University of Mary Washington

Accounting

The Accounting major provides students with a sound foundation to move in a broad range of professional directions in Accounting including the public, governmental, private, and not-for-profit sectors. An Accounting major is required to take six upper level accounting courses in addition to Accounting 101 and 102. Offered through the College of Business as a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.

American Studies

American Studies is an interdisciplinary major that enables students to explore the complex interactions of peoples, cultures, social structures, and political institutions that have shaped the experiences of peoples living in the United States. In addition to four core courses, students demonstrate the ability to transcend disciplinary boundaries by completing five thematically-assembled courses from affiliated disciplines approved by an American Studies advisor and the Program Director.

Anthropology

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology concentrates on cultural anthropology, providing a foundation in the research methods, theories, and writing practices that anthropologists use to study contemporary and near-contemporary cultures and societies. Courses offer opportunities for doing first-hand research in the communities of Fredericksburg and Richmond and elsewhere in the world.

Applied Economics

Economics is a method of analyzing human behavior in any environment subject to scarcity, providing insight into a wide range of social problems and issues. The major in Applied Economics is intended for students interested in careers that involve applying economic methods in industry and commerce, and emphasizes quantitative analysis and written and oral communication.

Applied Environmental Science

The Environmental Science and Geology degree promotes the study of our environment and the impact that human activities have on natural systems. The Applied Environmental Science major provides a diverse foundation in biology, chemistry, and geology with a focus on applying environmental science to real world issues, permitting students to select from a wide range of course offerings in multiple departments.

Applied Mathematics and Statistics

Applied mathematics and statistics prepares students for careers and studies in high-demand fields that require excellent skills in computation and statistics. The curriculum focuses on applications with a view to strengthening the skills of students in addressing real-world problems in fields such as business, industry, and government.

Applied Physics

The study of physics involves a basis for understanding more deeply all arenas of the physical universe and provides a framework for problem-solving that transfers to every technical discipline involving modern computation and instrumentation. The Applied Physics major at UMW is part of a nationally recognized program that emphasizes faculty accessibility and student collaboration.

Art History

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History provides the background for a life-long appreciation of art and the intellectual framework for conducting research in art history. Classes focus on styles, issues, media, and individuals and give a broad overview of the complexity of art, with course offerings that include both historical periods and thematic approaches.

Artificial Intelligence in Business

The Master of Science (M.S.) in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Business is an interdisciplinary graduate program designed to equip students with advanced knowledge and practical skills at the intersection of AI and business strategy.

Bachelor of Liberal Studies

Biochemistry

Chemistry, the study of the structure, properties, and reactivity of matter, has been called the central science. The Biochemistry major within the Bachelor of Science in Chemistry degree program offers a modern curriculum within the general framework of a liberal arts and sciences education, preparing students for graduate, medical, or dental school, or for employment in the chemical, pharmaceutical, or biotechnological fields.

Biology

Biology encompasses the study of all living things and their interaction with the environment. The Bachelor of Science in Biology degree prepares students for future careers in life sciences research, teaching, and biotechnology, and many graduates pursue advanced degrees in specialized areas such as cellular and molecular biology, bioinformatics, physiology, immunology, microbiology, and ecology.

Biomedical Sciences

The Biomedical Sciences major is designed for students interested in pursuing careers in the health sciences. It provides students with the knowledge and skills to be successful candidates for graduate study in a broad range of health-related fields including medical, dental, physician's assistant, nursing, and physical therapy. Students who complete all requirements earn the degree of Bachelor of Science in Biology with a major in Biomedical Sciences.

Business Administration

A Business Administration major prepares graduates for a variety of opportunities. In this major students can opt to focus in either Management or Management Information Systems, or can stay a generalist. It is the largest major in the College of Business, and graduates work for nonprofits, governments, and Fortune 500 companies, or start their own entrepreneurial ventures.

Business Administration

The Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) provides a quality graduate program for experienced professionals who want to assume management and leadership positions in a variety of organizational settings. The program encompasses the knowledge and skills necessary for effectively managing both the technical and the human sides of organizations. The curriculum consists of core and elective courses that combine business theory with current business practice.

Chemistry

Chemistry, the study of the structure, properties, and reactivity of matter, has been called the central science because it is central to a fundamental understanding of biology, pharmacy, medicine, agriculture, geology, engineering, and physics. The Bachelor of Science in Chemistry degree program offers a modern curriculum within the general framework of a liberal arts and sciences education and has been approved by the American Chemical Society to offer certified degrees.

