Bachelor of Science in Family, Community, and Human Development

at Shorelight Group - The University of Utah USA

That catchy jingle, that distinctive symbol or image, and all the other cues we associate with a specific product become embedded in our brains thanks to marketing. Marketing is an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers. Through strategic thinking, business acumen, and carefully-designed communications, marketing specialists ultimately help organizations identify and satisfy customer needs. As a marketing major at the University of Utah, you will study diverse topics such as market research, consumer behavior, advertising, sales and business development, and international marketing, with one goal in mind: learning how to build brands that people want.

Classics program at the University of Utah includes the study of all facets of the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome: their history, philosophy, drama, history of science, textual criticism, religion, archeology, and art history. In addition to comparative genre courses and film courses, Classics studies also include reception theory, Western traditions, and the vast influence of Greek and Roman myths, literature, and culture on contemporary and later literature and theory. Students majoring in Classics choose to specialize in either ancient Greek or Latin language and literature. The program consists of four years of language acquisition with a focus on the phonology (the study and classification of speech sounds), morphology (the study of word forms), grammar, and syntax (how words and phrases are arranged) of Greek and Latin, as well as the literature and poetry of each language. The culminating capstone experience allows the student to choose a specific area and topic for a project which demonstrates their skills in language, theory, and writing. Graduates of the program will leave the university with thorough training in the ancient languages of Greek and Latin and their literatures, preparing students for work in government or private fields, as well as additional schooling at the graduate level.

If you want to pursue your passion for creative expression, consider studying dance. The BFA in Modern Dance at the University of Utah integrates the rigors of intellectual exploration, technical discipline, and creative investigation in order to prepare dancers for the opportunities and challenges of the profession. As a Modern Dance student, you will be part of a contemporary dance community distinguished by its sense of excellence, professionalism, humanism, and a proud commitment to a lively spirit of creative inquiry: the degree is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD) and ranked as one of the top programs in the country. All incoming undergraduate students must audition for admission into the Department of Modern Dance. Upon admission, the curriculum includes courses in movement, technique, improvisation, musical theory, cultural dance forms, and kinesiology. Students also gain experience in teaching methods through practicums in elementary and secondary schools. This coursework ultimately prepares dancers for a professional career in performance, choreography, and teaching.

Political Science studies the world of politics and government – particularly the manner in which people organize, administer, and seek to improve their governments, the privileges and responsibilities of citizenship, and the use and abuse of power. Students who major in political science are interested in understanding how laws and policies affect peoples’ lives and care deeply about community engagement and social change. Through a critical investigation of the political world, political science students learn how to apply concepts and theories, craft compelling arguments, and analyze complex information while grappling with some of the most pressing challenges facing societies around the globe.

If you want to pursue your passion for creative expression, consider studying dance. The BFA in Modern Dance at the University of Utah integrates the rigors of intellectual exploration, technical discipline, and creative investigation in order to prepare dancers for the opportunities and challenges of the profession. As a Modern Dance student, you will be part of a contemporary dance community distinguished by its sense of excellence, professionalism, humanism, and a proud commitment to a lively spirit of creative inquiry: the degree is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD) and ranked as one of the top programs in the country. All incoming undergraduate students must audition for admission into the Department of Modern Dance. Upon admission, the curriculum includes courses in movement, technique, improvisation, musical theory, cultural dance forms, and kinesiology. Students also gain experience in teaching methods through practicums in elementary and secondary schools. This coursework ultimately prepares dancers for a professional career in performance, choreography, and teaching.

If you have a passion for filmmaking and are interested in movies and media, consider studying Film & Media Arts at the University of Utah. This program offers students the opportunity to examine the visual art form that defines our time. Through a series of courses covering the history, aesthetics, and criticism of the motion picture, students gain critical thinking skills and hands-on experience in film and video production. You will be exposed to cinema from around the world, exploring genres such as narrative, documentary, experimental, and animation. Electives in women directors, film diversity, film genres, animation, storyboarding, sound, screenplay writing, and other topics are also available.

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.

Sociology investigates the relationships between social order and social change in three interconnected areas along the scale of individual to global; our personal lives, the communities we live in, and the world as a whole. When examining personal lives, sociologists study deviant behavior, family dynamics, and individuals’ racial, ethnic, gender, and sexual identities. At the community level, sociologists study poverty, prejudice and discrimination, education, corporate and business behavior, the criminal justice system, housing and homelessness, the health care system, and social movements. Finally, at the global level, they review human population dynamics, societal conflict, cultural diversity, socially-induced environmental change, globalization, and modernization.

 The Sociology program consists of five core courses that serve as an introduction to sociological theory and application, research methods, and social statistics. The remainder of the curriculum is comprised of courses from four areas of sociology: Diversity, Globalization, Criminology, and Population and Health, as well as a selection of electives. By the program’s end, graduates have invaluable critical thinking skills and awareness of social issues that affect all areas of modern life. This set of knowledge and skills is necessary to find work in a variety of fields, and invaluable in our increasingly globalized and culturally diverse society.

Conflict exists both within ourselves and in our interpersonal relations: with friends, families, or our community, locally and globally. If you want to be able to recognize and peacefully resolve conflict, consider the Peace & Conflict Studies program at the University of Utah. Offered collaboratively by the College of Humanities, Department of Communication, and College of Social and Behavioral Science, Peace & Conflict Studies will give you the knowledge, skills, and values you need to be a peacemaker in the world. Students in this program choose one of three themes for their studies: Conflict Resolution, Social Justice, or Global Perspectives. Regardless of emphasis area, students take courses in topics like negotiation, poverty and inequality, international affairs and human rights, world religions and politics, and the economics of race and gender. The culminating experiences of the program include a capstone course, seminar, and required internship. Through your studies, you will develop your communication, social awareness, and critical thinking skills, enabling you to pursue careers in a number of fields.

Do you have a passion for numbers, analysis, and theory? Consider majoring in mathematics. This degree provides students with excellent quantitative and analytical skills, and a math degree is the perfect stepping stone for a countless number of careers. Mathematics, with its origins in algebra and geometry, has continued to grow in numerous directions including probability, statistics, numerical analysis, decision making, cryptography, finance, and more. It is the foundation for much of science, engineering, and computing.