Bachelor of Arts in Chinese Studies

at Shorelight Group - University of South Carolina USA

Visual communicators tell stories. With a major in visual communications, you can learn to tell stories through photography, video, illustration, print publications or electronic design. Our core courses teach you the basics, and as you discover your talents, you choose the electives and out-of-classroom experiences that match your interests.

As a visual communications major, you will use the latest technology in a series of courses that emphasize multimedia production and writing. Later, you can apply your knowledge in an internship with an ad agency, public relations firm, newspaper or magazine, hone your skills and gain valuable hands-on experience in your visual communications specialty. As a senior, you will complete a capstone experience in which you will prepare a multimedia portfolio that will allow you to shine in a competitive job market.

Students pursuing the statistics major take challenging courses with nationally recognized faculty members and pursue the internship and research opportunities that keep statisticians in high demand. As a statistics major, you will develop the ability to perform fundamental statistical analyses, prepare informative graphics for public presentation and use statistical programming languages with applications across a variety of fields.

There are three options under the bachelor's degree with a major in statistics program. You can pursue the general major, the major with emphasis in actuarial mathematics and statistics, or the intensive major. The major with emphasis in actuarial mathematics and statistics is designed for students planning a career as an actuary, while the intensive major is designed for students planning on graduate study in statistics.

The department's 15 faculty members are well-known for teaching and research excellence. As a statistics major, you can also benefit from the university's Center of Reliability and Quality Sciences, where faculty members and students conduct research projects on and off campus. You can also seek out internship opportunities to gain hands-on experience in the field.

As a geophysics major, you will benefit from a combination of quality classroom education, laboratory experience and field-based activities. You will focus on the physics of the earth and its atmosphere, including seismology, oceanography and volcanology.

You will also have the unique opportunity to complete a field-based course to get valuable hands-on experience with practical geophysical techniques for exploring the shallow subsurface. This opportunity synergizes your education in geophysics to understanding the earth's formation in an observational setting.

Psychology is the science of mind and behavior. By participating in one of the most popular majors at the university, you can explore the theoretical and practical aspects of psychology.

As a psychology major, you will benefit from challenging courses led by outstanding faculty members. You may also work with a faculty mentor and explore a variety of research opportunities in the department. Research is generally divided into the areas of cognitive and neural sciences, clinical-community psychology, school psychology and quantitative psychology. You can work with children, adolescents, adults or animals studying phenomena such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, behavioral interventions, decision-making, drugs of abuse, fetal alcohol syndrome, neurodegenerative diseases, cultural aspects of health, physical activity and other aspects of mental health. In addition, we have opportunities for hands-on clinical experience through internships and community practica.

Socrates believed that the unexamined life is not worth living. Our philosophy department helps students examine the world, especially human practices and institutions, in an effort to gain understanding and wisdom.  

Philosophy majors have a wide range of educational opportunities. The department emphasizes analytical reasoning both for general education and as a preparation for pre-law students.

As a philosophy major, you will work with outstanding faculty members who promote study opportunities both at the university and overseas. You will learn how to reason analytically and develop the ability to argue persuasively. Your courses will promote reflection on either the historical developments in philosophy or ethical values as they relate to business, engineering, morality, politics and social justice. You may also choose to pursue research opportunities in nanotechnology.

As companies face ever-increasing challenges around the globe, risk management and insurance become even more important to a business. This major focuses on the methods of developing financial protection against loss with emphasis on insurance principles, solving risk management problems and socioeconomic security programs.

As a risk management and insurance major, you will develop cutting-edge business knowledge and develop a strong foundation in liberal arts and sciences. You will also gain global opportunities, cultural awareness and language appreciation. At the university, you will benefit from continuously updated technology, an award-winning faculty, a team environment, field trips to leading industries and service-learning opportunities. Through internships, you will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the field.

As an anthropology major, you will gain knowledge in four areas: cultural anthropology, archaeology, linguistic anthropology and biological anthropology. You will experience intensive discussion, multimedia engagement and hands-on applications in many classes, while acquiring skills in research methodology and presentation. Anthropology majors also have the opportunity to participate in research and fieldwork, both abroad and locally.

You will develop skills necessary to appreciate the cultural and biological diversity of humans, while learning how to apply this knowledge in a variety of ways. Many unique opportunities await you, such as getting involved with a field school offered each summer in archaeology and ethnology.

U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of South Carolina's Chemical Engineering Program as one of the best in the country. The program also ranks 14th nationally in federally-funded chemical research and development, according to the National Science Foundation.   

Areas of study include:

• Oil, gas, solar wind and other energy
• Advanced material and specialty chemicals
• Pharmaceuticals
• Biotechnology
• Food processing
• Environmental health and safety
• Microeconomics

Design biomedical devices, conduct innovative healthcare research and solve problems using a combination of engineering and medicine.

The Master of Biomedical Engineering program builds deep technical skills through advanced coursework that uniquely combines engineering and biology. You will also learn important business skills by choosing the project management, entrepreneurship or technical track.

• Biomechanics
• Tissue engineering
• Drug development and delivery
• Biomonitoring and Biomeasurements
• Biomaterials

Internationally recognized research projects and first-class instruction are the hallmarks of the biological sciences department.

You will develop a broad base of skills in chemistry, plant and animal science, cellular and molecular biology, ecology and evolution. You will experience lecture-style courses with supplemental laboratories to gain additional hands-on experience. You can also elect to get involved in field research and field classes.

In addition to the challenging standard curriculum, biological sciences majors have the opportunity to be exposed to an unusually strong core of marine sciences.