Bachelor of Arts, Major in Liberal Studies

at University of St. Francis USA

The Criminal & Social Justice major at the University of St. Francis offers students an exciting alternative to a traditional criminal justice program by offering the opportunity to build a concentration in one of several specializations. The focus of the program goes beyond the criminal justice system and examines historical, social, and legal barriers to creating a more just society. Students are educated about the structure and process of the criminal justice system with a holistic, Catholic social justice perspective.

Writing skills, ethics and integrity, service and social justice are emphasized to prepare students for a profession where these traits and skills are in high demand. The program seeks to provide students with a broad liberal arts foundation challenged by Franciscan values, and engage them in the continuous pursuit of knowledge, faith, wisdom, and justice. Students will explore and understand societal issues that lead to criminal behavior, and will learn theoretical and practical knowledge of the structures, processes, and functions of the criminal justice institutions and their relationship to other social systems.

On the front page, on the home page, on camera, or behind the microphone… these are just a few of the places you’ll find University of St. Francis Communication & Media Arts (CMMA) majors.

Communication & Media Arts is a broad field that touches on every aspect of human social behavior. Along with traditional communication theory, media writing, and broadcast/print production, you will learn about new and emerging electronic media. Digital media, wikis, video sharing, podcasts, blogs and social media are altering the way we communicate. In CMMA you will explore the fast-changing fields of advertising, public relations, journalism and broadcasting.

Students are encouraged to “jump in with both feet” from the moment they step on campus by:

• Writing articles or taking photos for the USF Encounter student news magazine
• Filling air shifts on USF’s radio station, WCSF 88.7 FM
• Creating graphics for a television or video production
• Producing on-location video news stories
• Designing websites for the community and completing real world projects
• Developing storytelling techniques for social media

As an International Business major, you’ll develop strategic and critical thinking skills through a degree that combines courses in business, foreign language, and area studies. Courses are designed to enhance a student’s marketability to a variety of global organizations. Students are encouraged to study abroad to maximize their learning.

As you study, you’ll learn about currency exchange, global capital investment strategies, global strategy development, financial planning and cultural/gender issues in business. You’ll create an integrated global marketing communication plan, including strategies and measures of effectiveness across all mediums. Finally, you’ll collect, process and analyze data to better understand database management and marketing.

International business students at USF also have access to more than two dozen international educational opportunities.

As an added benefit, seniors who feel inspired to keep studying to obtain an MBA or M.S. degree may take graduate-level courses during their last two semesters for dual undergraduate and graduate credit. That means students can take nine graduate-level credit hours during senior year, and can complete their MBA or M.S. one year after graduating if they attend full time. See course catalog for additional details about the “3 to Degree” program.

The Mathematics and Computer Science Program is a blend of courses from these two disciplines, designed to provide the student with the essential theoretical and practical elements of computer science as well as a significant background in mathematical theory and reasoning.

The Mathematics and Computer Science major is for students who like to develop scientific applications or applications that require use of higher mathematics. Businesses and agencies need specialized tasks for their employees and customers on computers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the mean annual salary for those in computer and mathematical occupations as $89,810.

At the University of St. Francis, there are student computer labs on campus located in most academic buildings. In addition to the general-purpose labs, there are discipline-specific labs for Computer Science, including a data communications lab. Additionally, the Computer Club provides opportunities for students to present their work and experiences from internships. Through this club, speakers from various industries present on topics of interest to Mathematics and Computer Science students.

The Criminal & Social Justice major at the University of St. Francis offers students an exciting alternative to a traditional criminal justice program by offering the opportunity to build a concentration in one of several specializations. The focus of the program goes beyond the criminal justice system and examines historical, social, and legal barriers to creating a more just society. Students are educated about the structure and process of the criminal justice system with a holistic, Catholic social justice perspective.

Writing skills, ethics and integrity, service and social justice are emphasized to prepare students for a profession where these traits and skills are in high demand. The program seeks to provide students with a broad liberal arts foundation challenged by Franciscan values, and engage them in the continuous pursuit of knowledge, faith, wisdom, and justice. Students will explore and understand societal issues that lead to criminal behavior, and will learn theoretical and practical knowledge of the structures, processes, and functions of the criminal justice institutions and their relationship to other social systems.

