Bachelor of Arts in Geology

at Shorelight Group - University of Kansas USA

In philosophy we ask big, important questions. While asking such questions is easy, answering them is difficult. Because these questions are often abstract and vague, it is necessary to use precise reasoning and analysis to clarify what exactly it is we are asking. Only then can we attempt to develop answers. For example:

• What is the morally right thing to do?
• What is the nature of the mind?
• When can we know something, rather than merely believing it?
• Do the sciences exhaust what can be known about the natural world?
• What is justice?
• What assumptions do we make when we try to answer questions like these?
• Plus many, many others...

In studying philosophy, you will learn what others have thought about life's big questions. You will also learn to challenge those views, and to develop your own thoughts in a precise, logical manner. Philosophy will help you develop critical thinking skills, enabling you to analyze the underlying logic and assumptions in arguments about a variety of topics. This is a skill that generalizes to virtually every area of life.

The Communication Studies undergraduate major equips students with a diversity of skill sets by investigating communication in various cultural contexts, including relational, organizational, intercultural, political, and more.

In an increasingly globalized world, competent communication is crucial for career advancement, interpersonal relationships, and public democratic participation. Here’s what we know: humans rely on communication, and the creation and translation of symbols, language, and messages are integral to daily interactions. In other words, communication connects us.

The major expands on fundamental public speaking principles from the introductory course through emphasizing theories, methods, performances that apply to everyday communication practices.

The KU Jazz Studies Program has both performance and academic components, including three big bands, seven combos, and classes in arranging, improvisation, jazz history, jazz theory and jazz pedagogy.  KU Jazz groups and individual students have distinguished national credentials, winning 22 Down Beat Student Music Awards since 1992. With the generous support of the Gregory Harding Memorial Jazz Fund and the Lipscomb Jazz Fund, the Jazz Studies Program also sponsors clinics and master classes during the academic year. Past artists include Michael Brecker, Jerry Bergonzi, Hal Galper, Dr. Billy Taylor, Wynton Marsalis, Jim McNeely, Peter Erskine, Maria Schneider, Dave Douglas, John Fedchock, John Abercrombie, Gary Foster, Kenny Werner, Vince Mendoza, Greg Osby, and many others.

The KU School of Music now offers a Bachelor of Arts degree with a Jazz Studies concentration.  Students in the degree program perform in the KU Jazz Ensembles and Jazz Combos, study privately with KU studio faculty and jazz lecturers, and take courses in jazz studies along with other music courses and liberal arts classes.

Position yourself as a leader and gain skills to effectively manage an organization. With various track options, you can customize your degree based on your interests.

Students studying management and leadership will gain a mix of theoretical and practical management knowledge and skills that will enable them to work as professional managers, HR professionals and business leaders. Tracks within the major allow students to specialize in specific areas of interest, including organizational leadership, entrepreneurship, and human resources.

Medical laboratory scientists are the specialized health care professionals that test patient specimens to help detect, diagnose and treat illness and monitor health. From wellness checks to the COVID-19 pandemic, medical laboratory scientists use sophisticated instruments to analyze blood and other body tissue and fluids to investigate events that make headlines all over the world.

As a student of KU's Clinical Laboratory Sciences (CLS), you'll prepare for hands-on work in clinical laboratories and will have opportunities for interprofessional collaboration working with doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals.

Working closely alongside our talented faculty, you'll build essential communication skills to explain complex information to your peers and the health care team. Our program's graduates are more confident in their first professional job because of the varied and broad experiences they've had within the KU CLS program.

To study with the KU School of Music’s Theory and Composition (MTHC) Area is to engage the passions, both musical and intellectual, of six composers and scholars who have each earned national and international recognition for their contributions to the discipline.

Working with faculty in the division, you will be able to pursue a wide range of scholarly interests and musical styles. Our specialists in music theory research and teach a wide breadth of approaches on diverse subjects. In addition to critical assessment of the standard common-practice and contemporary repertoires, students have the opportunity to learn about specific fields of faculty expertise, including film music, philosophy and critical theory, rhythm and meter, and modern rock music.

Our composers in the division are also skilled teachers who can help you refine your craft and develop your unique compositional voice. Among their vast and varied portfolios, they have each made significant contributions in producing new music for a wide range of genres, including works for wind band and orchestra, opera and choral music, instrumental and vocal chamber music, music for film, and electronic music (particularly involving live performance).

While the pandemic has changed the way KU delivers a world-class education, our Chemistry students and faculty continue to passionately pursue their goals to advance discovery and change the world. Your support of KU Chemistry is always needed, but even more important right now.

The bachelor's degree in secondary English teacher education at the University of Kansas prepares pre-service educators to teach adolescents in both middle school and high school classrooms. The program combines literature-based theory and knowledge with culturally diverse readings and discussions. In addition to the course offerings in the School of Education and Human Sciences, courses taught by faculty from the Department of English offer students learning options in rhetoric, linguistics and literature.

Civil engineering, the oldest and broadest of the divisions of engineering, implements a range of public and private projects for improving society’s physical infrastructure and the environment. Civil engineers specializing in environmental engineering integrates scientific principles with engineering experience to plan, design, and construct environmental pollution control systems, storm water systems, and  water purification and distribution systems that maintain, protect, and enhance the quality of life. Like all civil engineers,  those specializing in environmental engineering are trained to consider the societal effects as well as the physical and environmental factors that constrain the planning, design, construction, and operation of their projects. 

The undergraduate program gives students the theoretical background, instruction in the engineering application of scientific principles, and professional attitude to serve the public. It typically leads to entry-level positions or to graduate work in technical specialties, business administration, or other professions.

In addition to environmental pollution control and water resources systems, courses that address the behavior and design of steel and reinforced concrete structures, foundations, and surface transportation systems are integrated into the curriculum, culminating in a series of senior-level professional design courses. These simulate the design processes used in the major areas of civil engineering and prepare students for entry-level positions. Most faculty members are licensed professional engineers. KU graduates have successful records in professional practice, research in academic institutions, government and private laboratories, and in managing firms and corporations of all sizes.

The B.A. degree with a major in chemistry is designed for the student who desires to obtain knowledge of the fundamental principles of chemistry and at the same time wishes to obtain substantial knowledge of a number of other fields of learning. The curriculum is based on a high school background which includes at least one and one-half years of algebra and one year of geometry. High school courses in chemistry and physics are very desirable but not required.