Oglethorpe University

Accounting

Accounting is the language of business, providing quantitative information about economic entities that is useful in making business and economic decisions. Accounting students gain the conceptual foundation and professional skills to begin careers in public accounting, industry, government or nonprofit organizations, and the major helps prepare students for qualifying examinations such as the CPA, CMA and CFA.

Art History

The Art History major provides students with an intellectual, aesthetic and historical foundation for the rigorous study of all visual arts, including architecture, sculpture, painting, photography and electronic media. The curriculum prepares students for graduate school in Art History and for a variety of careers in arts management and curation.

Biology

The curriculum in Biology provides a foundation in contemporary biology and prepares students for continuing intellectual growth and professional development in the life sciences. It supplies preparation for employment by research, government and industry institutions, and for graduate and professional schools including medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and public health.

Biopsychology

Biopsychology studies the relationship between brain processes and behavior, an interdisciplinary field integrating biological and psychological sciences. Students take courses on the neural and hormonal correlates of behavior and may pursue careers or graduate programs in allied health professions, neuropsychology, medicine, psychiatry, neuroscience or related fields.

Business Administration

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, offered through the Hammack School of Business, is a dynamic graduate program designed to prepare students from any undergraduate major with the skills and academic background to lead an examined professional life in the business field.

Business Administration (BBA)

Offered through the Adult Degree Program (ADP), this program gives students an understanding of key business concepts and tools across finance, accounting, management, marketing, analytics and economics, culminating in a strategy capstone. Its requirements are identical to those of the B.S. in Business Administration.

Business Administration (BS)

The study of business provides students with an understanding of key concepts and tools fundamental to successful careers in business, both profit and nonprofit. The curriculum is built on a broad foundation enhanced with study in finance, accounting, management, marketing, analytics and economics, culminating in a capstone on the application of strategy across a variety of business models and environments.

Business Analytics

The Business Analytics certificate provides students with a targeted understanding of how to use data to inform decision-making, including analyzing data with Excel and advanced programs such as R or SAS and turning data into consumable information for stakeholders. It is available to Oglethorpe TU and ADP students as an added credential and to non-Oglethorpe students as a non-degree certificate.

Business Economics

The Business Economics degree is intended for students who plan to enter the business world upon graduation, though it is sufficiently rigorous to support graduate study. Students integrate a broad foundation of business knowledge with the techniques of economic modeling and application appropriate for work in market research and analytics.

Chemistry

The Chemistry program provides a substantial and integrated foundation in chemistry and related disciplines, with lecture and laboratory courses working cooperatively to build understanding of modern chemistry. It supplies background for employment in research, government and industry and prepares students for graduate school and for professional schools of law, medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine.

Communication Studies (BA)

The program in Communication Studies prepares students to become critically reflective citizens and practitioners in professions including journalism, public relations, law, politics, broadcasting, advertising and corporate communications. Majors acquire theories, research methods and practices for producing and judging communication of all kinds — written, spoken, visual and multimedia.

Communication Studies (BALS)

Offered through the Adult Degree Program, this program prepares students to become critically reflective communicators and practitioners in fields such as journalism, public relations, broadcasting and corporate communications, acquiring theories, research methods and practices for producing and judging communication across written, spoken, visual and multimedia forms.

Digital Media

The Digital Media Certificate is designed to help students learn how to create and implement digital content for different strategic purposes, providing a focused understanding of the digital media environment along with the critical thinking and creative skills to design, implement and manage digital communication efforts. It is available only to degree-seeking Oglethorpe students.

Economics

Economics is the study of decision making, used to examine individual behavior, interactions and the resulting social order. The Bachelor of Arts in Economics offers greater flexibility and is designed for students interested in policy who wish to explore the intersection of economics with other liberal arts disciplines such as politics, philosophy, psychology and mathematics.

English and Comparative Literature

In literature courses students examine written works to determine their meanings, value and historical contexts, while writing courses develop skills in poetry, fiction and nonfiction. The major is excellent preparation for law school and other professional training requiring interpretation of written material, as well as careers in public relations, editing, teaching and publishing.

Film and Media Studies

Film and Media Studies is an interdisciplinary program dedicated to the study of film, television and new media, combining history, theory and practice. Students develop critical perspectives on media texts and basic skills in multimedia production, preparing for careers in the media industries or for graduate study.

French

Students who choose French as a major gain knowledge about the language and the many cultures of the French-speaking world, informed by the 'five C's' of communication, cultures, connections, comparisons and communities. The major requires a semester of full-immersion study abroad in a French-speaking country and prepares students for graduate study or careers using their language skills.

