Undeclared? Professors Answer Why Their Major is Awesome
By Zoey Reade
Art
“Today we communicate visually more than we ever have before. People read far less than they used to and are informed more and more by visual images. In order to communicate powerfully and articulately, a person needs a fundamental understanding of the principles of visual organization. The art major does a good job of providing that.” — Professor Doug Himes
Biochemistry
“The biochemistry major is great because the courses required for graduation are so closely aligned with courses required for graduate health science programs. All the classes you take for the biochemistry major are required for medical and dental school, so the major is one of the best you can choose for preparing you for these careers. If you don’t want to go to graduate school, biochemistry and related fields continue to be some of the best paid careers. I love biochemistry because it is the foundation for understanding life, nutrition, exercise, health, disease, psychology and medicine.” — Professor Roger Johnson
Biology
“The biology program is awesome for two major reasons. First, biology gives students great explanatory power about the world around them. Second, the biology faculty at SVU is quite diverse in their experience and interests. Biology students don’t just sit in a classroom, they are active participants in the scientific process doing lab and field work for their classes.” — Professor Jared Lee
Business Management and Leadership
“The Business Management and Leadership major is awesome because it is very applicable and marketable. In the end, business is about setting goals and making an influence for good in the world. There is an emphasis on decision making and applying data to identify and solve complex problems.” — Professor John Chapman
Classical Studies
“Classical studies is both the ‘original’ college major and the first interdisciplinary course of study. Students in classical studies make it their mission to do many things at once: most importantly, to familiarize themselves with Ancient Greek and Latin, to gain a sense of Western history from the 8th century BC to the 5th century AD, and to read some of the greatest literature ever created (in works by Homer, Sophocles, Plato, Virgil, Caesar, and Augustine, to name just a few).” — Professor Marcel Widzisz
Computer Science
“The Computer Science major is awesome because the whole world is going digital, and computer science unlocks opportunities in every industry in every area to make contributions to technological advancements to humankind. Not just technical advances, but advances that affect the quality of life, longevity, learning — everything. There is this huge opportunity, this great career path, and this satisfaction that is connected with the jobs in the field.” — Professor Alan Whitehurst
English
“What is great about the English major is that you get to read the best books ever written and talk about them in depth so that every student gets a chance to understand them for themselves and to have this dialogue with some of the greatest thinkers over time. It’s also an awesome major because it teaches people one of the most important skills needed in any job, which is clear communication.” — Professor Dallin Lewis
Family and Child Development
“The major is awesome because you get personal value when you learn about how to be a better relationship partner, how to be a better parent and how to have a better family life. The major has value because you could easily choose a profession where you get to help real people with real problems and make a difference in the world.” — Professor Ariel Rodriguez
History
“History professors tend to love history, so it’s just cool. I think it gives people a sense of perspective. In terms of a major, we have a rigorous program in terms of being able to give students practice in rational thinking, research and good writing skills. I think we send our history majors out well-prepared to do any number of things in the workforce and in the world.” — Professor Lora L. Knight
Liberal Arts
“The Liberal Arts major is very useful, for grad school and to capture the best that SVU has to offer. It’s great for students who want the best of what SVU offers because of the expanded core curriculum. It’s a great preparation for students who are going to grad school for a certain area. Third great reason, lot’s of great electives!” — Professor Scott Dransfield
Mathematics
“Mathematics is fascinating because we can use it to describe the world around us. It helps us understand other subjects such as biology, chemistry, physics, geography, engineering, computer science and more. The most beautiful part about mathematics is that we can prove laws and know for sure that they are true.” — Professor Gertrude Kraut
Music
“Not only does being a music major offer some of the most rewarding experiences a student can have while in college, it also provides a good deal of flexibility for future employment options. A musician can get the obvious training toward professional or semi-professional performance, and also can pursue careers in music education, music therapy, private instruction from home, music administration, music production, scoring, song-writing, etc. Some of our music majors even go on to be doctors, lawyers, business owners and more.” — Professor Eric Hanson
Politics
“The politics major is a great liberal arts major, in the sense that it is a good general education in writing, using evidence and making arguments, and understanding the world around us. It’s also a great preparation for law school or other graduate programs, like a Master’s of Public Administration. We are now starting to focus and offer more courses in subjects our students are most interested in, like international relations and public policy, so I think it will get better and better over the next few semesters.” — Professor Jeremiah John
Philosophy
“Philosophy investigates the most interesting questions there are, like “what is knowledge?”, “what is freedom?”, “what is a good life?” and “what is a good society?”. Those are the hardest questions human beings ask, and philosophy tries to answer them in a careful and systematic way.” — Professor John Armstrong
Psychology
“Psychology is amazing for several reasons: One, it’s amazing to study people — you can use psychology to understand your own behavior and the behavior of others. Two, psychology pairs well with everything else in life. Psychology is a great complement to any other knowledge you can acquire. Three, obtaining a psychology degree opens up a world of options. You can do anything you wish with a psychology degree. Four, at Southern Virginia, we have great faculty in Psychology.” — Professor Jeffrey Batis
Spanish
“The Spanish major is awesome because it could be the starting point for any career. With the increasing number of Spanish-speakers in the United States, we need Spanish-speaking professionals in every field. Being fluent in a foreign language opens up your possibilities for employment. When you study a foreign language you also learn about and develop an appreciation for other cultures and ways of life; this makes you a more broad-minded and empathetic person.” — Professor Arlene Fuentes
Theatre
“It’s awesome to be a part of a production with 20 to 30 students, all of them working together to pull it off! Theater students learn the traits in demand by many companies today: they can communicate clearly, take initiative, problem-solve, and get along with co-workers.” — Professor Robert Stoddard
