5 Majors You Might've Missed
Chatham is well-known for our health science and sustainability programs as well as our strong commitment to the liberal arts, but what do you know about our more surprising fields of study? Check out these five majors that you might’ve missed and might be destined for: Applied Data Science Analytics, Immersive Media, Music Technology, Cultural Studies, and Food Studies. Read on for program highlights, career opportunities, and the endless academic possibilities of Chatham:
Applied Data Science Analytics
What It Is: Data science is an emerging field that blends computer technology, statistics, and business to manage, organize, and analyze the massive amounts of data produced by modern technologies every day. Digitalized data make it easier than ever to conduct research on historical records, providing connections between the old and new. Data scientists understand information systems and have a strong foundation in analytical methods and tools.
What You Can Do With It: Employers are looking for these skills to help solve important problems and create new insights in industry, healthcare, government, non-profits, and beyond. You will leave Chatham fully prepared, thanks to professional development in in-demand business areas like project management, Six Sigma, and coding.
Who You’ll Work With: Associate Professor, Mark Haney and Program Chair of the Business & Entrepreneurship Department, James Pierson
⭐️ Don’t Forget the Perks ⭐️
You can choose a minor in a specialized knowledge domain, such as another business field, political science, sustainability, biology, psychology, mathematics, or more.
You’ll benefit from innovative courses like Information and Cybersecurity, which teaches students to identify vulnerabilities, assess threats, and analyze risk.
What It Is: The Bachelor of Arts in Immersive Media is an interdisciplinary program that equips students with knowledge of virtual reality and augmented reality technology, architecture, 3D modeling, game development engines, writing, and design thinking to prepare them for careers in immersive media creation.
What You Can Do With It: Students will blend industry-standard design practices and artistic methods with cutting-edge technology to create experiences in gaming, architecture, software, entertainment, and a variety of other industries.
Who You’ll Work With: Assistant Professor of Immersive Media, Douglas North Cook; Chair and Program Director of Interior Architecture and Immersive Media, Kyra Tucker; and Assistant Professor of Immersive Media, Joseph Amodei
⭐️ Don’t Forget the Perks ⭐️
Immersive Media faculty are committed to the principles of Universal Design, ensuring that environments and products—both virtual and physical—are accessible to everyone regardless of age, size, ability, or any other consideration.
Students in the program have access to state-of-the-art equipment, studio facilities, expert faculty and staff, and the opportunity to work directly with faculty on research and creative projects.
What It Is: Chatham’s music technology program sets you up for success by allowing mastery of industry-leading technologies for editing and sequencing, putting on the final touches—taking a piece of music all the way from recording through to producing a finished product. Students study music theory, ear-training, music history, and performance or composition, as well as basic sound recording audio production, and various computer music applications, including Pro Tools. The major also includes coursework in video production and web design from the film and digital technologies program.
What You Can Do With It: This major offers a wide range of post-grad possibilities, including working as a sound technician, an audio engineer, a music producer, and more.
Who You’ll Work With: Associate Professor of Music, Michael Boyd; Associate Professor of Marketing, Deborah DeLong; and Director of the Business & Entrepreneurship Department, James Pierson
⭐️ Don’t Forget the Perks ⭐️
All students complete a capstone seminar that channels the knowledge they’ve accumulated into a discipline-specific project under close faculty guidance. Chatham is one of the few universities across the country that offer such an independent and student-driven program.
The music faculty, all of whom are professional musicians with strong artistic achievements, work closely with all students and are strongly committed to the highest standards in teaching.
What It Means: Cultural Studies is an interdisciplinary major that examines issues of race, ethnicity, class, and culture. Drawing on social, cultural, and literary theories, this major introduces methods of interpretation for the analysis of cultural objects in their social contexts. You will learn to apply contemporary theory in your critical analysis of literature, film, and other cultural narratives. You'll explore topics central to the University’s mission in a focused, sustained manner that unlocks new sources of pride and power for communities marginalized in our systems of power, resource, and cultural representation. And you'll study and contribute to the deep work through which those communities articulate their experience.
What You Can Do With It: You can do so much with a Cultural Studies degree, including working in nonprofits, museums, art and culture institutions, as well as diversity and inclusion consultation.
Who You’ll Work With: Professor of Humanities and Asian Studies, Karen Kingsbury; Professor and Chair of Arts, Design and Communications and Program Director of Film and Digital Technology and Interdisciplinary Design, prajna paramita parasher; and Professor of English, Anissa Wardi
⭐️ Don’t Forget the Perks ⭐️
If you choose to pursue a minor in African American studies, you will delve even deeper into the history, culture, politics, religion, and literature of the African Diaspora—the communities created by the dispersion of peoples from the African continent.
Chatham is walking distance to many of Pittsburgh’s cultural institutions and organizations, including the Carnegie Museum of Art, Carnegie Music Hall, and the Frick Fine Arts Museum.
What It Means: The Bachelor of Arts in Food Studies offers a blend of practical skill-building and perspectives on food and agriculture through the analysis of social, cultural, economic, environmental, and historical topics. The curriculum includes a yearlong sequence of applied, experiential, hands-on learning, and a capstone project.
What You Can Do With It: Students are prepared for multi-faceted careers and professional engagement in a wide variety of sectors in food and agriculture, with the skill sets to address the practical, economic, community, and social justice issues that are a hallmark of contemporary food systems jobs.
Who You’ll Work With: Assistant Professor of Food Studies, Sally Frey; Associate Professor of Food Studies, Nadine Lehrer; and Associate Professor of Food Studies and Director of CRAFT, Alice Julier
⭐️ Don’t Forget the Perks ⭐️
Students have the opportunity to work in campus-based businesses, including Café Ann, which will house a coffee lab; the Kitchen Lab, which will provide product development in collaboration with scaled food businesses as well as pop-up restaurant training; campus food service; the Grains project wood-fired oven (developing bread, pizza, and other event based opportunities).
Food Studies students have access to a dedicated career counselor who provides support, resources, and learning opportunities designed specifically for Falk School undergraduate and graduate students. Offerings include: one-on-one consultations; professional development workshops and programs; and connecting students with alumni to provide opportunities for mentorship, networking, job shadowing, informational interviewing, internships, and jobs.
Ready to explore other majors at Chatham? Click here.