History (BA)

History bridges the disciplinary perspectives of the humanities and social sciences, examining the causes, experience and impact of important moments in the past. Taught in a seminar format, courses emphasize historical research and the written and oral presentation of evidence and arguments, preparing students for post-graduate study and careers in fields such as education, law, journalism and public service.

History (BALS)

Offered through the Adult Degree Program, this program bridges the humanities and social sciences through the study of the causes, experience and impact of the past, emphasizing historical research and presentation. Its requirements are identical to those of the B.A. in History.

Human Resource Management

Human Resource Management builds communities through the study of people and the workplace, focusing on the connection between theory and application in meeting the needs of both employee and employer. This interdisciplinary program draws on psychology, sociology, management and economics and prepares students for careers in human resource or general management or for graduate study.

Individually Planned Major (BA)

The Individually Planned (IP) major allows a student who wishes to pursue a course of study not included among the available majors to petition, in consultation with an academic advisor, to complete a self-designed interdisciplinary major. The major requires at least 36 semester hours beyond the Core, organized around an area of concentration and related fields of study.

Individually Planned Major (BALS)

Offered through the Adult Degree Program, the Individually Planned major allows students to design a self-directed interdisciplinary course of study not covered by existing majors. Its requirements are identical to the B.A. version except that 36 semester hours beyond the ADP general education requirements are required.

International Studies

International Studies is an interdisciplinary major that develops the skills and understanding essential for effective participation in the emerging global business, social and political environment. The major, which includes a study abroad experience and a foreign language requirement, prepares students for careers in government service, international commerce, banking and finance, politics and teaching.

Management

Building on the core business offerings in economics, accounting and business, the study of Management looks at the art and science of achieving goals through people. The major presents management theories, concepts and practices to equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to lead organizations in a complex global marketplace.

Mathematics

In the Mathematics major students move from a concrete, algorithmic mode of reasoning in early courses to a more abstract, formal mode of reasoning in later capstone courses, sharpening problem-solving skills and the ability to communicate mathematical results rigorously. Graduates are prepared for graduate study, teacher preparation, or employment in industry including actuarial science and operations research; an Actuarial Science Track is available within the major.

Philosophy

In Philosophy students study fundamental questions about the world and their place in it, engaging with the history of Analytic and Continental philosophy and learning to read, understand and evaluate arguments. The program aims to produce 'humane generalists' with the critical thinking, creativity and intellectual flexibility needed across personal, professional and civic life.

Physics

The B.S. in Physics provides preparation for employment or further study in physics and related fields, requiring every student to concurrently follow a track through one of four areas: Astrophysics, Computational Physics, Engineering or General Physics. Students build a strong foundation through coursework in mechanics, electricity and magnetism, thermal physics and quantum mechanics.

Physics and Liberal Studies

The B.A. in Physics and Liberal Studies is suitable for students who wish to obtain a broad liberal education with a concentration in physical science. The program prepares students to apply their knowledge of the physical sciences to non-technical careers in fields like business, entrepreneurship, museum curatorship and K-12 education.

Politics

Politics shapes who we are and how we live, animating human nature, forging identities, driving social movements and structuring national politics and international relations. Politics majors gain substantive knowledge and analytic skills — including close critical reading, reasoning and argumentation — that prepare them for careers in law, journalism, government, international organizations, NGOs, education and business.

Psychology

The Department of Psychology endorses a view of psychology as the use of scientific methods to study the broad range of cognitive, developmental, personality, physiological and social factors that produce human behavior. Students learn to apply empirical methods, understand major theoretical and empirical advances, and apply psychological concepts for the benefit of self and society; a Clinical/Counseling track is available within the major.

Sociology

Sociology is the systematic study of social life, seeking through empirical inquiry to understand the development, maintenance and transformation of societies, institutions and organizations. The program equips students with methodological, interpretive and critical thinking skills and prepares them for diverse careers, graduate study and responsible citizenship; a Social Work Track is available within the major.

Spanish

Students who choose Spanish as a major gain knowledge about the language and the many cultures of the Spanish-speaking world, informed by the 'five C's' of communication, cultures, connections, comparisons and communities. The major requires a semester of full-immersion study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country and prepares students for graduate study and careers using their language skills.

Studio Art

Studio courses provide students with a rigorous foundation in visual language and thinking, emphasizing perception, cognitive skills, aesthetics and facility in manipulating a variety of artistic approaches and media. The curriculum prepares students for graduate school in studio art or fields such as education, art therapy, graphic design, medical illustration or filmmaking.

Theatre

Students majoring in Theatre engage in both the scholarship and practice of theatre through courses in acting, directing, stagecraft, design, history, playwriting and administration, rooted in the liberal arts tradition. Department productions and Oglethorpe's relationships with professional theatre companies in residence provide performance opportunities and professionally oriented internships.