Master of Public Policy with Concentration in Policy Informatics

at Kaplan Group - Arizona State University - Downtown Phoenix Campus USA

The professional program leading to the MSW degree prepares social workers for advanced professional social work practice. The program is designed to prepare social workers to be capable of responding effectively to the needs of special populations, particularly in the American Southwest.

The first year of the standard program focuses on curriculum and skills that build a foundational knowledge in social work. The second year of the program allows students to focus their coursework in a specific area to build specialized practice knowledge.

The BA program in community development equips students with tools to collaborate with, empower and educate diverse community constituents by drawing on grassroots and inclusive frameworks such as sustainable development, social and environmental justice, participatory democracy, social and economic equity and social accounting.

The MS program in nutritional science prepares students to translate nutrition science into practical use for human health and wellness. Students immerse themselves in the latest nutrition topics and research partnered with accomplished faculty, developing practical understanding through internship experiences and their own guided research. Building on the scientific foundations of human nutrition, students learn strong writing and problem-solving skills, grow computer literacy, and increase interpretive expertise. Students are afforded research experiences grounded in the latest science that can match their own interests and goals.

Sports nutrition, a new track in the program, provides an option for students to select specialized courses in sports nutrition and exercise science and obtain hands-on training and research with sports dietitians and nutrition faculty who are experts in the field. Students in this track complete the same core nutrition graduate cour but take track-specific courses and electives that focus on sports nutrition, hydration, exercise physiology and other vital parts of the discipline. The culminating experience research is under the guidance of sports nutrition professors in the College of Health Solutions.

The program is designed for students interested in working in sustainable tourism, hospitality, travel and related fields. The concentration in sustainable tourism opens up a world of opportunities, allowing students to take courses in sustainable tourism from ASU's Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions at the Downtown Phoenix campus, located in the heart of the state capital's thriving business district.

Students specialize in sustainable tourism management, mastering the principles and practices of successful sustainable development in the tourism field. Together, a diverse cohort learns to integrate economic, social and environmental aspects of sustainability as it relates to tourism; conduct sustainability audits for destinations and businesses; evaluate community impacts of tourism; innovate and evaluate sustainable tourism practices; and perform business planning and management. Students receive specialized, hands-on training in international business, cross-cultural relations, global political economy and regional business environments.

Graduates enter their profession ready to oversee initiatives in research, development, implementation, execution and evaluation of sustainable tourism plans for businesses and destinations. Graduates are prepared to enter today's complex and exciting global economy at the top of organizations that operate across borders. They join a global network of Thunderbird alumni who hold leadership positions in global organizations worldwide.

The Bachelor of Science in health sciences with a concentration in healthy lifestyles and fitness science provides students the skills they need for employment in health and wellness fields or for continuing their education in graduate and professional school.

Students train for work in preventive health care and learn how to use lifestyle coaching, physical activity and health care education to improve the health of the communities they serve. They learn best practices in health promotion to help people adopt and maintain healthier habits and address the challenges reflected by socio-economic determinants of health. Students study diverse disciplines such as nutrition, fitness, stress management, substance abuse, behavior change and coaching psychology.

The MS in community resources and development with a concentration in tourism is a research-oriented master's degree program. Students learn to analyze and understand critical topics and issues pertinent to the fields of tourism, parks and recreation management, nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations, and sustainable communities.

The Master of Global Management program with a concentration in global health care delivery is designed for current or aspiring executives and managers in health care who would like to hone their leadership and business skills to position themselves for careers leading health care organizations around the world. Some health care practitioners, such as nurses and doctors, may also use the degree as a way to move from clinical practice into management roles.

The concentration in global health care delivery addresses the current and future needs of the management workforce in the health care industry globally, including C-suite executives and administrators, health care providers (physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and nurses), frontline staff (respiratory therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists and dietitians) and students in medical disciplines. Students master core and advanced skills in designing systems, processes and mechanisms used to optimize health care delivery anywhere in the world. In addition, students integrate evidence-based financial principles geared toward improved individual and population health outcomes, such as leadership strategies in change management, for example.

The BS in population health program integrates the fields of public health and health care delivery to teach students about the factors that impact health.

Students learn how social determinants of health, access to care and infrastructure influence the health of defined groups, as well as the roles of stakeholders and how to work across systems to improve health. Students benefit as the field of population health requires training in disciplines fundamental to the College of Health Solutions, including biomedical informatics, economics, social determinants of health, program and community assessment, program planning, and health care delivery.

The multidisciplinary program features experiential learning, including student engagement as citizen scientists, to better understand population health. Students can customize their learning by focusing on environmental health systems, food systems, mental health systems, compliance in the health care industry, health education programs, the design and improvement of population health systems, or health informatics.

The BS program in public service and public policy prepares students for work in government at all levels and nonprofit organizations through comprehensive coverage of topics in public policy, public leadership and management, and urban studies.

Sustainability continues to be a highly sought-after area and it presents broad policy implications. Through this concentration, students explore the challenges of sustainability and how it may be used to develop solutions to pressing issues at local and global levels.

Social services delivery is a fundamental building block of government affairs. Through this concentration, students explore the foundation and practices of social services and how social services can be designed, delivered and evaluated at local, state and federal levels.