Classical Archaeology

Classics focuses on the study of the languages, literatures, and civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome. The program in Classical Archaeology offers special preparation to those students who wish to pursue museum or field work in archaeology, and students develop their major programs in consultation with a faculty advisor.

Classical Studies

Classics focuses on the study of the languages, literatures, and civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome. Classical Studies focuses on the Greek and Latin languages and literatures, the world of the Greeks and Romans, the classical tradition, and classical reception.

Classics

Communication and Digital Studies

Communication courses enhance understanding of and skill in oral communication by introducing students to communication theories and by providing opportunities to practice communication in a variety of settings. Students who pursue the Communication and Digital Studies major will develop the critical tools to study and use digital technology effectively, including digital platforms to accomplish communicative goals.

Computer Science

The Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science provides the kind of dynamic, interactive work environment few fields can match. Software developers and analysts invariably work in teams to tackle cutting-edge projects, joining forces with scientists, doctors, military commanders, social psychologists, and others to produce solutions.

Conservation Biology

Biology encompasses the study of all living things and their interaction with the environment. The Conservation Biology major provides students with a strong undergraduate education in the fundamental principles of biology while offering opportunities and encouraging students to pursue specialized interests in ecology and conservation.

Contracts & Procurement

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is a critical interdisciplinary field which seeks to mitigate the ever growing number of cyber threats that we all face in an increasingly connected world. The Cybersecurity major, which leads to a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, provides students with a rigorous and up to date preparation for work in areas such as network security, secure software development, malware analysis, and cryptography.

Data Science

Data Science teaches principles and builds skills in the science of how and why we use data. It is the discipline concerned with gathering and manipulating large volumes of data, developing statistical models to gain critical insights from it, understanding the behavior of complex systems through simulation, and making non-trivial decisions optimally.

Economics

Economics is a method of analyzing human behavior in any environment subject to scarcity, providing insight into a wide range of social problems and issues. Courses prepare students for 300 and 400-level study on a variety of theoretical and applied topics, and experiential learning courses expose students to the economics profession.

Education

Education (Initial Licensure)

The M.Ed. Post Baccalaureate Initial Teacher Licensure Program is designed for adults who have earned a bachelor's degree, may have some professional work experience, and want to obtain teaching credentials. The primary goal of the program is to ensure that teacher candidates, through support, supervision, and evaluation, can demonstrate and apply the competencies enumerated in the Virginia Licensure Regulations and demonstrated by skillful teachers.

Education (Professional Development and Added Endorsement)

The Master of Education degree for Professional Development or Added Endorsement is offered for practicing teachers who already possess initial licensure and is designed to provide opportunities for continuing professional development, master's level licensure for teachers and other school personnel, or endorsements in teaching or administration. Students in these programs must possess a collegiate professional or postgraduate professional Virginia license.

Elementary Education

The BSEd degree program has one major in Elementary Education, which prepares students to serve as elementary teachers in Pre-K-6 grades. Graduates will be prepared to work in public and private elementary schools and will be capable of working with diverse learners and adapting instruction based on the needs of their students. The program affords students the opportunity to be licensed as elementary teachers in four years.

Elementary Education

English

English faculty strive to inspire in students a love for literature and for writing, to help students develop analytical and critical skills, and to guide students in improving their writing. The Bachelor of Arts degree in English offers courses appropriate to students at all levels, including 400-level seminars in which students study a topic or theme in depth and produce a major paper or project.

English: Creative Writing

The English: Creative Writing major leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree in English and combines the study of literature with sustained work in creative writing. English faculty strive to inspire in students a love for literature and for writing, to help students develop analytical and critical skills, and to guide students in improving their writing.

Entrepreneurial Leadership

The Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurial Leadership equips professionals with the skills and strategic insights necessary to drive innovation, launch new ventures, and lead organizational change in dynamic business environments. This interdisciplinary program blends principles of entrepreneurship, leadership, and business strategy to prepare students to identify opportunities, develop sustainable business models, and navigate the challenges of innovation and growth.

Environmental Geology

Geology is the scientific study of the Earth, including its composition, dynamics, surface processes, and history. The environmental geology major is designed for students with a specific interest in Earth's surficial processes, especially as they relate to human interaction with the landscape and environment, examining topics such as hydrogeology, soil and water chemistry, and geomorphology.

