Bachelor of General Studies in Religious Studies

at Shorelight Group - University of Kansas USA

The Department of Architecture emphasizes design education through diverse experiences which include learning through making, collaborative research, and community engagement. Our mission is to provide our graduates with an educational foundation for exemplary professional practice and personal career fulfillment; to prepare them to be critical thinkers and problem solvers who will serve, enrich, and sustain their professions and communities.

The bachelor's degree in physical education (PE) plus at the University of Kansas prepares individuals to become PE teachers at the pre-kindergarten through the 12th grade levels. The PE plus program also prepares graduates to pursue a licensure endorsement (by KSDE examination) in a variety of areas, or earn a minor in business or sport management.

Students prepare for a career in the area of geographic information science and problem solving using a variety of spatial analysis techniques. Basic requirements include preparation in mathematics, science and computer science. Advanced course work includes work in cartography, GIS, remote sensing, spatial statistics, spatial analysis and data presentation and visualization. In addition, students are expected to take some coursework in one of the other areas of geography (physical, human, and regional).

In the Department of Visual Art, you get the best of both worlds. You will work side by side with world-class, practicing artists. Small classes provide time for directed and individual instruction and space for developing big ideas. You can explore all seven studio areas to create an education as individual as you are.

The Bachelor of Arts in Visual Art is a four-year, 120 credit hour degree program. The B.A. in Visual Art is a more traditional liberal arts undergraduate degree, requiring only 24 credit hours in Visual Art beyond the Foundations, as opposed to the 49 required by the more art intensive B.F.A. Because of this, students interested in pursuing a double major may find it easier to pair the B.A. with other more traditional undergraduate degrees. Popular double majors in Visual Art include: Visual Art/Psychology; Visual Art/Chemistry; Visual Art/Museum Studies.

The first year is spent in Foundations where students focus on the development of their creative and technical skills.

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.

The B.A. degree in German Studies offers students a diverse program in the language, culture, and history of German-speaking Europe, including the study of literature, the arts, business, politics, linguistics, and the history and culture of German migrants living in diaspora. The Minor in German Studies provides undergraduate students with a comprehensive introduction to the language and cultural forms of German-speaking Europe.

The String Area is comprised of nationally and internationally recognized artists. Students study with faculty who are in demand as featured soloists with orchestras and chamber ensembles throughout the United States and the world, and who are equally active as university faculty and master class teachers.

All four faculty members have a wide experience in symphonic and chamber music, as well as an extensive list of solo performances. Orchestras in which they have participated include the Cleveland Orchestra, Utah Symphony, and Montreal Symphony. Their music festival appearances include the Aspen Music Festival, Yellow Barn Music Festival in Vermont, Tanglewood Music Center, Spoleto Festival, and International Musical Arts Institute.

KU string alumni have gone on to important teaching and performance careers and have appeared as soloists with orchestras throughout the region, as well as nationally. They currently serve on faculties at universities such as Penn Sate University, Mercer University (GA), Harrisburg University (PA), and the University of Utah (Logan). They are members of professional orchestras, such as the Buffalo Philharmonic, Utah Symphony, New Zealand Symphony, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, and the Kansas City Symphony.

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.

The B.A. Option in Italian is a program consisting of eight, three-credit courses in which students pursue studies in Italian beyond the beginning and intermediate levels. In consultation with departmental advisors, students combine their work with other academic disciplines and develop particular strengths and interests in Italian literature, language, and culture. Students pursuing the B.A. Option in Italian are strongly encouraged to study abroad.

Honors in Italian
Students may graduate with honors in Italian by completing 3 hours of ITAL 499 and one approved 3-hour course in a relevant field in addition to the 24-hour requirement for the option. Consult the department early in the junior year. To begin honors work and to graduate with honors, students must have minimum grade-point averages of 3.25 in all courses and 3.5 in Italian.

Does learning about the past fascinate you ? Do you want to know more about different cultures around the globe ? Pursuing a History major or minor will help you gain a better understanding of yourself and the world around you by exploring the past, comprehending the present and building a successful future.

Why History?

• Useful: The research, writing, analytical and communications skills you will gain with a history major will carry over to many future career options. 
• Welcoming: We draw no boundaries between what you may and may not study, from labor, literature and art to war and rebellion. History shares students from a wide range of disciplines such as Environmental Studies, African and African American Studies and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
• Flexible: Because few courses have sequential prerequisites, History is easy to take as a minor or as a second major.
• Worldly: History is excellent preparation for travel and work abroad, and around thirty majors yearly participate in KU’s Study Abroad program. 
• Intimate: Courses in the department are usually small, and the larger courses always include trained Graduate Teaching Assistants to give individual attention and feedback.