Mar 28, 2024  
2016-2017 Academic Catalog 
    
2016-2017 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Academic Focus Area


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The purpose of academic focus areas is to provide undecided students guidance into general areas of interest for the student. The guided pathway of courses for each focus area provides the student an introduction to that general area while allowing the student to explore specific career options and associated majors. Students are expected to declare a major by the time they have earned 15 college-level credit hours at Southwest.

Each academic focus guides students into specific courses that allow them to explore a broad area of interest, while allowing maximum flexibility to select any major within that broad area.

The nine focus areas are:

  • Applied Science and Technology Focus
  • Art Focus
  • Business Focus
  • Education Focus
  • General Education Core Focus
  • Health Sciences Focus
  • Humanities Focus
  • Social Sciences Focus
  • STEM Focus

Applied Technology Focus


Willie Burley• (901) 333-4159

This Applied Technology focus area is designed for students seeking a career in technical fields. The focus provides students with the flexibility to choose a major in one of the technically orientated programs such as: Information Technology, Office Technology, or Engineering Technology.

First Semester: 15 Credits


 

Arts Focus


Patsy Fancher• (901) 333-4151

The Arts focus is sub-divided into two broad areas: Visual and Performing Arts. The Visual Arts focus is designed for students considering majors in Fine Arts or Graphic Arts. The Performing Arts focus is designed for students considersing majors in Music, Speech, or Theater.

Visual Arts

First Semester: 15 Credits


  • ART 1030  Art Appreciation
  • ENGL 1010  English Composition I
  • SPCH 1010  Fundamentals of Speech Communication
  • MATH 1530  Probability and Statistics
  • Social/Behavioral Science (Gen.Ed)

 

 

 

Performing Arts

First Semester: 15 Credits


 

Business focus


Dr. Wesley Fox • (901) 333-4130

The Business focus area is designed for students seeking a career in the field of business. The focus provides students with the flexibility to choose between a four year degree program (the Tennessee Transfer Pathway) or an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in business.

First Semester: 15 Credits


 

Education focus


Jesse Lipford• (901) 333-5196

The Education focus provides a framework for students considering majors in the educational fields: Early Childhood Education, Education, and Teaching.

First Semester: 15 Credits


 

General Education focus


Thad Cockrill• (901) 333-5208

The General Education focus is designed for  a broad experience in the College curriculum while focusing on completing their general education coursework. The purpose of general education is to ensure that college students have the wide-ranging knowledge and skills to become lifelong learners in a global community that will continue to change.

First Semester: 15 Credits


 

Health Sciences focus


Thomas Wolfe• (901) 333-5400

The Health Science focus area is designed for students interested in a career in a healthcare occupation. It provides the student with the flexibility to choose between Nursing, multiple Allied Health majors and the University Parallel Associate of Science in Allied Health.

 

First Semester: 16 Credits


 

Humanities focus


Thad Cockrill• (901) 333-5208

The Humanities focus provides a liberal arts based curriculum for students considering majors in the more classical disciplines: English, Philosophy, Foreign Languages, Cultural and Historical Arts.

First Semester:


 

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) focus


Dr. Robert Blaudow• (901) 333-5220

The STEM focus provides a framework for students four year degrees in the Natural Sciences, Technologies, Engineering, or Mathematics.

First Semester: 15 Credits


 

Social Sciences focus


Jesse Lipford• (901) 333-5196

The Social Sciences focus provides a framework for students considering majors in social or behavioral sciences: Psychology, Political Science, Sociology, History, Social Work, Public Administration, or Human Services.

First Semester: 15 Credits


 

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