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Humanities (also know as social sciences or studies) are a group of disciplines that study human aspects of the world and that tend to emphasize the use of the scientific method in the study of humanity. Humanities are a wide field of studies including different majors such as: Foreign Languages and Literatures, Geography, History, Anthropology, International Relations, International Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Peace Studies, Psychology, Sociology etc. Humanities involve critical thinking more than other majors. In order to understand what you are studying and develop your skills, you should be able to train your mind to criticize theories, give your own opinion about facts or simply join class discussions about many different topics.
If you choose one of the major related to Foreign Languages, Literature, Philosophy, History or Geography you should like to read and to write and, of course, you should have been good at those subjects during the high school years.
While if you choose something related to Political Science or International Studies you should be interested in politics, human rights and woman rights development, foreign cultures and histories. With this sort of major you are likely to work in a non governmental organization, in the public administration, or as a foreign correspondent, policy analyst, political scientist, diplomat or foreign service officer.
Humanities and Social Science is the most diverse interest area and covers many essential professions that are needed in Myanmar. High quality study in the humanities is not readily available in Myanmar at university level. As a result, there are not many people who obtain their qualifications from in the country and many choose to study abroad. One reason universities may not focus on the humanities and social science much is that this interest area is perceived to be non-essential. This is far from reality.
Graduates with humanities and social science degrees will become leading economists, historians, teachers, politicians, geographers, and philosophers—just to name a few professions! Many people want to study in the humanities and social science abroad because they get an international perspective that will help them to better understand the pressures on Myanmar as it tries to fit into an increasingly globalized world. Many people will become researchers or consultants with businesses, organizations or government departments, others may become professors, researchers and authors.
Humanities and social science majors are important for Myanmar because they provide understanding that will become the basis for progress. People study humanities majors and learn to integrate information, ideas, and opinions from a variety of sources and perspectives. The study of the humanities and social science teaches one how to study and look at how the past developed and how it has impacted today’s world. The humanities and social science allows people of different cultures to communicate and understand their sometimes common pasts but present differences. The humanities and social science show how different disciplines affect and complement one another. With an education in the humanities and social science, people will benefit Myanmar by becoming more culturally informed global citizens.
Why is the subject you studied (or are studying now) important for Myanmar?
Southeast Asia Studies
I am now studying the Southeast Asia Studies major. First of all, so many countries including those in Southeast Asia region changed a lot due to termination of cold war, globalization and decentralization process impacting the whole world. Many problems and difficulties facing the countries in the region are not occurring within the boundary of one country. Such a worldwide or globalized crisis as migration has to be solved in a global context not only in a manner of regional associations but also in the way of concerted efforts among parties concerned. Whenever you try to solve these uncountable problems, you need to take into account so many factors not only in the local basis, but also regional and even with a global point of view.
Why is the subject you studied (or are studying now) important for Myanmar?
Gender and Development Studies
After obtaining my bachelor’s degree in English Major in 1993 , I started to work with the YWCA (Young Women’s Christian Association), that serves women and girls and children from all works of life and religious backgrounds for a richer and fuller life. Programs for them include development and leadership programs in the communities. I was one of the fieldworkers to work for the street and working children in Myanmar (at that time 1994, i had to go all the city’s poorest neighborhood to look for street and working children and collect their live stories (oral histories). As part of community development program YWCA had started a community learning center for the migrant workers’ children (their parents from the district came to work in Rangoon’s construction sites along with the kids– school going age children never had the opportunity to go school). Noting this dire needs for the kids the YWCA sert up a center to provide “non-formal education” to these vulnerable kids and I was the teacher to teach the kids. I served as program officer for the micro-finance project for rural women — where we (the YWCA) provides small loans to the poor women to be able to start their own business to become self-reliant and know their potentials.
Involving in such community based programs, i became more committed and interested to work the community in need. When i was granted a scholarship to study “Gender and Development Studies” at AIT, BKK, I came and studied at AIT to enhance my knowledge and understanding on development and how Gender (roles) are important in development work. I obtained a MSc (Master degree ) in 2001. After graduation I served as an intern with an social organization to know more about Myanmar’s social situation and to relate to my work back home. After graduation I continued to work with the YWCA in Myanmar with the community development programs. At the same time I was doing a research on Myanmar migrant workers on the Thai-Myanmar border (changing gender identities of Burmese women migrant workers). In 2005 , I was awarded scholarship to study PhD in Gender and Development Studies and currently I am working on my thesis.
