Bachelor of Arts in General Studies

at Kaplan Group - Arizona State University - Polytechnic Campus USA

The BAE program in elementary education with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics --- STEM --- has coursework designed for students looking to advance their skills in STEM disciplines and wishing to learn techniques to effectively engage K-12 learners in the 21st century. The coursework informs educators how to equip learners with the specialized STEM knowledge they need to solve challenging problems and apply critical thinking skills. The STEM program offers students a firm grounding in the language, current research and best practices in STEM education accompanied by professional experiences.

The teacher certification program for elementary education with an emphasis in STEM is clinically embedded during both the junior and senior years. Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College students complete internships during their junior year and a full time, year-long apprenticeship, known as their senior year residency, in K-8 classrooms. Coursework is designed to support the development of instructional competencies, professional skills and content knowledge. Coursework is complemented by professional experiences, which provide interns and teacher candidates opportunities to apply and reflect upon their knowledge and skills in teaming and collaborative models. Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College faculty and highly qualified lead teachers from partner school districts and charter schools work in collaboration to support professional growth aligned to each student's personal goals. Additionally, these professional experiences provide students an opportunity to work directly with children and make an immediate impact on student achievement. This intensive, hands-on model of teacher preparation creates highly sought-after graduates and is unmatched in Arizona.

The BS program in applied biological sciences offers students solid foundations in biology and related sciences while allowing them to focus on an area of special interest.

Students learn about fundamental principles such as movement of energy and matter, exchange of genetic information, as well as structure and function relationships that govern life processes. Students also learn about ethical and policy challenges that can arise when applying biological principles to social issues. This knowledge is contextualized with case studies in the classroom and laboratory projects.

Students can apply their knowledge further by seeking undergraduate research opportunities with faculty, and internships with outside organizations and businesses.

The ABET-accredited BSE program in engineering prepares graduates to collaborate across disciplines to design and build solutions to real-world problems. In the Bachelor of Science in engineering program, students apply fundamental engineering knowledge and design thinking to real projects every semester.

Students in the electrical systems concentration of the Bachelor of Science in engineering program build a broad engineering foundation to which they add the skills and knowledge necessary to contribute electrical subject matter expertise in transdisciplinary engineering teams. This expertise includes theory and application of sensors, actuators, microcontrollers and microprocessors as well as the integration of these components into electrical and mechatronic systems. The electrical systems curriculum also provides significant hands-on experience designing and implementing electrical and mechatronic systems to meet the needs of users.

The BSE program in electrical engineering prepares students for positions as electrical engineers.

Following initial coursework in mathematics and sciences, the foundation classes build a solid base of engineering knowledge. The electrical engineering curriculum includes a number of required upper-division electrical engineering and technical elective courses in such areas as circuits; communication, signal processing and control systems; computer engineering; electromagnetics; power; and solid-state devices.

Approved technical elective courses provide students with an opportunity either to broaden their background in electrical engineering or to study in greater depth the technical subjects in which they have special interest.

Students learn to integrate and apply STEM-supported skills that are increasingly in demand in the 21st century.

Students of the BS program in applied quantitative science acquire six habits of mind, a mental practice that becomes increasingly automatic with progress through the curriculum and after, extending into career development. Graduates are able to:

• Apply and project quantitative reasoning to unfamiliar contexts
• Communicate well within and without the expert domain
• Critically and adaptably think about complex problems
• Effectively search through and evaluate information
• Experiment creatively and in an informed manner in search of new insights
• Use sophisticated insight involving statistical inference and quantitative reasoning

This program is offered as a stand-alone degree on the Polytechnic campus. Students pursuing degrees on all four metropolitan campuses can add this degree as a concurrent degree.

Students in the professional flight concentration of the BS program in aeronautical management technology learn to fly in an academic environment that prepares graduates for careers as professional pilots.

Flight training is offered by an ASU-approved flight provider in late-model aircraft equipped with state-of-the-art avionics. Flight instruction takes place at the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, adjacent to the Polytechnic campus.

Students may take advantage of pathway agreements for guaranteed interviews with regional air carriers.

This program is for students who are seriously interested in becoming professional airline pilots. Graduates are prepared to assume responsibilities in a wide variety of technically related areas within professional aviation flight operations.

The Aviation Accreditation Board International accredits this program and the Federal Aviation Administration certifies flight and ground instruction.

The BA program in business with a concentration in food industry management provides students with the knowledge and skills needed for leadership roles in the global food industry.

The program has been developed in close coordination with partners in the food industry and provides the full business core plus 21 credit hours of food industry coursework.

The BA program in liberal studies helps address student interests in a broad array of disciplines and subject matters. The liberal studies degree is transdisciplinary, providing students with a thematic approach to education.

The program gives students the grounding they need to use knowledge as more successful thinkers, decision-makers and leaders. The liberal studies core classes are designed to promote critical and creative thinking as students learn how to draw upon diverse disciplinary perspectives and modes of inquiry and develop analytical and communicative abilities. The classes help advance communication skills and support professional career development.

Students majoring in liberal studies have become part of an international movement in higher education. This movement has proven empowering to people who are given the flexibility to explore multiple interests or approach a particular interest from various perspectives. Students are not alone in their chosen path. In fact, this program is just one of hundreds of similar programs offered in colleges and universities across the nation.

The MS program in technical communication teaches students how to design, produce and manage print and digital texts using traditional and developing technologies.

The curriculum provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the professional, cultural and ethical issues that shape the field; it balances theory and practice to ensure students develop the analytical abilities, technological expertise and hands-on skills necessary for success as a technical communicator.

Students complete the program as accomplished writers, editors, designers and researchers who are able to respond effectively to a range of audiences, issues and communication situations.

Psychology is the scientific study of human behavior. This diverse field includes mental health and counseling as well as child development, neuroscience and brain function, memory and decision-making, behavior analysis, statistics and more. It also crosses over into other disciplines such as medicine, law, business and economics.

This BA program in psychology --- emphasizing critical thinking and reasoning, quantitative research methods and writing --- goes beyond the classroom, adding practical experiences through internships, service-learning and faculty-supervised research. (Some opportunities are not available to students enrolled in the degree offered through ASU Online.)

Graduates are prepared for graduate programs in psychology or other areas as well as for professional employment.