Spark Certificates
Spark Certificates are short academic tracks that allow Albright students to develop mastery in a specific area, and earn a credential in that specialty, as they earn their degrees. The certificate is recognition of enriched, focused knowledge, much like an academic minor. Courses may include general education classes that can be counted both for their degree and as part of a certificate. Students are not limited in the number of certificates they can earn as they work toward graduation.
Through completion of four courses chosen from an offered list, Spark Certificates not only empower students to pursue learning in areas of particular interest, but verify a student’s skills and education in a defined academic field. The certificate can be part of a student’s major but, much like our popular co-majors, does not have to be part of their chosen field of study.
While students may choose to earn a Spark Certificate to enhance their career options, this path is a rewarding way to explore an area of personal curiosity as well. No matter the reason for choosing to earn one, this academic micro-focus will fuel students’ professional and personal success.
Antiquity Studies
Complete four:
LAT 101 Latin I
LAT 102 Latin II
ENG 270 The Classical Heritage
HIS 101 Ancient Mediterranean
HIS 361 Early Middle Ages
REL 141 Hebrew Bible
REL 142 New Testament
REL 154 Classical Mythology
REL 244 Sex, Gender and the Bible
Biology – Molecular Techniques
Complete four:
BIO 321 Microbiology
BIO 322 Cell Biology
BIO 325 Molecular Genetics
BIO 327 Histology
CHE 325 Biochemistry
Business Essentials
Required courses (complete three):
BUS 155 Personal Finance (a quantitative reasoning foundations course)
BUS 183 Introduction to Sports Business
BUS 195 Introduction to Business
ACC 100 Accounting for Non-Business Majors
ACC 101 Financial Accounting (a quantitative reasoning foundations course)
ACC 110 Computer Applications for Business
ECO 105 Principles of Economics (a social science foundations)
Elective courses (complete one):
BUS 246 Principles of Management
BUS 247 Marketing Management
Introduction to Cyber Crimes
Required courses:
CSC141 Foundations of Computer Science I
CSC142 Foundations of Computer Science II
SOC202 The Criminal Justice System
SOC251 Crime and Deviance
Language Arts and Cultures
Complete four; two must be level 102 or higher:
English 101
English 102
Spanish 101
Spanish 102
Spanish 201
Spanish 202
Spanish 301
Spanish 302
French 101
French 102
French 201
French 202
German 101
German 102
Latin 101
Latin 102
Dual World Languages and Cultures
Take a 101/102 sequence in two languages below. If starting above 101 in a language, take two consecutive levels (e.g., 102 and 201) as well as the 101/102 sequence in another language:
FRE101/FRE102
GER101/GER102
LAT101/LAT102
SPA101/SPA102
Intermediate French/Spanish Studies
Complete four semesters of French or Spanish:
FRE101/SPA101
FRE102/SPA102
FRE201/SPA201*
FRE202/SPA202**
*SPA203 may be taken in place of SPA201.
**SPA204 may be taken in place of SPA202.
Pre-Law
A total of four courses are required from two categories.
Complete two or three:
POL 101 American Government
POL 216 Law & Society
PHI 150 Critical Thinking
Complete one or two:
POL 231 Criminal Law
BUS 250 Business Law
PHI 230 Philosophy and Law
POL 371 Constitutional Law
Professional Writing
Required courses:
ENG 101 Composition
ENG 102 Writing with Texts
Elective courses (complete two):
ENG 241 Writing for Professional Success
ENG 341 Writing for Nonprofits
COM 219 Magazine and Feature Writing
COM 222 Newswriting
COM 327 Writing for PR and Advertising
Psychology
Required course:
PSY100 General Psychology
Elective courses (complete three):
PSY205 Biological Psychology
PSY206 Social Psychology
PSY210 Health Psychology
PSY230/240 Human Development OR Developmental Psychology
PSY340 Cognition
PSY390 Adult Psychopathology
Biblical Studies
Complete four:
REL 141 Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
REL 142 New Testament
REL 235 Bible, Africa, and African Americans
REL 243 Jesus in Literature and Film
