International Year program (2-Quarter) - Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies

at Study Group - Western Washington University USA

Anthropology is particularly valuable for teachers, because it provides a broad understanding of human behavior, cultural diversity, and learning as a process of social interaction. While the major is tailored for students interested in teaching, graduates can apply their learning to a variety of graduate degrees and careers locally/internationally in both the public and private sectors.

The International Year program is specially designed to prepare international students with the solid foundation needed to succeed in an undergraduate degree at Western Washington University.

You will learn in a supportive environment to develop your academic and English language skills, while adjusting to living and learning in the USA. After successfully completing the program with the required grades, you can continue your undergraduate degree with the confidence to engage and succeed.

Earth Science — Elementary
Geology is the science that provides the key to finding new sources of useful Earth materials and to understanding Earth processes that affect our lives. This degree satisfies the academic major requirement for teacher certification with an endorsement in elementary education. It does not lead to an endorsement in Earth & Space Science.

The International Year program is specially designed to prepare international students with the solid foundation needed to succeed in an undergraduate degree at Western Washington University.

You will learn in a supportive environment to develop your academic and English language skills, while adjusting to living and learning in the USA. After successfully completing the program with the required grades, you can continue your undergraduate degree with the confidence to engage and succeed.

Chemistry/Biology — Secondary

This major is recommended for students interested in becoming secondary school science teachers and must be accompanied by the professional preparation program in secondary education offered through Woodring College of Education. Courses required for a state teaching endorsement must be completed with a grade of C (2.0) or better.

Biology is the study of living organisms. As scientists, biologists have three prime motivations: (1) intellectual curiosity about biological systems, (2) the philosophy that creating and disseminating reliable knowledge has intrinsic worth and (3) the confidence that research into the history of life on earth and how biological systems work can be used to solve problems faced by our society today. Thus, we intend for our intensive academic program to stimulate our students’ curiosity and appetite for life-long learning about biology. 

The International Year program is specially designed to prepare international students with the solid foundation needed to succeed in an undergraduate degree at Western Washington University.

You will learn in a supportive environment to develop your academic and English language skills, while adjusting to living and learning in the USA. After successfully completing the program with the required grades, you can continue your undergraduate degree with the confidence to engage and succeed.

Canadian-American Studies
Canada and the United States share a continent and are linked by deep economic ties, common historical experiences, and many cultural similarities; they are also marked by real and important differences. The Canadian-American Studies major helps students better understand the impact of these similarities and differences, as well as how they affect key cultural, environmental, and economic issues in North America today and in the future.

On its own, the major provides an excellent international and interdisciplinary course of study for students looking for a broad-based, liberal arts education. Through identified specializations, the major is also designed to combine with other majors to add depth and international expertise.

The International Year program is specially designed to prepare international students with the solid foundation needed to succeed in an undergraduate degree at Western Washington University.

You will learn in a supportive environment to develop your academic and English language skills, while adjusting to living and learning in the USA. After successfully completing the program with the required grades, you can continue your undergraduate degree with the confidence to engage and succeed.

Environmental Studies- Elementary
Environmental Studies takes an interdisciplinary and holistic approach to understanding human-environment systems and environmental challenges.

Do you want to use your knowledge and skills to promote positive change in the environment? Do you want to understand the interactions and interdependencies between human and natural systems? Do you want an interdisciplinary education that reflects the complexity of society’s environmental challenges? Do you want to learn to communicate and integrate knowledge across areas of environmental expertise? Then Environmental Studies is the major for you.

The Environmental Studies major includes core classes in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities to prepare our students to integrate knowledge from multiple fields of study. Our students learn to analyze and interpret complex environmental data and communicate environmental information for diverse stakeholders. The Environmental Studies major equips students to succeed as environmental professionals through experiential learning and advanced coursework in each student’s choice of an emphasis.

The International Year program is specially designed to prepare international students with the solid foundation needed to succeed in an undergraduate degree at Western Washington University.

You will learn in a supportive environment to develop your academic and English language skills, while adjusting to living and learning in the USA. After successfully completing the program with the required grades, you can continue your undergraduate degree with the confidence to engage and succeed.

