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MEET GEORGIA, BAC
STUDENT
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 Bachelor of Arts Completion student Georgia Jackson fulfills a lifelong dream to receive an undergraduate degree.
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MORE ABOUT BAC
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CIIS’s Bachelor of Arts Completion (BAC) program addresses the unique needs of adult learners by enabling them to complete a university degree in the context of their ongoing job and family commitments. A combination of readily available classes, strong advising, and previously earned college credit and life experience units support students in completing the program. Since Fall 2000, 70% of all students embarking on this program have completed their degree within one year, and 77% have completed it within two years.
The program is designed for adult learners who
have completed the equivalent of the first two
years of college and provides students with an
interdisciplinary, multicultural education in
a collaborative learning environment. Students
are actively involved in class projects, presentations,
and discussions with their instructors and their
peers. Through interactive courses, they sharpen
their critical-thinking skills, improve their
written and oral communication skills, increase
their sensitivity to multiple and diverse perspectives,
and enhance their professional mobility.
What is Interdisciplinary Studies?
At many universities, interdisciplinary studies
involves bringing the content of more than one
discipline—such as psychology, literature,
sociology, and ecology—into a single course
or incorporating it into the overall design of
the degree. In the Bachelor of Arts Completion
program, interdisciplinary studies is this and
much more. The program incorporates an interdisciplinary
approach to learning. Students reflect on
what they learn from different frameworks or "
critical perspectives." These frames of reference
allow students to understand their own points
of view—essentially the " lens"
through which they view the world.
The Bachelor of Arts program's integral approach
encourages students to learn in different ways,
both academically and experientially—such
as somatic, kinesthetic, spiritual, and intuitive.
In the program, interdisciplinary studies focuses
on the interconnections that exist in the course
content and in the myriad ways learning takes
place.
Unique Opportunities:
Cohort Learning, a Special Learning Environment
The Bachelor of Arts Completion program utilizes
a transformative group learning process called
"cohort learning." In this model, 15 to 22 students
are led by two faculty members throughout each
semester, creating a close-knit educational environment.
The cohort model enriches individual learning
immeasurably because it:
• Promotes collaborative learning and enhances students' small- and large-group skills.
• Teaches students about the learning process itself; students learn how they learn.
• Sharpens students' ability to be self-reflective, articulate, and improvisational.
• Offers students a supportive community
inside and outside the classroom.
Integrate Life Experiences with Academics
Students are encouraged to bring life into their learning. In the program, what happens in life is essential to the educational process. Students learn to identify the resources and experiences that they bring to their educational environment, and to integrate these experiences with the learning process. Students who transfer into the program with less than 75 units of transferable credit can earn additional college credits for previous learning gained from life or work experiences through the Prior Learning Seminar.
Shape Your Educational Goals
The educational goals of students in the Bachelor of Arts Completion program are as diverse as our students themselves. The program director, faculty, and cohort members encourage students to articulate their goals and then they support them in achieving these goals.
At the end of each semester, students write an
integrative essay that allows them to reflect
on their learning and to assess their progress
and/or refine their goals. Students consider questions
such as, "What have I learned and how have I learned?"
and "How has my relationship to learning changed?"
Why Get a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies?
A World of Possibilities
Today's competitive job market demands that prospective
employees possess a blend of intellectual, technical,
and interpersonal abilities. They must not only
have strong written and verbal communi-cation
skills, but must also be able to solve problems
creatively and analytically, interact well with
people from diverse backgrounds, lead ethically
and responsibly, and adapt to a rapidly changing
world with relative ease.
Through CIIS's Bachelor of Arts program in Interdisciplinary
Studies students gain these skills—and more—and
are poised to excel and flourish in any discipline
or career they choose to pursue.
Some students earn a degree in Interdisciplinary
Studies in order to advance their current lines
of work and for personal fulfillment. Others start
their own businesses in fields as varied as financial
planning, performing arts management, or human
resources consulting. Still others become advertising
account executives, social workers, copywriters,
marketing representatives, research analysts,
museum coordinators, or editors. In addition,
this program prepares students for graduate-level
studies in diverse fields, such as English, psychology,
ministry, environmental sciences, or art therapy.
Dual Admission Available for CIIS Graduate Programs
Many Bachelor of Arts Degree Completion students anticipate attending
one of CIIS's graduate programs after they finish the undergraduate
degree program. CIIS offers a dual admission option for all of the
School of Consciousness and Transformation master's-level programs:
Integrative Health Studies,
Transformative Leadership, Women's Spirituality, East West Psychology,
Asian and Comparative Studies, Philosophy Cosmology and Consciousness,
and Social and Cultural Anthropology.
Dual Admission Offers You:
• Seamless matriculation from the BA degree to the MA degree.
• A $2,000 scholarship award upon beginning your MA studies.
For more information about the dual admissions option, including program requirements and curricula, please call 415.575.6153. |