I feel that gender and development subject is important for Myanmar because we have strong built-in culture values and these cultural values are discriminating against the women in Myanmar. Our women status is never equal with men. We need equality, justice in every thing we do. Gender awareness in the country is very much needed.
Second thing is especially related to present situation of our country. Myanmar is becoming one of the dangerous places in the world distributing its problems to its neighboring countries. In these problems include HIV/AIDS, illegal migration, drugs, refugees, human trafficking and even environmental ones. To address these problems, one has to understand the regional changes and developments in terms of political, economic, social and cultural context, among surrounding nations especially in the Southeast Asia region. Indeed the studies related to Southeast Asia analyze them in a broader sense.
The last, but may be the most important one, is to solve the political dilemma facing our country through a peaceful way. None of these problems described above can be solved without political stability and genuine political solution. These days political problem of a country cannot be simply recognized as its internal affair. It has to be addressed through regional basis and region based organizations like the ASEAN. Geopolitical position becomes a key factor in regional politics and affects its participant country very much. Observing political changes in regional area and development of complementary components in its process of changes are one of the courses of our Southeast Asia Studies.
How have you been able to use your education after you graduated (or how will you in the future)?
Southeast Asia Studies
There will be many opportunities for me to be able to use my education after I have graduated with the subject now I am studying. Various kind of problems such as social, health, education, economic, cultural, are rooted in political uncertainty so that need to be solved politically at first. I learn about different political situations in the region and I hope I can use this for the future of Myanmar. Some problems like HIV/AIDS, and refugee should be tackled as a cross border issues at the same time on a regional basis. Cooperation in a regional coordination network or in the regional organization is needed in order to solve transnational problems even before the political solution can be made accomplished.
One issue we need to address in Myanmar is to build up a pluralistic society in which many civil society organizations are thriving. In this regard, I am enthusiastically interested in setting up non governmental organizations which can assist the development of my country in a shorter period. In so doing, the subject now I am studying will help tremendously not only in terms of academic approach itself but also in many practical ways by studying instantly changing situation around the region.
How have you been able to use your education after you graduated (or how will you in the future)?
Gender and Development Studies
The subject i am studying is very useful and practical in project/program implementation and planning for the policy etc. Whenever I go back to my country during school break, I was invited to give presentation on Gender Awareness to different groups of people (students, NGO workers etc). With the knowledge and understanding on Gender I can always relate this issue in developing / designing gender friendly projects/programs. In this way gender awareness is not ignored in designing projects (women and men’s roles, equal share, partnership between men and women etc).
What are the real job opportunities to work for Myanmar with your degree?
Southeast Asia Studies
There are a lot of job opportunities especially for me. Related opportunities may lie in political, social development and even economic area as well. Many multinational organizations such as the United Nations organizations and international non governmental organizations desperately need many experienced persons who are knowledgeable in regional affairs. What is important for these organizations in recruiting those from my study area is to be able to engage in complicated problems such as HIV/AIDS as this kind of problem is needed much more attention with multi faceted solutions; for example, drug, trade, prostitution, human trafficking, so on and so forth, with multilateral approaches in conjunction with multi national organizations. Therefore, any profession or career need additional knowledge in order to have a holistic idea over a problem or crisis and those who have that kind of expertise will be always useful for our society not only for reconstruction of my country but also for the long term development, peace, social and national security especially for a country like mine which is located between very big country in terms of population and economic power.
What are the real job opportunities to work for Myanmar with your degree?
Gender and Development Studies
“Job opportunities” here mean how a person take/see it. I am not “choosey” in job (whether high salary or less salary), jobs that will serve the people in need (I would take it). Gender and development studies is NOT “Feminist Studies” (which people in Myanmar often think). With this degree there are job opportunities particularly in community development programs and other administrative work. Personally I am comfortable to work as a social scientist/social worker to work with people in the community. As we don’t have “Faculty of Social Science” in the Universities in Myanmar, it would be a bit difficult to earn a job as academic /faculty post at the University”. Myanmar needs a lot of “committed” development workers /academic / human resources to rebuild the nation. Personally I am very much attached to my home and the country and I determine to work for the people back home no matter the situation. There is no place like home.
