Bachelor of General Studies in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies

at Shorelight Group - University of Kansas USA

The Environmental Studies Program at the University of Kansas, established in 1971, is one of the oldest environmental studies programs in the country. It is an interdisciplinary program, with faculty from professional schools, natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

The program provides students with the tools they need to investigate environmental phenomena, including soil sampling and freshwater ecology to policy-making and social science. Environmental Studies students learn how to put together what other disciplines take apart.

The bachelor's degree in secondary history and government teacher education at the University of Kansas prepares individuals to teach in both middle school and high school classrooms. History and government is also commonly known as social studies. The teacher education program combines history, political science, and geography courses and professional education coursework with multiple field experiences in diverse communities.

Russian is spoken by upwards of 170 million people in Russia, a country that covers one eighth of the world's landmass and that spans eleven time zones across Europe and Asia. Russian is also widely spoken as a second language throughout Eastern Europe and Central Asia, making it the fourth most widely spoken language in the world, and thus one of only six official languages of the United Nations. It is the language of some of the world's greatest scientists (including Mendeleev, creator of the periodic table of elements), musicians (including Tchaikovsky, composer of Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and The 1812 Overture), and writers (including Tolstoy, author of War and Peace, and Dostoevsky, author of Crime and Punishment). Study of Russian opens up a myriad of career opportunities in fields ranging from business to diplomacy to environmental studies to technology and cultural exchange.

Chinese
In a few short weeks, CHIN 104: Elementary Chinese language students know their four tones and can speak beautifully about basic topics of daily life. Learning characters, the challenging but fun aspect of Chinese, starts slowly the first year, then accelerates the second and third years of study. Advanced-level students from KU can read newspapers and contemporary fiction by the time they graduate; graduating majors are fluent in Chinese.

Japanese
Often considered the "Gateway to the East," Japan is a center for commerce, trade, education, and culture in East Asia. KU alums with Japanese language skills have followed career paths such as acting for Japanese television, banking in Tokyo, and working as a legal expert for Microsoft, as well as many who pursued graduate work in Japanese culture and history. Beyond the practical advantages, studying Japanese possesses its own intrinsic rewards: learning one of the world's most complex languages exercises the mind in unique ways. Japanese language students are never bored!

Korean
Although Korean has been a spoken language for several thousand years, the development of its phonetic alphabet in 1446, hangul, made it the easiest East Asian language to master. Today Korean is the 11th most spoken language in the world. More than half of Korean's vocabulary can be traced to Chinese, and the structure and grammar are similar to Japanese. KU is the only institution in Kansas that teaches intermediate and advanced Korean language courses.

Communication skills, creativity and critical thinking are among the most in-demand skills for successful employees. KU’s literature, language and writing undergraduate programs develop life-long writing, communication and critical thinking skills that set you up for advanced degrees and professional achievement in a wide range of fields. Here are a few of the ways professionals with a background in literature, language and writing apply their knowledge in the working world:

• Technical writing, such as instructional manuals, project proposals or business correspondence
• Editing print or electronic materials to ensure accuracy, correct spelling and grammar
• Creating, assigning and collaborating on marketing materials and campaigns
• Providing clear, constructive critical feedback on projects and proposals
• Writing compelling speeches or public messaging
• Authoring of books, articles or other media and literature; journalism
• Library science

In the Department of Applied Behavioral Science, we understand that an equitable and safe multiracial, multiethnic, and multicultural environment produces innovative thinking, research, and learning. We seek to provide an environment for learning and working where differences are valued and each person in the ABS community is supported and offered an equitable opportunity – irrespective of national origin, age, sex, health status, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, or disability – to achieve their academic and professional goals. These efforts are led by our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and are supported by our faculty and staff.

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 bachelor's degree in foreign language education at the University of Kansas prepares individuals to teach foreign language to children and adolescents in PK-12 settings. The program serves both native language speakers, as well as second language speakers, and allows students to select from five different language options: French, German, Latin, and Spanish. The foreign language program combines general education, professional education, and language-specific courses with multiple field experiences in diverse communities.

Each Human Biology concentration offers major-level courses in topical categories that allow students to focus on areas that interest them most while retaining the interdisciplinary manner of the major. 

The broad nature of the Human Biology major can prepare students for a variety of post-undergraduate opportunities.  Our Human Biology majors go on to graduate school, medical or another health professional school, and careers ranging from laboratory technicians, biomedical product commercial developers and sales representatives, and teachers.

Computer engineers combine expertise in software design and implementation with fundamental engineering skills - a highly valuable skill set. They design and maintain websites, networks, massive databases, and other applications, in the process developing and integrating new software and hardware. Computer engineers specialize in the development of computer systems designed to carry out specific functions in real-time, known as embedded systems, which operate airplanes, cell phones, vending machines, medical equipment, etc. Their vast computing knowledge and problem solving skills make computer engineers an invaluable asset to industry. As individuals and corporations become more dependent on computers, there is an abundant need for well-trained computer engineers.