multidimensional characteristics of human health. Health status may be related to factors beyond pathogens or illness: lifestyle, environmental exposures, socioeconomic status, cultural affiliation, poor communication, or access to health services can all contribute to an individual’s health. Students in this program are given the broad, interdisciplinary foundation for understanding health, allowing them to sensitively and effectively address health care issues in multidimensional contexts: for example, the geographic location, literacy, or socioeconomic status of an individual might impact their ability to access or obtain healthcare or eat a healthy diet. HSP students take courses from a variety of fields, including epidemiology, behavioral sciences, research methods and quantitative skills, administration, philosophy, and history. This coursework provides students with a coherent perspective on health care in its various social and administrative contexts. The culminating experience of the program is a capstone, delivered as an interdisciplinary series of seminars on a particular theme related to the major.

Recreational therapy (RT) is a form of therapy that uses physical recreation and activities to help people with illnesses or disabling conditions achieve mental and physical health. This therapy might include dancing, playing a sport, hiking, cooking, or even playing a video game. If you like being active and want to help others at the same time, consider majoring in Recreational Therapy. This program will give you the counseling techniques and knowledge you need to help rehabilitate individuals and educate them on the support systems and skills needed to maintain their health and happiness. The RT curriculum covers topics in recreational therapy foundations and treatment methods: through a combination of coursework, community programs, and treatment services, students learn how to conduct treatment planning and provide therapy. The culminating experience of the program is a recreational therapy internship through a local agency, preparing you for work in a professional environment. Students of this program graduate well-prepared to apply for licensure to practice as therapists or to find jobs in allied fields.