Dean: M.W. Roydhouse
Associate Dean : T.G. Schrand
Faculty : D. Dadras, S.C. Dinero, K. Gindlesparger, V.L. Hanson, K.W. Jones, B.A. Kimmelman, M. Kurilko, M.L. McCoy, A. McKevitt, A. Melinn, E. Laine, G.C. Pierce, D. Pfeuffer-Scherer, R. Shain, N. Sorkin, P. Tiemeyer, M. Tulante, K. Turner, S. Van Dahm
Study in the liberal arts and sciences builds the ability to be an integrative thinker: a person who can see and create connections between different bodies of knowledge and across disciplinary boundaries. Through exposure to complex, real-world issues in history, the humanities and the social sciences, our students become graduates who are well-read, well-spoken, worldly, flexible, and adaptable – individuals who never stop learning and making meaningful connections in everything they do.
In keeping with the University’s mission, the School of Liberal Arts commits itself to offering liberal arts majors that have a clear professional and career focus. Each academic program prepares students to begin dynamic careers right after graduation. These majors also provide a broad liberal arts education that sets a foundation for graduate study and lifelong learning. The School of Liberal Arts offers innovative and interdisciplinary academic programs in the following areas:
Environmental Sustainability
Law and Society
Professional Communication
The School of Liberal Arts also bears primary responsibility for the University’s College Studies program, the general education common curriculum at Philadelphia University. A strong grounding in the liberal arts and sciences as part of this program allows students to explore and analyze the world in which they live and work. Within the College Studies program and within its majors, the School of Liberal Arts promotes a rigorous approach to student learning. The core principles of our educational mission include a commitment to active forms of student learning, to information literacy, to integrative learning, to the development of strong communication, research and critical thinking skills, and to global perspectives in all areas of learning.
Sustainability involves balancing the needs of human societies with the health of the ecosystems that surround and support them. It also challenges us to behave ethically across generations: how can today’s societies meet their needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs? This challenge is growing sharper every day as rapid population and economic growth produce a number of related concerns: climate change, dwindling oil supplies, extreme weather events, shrinking water supplies and the accelerating resource requirements of developing nations like India and China. This combination of issues calls for a new category of experts who can develop and implement the strategies for sustainability.
Designing a sustainable operation, whether at the local, national or global level, requires a comprehensive approach that accounts for the political, cultural, scientific, economic and technological context of the relationship between humans and their ecosystems. Sustainability professionals need to be able to think across these different areas and communicate with a variety of experts and audiences in their own “languages.”
The Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sustainability equips students with the skills and vocabularies to bridge the multiple disciplines—architecture, design, business, engineering, and policymaking—necessary to produce environmentally sustainable operations for communities, businesses, and organizations. Philadelphia University offers the only environmental program in the region with training across these different professional fields, an approach that builds upon the University’s strengths and that produces creative problem-solvers with the skills necessary to build the sustainable societies of the future.
With the increasing global attention to environmental issues, the demand for sustainability experts will continue to rise. Environmental sustainability professionals can expect to build careers in local, state, and federal environmental agencies, utility companies, non-profit environmental organizations, wildlife and conservation agencies, environmental consulting and auditing firms, “green” contracting and construction management companies, and educational programs in schools, museums, and parks. In addition, the study of environmental sustainability develops scientific and social science skills that can be applied to graduate training in a variety of fields, including law, public policy, education, business and natural resource management. Internship opportunities and multiple elective courses allow students to gain professional experience before graduation and to customize their major according to their career objectives.
The Environmental Sustainability check sheet can be found on page 125.
The rule of law and concepts of social justice provide a foundation for life in modern society, and a framework for ethical action for professionals in all fields of work. Knowledge of the origins of American and international legal concepts and systems, and of the ongoing transformation of those systems, is of value in virtually every profession and for every global citizen.
The Law and Society major builds valuable critical thinking and writing skills through the examination of legal systems, courts, and conceptions of justice and human rights within both the American and international contexts, and offers opportunities to explore literary, philosophical, ethical, and scientific approaches to legal issues. With a multi-disciplinary approach that draws deeply on the liberal arts and social sciences, the Law and Society program also reflects the University’s traditional commitment to practical professional education.
Students earning a B.S. in Law and Society will be well prepared for careers in law, but are by no means limited to such careers. Today’s employers seek graduates with critical thinking and communications skills and broad global awareness. The skills and information offered by the Law and Society program prepare its students for work in a broad range of professional areas. Public service, government, NGOs, international businesses, high-tech firms, and diplomatic service: these are only a few of the law-related fields affected by the rapidly changing legal environments worldwide.
All Law and Society majors also choose a minor from one of the many professional fields that the University offers, such as business, psychology, languages, and environmental sustainability. Opportunities for internships, study abroad and independent research allow students to examine the ways in which legal issues intersect with professional practice in a variety of site locations across many professional fields. Our Career Services professionals help position students for career opportunities after graduation and have an enviable job placement record.
The Law and Society major also opens many doors for students whose career plans include graduate study in fields such as law, business, medicine, public health, political science, sociology, and urban policy and planning. Students preparing specifically for careers as lawyers can take advantage of our professional advising program that supports them on their way to law school.
The Law and Society check sheet can be found on page 127.
Professional Communication is a growing field dedicated to writing and presenting information using emerging technologies and new media. Students majoring in the Bachelor of Science in Professional Communication sharpen their abilities to integrate texts, images, sounds and motion while preparing for jobs as communication specialists in business, government and the non-profit sector. Studying the theory and practice of communication also enhances writing, researching and presenting skills that students can apply to graduate training in areas such as law, public affairs, education, journalism, and business administration.
The Professional Communication course sequence is dynamic and interdisciplinary. Students complete a wide range of individual and collaborative projects that examine how communication affects disciplines and professions in business, design, the sciences, and8 the health professions. The Professional Communication program includes a solid foundation in how human, consumer and organizational behavior relate to communication practices. Further, internship opportunities, job shadowing and multiple elective courses enable students to gain additional professional experience they can use while tailoring their major to meet specific career objectives.
Graduates of Professional Communication, depending on their areas of focus, will work as writers, public relations specialists, web site content developers, corporate communication representatives, bloggers, journalists and editors. Their work will involve responsibilities such as writing and editing for print and digital publications, using new media to create effective presentations and serving on interdisciplinary teams dedicated to client-based projects in professional and public arenas across the globe.
The program philosophy for Professional Communication honors innovation, rhetorical awareness and strategy, and ethical practice. The program is committed to preparing students for communication jobs in business, government and the non-profit sector, as well as for lives as continuous learners who are able to adapt to change.
The Professional Communication check sheet can be found on page 129.