A major in American Literature is a specialization of a more general major in English. Many universities will offer American Literature as a concentration. American Literature is as varied and rich as the country itself, with layer upon layer of historical, social, and cultural interpretations of texts. Some of the more significant things you’ll learn about are the three significant movements of American writing: the naturalist period, the realist period, and the romantic period. One of the more fascinating characteristics of American Literature is the vast difference in literature written in various regions of the country: literature from the South, West, Midwest, etc. Each has a unique perspective, and by reading widely you will begin to form a deeper and more personal vision about what it means to be an American. As with a more general English major, you will learn to be a critical reader and a skilled writer, both of which are valuable skills in many lines of work.
American Studies is the academic analysis of the various movements, cultures, and subcultures of North America and (mostly) the United States, both past and present. It is the exploration of all things Americana: revolutions, institutions, transformations, religion, race, gender, sexuality, fine arts, popular culture, values, customs, ideals, and everyday experience. The field of American Studies really emerged toward the end of the Great Depression and, especially, after World War II. At first, it focused on national identity, national character, and on exploring the history of thoroughly American cultural concepts like the frontier, the American dream, and rugged individualism. These days, American Studies departments tend to focus more on race, class, gender, ethnicity, and other multicultural issues. American Studies is an interdisciplinary field, if it’s your major, you are likely to end up taking courses in a variety of disciplines including (but certainly not limited to) history, English, art history, architecture, social sciences, and geography. What can you do with a major in American Studies? Just like with any liberal arts major, you can do virtually anything. A major in American Studies will mold you into a skilled cultural critic, and it will enhance your abilities to think, write, speak, and do research.
Anthropology is concerned with the study of humanity as a part of the natural world, and of culture that developed to cope with that world. Anthropologists have dealt largely with prehistoric and primitive or simple societies and cultures in an effort to arrive at an understanding of universal cultural laws. Increasingly, anthropologists are applying basic concepts to the study of modern, complex societies. This major is so diverse that it has been divided into four categories by many universities. Socio-cultural anthropology is the study of people who are alive today and how they are different and similar in their cultural and social practices. Biological anthropology is the study of biological diversity, in particular, primate research and the application of the theory of evolution. Linguistic anthropology is the study of the variety of human languages. Archeology is the study of past cultures based on their material remains.
Archeology is the study of past societies by examining the material remains that they left behind. Archaeologists discover important differences between modern cultures and those of the past. Archeology encourages respect for cultural differences and the preservation of artifacts of our ancient heritage. This major relies on a combination of library research and fieldwork. Archeology majors develop a broad understanding of archaeological theory, scientific methods and techniques, and the resulting interpretations of the history of humankind. Archeology is an exciting major includes experience in and exposure to fieldwork, local finds, ancient civilizations, historic buildings, scientific methods, archaeological theories and computer techniques. One learns how they help us to recreate past life. Majors develop the analytical, interpretative and practical skills that characterize archaeological research. Archeology emphasizes fieldwork, archaeological research, and theory and methods.
A Program on Asian politics, history, culture, demography, economy, philosophy and religions. It focuses on Asia as a dynamic area of change and opportunity, playing an increasingly active role in world economy and politics. Job Opportunities: tourist guides, travel agents, translators, researchers, writers, government consultants, public administrators, teachers.
This Program combines psychology, management and sociology with emphasis on human resource management. It gives the student a detailed picture of the world of labor and industry. The course trains students to understand and perform personnel functions such as wage and salary administration, recruitment and placement, training and development and labor relations. Job Opportunities: personnel manager, organization analyst, training coordinator, human resource development, researcher, guidance counselor.
