Undergraduate Academic Accelerator Pathway (2-Term) - Bachelor of Arts in Family, Community, and Human Development

at Shorelight Group - The University of Utah USA

Religious studies scholars examine religions from the perspective of a religion’s followers, studying the similarities, differences, and core tenets of a belief system. If you want to gain a broader understanding of religions and their traditions, consider the Religious Studies program at the University of Utah. Courses of study include Jewish Studies, Coptic Studies, Western Christianity, Islam Studies, Mormon Studies, and Religion & Conflict. Through critical analysis and discussion of these faiths, students will learn how theology shapes individuals and communities across the globe. Regardless of emphasis area, the Religious Studies program consists of courses from 13 departments: English, History, Communication, Philosophy, World Languages & Cultures, Political Science, Social Work, Sociology, Anthropology, Art & Art History, Theatre, Health Promotion & Education, and the Middle East Center. Within these fields, religious studies courses are divided into four areas: Text and Literature, Theory and Methodology, Art, Culture and Society, and World Religions. The culminating experience of the program is a capstone seminar, a student-conducted research project that demonstrates your knowledge and skills in religious studies. Graduates of the program are ultimately equipped with social awareness and theological knowledge that can be used in a variety of careers.

Biology is the study of life: the cells, physiology, and behavior of all living things. The biological sciences impact almost every aspect of modern life and interface with a multitude of fields and disciplines, including the basic sciences and medicine, social sciences, law, and engineering. This makes studying biology an ideal preparation for a wide range of careers. The Department of Biology at the University of Utah offers a wide range of courses involving field, laboratory, lecture, and library experience. Students pursuing a degree in Biology may complete one of the following emphases:

• Anatomy & Physiology
• Biochemistry
• Cell & Molecular Biology
• Ecology, Evolution and Environment
• Genetics and Genomics
• Microbiology
• Neurobiology
• Plant Biology

Chemistry is the study of matter, what it is made of, how it changes, and how it can be turned into new substances. Chemistry is central to our search for answers as we explore our world. "What is it?" "How much is there?" "How does this work?" "Why does it do that?" If you’ve ever asked any of these questions, consider studying chemistry to find the solutions. The department offers nine emphasis areas to choose from, and Chemistry is the only department at the U to allow students to declare two emphases.

Available tracks include:

• Atmospheric & Environmental Chemistry
• Biology
• Business
• Chemical Engineering
• Geology
• Material Sciences and Engineering
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Professional Chemistry (the traditional chemistry curriculum)
• Teaching

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.

Gender Studies is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on interactions of gender with race, class, sexual orientation, and nationality. In addition to its focus on the history and achievements of women, gender scholarship has inspired research and curricula that address men’s lives, masculinity, and the lives of people who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. The University of Utah Gender Studies Division offers a space for the study of a wide range of feminist thought and practices: theory and community-engaged learning; activism and professional development; lively debate and professional skill building. Pursue your passions!

Help improve the lives of others and enter an exciting career in healthcare with the Nursing degree. Nurses provide preventative and life-saving health treatment to patients and their families in a variety of environments. The University of Utah’s nursing program prepares students to be generalists in clinical settings, entry-level administrative positions, or to pursue graduate work in nursing. The Nursing degree offers three tracks: the Pre-licensure BS (for students who don’t have a nursing license), the Post-licensure BS (for students who have an associate’s degree), and the Early Assurance Program (for high school seniors and college freshmen with less than 30 credits). Regardless of educational background and prior experience, all nursing students complete coursework in general health, public health, evidence-based medical practice, and systems and populations. The curriculum also requires several hours of clincal work in area healthcare facilities, providing you with vital hands-on practice in your field. Whether you are a registered nurse returning to school to earn a baccalaureate degree, or if you are a new student with no prior nursing experience, this program will give you the theoretical knowledge and hands-on training you need to excel as a nurse.

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.

Communication is much more than just the written word. Communication is also verbal or non-verbal, and it takes place at both an interpersonal and mass scale. With the University of Utah’s Communication program, students learn how to be effective communicators for all different types of audiences. Communication is a diverse discipline and offers a variety of skills to prepare students for their careers. Through a combination of theoretical and technical training, the Communication program allows students to develop a comprehensive portfolio to market themselves to the industry. If you want to focus your studies on a particular area, you can pursue an emphasis in one of the following emphases:

• Communication Studies
• Journalism
• Science, Health, Environmental, and Risk Communication
• Strategic Communication

Civil Engineering Computer Engineering includes the design, implementation, and programming of digital computers and computer-controlled electronic systems. Computer engineers do everything from write operating systems software to design next-generation microprocessors. The School of Computing and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering jointly offer a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering, allowing students to pursue their passions by taking classes from either department. The program is a software- and hardware-oriented degree with courses offered by both the School of Computing and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The culminating experience of the program includes a semester capstone or an alternative yearlong project. Computer engineers are in demand, and students who graduate from the program will enter the industry with valuable knowledge in both the hardware and the software aspects of computing.

A degree in accounting offers students the chance to move beyond merely tracking a company’s income and assets. With this program, you can learn how to budget and manage money for a business, ensure that a firm is spending money wisely by making sound investments, file taxes for a corporation, and ultimately understand how a business operates and sustains itself financially. In addition to core business courses, accounting majors take classes in financial and managerial accounting, tax accounting, and accounting information systems.