Environmental Sustainability and Policy

The Environmental Science and Geology degree promotes the study of our environment and the impact that human activities have on natural systems. The Environmental Sustainability and Policy major provides a diverse foundation in biology, chemistry, and geology with a focus on the economic, political, and sociological impacts of humans on the environment.

Finance

The Finance major provides students with a sound foundation to move in a broad range of professional directions in Finance including the public, governmental, private, and not-for-profit sectors. Students have an opportunity to study investment analysis, management of banks and other financial institutions, and the financial management of corporations and other businesses.

French

The French major leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree in Modern Foreign Languages. Through courses in French, students gain linguistic proficiency, as well as understanding of the literatures and cultures of the French-speaking world. Classes are conducted in French.

General Liberal Arts and Studies

Geographic Information Science

The Geography Department hosts an interdisciplinary certificate program in Geographic Information Science. Open to students in all majors and to non-degree seeking students, the program is designed to address the growing demand for GIS-trained personnel in business, government, education, health care, and numerous other settings.

Geographic Information Science Cert

Geography

Geography is the study of the interaction between people and their environments, both natural and human. Geographers examine the places and regions resulting from such interaction and analyze the spatial characteristics of all manner of cultural, economic, political, and physical processes and relationships.

Geology

Geology is the scientific study of the Earth, including its composition, dynamics, surface processes, and history. The geology major provides broad training in a diverse range of courses appropriate for students interested in pursuing a professional career or graduate studies in the earth sciences and related fields.

Geospatial Analysis

Geography is the study of the interaction between people and their environments, both natural and human. Geospatial Analysis majors take foundational thematic geography courses and specialize in geospatial technologies, studying geographic information systems, spatial analysis, remote sensing, the global positioning system, and web-GIS.

Geospatial Analysis

German

The German major leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree in Modern Foreign Languages. Through courses in German, students gain linguistic proficiency, as well as understanding of the literatures and cultures of the German-speaking world. Upper-level classes are conducted in German.

Historic Preservation

Historic preservation focuses on maintaining, conserving, advocating for, and interpreting historic sites and structures as well as on cultural resource management. Mary Washington was one of the first academic institutions in America to establish an undergraduate curriculum in historic preservation and the first to establish an independent Department of Historic Preservation, now one of the largest undergraduate programs of its kind in the nation.

History

The History curriculum is widely diversified by topic and by approach and offers an extensive range of courses from ancient to modern times in American, Asian, European, and Latin American history. The department's methods course prepares majors in the critical evaluation of historical arguments, research and analysis, and writing.

Information Security

Instructional Improvement

This pathway is offered in a cohort format and offers students the opportunity to develop research skills, enhance their practice, and explore an area of professional interest. Students completing this program will develop and conduct a culminating research project. This pathway is designed for professional development and does not lead directly to endorsement or licensure.

International Affairs

The interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts degree in International Affairs is designed to provide students with a broad knowledge of contemporary international politics as well as with specific expertise in a given geographic area and/or sub-field focus. The major combines required courses that examine international affairs from economics, geography, history, and political science perspectives with related field courses.

International Business

The International Business major leads to a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration through the College of Business. Students develop a working knowledge of business concepts with an emphasis on global and ethical issues in business, and learn to think critically in solving complex business problems.

Kinesiology

The Kinesiology major is designed for students pursuing careers in Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Sports Medicine, and Athletic Training, or graduate study in Exercise Sciences, Kinesiology, and Physiology. Students who complete all requirements earn the degree of Bachelor of Science in Biology with a major in Kinesiology.

Leadership and Management Studies

Leadership and Management is a multidisciplinary major open only to students in the Bachelor of Liberal Studies Program. The major provides students with basic management skills and is organized to produce effective and intellectually agile leaders, and the major coursework is offered in an online format.

Management and Entrepreneurship

The Management and Entrepreneurship major leads to a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration through the College of Business. Students develop a working knowledge of management and marketing concepts, understand global and ethical issues in business, and learn to think critically in solving complex business problems.

Marketing

A major in Marketing will help prepare students for jobs in virtually all industries. The tools that one learns in marketing enable students to work for Fortune 500 companies, non-government organizations, or as entrepreneurs who start their own business, and students gain strong quantitative skills allowing them to pursue careers in market research, policy research, pricing, and supply chain management.

Mathematics

The interests and expertise of the mathematics faculty cover a broad range of mathematical areas, including algebra, analysis, topology, discrete mathematics, number theory, statistics, and applied mathematics. A Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics can be a foundation for a career in industry, government, teaching, or the pursuit of a higher degree in graduate school.