This course prepares students for community practice, social action and other social services. This course is designed for students interested in working in the human and community service sectors. This is one of the fastest growing industries and is evolving rapidly to meet the changing environmental, economic, social and cultural demands facing individuals, families and communities. This qualification provides students with a theoretical and practical basis to work as effective community change agents across a broad range of sectors and issues in both government and non-government organizations. The course covers areas such as human learning and development, adult and community education, ethics, change theory, social research. Graduates of the course find employment in a wide range of settings in areas such as client support and advocacy services, community development, policy development, program management or planning and within community organizations as service coordinators, project officers or community workers. This course might include specialized components of study within community welfare, youth work, and international social development such as services to children and families, community mental health services, issues concerning people with disabilities, aged people, indigenous people, victims of crime and other disadvantaged groups, as well as specialist skills in areas such as counseling, cross cultural work, dispute resolution, child abuse, developing social and life skills programs, sexuality issues, drug and alcohol work, family violence and human rights.
Criminology is good if you are considering law school or if you want to apprehend criminals or work in some facet of the legal system right out of college. If you major in Criminology you’ll learn all about the administration of justice within the criminal justice system. In classes, you’ll explore the different causes and consequences of different kinds of crime, reasons for the prevalence of crime in society, and more than a little about criminal psychology. You’ll also learn all about law enforcement, probation and parole systems, prisons, juvenile delinquency, and the many federal, state, and local agencies that exist to combat all things illegal.
Creative writing is a relatively new major. Creative writing majors obtain the skills and methodologies needed to write original works of poetry, prose, scripts and stories. Students read and write extensively. Creative writing helps students sharpen their creativity through exercises and examples. Most creative writing programs emphasize contact with practicing writers and employ teachers who themselves are recognized as successful writers.
This course examines the nature and organization of all aspects of culture within local, national, and international contexts. It offers the opportunity to explore cultural forms such as television, art, film, new media, and literature, as well as the social role of culture generally. This wide-ranging course draws on work from sociology, media studies, and history. Throughout, you will engage with topical debates about class, gender, national identity, globalization, and their relationship with culture and the cultural industries.
The program is oriented towards a systematic study of development theories, models and strategies based on the experiences of developed and developing countries. The program consists of different areas: development theories, development models, development administration techniques, development research, and social mobilization strategies. Development studies will draw on perspectives from the fields of political science, economics, public administration, sociology, anthropology, history, management and community development. A Development Studies Program is designed to equip students with knowledge, skills and appropriate values necessary for development work. It is focused on developing the students’ abilities in the following areas: research, analysis and conceptualization of theories that promote understanding of development trends and issues; assessment of development needs, constraints, resources, and policies through situation analysis, project management, human resource management, conflict management, organization development, financial management, development of communication and advocacy strategies, political negotiation skills, community organizing and development approaches, education and training. A graduate in Development Studies can choose a career in the government, non-government organizations, research institutions, and academe.
The program of Development Management Studies was created to produce graduates with a solid knowledge of development management and not only to produce graduates with technical knowledge. Development management graduates have to have a spirit for nation building and manage to work as a team. Graduates will be well versed in communication, very knowledgeable and good leaders. The aim is to produce create graduates who can generate a nation’s development and are able to compete at international level.
Economics is the study of how individual sin our society allocates, produces and distributes scarce resources. The scarce resources can include, labor, raw materials, land, machinery, and natural resources. Economists use mathematical models to develop programs predicting answers to questions and to obtain data. Economic theory and practice is used in government, business, non-profit organizations and research and teaching. The foundations for economics are business, finance, marketing and management. Top positions in economics usually require a graduate degree. However, an economic student with a bachelor degree may qualify for entry level positions such as research assistant, administrative or management trainee, marketing interviewer and sales. An economics student can use this degree as a basis for furthering their education in fields such as economics, business, public policy and law, journalism, social welfare and urban planning.
English programs focus on literature, language, and writing, and an English major provides the opportunity to encounter a wide array of absorbing works of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction from around the world and throughout history. A few years of analyzing the works of the greatest minds and imaginations that human civilization has produced will almost assuredly sharpen your critical, emotional, creative, and moral faculties. An English major accords the unique opportunity to engage with different societies, different eras, and different societies from different eras. It enables you to share the experiences of others, to feel what was felt by people in earlier eras, distant lands, entirely other patterns of life, and to juxtapose those feelings with your own. The study of literature also beautifully and powerfully conveys the enduring questions about the human condition, and – occasionally, if you look especially hard – sheds light on the answers to those questions.
