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

at Shorelight Group - The University of Utah USA

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.

Pursue your passion for dramatic expression and creative exploration with the Theatre BFA. The program offers four emphasis areas: the Actor Training Program (ATP), the Musical Theatre Program (MTP), the Performing Arts Design Program (PADP), and the Stage Management Program. The program curriculum is then specialized to each emphasis area. ATP and MTP students must audition for admission to their respective programs, and from there they receive training in various acting, singing, and movement topics, while the other Theatre BFA programs require an application. PADP students complete coursework in costume, scenery, lighting, and sound design, while Stage Management students take classes in production, stage directing, and stagecraft. If you are interested in becoming a theatre teacher, you can also complete the Theatre Teaching major.

The University of Utah’s Department of Ballet is consistently recognized as one of the top programs in the country, and it is additionally accredited by the National Association of the Schools of Dance (NASD). The Ballet BFA is for serious students interested in a career in ballet or other dance-related fields and requires discipline, dedication, and a willingness to contribute to a collegial and effective learning environment. Honoring and encouraging both creative and scholarly research, the comprehensive curriculum ultimately prepares graduates to successfully pursue a career within the field of dance. This degree offers a balanced course of study that may include an emphasis in Ballet Teaching or a certificate in Studio Teaching. Students must audition before they can be admitted to the ballet program. Upon admission, courses include numerous ‘in studio’ classes as well as critical thinking and creative process classes. An understanding of dance history, pedagogy, kinesiology, and choreographic process is taught simultaneously with concepts in technique, pointe, men’s class, and partnering to prepare students for a career in various facets of the dance field. Students interested in studying Ballet must audition for the program. Audition and admissions information can be found on the School of Dance webpage. 

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.

Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Oprah, Ariana Huffington—all are famous for their business skill and acumen. If you want to put your business abilities to the test and join the ranks of these innovators, considering studying entrepreneurship. The undergraduate Entrepreneurship program at the University of Utah prepares students to pursue and create business opportunities of all kinds. Students learn to follow trends, identify emerging opportunities, and pursue those possibilities through the creation of new products, services, and companies. Core entrepreneurship courses in the program include application and theory of leadership, discovery of market opportunities, creation of new business opportunities, testing and validation of business models and venture concepts, intrapreneurship, and marketing.

Metallurgical engineering involves the study, innovation, design, implementation, and improvement of processes that transform mineral resources and metals into useful products that improve the quality of our lives. This includes processing materials, like metals and alloys, to extract, refine and recycle metals. Without metallurgical engineering, we would not have the components we need to build buildings, aircraft, trains, ships, or even mountain bikes. Accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, the Metallurgical Engineering curriculum consists of coursework across the three main areas of metallurgy: mineral processing, chemical metallurgy, and physical metallurgy. Additional classes cover topics like metallurgical thermodynamics, fluid flow, kinetics, and heat and mass transport, as well as the general sciences (chemistry, engineering, physics, and math). Because society is so dependent on metals, metallurgical engineering has become an increasingly important area of study: continued economic and technical progress will depend on further advances in metal and mineral technology. This program additionally offers students the option to complete one of 6 emphases, allowing them to tailor their program to best fit their strengths and interests.

Students majoring or minoring in Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies (CLCS) compare multiple literatures and cultures within the framework of a single degree. As a CLCS student, you will explore themes across cultures and time periods, compare national literatures and cultures, learn and apply international literary and cultural theories, and analyze diverse types of texts (literary, visual, musical, etc.) produced in multiple cultural spheres.

Speech and Hearing Science professionals evaluate, diagnose, and treat individuals with speech and hearing disorders, such as disorders of communication, the voice, swallowing, and cognition. The undergraduate major in Speech & Hearing Science (SPHS) is a pre-professional degree for speech language pathology and/or audiology. Students in the program complete courses in phonetics, anatomy and physiology of speech and hearing, language science, pediatric and medical speech-language pathology, hearing disorders and evaluation, and psychometrics (measuring mental abilities and processes). Electives in allied fields -biology, physics, and psychology, for example- are also required, along with 25 hours of field experience observing treatment practices for speech, language, and hearing. Students who complete this program earn a BS in Speech and Hearing Science and are then prepared to enter graduate programs in the field: a master's degree is required for professional practice in speech-language pathology, and a doctor of audiology (AuD) is required for professional practice in audiology.

If you want to explore all theatre has to offer and even develop your own new works for the stage, consider the Theatre BA through the University of Utah. Through coursework in the fundamentals of theatre—acting, design, stage management, and other topics—and play development, students will graduate prepared to pursue careers in the theatre. The curriculum core offers classes in production, scenography, script analysis, the history of theatre, stage directing, playwriting, stage management, dramaturgy (the theory and practice of dramatic composition), readings in dramatic literature, and additional electives in theatre topics. The critical thinking skills, human understanding, and confidence that students receive from the Theatre program can also be applied to a wide number of other fields.

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.