Pacific University Adds to Robust Offering of Programs for Undergraduate Students
Beginning this fall, Pacific University undergraduate students will have even more opportunities to pursue academic degrees tailored for a changing and increasingly complex world.
Students can now major in graphic design and data science, earn a teaching license while studying music education, and minor in four new areas of study while pursuing their bachelor's degree: social innovation and leadership, social equity and social change, psychological health and well-being, and cultural awareness and knowledge.
Graphic design is the latest offering of the university's Media Arts Department. Students will learn to tell compelling stories and engage with the world through design and illustration. A major or minor in graphic design helps students develop and refine their own artistic and professional sensibilities using industry-standard tools and principles.
Students earning a bachelor of science in data science through Pacific's Mathematics & Computer Science Department will learn the foundations of data curation, mathematical analysis, computational thinking, statistical thinking, data modeling, communication and visualization, and understanding ethical implications.
The bachelor of music education teaching license program is designed for students whose professional goal is teaching music in Pre K-12 educational settings and those who aspire to make a difference in students’ lives through sharing their passion for music. This professional degree will provide students with knowledge, skills, and competencies inherent to the music teaching profession, while at the same time allowing them to grow into well-rounded citizens through the rich, liberal arts based curriculum. Students already have the option of majoring in music education on their way to a bachelor of arts degree, then pursuing teacher licensure through Pacific's fifth-year master of arts in teaching program.
In addition to the three new majors, Pacific's College of Arts & Sciences has also introduced four new minors within the college's School of Social Sciences.
Pacific's social innovation and nonprofit leadership minor will equip those looking for a community service-driven career to launch or lead organizations in ways that are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. The minor combines the principles of entrepreneurship, leadership and management with the goal of community enhancement.
A minor in cultural awareness and knowledge will prepare students to examine their own assumptions, communicate with empathy and behave ethically when interpreting human behaviors. Students will engage in critical self-analysis, identify research subjects that are outside familiar literature, and re-evaluate traditional critiques and assertions. The minor equips students with the tools needed to be sensitive and culturally appropriate.
A minor in psychological health and well-being will allow students to understand the connections between biological, psychological and physical health, while working to promote the well-being of individuals and communities. The psychological health and well-being minor is especially intended for students who expect to work in social, health or mental health careers or pursue graduate study in the health professions, social work, counseling or clinical psychology.
The social equity and social change minor is an interdisciplinary offering that provides students with an understanding of how our social worlds enable or constrain social change and provide avenues for actively engaging in social change efforts.
Pacific University is a diverse learning community, where students thrive in a personal academic environment. Students can pursue more than 65 undergraduate areas of study in the liberal arts and sciences, business, education, health professions and optometry. Pacific is currently ranked the No. 1 private research university in the Pacific Northwest and is also committed to civic engagement, sustainability and interprofessional education as part of its core teaching philosophy.
Applications for admission to attend Pacific this fall are still being accepted, and those who participate in Oregon Private Colleges Week July 29 - Aug. 2 can have their application fees waived. Pacific's fall semester for undergraduate students begins Monday, Aug. 26.