The European Studies Program equips students to understand the cultural, economic and political situation of Europe and the European Union. Students gain a macro view of the European business, economic, and political environment. The program provides insights into the richness of European culture and teaches effective communication skills in continental European languages, that means you will have probably to learn a European language together with European History, European Economics, European Foreign Relations and European Political Economy. Career opportunities abound among the many organizations that deal with Europe and in the private sector in multinational corporations and export-oriented enterprises, in general management, corporate planning and marketing.
Family Life and Child Development is the study of the individual and collective development of family members and their relationships. It focuses on the interaction of family members as they address their material and relational needs. The discipline takes into account issues and challenges facing families and societal development both local and global.
Undergraduate programs in French are primarily designed to ensure that you gain a substantial degree of competence in speaking and writing the language (advanced courses are often conducted in French), so be prepared to spend a lot of time studying grammar and translation. In addition, you’ll learn about French culture, history, and literature, and the throng of exotic locales where French is spoken. Majoring in French also offers abundant opportunities to take classes in other departments like history, English and literature, philosophy, international studies, film, and art history. What can you do with a French major besides teach? A lot. French speakers are in demand in banking and finance, foreign market analysis, diplomacy, and hotel management, just to name a few fields.
Geography relates the study of Earth to social, political, and economic development. It is a broad major that requires that students take courses in economics, history and politics, as well as in geography. A field in and of itself, geography has many subdivisions as well such as cultural geography, geomorphology, and many others. Math and science are critical to all geographers as essential tools to learning and practicing this profession. One focus of study is urban and regional systems, which covers such topics as the dynamics of regional change, urban growth and decline, metropolitan land use, population change, urban politics, and local economic development. Spatial analysis methodology is another focus which considers cartographic (mapping) methodologies. Another specialization is in atmospheric and climatic studies, which includes the study of atmospheric behavior over time and in different parts of the Earth.
A German major is also an opportunity to explore the rich culture and history of Germany. Here you can learn about everything from Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation to Frederick Barbarossa and the Holy Roman Empire; from Otto von Bismarck and the Prussian Empire to Wilhelm II and the German Empire. In the process, you’ll expand your knowledge of some of the most significant events in world history German thinkers, writers, and artists have played pivotal roles in defining all aspects of Western culture. From music to philosophy to science to literature, you’ll find a German influence. On a more practical level, with the global economy becoming more tightly interwoven, national corporations are becoming multi-national, creating a greater demand for people with foreign language skills and knowledge of foreign cultures. Germany is the largest, most powerful European economy, which means that the prospects for young German majors looking to get into business are good.
History is the analytical reconstruction of the past, distant and recent. Many people study history for its own sake, but the critical insights it brings make it also make it relevant for understanding one’s own times and environment. It is an essential part of knowing the context within which one lives. History is one of the broadest of all fields. It overlaps and cuts across most other disciplines, frequently borrowing content and adapting concepts from them. History places a special emphasis on relation-ships among events, developments, ideas and cultures from all times and places. While it works to uncover valid analogies and comparisons, it recognizes uniqueness and tries to avoid the overly simple model or the too facile answer. History provides an ideal focus for a liberal education and a functional basis for lifelong learning. It is an essential component of higher education for majors and non-majors alike.
The Humanities Program is especially for students who are interested in art, literature, languages, history, education, and philosophy. Graduates are expected to be well-rounded humanists – ideal candidates for graduate work or for positions in teaching, research, government, or even business.
The graduate will acquire the following competencies: identify the nature and functions of personnel management, staffing, training and development, discipline, compensation and other factors that affect personnel policies and programs; use the systems approach in viewing industries, organizations and their environment and apply psychological theories and methods to industrial and organizational requirements; use different principles and philosophies of guidance and various techniques of counseling for attitudinal change and behavior modification in the work, distinguish problems of morale and motivation, productivity and effectiveness, power and control, leadership and change processes in all types of organizations; analyze social processes of decision making, goal setting, motivation, communication and exercise of authority within the matrix of institutional structures, objectives, resource, and group normative values; know the basic elements of labor law and the current trends and issues in labor relations and management. Graduates will assist individuals choose/ prepare and progress in a career/ profession; demonstrate facilitation skills for group interactions and processes as change agents for community/ team building.