REL 244 Sex, Gender, Bible
SYN 355 Monsters in Religion and Literature
Global Religions
Complete four:
REL 151 Judaism, Christianity, Islam
REL 152 Religions of India, China, and Japan
SOC/REL 231 Cults and New Religious Movements
REL 250 Judaism
REL 251 Islam
REL 253 Christianity After the New Testament
REL 257 Buddhism Across Cultures
REL 269 African American Religions
REL 296 Yoga: Philosophy and Practice
HIS 262 Europe’s Reformations
SYN 308 Pennsylvania Dutch
Introduction to Social Work
Complete four:
SOC101 Intro to Sociology
SOC203 Human Services
SOC261 The Family
PSY100 Intro to Psychology
PSY206 Social Psychology
PSY230 Human Development
PSY240 Child Development
Introduction to Crime Scene Analysis
Complete four:
SOC202 The Criminal Justice System
SOC210 Research Methods
SOC251 Crime and Deviance
SOC253 Criminal Investigations
SOC254 Advanced Criminal Investigations
Introduction to Law Enforcement
Complete four:
SOC202 The Criminal Justice System
SOC251 Crime and Deviance
SOC302 Juvenile Delinquency
SOC311 Domestic Violence
SOC385 Violence and Victims
POL216 Law and Society
POL231 Criminal Law
Building Community-Police Relationship
Complete four:
SOC201 Social Problems
SOC202 The Criminal Justice System
REL/SOC231 Cults and New Religious Movements
SOC251 Crime and Deviance
SOC262 Social Stratification
SOC266 Sociology of Race
SOC383 School-to-Prison-Pipeline
SOC470 Immigration and Transnational Families
Contemporary Issues in Social Work
Complete four:
SOC302 Juvenile Delinquency
SOC311 Domestic Violence
SOC383 School-to-Prison-Pipeline
SOC385 Violence and Victims
SOC470 Immigration and Transnational Families
Social Research Analysis
Complete four:
SOC101 Intro to Sociology
SOC201 Social Problems
SOC210 Research Methods
SOC211 Statistics
ANT101 Intro to Anthropology
ESS325 Geographic Information Systems
Spanish and Public Health
Required courses:
SPA209 Spanish for the Health Professions
PUH101 Introduction to Public Health
Elective courses (complete two):
ANT101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
BIO101 Concepts and Connections in Biology
BIO207/WLC207 Medical Terminology*
HIS205 History of Medicine in the U.S.
HIS206 Healthy Cities: Urban Public Health
PSY100 General Psychology
PSY210 Health Psychology*
PUH330 Global Health*
SOC201 Social Problems
SOC261 The Family
SOC266 Sociology of Race
SPA101 Elementary Spanish I
SPA102 Elementary Spanish II
SPA201 Intermediate Spanish I
SPA202 Intermediate Spanish II
SPA301 Advanced Spanish I
SPA302 Advanced Spanish II
*prerequisite course is required to complete
Theatre – Acting
Complete four:
THR150 Acting Studio I
THR201 Production Experience
THR250 Acting Studio II
THR252 Acting for the Camera
THR255 Improvisational Theatre
Theatre – Directing
Required courses:
THR150 Acting Studio I – Fine Arts Foundation
THR210 Design Fundamentals
THR250 Acting Studio II
THR350 Directing Studio
Students are strongly encouraged to complete four THR201 Production Experience courses, with at least two of those in the role of Assistant Director.
Theatre – Dramatic Writing
Complete four:
THR101 The Creative Process
THR255 Improvisational Theatre
THR260 Playwriting
THR280 Script Analysis
THR361 Screenwriting
Theatre – Music Theatre
Required courses:
THR150 Acting Studio I
THR 250 Acting Studio II
THR/MUS 287 History of the American Musical
MUS109 Voice Lessons (4 semesters)
Understanding Homeland Security
Complete four:
SOC251 Crime and Deviance
SOC307 Organized Crime
SOC305 Terrorism
SOC470 Immigration and Transnational Families
ANT/SYN310 Crime, Culture, Conflict Resolution
Women’s and Gender Studies
Complete four:
WGS 210: Introducing Sex and Gender
WGS 220: LGBTQ+ Media, History and Culture
HIS 153: U.S. History Since 1865
HIS 204: U.S. Women’s History
HIS 275: Women’s Work
HIS 324: African Americans and the Great Migration
HIS 345: Sex and Society in Early Modern Europe
SOC 261: The Family
SOC 270: Parenting & Technology
SOC 262: Social Stratification and Structured Inequality
REL 244: Sex, Gender, Bible
ENG 135: African American Literature