Hillyer College Concentrations
Beginning with your first semester, you have the option of selecting a concentration in an area of interest and/or your intended major. Concentrations are generally five-course sequences focused around academics that prepare you to complete a UHart bachelor's degree within the traditional four-year time period.
Concentrations Include:
The American Studies Concentration focuses on the literary, political, historical, and cultural foundations of American identity and is an excellent background if you are interested in history, literature, law, government, politics, or the environment.
Course requirements include one sophomore-level course in American literature, one course in American history, and three courses from approved electives
The Business Studies Concentration offers you the opportunity to pursue further studies in business at a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree level, and to continue studies at the Barney School of Business.
Course requirements include any five courses from the following: Introduction to Business, Financial Accounting, Principles of Macro Economics, Quantitative Applications for Business, Business Statistics, and Ethics. Students must also complete one course from Global History I, Global History II, or Perspectives on Globalization.
If you are interested in a career in education, the Education Studies Concentration gives you a career-focused foundation in the academic requirements needed to continue in UHart’s bachelor’s degree program in education offered by the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions. Here you benefit from career preparation and fieldwork early in the curriculum.
The education studies program requires students to take five courses that provide a background in psychology, history, and the theory and practice of education.
If you’re interested in ecology, sociology, biology, natural sciences, philosophy, and literature, the Environmental Studies Concentration offers you a wide and varied perspective on environmental issues. Because of its interdisciplinary focus, it’s an excellent foundation for working toward a BA degree in UHart’s College of Arts and Sciences, or BS degree in UHart’s College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture.
The environmental studies concentration requires students to take five courses from the following: Environmental Science, American Environmental Literature, Ethics, Studies in Social Problems, Urban Politics, and Sociology of the Connecticut River Watershed. Each year the program also offers a special-topics course that brings in-depth focus and potential fieldwork to a particular subject area. As an example, a special-topics course in Tropical Ecology includes a research trip to Costa Rica.
The Global Studies Concentration helps you prepare for majors in the social sciences, communications, or business and gives you a understanding of your place in a world of accelerating global exchange. The concentration is grounded in history and theory of globalization by giving you an opportunity to grapple with the complex and multifaceted aspects of globalization from economic, political, cultural, and sociological perspectives.
Requirements for the concentration include (1) either Global History I or Global History II, (2) Perspectives on Globalization, and (3) three courses from an approved list that includes World Archaeology, World Music Survey, Global Pop Music, Literature across Cultures, Survey of Post-colonial Writers, Politics of the Third World, and Introduction to World Religions.
Students may also select from additional courses that focus on Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Non-Western courses are offered by both Hillyer College and the University’s College of Arts and Sciences.
The Health Science Studies Concentration gives you the foundation of scientific and mathematical knowledge you’ll need for successful pursuit of a BA or BS degree in a variety of health-related disciplines. Students participating in the health science concentration are often interested in aspiring to studies in pre-medicine, physical therapy, or pre-dentistry.
Requirements of the concentration include General Biology I, General Biology II, and First-Level Calculus. In addition, students must take one of the following literature courses: The Abnormal Personality in Literature, Literature across Cultures, American Environmental Literature, or African American Literature.
If you are driven by the passion and compassion to serve your community, the Human Services Concentration helps you to acquire the skills to be able to support individuals in need of care and advocacy. It provides a career-ready opportunity for you to be prepared to enter the human services field by having the knowledge to work within an interdisciplinary workforce alongside case managers, social workers, psychologists, and other mental health professionals.
You will be able to gain employment by entering a field that is growing and expanding to meet the complex needs of your community and your world. Human Services professionals can often find employment in child protection, parole or probation services, mental health care, group homes, adult daycare facilities, substance abuse treatment centers, or elderly care centers.
The Human Services Concentration requires the following 3-credit courses; Fundamentals of Human Services, Case Management Principles, Groups Theories & Techniques in Human Services, Perspectives on Urban Trauma, Child & Family Protection Systems, and an Internship in Human Services.
General Sciences Degree Pathways
If you're planning a more intensive study of the lab sciences, we offer degree pathways that prepare you for majors in biology, health sciences, radiology, or physical therapy.