Sometimes with option to minor in Gender Studies or Peace Studies, International Studies majors are immersed in the politics, culture, and history of various parts of the world. As an International Studies major your focus is more on depth than breadth, so while you’ll gain a greater appreciation for the commerce of the world as a whole, you will probably concentrate on a specific region of the globe, studying in detail its unique history, economy, and political structure. Whether it’s Africa, Asia, or Western or Eastern Europe, you will have the opportunity to focus on the region or countries that interest you most, learning their language as well. In addition to focusing on a specific region, International Studies majors concentrate on some of the most pressing political and social issues of the contemporary world. You can choose to focus your area of study on economic development issues around the globe, or problems of diplomacy. Drawing upon other fields of study, such as economics, history, and political science, International Studies will equip you with a greater understanding of how other cultures live and govern themselves.
If you major in Italian, you will – of course – become fluent in speaking the language. The study of a language at the college level is not limited to the memorization of words and verb conjugations. If you major in Italian (or any other language) in college, you’ll study history, art, politics, and everything else that characterizes the culture of the places where it’s spoken. After completing several required courses in Italian grammar, composition, and conversation, you’ll choose from a variety of classes in Italian literature, advanced translation, and civilization. In a nutshell, your courses will cover everything Italian – from Dante to Fellini, from Spartacus to Mussolini. You won’t run out of topics. The people and culture of Italy have contributed a great deal to the arts, political theory, literature, and religion of the world. There’s Michelangelo (who painted the Sistine Chapel), Leonardo da Vinci (who painted The Mona Lisa), Galileo (one of the most important scientists ever), Machiavelli (who wrote The Prince), and Dante (who wrote The Divine Comedy), just to name a few. If you choose to major in Italian, you will spend years studying the great works of Italian culture – in the original Italian no less – which have contributed immensely to the history and culture of the world.
If you choose this major you must be willing of study anything related to Japan: Japanese Government and Politics, Japanese Society and Culture, Japanese Literature, Japanese History, Japanese Religion and Philosophy.
If you’ve ever done research, then you probably already know the value of a great librarian. How they can locate any book, what resources are available to you as you begin your search—they seem to know the answers to your questions before you even ask them. All of that knowledge comes, of course, with time and experience, and also with a degree in Library Science. The library is one of our greatest cultural and social institutions, serving as a vast warehouse of information and a locus where nerds can meet and fall in love. The men and women responsible for running these institutions are librarians. The Library Science major covers a wide range of topics and issues ranging from the history of libraries, to library administration, to media for children and young adults. A combination of both practical field experience gained through internships and rigorous academic course work, the Library Science major prepares you to be the key that unlocks the great reserves of information.
Linguistics is the scientific study of the nature, structure, grammar, history and function of language. It treats language as a fundamental human capacity and as a changing social institution. Linguistics contributes to and prepares students for professional fields such as law, because it uses a variety of rigorous methodologies for the analysis of language. It also supports law through the voice-print evidence assessment, the interpretation of the statutes and contracts. It clarifies ambiguities and presuppositions in the statutes and contracts and in testimony. Linguistics is a highly theoretical discipline, similar to and drawing from philosophy, computing and artificial intelligence, anthropology, and cognitive psychology. It is not a means to speak many languages. Linguistics considers questions such as: How are the speech sounds of language produced? What are the building blocks of language? How does language change over time? What do various languages have in common? How are they different? How do children acquire language? How does reasoning and inference underlie human communication? Linguistics majors often go on for advanced degrees in fields such as Anthropology, Business, Communications, Computer Science, Education (Language Arts and Language teaching), Journalism, Neurosciences (for the study of, e.g., dyslexia and aphasia), Speech and Hearing Sciences, Philosophy, and Psychology.
Philosophy is a discipline of the mind that is an excellent preparation for professional studies. It also lends itself to interdisciplinary programs such as legal studies, women’s and gender studies, environmental studies, international studies and various other possibilities. It provides a different perspective on other disciplines such as psychology, mathematics, literature, and political science and it centers on a set of questions that thinking people seek out. Philosophy explores fundamental and general questions about the nature of concepts such as knowledge, reality and values. It analyses of the logic of valid argumentation applicable to all rational thought and philosophy studies the methodology and basic concepts of all other disciplines.