Biology - Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology
The Biology—Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal (EEO) Biology Emphasis degree program focuses on the structure, function, ecology, and evolution of organisms, with an emphasis on plants and animals. A diploma granted under this major will indicate “Bachelor of Science”; official transcripts will indicate Biology—Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology Emphasis.

Western’s Biology programs are based on an integrated conceptual foundation in biology, critical thinking skills, quantitative problem-solving abilities, leadership with team-building skills, and scientific research skills students obtain from lecture and laboratory courses. The foundational principles in the Biology curriculum are ultimately critical for post-baccalaureate studies and future job performance.

Because of the wide array of elective options for this major, the Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology Emphasis is a terrific degree for students interested in careers in field research, veterinary medicine, or pursuing graduate education in ecology biology, evolutionary biology, or organismal biology.

The International Year program is specially designed to prepare international students with the solid foundation needed to succeed in an undergraduate degree at Western Washington University.

You will learn in a supportive environment to develop your academic and English language skills, while adjusting to living and learning in the USA. After successfully completing the program with the required grades, you can continue your undergraduate degree with the confidence to engage and succeed.

Multidisciplinary Studies
Multidisciplinary Studies is designed to integrate a student’s academic interest and skills. Students learn to be integrative thinkers who can see connections in seemingly disparate information, draw on a wide range of knowledge and skills to make decisions, and to communicate effectively with diverse audiences for a variety of purposes and in a variety of settings.

This degree is perfect for returning students and active military/veterans who are looking to complete a higher-level degree to obtain positions that require a minimum of a bachelor's degree. This program is also available to students on the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas with a variety of flexible face-to-face and online course options. Programming and curriculum may vary by location.

The International Year program is specially designed to prepare international students with the solid foundation needed to succeed in an undergraduate degree at Western Washington University.

You will learn in a supportive environment to develop your academic and English language skills, while adjusting to living and learning in the USA. After successfully completing the program with the required grades, you can continue your undergraduate degree with the confidence to engage and succeed.

Dance
Dance majors at WWU are celebrated for their individuality and varied interests within the field of dance and beyond, and are challenged to discover their own artistic voice as performer, choreographer, and scholar.

Dancers at Western engage in a rigorous physical and intellectual understanding of movement art.  Today’s dancers are making and changing history as they reflect on the role of dance in our society through a multi-faceted lens.

WWU Dance majors are contributing to contemporary thinking about dance and art making through in-depth study of dance technique and performance, somatic practices, anatomy and kinesiology, choreography and creative process, dance history, career preparation and entrepreneurial skills, and interdisciplinary study.

The International Year program is specially designed to prepare international students with the solid foundation needed to succeed in an undergraduate degree at Western Washington University.

You will learn in a supportive environment to develop your academic and English language skills, while adjusting to living and learning in the USA. After successfully completing the program with the required grades, you can continue your undergraduate degree with the confidence to engage and succeed.

Business and Sustainability
Western's Business and Sustainability program combines business practices with the principles of sustainability—it is housed in the Department of Management and offered jointly with the Huxley College of the Environment. The program combines three areas of study that give graduates the knowledge and skills to operate in a changing economic and social environment. Students gain:

• A fundamental knowledge of economics, giving them the skills to apply economic analysis to problems in sustainable business faced by modern organizations.
• A fundamental knowledge of environmental science and policy, giving them the ability to understand the social and political climate as well as the scientific issues involved in sustainable business.
• An extensive knowledge of business and management in the context of business sustainability, giving them the basic skills needed to succeed in organizations.

The State of Washington is a leader in responding to environmental issues and Western’s degree in Business and Sustainability is an action component of the state's initiatives.

Geography is the science of place and space. Geographers ask where things are located on the surface of the Earth, why they are located where they are, how places differ from one another, and how people interact with the environment. Geography links the social sciences and natural sciences together, studying the relationships between human activity and natural systems.

Students studying Geography at Western choose courses from both the environmental science and environmental studies departments to fulfill major requirements. Prospective Geography majors are strongly advised to take additional preparatory course work that provides a strong background in chemistry, biology, geology, physics, mathematics, statistics, political science, anthropology, and/or history.