fall2017

FALL 2017 / 3

CAMPUS

This spring, the BSC faculty approved a series of new majors

and distinctions to offer students even more options for pre-

professional development within the liberal arts. These on-campus

programs come on top of in-development dual degrees with

Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law (accelerated law

degree) and UAB (master’s in nursing degree).

Architectural Studies:

Designed to give students interested

in architecture a strong foundation (no pun intended), this

interdisciplinary major blends visual design with the study of

architecture as an art form that impacts social and community

development. Students will take courses in art, art history, math,

philosophy, urban environmental studies, and even set design;

they’ll be prepared to go on to post-graduate work in architecture,

urban planning, urban design, and other fields of study.

Creative and Applied Computing:

Perhaps BSC’s most-anticipated

new major, CAC goes beyond a traditional computer science degree

to give graduates not only the basics of coding and program-

building, but also a broader understanding of technological change

in our world. Students who major in CAC will be strongly encouraged

to minor in another discipline so they can apply computing concepts

to health, the humanities, or education. New courses being added

include: the Global Impact of Innovative Technology, Architecture

and the Internet of Things, and Systems and Cybersecurity, along

with programming and computer science fundamentals.

Health Sciences:

This new major is aimed at students who plan

to go into allied health and related careers after graduation,

including nursing, physical and occupational therapy, pharmacy and

pathology work, and more; it may also be combined with the new

distinction in public health for broad flexibility (see below). BSC’s

health professions advisor will work with students in the program to

tailor the major to their chosen field; students who major are also

required to take one rise

course or experience that connects with

their interests.

Philosophy, History, and Law:

This blend of disciplines focuses

on giving students the knowledge and skills they’ll need for law

school and a legal career. Students who major can choose a

philosophy track, which will emphasize analytical techniques, or

a history track, which will emphasize how the past has affected

our system of law, including the historical development of the U.S.

Constitution. Both will include studies in accounting, writing, and

economic analysis.

Distinction in Poverty Studies:

Students will examine the complex

problems of poverty and inequality from multiple perspectives and

will complete a relevant internship or other experiential learning

project, including internships via the Shepherd Higher Education

Consortium on Poverty, which BSC has joined. Graduates with

this distinction (in addition to a separate major), will get valuable

preparation for health careers, law, business, education, public

policy, and ministry, among other fields.

Distinction in Public Health:

This distinction includes courses in

biology, sociology, a capstone rise

project, and new public health

courses that will help students with a range of majors understand

health and wellness within and across populations. Those who earn

the distinction may go on to public health positions in government,

nonprofit, and business or to graduate work in public health; it will

also be helpful for pre-law and pre-health students.

A plethora of new programs