Franklin University Switzerland

Art History and Visual Culture courses investigate the production of art, architecture, and film through the technical, social, economic, cultural, psychological, and epistemological forces at work when they were produced and viewed.  The major places a particular emphasis on how images form beliefs and values, taking into account issues of ethnicity, gender, and class.

Communication and media are central features of our lives. From navigating relationships, to crafting professions, to engaging in local and global issues, we are always using communication and media. Recent years have seen the proliferation of media forms, technologies and industries. Indeed, there has never been a better time to study communication and media. No matter what kind of work you do or what kind of life you live, understanding communication and media processes is fundamental to your health and wealth.

The Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies (CLCS) major at Franklin focuses on cultural phenomena and processes as they unfold under the pressure of historical, social and economic forces. Inherent in our approach is an understanding of culture as an ever-evolving entity that demands continuous acts of interpretation, negotiation and creativity.

The Environmental Sciences and Studies major gives students an interdisciplinary background and enables them to think critically about, analyze, and understand today’s environmental issues. In this major, students receive a broad overview of environmental issues that includes environmental science, the social sciences, and humanities. Students take a core set of fundamental courses and then tailor a set of broad upper-level electives that reflects the students’ specific interests.

In the Fashion Studies major, courses study the history of design and image making, the sociological and communicative processes of the making of fashion, the role of technological innovation, as well as theories of product management, branding, and marketing. In the context of the liberal arts BA degree at Franklin University Switzerland, the interdisciplinary major of Fashion Studies offers the possibility for students to construct particular emphases according to their interest in the field. The program prepares students for entry-level positions in careers of fashion as well as trend research in a variety of fields, including archives, museums, galleries, media, consulting, the publishing sector, retailing, distribution, design, and the fashion business. Students may also choose to pursue design careers or advanced research of fashion towards an MA or PhD degree.

The major in Finance at Franklin provides students with a comprehensive and rigorous education of both theory and practice in finance. The curriculum emphasizes up-to-date knowledge in finance and teaches students the skills and tools necessary to succeed in today’s highly globalized and technological world. Students learn how to apply concepts from economics, finance and business to real-world problems using teaching methods based on traditional lectures, case studies, simulations, and experiential learning. In particular, the program stresses both the area of financial economics (studying the behavior of traders in financial markets and the determinants of price formation) and of financial management (studying business practices useful in devising strategies to attain financial goals). Within the major, students can choose between a business applications track and an economic policy applications track.

Students will begin the French Studies major according to prior experience and continue through advanced courses devoted to French literature, culture, and contemporary society. As part of their program of study, students may spend one semester at a French-speaking university after finishing FRE 300, or complete a series of French courses in related disciplines; students will complete a capstone seminar in French Studies. Students who do not study in a French-speaking university will be encouraged to complete at least one travel course to France or the French-speaking world.

The International Economics degree program equips students with the skills necessary to succeed in the international world of business and economics, while emphasizing the skills to develop orderly and critical thinking. It stresses both theoretical and applied concepts, quantitative and qualitative reasoning, communication skills and basic computer literacy.

The International Management degree program prepares Franklin graduates for international business and public sector careers in organizations ranging from family-run businesses to multinational corporations and from government administration to non-profit foundations. In addition to graduate school opportunities such as MBA, MSc, and MA programs, possible career paths for International Management graduates include: Marketing Manager, Trading and Fund Manager, Financial Analyst, Business Development Manager, Product Manager, and Advertising Account Manager.

The International Marketing Management program equips students with the knowledge, tools and mindset to deal with the challenges organizations are facing today.  Rooted in Franklin’s liberal arts tradition, this major offers a curriculum that combines innovative and fundamental courses in marketing such as green marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility, digital marketing analytics, brand management with courses in management, politics, psychology and statistics with the aim of enabling students to understand consumers and their behaviors and to help companies design activities that create sustainable long-term value.

The International Relations major is designed for students who wish to deepen their knowledge and understanding of this multi-disciplinary field. Students receive a solid foundation for a variety of careers in areas such as diplomatic and government service, international organizations, international business, journalism, law and banking. Many graduates have also chosen to pursue graduate study in related areas.

Due to the University’s unique location in the Italian-speaking world, the Italian Studies major at Franklin is designed, first and foremost, to cultivate students’ abilities to communicate, interact and critically engage with the local culture. To do this, students seeking a bachelor’s degree in Italian Studies complete a three-year sequence of language courses, the principal goal of which is the acquisition of advanced competency in Italian speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills.

From Aristotle and Plato, to Machiavelli and Aquinas, to modern analysts and states-men, political scientists have been concerned with issues of power, governance, public policy, social behavior and interactions among nation-states, among many others. Courses required for this major include all major sub-disciplines of this field: Political Theory, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Economy, as well as Research Methodologies. The interdisciplinary electives encourage students to look at political issues from the perspective of other disciplines. Compared to the more applied major in International Relations, the major in Political Science is more humanistic and disciplinary. This major provides an excellent preparation for graduate study and careers in fields such as law, journalism, consulting, development assistance or education.

Psychology is the science of human emotion, thought and behavior, including neural, physiological and cognitive processes; developmental factors and individual differences; and interpersonal, international, and cross-cultural components. The Psychology major is designed to expose students to a spectrum of basic issues currently being addressed in the discipline, the principles of research design and statistics, and theory and research in specific areas of psychology.

The Social Justice and Sustainability (SJS) major builds on Franklin’s commitment to fostering a more just and sustainable world. A self-designed major, it aims to allow students to explore key topics, theories, skills and applications at the intersections of social justice and sustainability. The major in Social Justice and Sustainability provides excellent preparation for a variety of careers in the public and private sectors.  Potential future careers include possibilities in local and international agencies; with advocacy groups for human rights, environmental justice, welfare, or sustainability; in community organizations, in development and aid organizations, in governmental institutions, in think tanks, and in consulting firms. Graduates could work as crisis mediators, policy analysts, conflict resolution specialists, journalists, media producers, organizers or lobbyists. Depending on the focus chosen, this major is also an excellent choice for students considering graduate studies in the social sciences, the humanities, economics, environmental studies, and law, as well as further study related to social, political, and economic equality.

The Visual Communication Arts Major offers an interdisciplinary course of study, encompassing the fine arts, graphic design, illustration, and photography, as well as courses from Communication and Media Studies, Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies, Film Studies, and other disciplines. It focuses on communication and creativity as fundamental elements of human expression and encourages students to think critically about creative expressions within the context of and across cultures, ethnicities, race, and gender.  In this course of study, students focus on the visual arts and will be able to express themselves in a variety of media.