Concentrations

• Forensics
• Language & Cultural Diversity
• Law & Politics
• Leadership
• Psychology
• Social Work

Radiography is an allied health profession that employs X-radiation to produce images of the human body. The B.S. in Radiography at USF is a “2+2 program.” This means participating students will complete two years of liberal and pre-professional science education courses at USF before applying for admission to a professional program at Swedish American Health System in Rockford, Illinois or Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. (Admission to the professional education component is controlled by the sponsoring hospitals.)

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the median national annual wage for radiologic technologists, also known as radiographers, was $60,070 in 2017. According to the BLS, there will be a projected 13 percent rise in employment for radiographers by 2026, which is a faster-than-average growth rate compared to all occupations.

At the University of St. Francis, students benefit from small, intimate classes where they can work closely with professors. Most importantly, USF prepares students for successful careers in radiography and the allied health professions.

The Master of Business Administration, or MBA, is the most popular educational path for graduate students in the United States. It is popular because of its value in business, industry, non-profit organizations, and public institutions. Chicago MBA

The USF Master of Business Administration (MBA) is available entirely online or in a hybrid program (with a mix of online and on-campus courses), depending on your needs. It is a competitive, technologically focused, global approach to management and business.

USF’s relevant and on-trend curriculum focuses on:

• Global and competitive challenges
• The value chain of business
• Analytical thinking
• Leadership and decision making

If you are interested in how and why people make the choices they make then economics is your degree. As a combination of psychology, finance, business, and government, a degree in economics is incredibly useful and can lead to many interesting career choices.

Economics is a social science and graduates with an “econ” degree are in high demand. It provides you with a useful skill set and background for careers in business, finance, banking, government policy, or development.

The USF science faculty is committed to the success of Biology majors, which is proven by the fact that more than 97 percent of natural science students obtain employment or enter graduate school within six months of graduating. The new LaVerne and Dorothy Brown Science Hall offers a unique, state-of-the-art learning environment where students will have top scientific labs, tools and resources at their fingertips and interaction with faculty and peers is made more effective through the clustering of programs in the building.

As a biology major, you will use biological models and simulation to understand complex biological systems. A main goal of the Biology program is to enable students to use the scientific method to formulate testable hypotheses, design appropriate experiments, analyze quantitative and qualitative data and draw appropriate conclusions in biological sciences.

You’ll do research and report on your findings using scientific literature. Through your courses, you’ll integrate and relate information from biology, chem­istry, physics, mathematics, and the liberal arts to make meaningful connections to society and the natural world and to apply this knowledge to new situations.

Business analytics refers to the skills, technologies, practices for continuous iterative exploration and investigation of past business performance to gain insight and drive business planning. Business analytics focuses on developing new insights and understanding of business performance based on data and statistical methods.

Business analytics depends on data quality, the skill of analysts who understand the technologies and the business, and an organizational commitment to using data to gain insights that inform business decisions. Business analytics makes extensive
use of analytical modeling and numerical analysis, including explanatory and predictive modeling, and fact-based management to drive decision making.  Analytics may be used as input for human decisions or may drive fully automated decisions.

Business Analytics is a growing degree at most universities and is needed in the business environment. Students need Business Analytics programs and courses to support their business success in the marketplace while they identify and analyze patterns in data via visualization, statistical analysis, and data analytics.

Business Analytics (B.S.) Business analytics is the iterative, methodical exploration of an organization’s data, with an emphasis on statistical analysis. Business analytics is used to make data-informed decisions. Business analytics depends on data quality, skilled analysts who understand the technologies and the business, and an organizational commitment to using data to gain insights that inform business decisions. Business analytics makes extensive use of analytical modeling and numerical analysis, including explanatory and predictive modeling, and fact-based management to drive decision making. Analytics may be used as input for human decisions or may drive fully automated decisions.