Avila offers three concentration areas in art: graphic design, art education, and art therapy. Avila's graphic design major prepares you for professional practice. In the last 10 years, over ninety percent of our graduates have found employment in the design field. Art education graduates are certified to teach at the primary and secondary level in Missouri and Kansas. The art therapy curriculum meets recommendations of the American Art Therapy Association. Students display their work at the yearly Senior Show in Avila’s Thornhill Art Gallery.

The advertising/public relations concentration prepares you for a successful career in advertising, copywriting, public relations, sales, event planning or sports marketing.  The film & digital media concentration prepares you for a successful career in independent digital video and film production, studio recording, screenwriting and corporate scriptwriting.  Both concentrations are reality-based curricula which allows students to apply theoretical knowledge to hands-on production projects, such as working with Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Will Shields on his promotional video for the Will Shields Foundation or being a part of the award-winning “Talon” newspaper staff.

Wellness is one of the fastest growing fields in the country.  The science-based curriculum provides you with a broad-based knowledge of anatomy, kinesiology, exercise physiology, biomechanics, and sports medicine.  Completion of the four-year degree prepares you for employment in a variety of professional settings, including athletic programs, professional sports arenas, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation settings, fitness industry, and hospital and medical centers.  Optimum health is the ultimate finish line, and Sports Science at Avila is advancing ways for everyone to cross it.

At Avila, the Sociology major allows the student to choose from three areas of emphasis within the major. One area is General Sociology which prepares the student for work in social research, as well as graduate study in law, business, and medicine. A second area of emphasis is criminal justice.  This emphasis provides career opportunities in law enforcement, corrections, forensics, etc.

Avila University offers unique opportunities in radiologic science.  As one of 27 baccalaureate programs in the country, the program offers you a chance to develop specific technical skills while obtaining a liberal arts education.  The department participated in a voluntary accreditation program and received one hundred percent.  You may choose one of these emphasis areas:  advanced clinical practicum, education, or management.

The Avila University Psychology program allows students to develop an understanding of human beings in context.  The program is designed to help students learn more about themselves and others, allowing them to use this knowledge to promote human welfare.  Avila students participate in professional research and have an opportunity to present their papers at national conferences.

The bachelor of arts degree in political science prepares you for entrance into various areas of the political system, the private sector, law, and the international community. You may opt for the general political science major or add a concentration in pre-law.  Political Science students at Avila are encouraged to explore educational opportunities beyond the classroom walls.  Majors are often interested in internships either locally, in Jefferson City or Topeka, or in Washington, D.C.  Scholarships are available for Mock Trial participants.

As a graduate of the Avila school of nursing, you will enjoy an outstanding reputation for being a prepared leader in the field — the result of an innovative, 21st century curriculum with a health promotion/risk reduction, leadership, and societal focus across a variety of acute-care and outpatient settings.  Avila’s School of Nursing completed a $1.2 million capacity expansion project, including new labs, technology, classrooms, and expanded facilities.  Students who maintain a 3.0 G.P.A. in the first three semesters of coursework at Avila earn automatic admission into the competitive nursing program.

The pre-medicine program is designed to provide a strong educational background for students interested in becoming a physician, dentist, optometrist, physical therapist, podiatrist, occupational therapist, chiropractor, physician assistant, pharmacist, and veterinarian.  The program has been designed to prepare you to apply to, and to be successful in, medical and other health professional schools.  Faculty advisors will guide you through to graduation and help facilitate application to professional schools.  Avila has partnerships with the Kansas City University of Medicine and Bioscience, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, Logan College of Chiropractic, Rockhurst University, Arizona School of Health Sciences, Mount St. Mary’s College, and Southwest Baptist University.

First year students have the opportunity to audition for any of the four productions staged each year.  The mission is to educate theatre students to work in the professional world. Avila offers two degree programs; a B.A. in Theatre and a B.F.A. in Acting, Directing, Theatre Design and Technology, or Musical Theatre. Outstanding faculty - including instructors from the professional theatre - help students master their craft and utilize their degrees upon graduation.  Scholarships are available.

Religious studies are central to the understanding of history, art, music, politics and many other fields.  The religious studies degree is designed for, and open to, people from all religious backgrounds.  You will receive a broad-based, liberal arts program that prepares you for the work world or graduate education.

The Avila music major is designed as a liberal arts major with a choice of concentration in piano or voice; or a BFA in musical theatre.  An additional program in unified music vocal/choral, K-12 certification is also offered and approved by the State of Missouri.  Kansas certification may be completed concurrently.  As a music major, you will receive individual instruction in the degree program which best fits your needs.  Music majors perform at two yearly concerts and have traveled to New York and performed at Carnegie Hall.  Scholarships are available.

As a profession, Avila’s history program emphasizes learning about people and events in the context of the United States and world history, as well as the research skills needed to be a successful historian.  You can pursue traditional professions in teaching, but other possibilities exist, including historical preservation, archival work, and museum curatorship.  The study of history also is an appropriate preparation for graduate study in law and information management/library studies.  Avila professors are actively involved in research, including the Holocaust and local Kansas City history.  Through interdisciplinary courses, you may study Holocaust and the Theatre, or the history of women.

When you major in English, you may concentrate on literature or writing, and graduates have become professional writers, teachers, lawyers, and editors.  They work in advertising agencies, publishing houses, and private businesses.  Many English majors attend graduate school in areas such as literature, cultural studies, creative writing, linguistics, and library science.  Avila student works’ appear in the SCOP literary magazine.  Students are taught by professors who are published authors, including nationally recognized award-winning artist-in-residence Stanley Banks.

Avila has a long tradition of a high percentage of employment of its beginning teachers.  Avila’s reputation for quality in teacher preparation can open many doors for you.  The program is highly regarded by area principals and personnel directors.  You can choose elementary, middle, secondary, or a special education focus.   Education courses and real-world classroom participation begins early in your curriculum to aid in decision-making concerning career, content, and grade level.  The program meets requirements for both Missouri and Kansas.

The Avila Computer Science program is challenging and requires creativity and hard work. If you are a problem solver, learn abstract concepts easily, and possess ability in mathematics, then you can be successful in this program.  The computer labs on campus have recently been updated with the latest technology, including smart boards.

The Business Administration major is an excellent path to a rewarding career in many fields of endeavor. This major is found in management positions in corporate, government, and not for profit organizations. The skills of the Business Administration major are in high demand and career advancement is a given for the motivated graduate in Business.

A career in Finance is for the person who likes a fast pace and can accept significant responsibilities. In return, the potential rewards are very high. Your Finance major prepares you for a career in banking, corporate finance, or investment brokerage just to name a few. The career path in Finance leads to position titles of Vice President or Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

Students gain real-world experience, participating in faculty research projects, including field trips to destinations like Hawaii, Mexico or the West Indies.  Whether studying lizards in the Dominican Republic, rodent anatomy, or microbiology, successful completion of the program enables you to pursue a variety of career options, including work in the health professions; forensic sciences; forestry; agriculture; fisheries; oceanography; conservation; environmental research and management; medical and scientific publishing; business careers in health administration, instrumentation, and pharmaceuticals; secondary education; or pursue special research interests as a post-graduate biologist.

Avila’s curriculum in healthcare services couples real world subject matter with courses in management to provide a more practical approach to the setting of a healthcare provider.  The program is a good match for those interested in the healthcare industry.