Modern Foreign Languages

Music

The Department of Music offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music that allows students to focus the major with elective courses. Students might use these electives to develop a specialization in composition, history, performance, technology, or theory, and may also pursue licensure to teach music through the College of Education.

Nursing

The purpose of the Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) degree program is to educate students toward an M.S.N. degree by engaging degree seekers in graduate courses, including practicum courses, that provide them with broad and multiple perspectives on nursing, academics, and health care delivery systems. Graduates of the M.S.N. will be prepared to become advanced-practice nurses who will augment care and education in our region and state.

Nursing

The BSN Completion Program is a post-licensure degree program for registered nurses administered by the College of Education. Along with seven higher-level nursing courses, the program continues the UMW tradition of liberal arts education by including three liberal arts courses, enhancing the writing, critical thinking, and speaking skills of RNs. The baccalaureate degree in nursing at UMW is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Performing Arts

Philosophy

The discipline of philosophy has been shaped by an intellectual and historical tradition that began some 2500 years ago in Greek culture. It is the systematic study of ideas and issues, a reasoned pursuit of fundamental truths, a quest for a comprehensive understanding of the world, and a study of principles of conduct. The major leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and Religious Studies.

Philosophy: Pre-Law

The Philosophy: Pre-Law major leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and Religious Studies and is oriented toward students preparing for a career in law or related fields. Students develop knowledge of the history and current state of Western philosophy, a grasp of representative philosophical issues, and a capacity to apply philosophical methods.

Physics

The study of physics involves a basis for understanding more deeply all arenas of the physical universe and provides a framework for problem-solving that transfers to every technical discipline involving modern computation and instrumentation. The Physics major at UMW is part of a nationally recognized program that emphasizes faculty accessibility and student collaboration.

Political Science

Political Science, the study of how various political systems work, is a Bachelor of Arts degree program. The department offers courses ranging from U.S. political institutions and behavior to international politics and conflict, and UMW's proximity to Richmond and D.C. provides many outlets for students to gain practical knowledge of the field.

Project Management

This certificate program provides specific professional learning taught at the graduate level in a concentrated format. It is designed to introduce individuals to a new field of study, update existing knowledge, and/or expand career opportunities.

Psychology

The Bachelor of Science in Psychology degree program provides students with a sound introduction to psychology as a scientific discipline, including both traditional areas and more recent trends and theoretical developments. Psychology majors receive extensive training in methodology and statistics, and many students work on research teams and complete year-long research projects under faculty direction.

Religious Studies

The academic discipline of the study of religion investigates the religious dimension of human experience throughout history, across cultures, and around the world. Courses acquaint students with the world's major traditions, texts, and figures. Leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and Religious Studies, the major offers close faculty guidance and a high degree of flexibility.

Sociology

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology is offered through the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. Majors complete coursework in qualitative and quantitative research methods and analysis along with sociology electives, and may substitute a limited number of anthropology credits for sociology electives.

Spanish

The Spanish major leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree in Modern Foreign Languages. Through courses in Spanish, students gain proficiency in understanding, reading, writing, and speaking the language, and classes are conducted in Spanish from the beginning levels. Experiential learning through individual study, internships, study abroad, and service learning offers students valuable experience outside the classroom.

Spanish for Health Care Professionals

The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures hosts an interdisciplinary certificate program in Medical Spanish. Open to students in all majors and to non-degree seeking students, the program is designed to address the growing demand for Spanish-speakers in medical settings such as hospitals, doctor's offices, or homecare. Graduates will be able to apply their knowledge as nurses, nurse-practitioners, physicians, medical administrators, and front-office staff in medical offices.

Spanish for Health Care Professionals

Studio Art

The Studio Art major fosters artistic and scholarly connections through creative inquiry and analytical problem solving. Students learn and work in well-equipped studios that focus on a variety of disciplines, including Digital Media, Ceramics, Drawing, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture.

Teaching English as a Second Language

Theatre

A major in Theatre leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree in Performing Arts. The major offers students extraordinary flexibility to customize their college experience by choosing courses in acting, directing, costume design, scenic design, theatre history and literature, playwriting, lighting design, theatre management, arts management, theatre technology, and costume technology.

Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies is an interdisciplinary major leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree in General Liberal Arts and Studies. Students gain an understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of the field and of the methodological implications of intersectionality, and learn to communicate key concepts of the discipline through a variety of types of writing.