Political Science is the study of government and public policy and of the political behavior of individuals and groups. It uses both humanistic and scientific perspectives and skills to examine political systems in all countries and regions of the world and international relations. Political science students understand the dynamic and changing political world in which we live and its ramifications for our lives. The understanding of how politics work, motivating factors behind public policy, and the use of public strength to advantage as well as many other topics are critical to political science. In the process students also acquire improved analytic, speaking, and writing skills necessary for succeeding in a challenging socio-political and work environment. The political science major is designed to expose students to the philosophical and practical problems of political organization, action, and governance and to encourage critical thinking about the nature of citizenship, rights, and duties in the modern world.
Psychology is the study of human behavior. Psychologists in academic settings teach and conduct research designed to increase our knowledge about behavior. Psychologists also work in governmental and industrial organizations carrying out basic and applied research and providing professional advice. Many clinical psychologists are employed in clinics or in hospitals or are engaged in private practice, focusing on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders. Clinical psychologists are to be distinguished from psychiatrists, who are physicians (M.D.’s) with specialized training in the treatment of mental disorders. Job opportunities within the profession of psychology for those with only an undergraduate degree are quite limited. Most vocational opportunities in psychology require advanced professional training; usually through the Ph.D. degree and typically requiring 4 or 5 years of postgraduate work and including extensive work in research methods. Some opportunities for teaching psychology at the junior college or high school level, or for work as a psychologist in a business, school, or hospital, are available to those with a master’s degree (2 or 3 years of postgraduate work).
Religious studies majors investigate and reflect on the world’s religions in an objective, yet appreciative manner. This major helps students develop an understanding of the nature of religion and its role in an individual’s and in our social life. Students compare and contrast historical and contemporary differences and similarities among religious systems. They understand how religion influences and is influenced by the historical, social, and cultural contexts in which they are found. A student examines the beliefs and values of contemporary and historical cultures and how they are shaped by societal factors, tradition, and literary and artistic expression. Scholars study how religious beliefs came to be accepted as true and how they came to acquire their unique form and content. Examining the impact religious beliefs have had on a variety of intellectual and social communities, religious studies includes the study of the major religious traditions, texts, and other religious phenomena. It draws on numerous disciplines such as anthropology, sociology, psychology, philosophy, theology, history and literature. Religious studies achieve a comprehensive understanding of phenomena that represent some of the most aspects of the human spirit.
As a Russian major, you’ll spend most of your time becoming skilled in the Russian language, which will mean, among other things, learning a completely different alphabet (unless you already have experience with Russian). Many universities offer multimedia instruction for languages classes, so you’ll have a variety of means to explore your use and understanding of Russian. You’ll learn about Russian literature by studying great writers like Dostoevsky. You’ll study politics and economics. You’ll learn about what it means to be a Russian, and how the new republics define their places in the world. There is quite a bit to learn about the Russian culture, and the interdisciplinary nature of the major will give you the opportunity to explore many different fields. One of the benefits of majoring in a foreign language is the perspective you’ll gain on your own language and culture. Since our world is becoming increasingly integrated, a deep knowledge of another language and culture will be an asset no matter what career you choose to pursue.
Students who choose this major learn to use sociological and anthropological perspectives to accomplish three feats: first, to comprehend their everyday life within larger communities; second, to obtain grounding in research methodology; and third, to make sense of pressing issues that beset contemporary social worlds. With this kind of training, students acquire a critical sense of social worlds, an ability they can use to examine phenomena with scientific discipline, assess contending ideologies of social change, offer alternative narratives on tradition, modernity and social change, and make workable recommendations for plans and policies that enhance people’s welfare. Social Sciences prepare students for jobs with people, about people. Graduates, being well-equipped with a deep and broad understanding of the human condition, have several job opportunities open to them. They have the knowledge and skills needed in the administration, operation, and evaluation of various social development programs such as community organization and development, public health, housing, cooperatives, and urban and rural planning. Graduates enter the media and corporate or business world using a social science background for a managerial or a research position. In addition, social science graduates find fulfillment and satisfaction in teaching social sciences, in doing research with private and government institutions, and in the management of cultural resources (e.g., managing museums, using heritage to enhance contemporary Filipino products). Graduates also find the social science program an excellent preparation for advanced or professional studies in anthropology, business management, development studies, economics, journalism, law, public administration, sociology, urban or regional planning, and related fields.
Graduates of this major seek to benefit society through service, education and research in socially beneficial programs. Students are prepared for entry level social work positions in organizations such as social welfare, child correction, community health agencies, and in this major, one works with individuals, families, groups and communities and cultural and ethnic minorities. Social work is unified by a common core of social work values, knowledge and methods, all of which stress the need to protect the welfare of individuals, to preserve the family, to respect cultural diversity. This profession educates individuals to be change agents who can bring about positive social change. The profession provides an array of individuals who find themselves or their families to be at risk.
The study of the structure of society and its enduring patterns of social relations is sociology’s primary mission. Sociology studies human conduct from the perspective of the history and the anatomy or structure of the groups. It focuses on how people coordinate their activities to reach individual and collective goals through the development of roles, meanings, and norms that make behavior reciprocally predictable and organized. Sociology investigates questions such as how such patterns of interdependent activity originate and what sustains them, why they take one shape instead of another, how some societies change more rapidly than others, how groups are related to each other, and how people justify and explain what they are doing. The patterns are learned as customary behavior and institutional practices. The sociological perspective is closely linked to comparative historical and cross-cultural studies of social institutions and to psychological studies of human interaction in a wide range of social, economic, educational, religious, familial, and political settings.
A Program on Southeast Asian politics, history, culture, demography, economy, philosophy and religions. It focuses on Southeast Asia as a dynamic area of change and opportunity, playing an increasingly active role in world economy and politics. Job Opportunities: tourist guides, travel agents, translators, researchers, writers, government consultants, public administrators, teachers
Perhaps you’ve already fallen in love with the poems of Pablo Neruda and the novels of Gabriel García Márquez and realized that you want a deeper look into the culture and language in which these writers flourish. Or maybe you’ve got a businesslike mind and see a lot of potential in the developing economies of South America. Regardless of what your interest may be, a Spanish major will provide you a unique insight into the second most widely spoken language in the world. Spoken throughout Central and South America, Spain, and many parts of the United States, knowledge of Spanish is a bridge into varied cultures that span several continents and dozens of centuries. In addition to becoming fluent in the language, a Spanish major also obtains a broad knowledge of the history of the Spanish-speaking world. From Aztecs ruins to Argentine fascism, you’ll delve into the social, political, and economic elements that have made Spanish one of the most important languages in the world.
Sports Science is focused on developing allied health professionals with the strong understanding of the processes and mechanisms underlying human movement, and the knowledge and skills necessary to manage and plan human movement activities, particularly relating to sports in the leisure and education contexts. Job Opportunities: sports administration, coaching, fitness facility management, community and corporate health management, and movement therapists for special groups.
A major in tourism will get you a foot in the door to this ever-booming industry. Tourism majors aim to discover the world’s top destinations and how best to encourage people to visit them. From the dreamy, steamy islands of the South Pacific to Sweden’s Icehotel, you’ll learn how to make guests feel welcome and enjoy a safe and memorable stay. A tourism major covers the whole spectrum of travel—you’ll study everything from the booking of flights to facilitating operations at a resort hotel. You’ll use the tourism industry’s most prevalent electronic databases and discover how to navigate other travel-related computer programs and systems. Count on learning how to market and sell travel destinations and products, including how to promote tourism in new places and how to sustain interest in classic tourist destinations. In addition, you’ll examine how Internet technology is affecting the Tourism industry and how to use this technology most advantageously. Your tourism major should also touch on the effect tourism has on the environment—and how certain aspects of the industry are working to minimize those effects. Tourism is more global than ever, and this major will explore the role it plays in the world—how it affects cities and countries both economically and culturally. You’ll learn where the industry has been and where it might go in the future. After college, you’ll have the skills you need to pursue a career for an airline, a travel agency, or many other sorts of travel service organization. Tourism is an interdisciplinary major, and your course work will draw from accounting, marketing, communication, and other business courses, as well as courses in geography and specific elements of tourism.
The Translation major provides pre-professional training in the theory and practice of translation and interpretation both for students planning to translate professionally and for students wishing to add translation and/or interpretation as an ancillary skill. You will have, of course, to be fluent in at least one or two foreign languages.
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