Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies

at Kaplan Group - Arizona State University - Polytechnic Campus USA

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 applied biological sciences offers advanced instruction in the ecology and sustainable management of natural and urban ecosystems. Rigorous programs of study involving field and laboratory work are custom-designed to apply ecological or biological principles to problems in species or ecosystem conservation. All programs culminate with the completion of an intensive, research-based thesis or applied project.

The program is supported by faculty members with backgrounds in:

• Ecological restoration
• Environmental microbiology
• Environmental stress physiology
• Desert horticulture
• Plant-fungal ecology
• Plant systematics
• Riparian and stream ecology
• Wildlife biology

The MS program in organizational leadership offers a theoretically and methodologically rigorous approach to studying and creating use-inspired research needed to impact organizational leadership.

Students explore areas such as organizational dynamics, institutional evolution, strategic change, leading diverse teams, collaborative governance, conflict mediation, critical problem-solving and leadership assessment, and they learn advanced methodological and statistical skills.

The program places special emphasis on learning best practices and other applied aspects of leading organizations. Students tailor their degree to their interests through a vast array of leadership elective courses. In consultation with a faculty advisor, students choose from many different elective courses, such as not-for-profit leadership and intercultural leadership.

BAE programs in secondary education prepare educators to teach youth enrolled in grades 6-12.

While teacher candidates develop a strong theoretical background in their specific content areas, education program courses focus on developing the skills and teaching abilities required to be successful in the classroom. This program offers a Structured English Immersion endorsement enabling students to work with English language learners, and it provides extensive experiences throughout the program in integrating technology into teaching.

Secondary education professional pathway programs are clinically embedded during the junior and senior years. The primary goal of all professional experiences is to provide students with multiple opportunities to apply knowledge learned in ASU coursework to classroom practice in grades 6-12. Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College students complete internships one day a week during the junior year and first semester of the senior year. In the final semester, students complete a full-time teaching residency. Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College faculty and highly qualified lead teachers from partner school districts and charter schools collaboratively coach interns and residents during required professional experiences. The professional experience provided by the program provides students an opportunity to work directly with youth and make an immediate impact on classroom achievement. Students also are given the opportunity to work collaboratively with fellow interns in content area and interdisciplinary teams. This intensive, hands-on model of teacher preparation creates highly sought-after graduates.

The BA in business with a concentration in communication is an innovative, transdisciplinary program that prepares students for positions in a variety of professions in which business and communication play an important role in ensuring success.

Students complete rigorous courses within the communication concentration in addition to the skill and core courses required of all W. P. Carey School of Business majors.

Graduates have specific knowledge of business practices and the capacity to effectively communicate complex business information

The BA in business with a concentration in sustainability is an innovative, transdisciplinary program that combines the latest trends in business with cutting-edge knowledge of sustainability.

Students in this program complete rigorous courses within the sustainability concentration in addition to the skill and core courses required of all W. P. Carey School of Business majors. Graduates are prepared for positions in a variety of professions in which both business and sustainability play important roles.

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.

The MS program in environmental and resource management provides students who have a background in the sciences, engineering, management, natural resources management, environmental health and safety, or other affiliated areas with the regulatory and technical background they need to mitigate the environmental impact of industrial sources of pollution, ensure compliance with environmental regulations, and manage and preserve engineered and natural ecosystems.

The concentration in water management focuses on issues of water quality, supply, treatment, reclamation, conservation and augmentation strategies. This program is applicable especially to people who work in municipal, state, federal and tribal water and environmental agencies; water providers to urban and agricultural users; people who work in manufacturing and mining industries; as well as those interested in sustainable development in this country and around the world.

Graduate courses are available in a traditional face-to-face format as well as web-based, asynchronous distance learning. It is possible to complete the program within two years, including summers. Many students are working professionals and are able to finish the degree while working full time.

Become a leader who helps improve the health of individuals by using advanced knowledge to conduct and design effective physical education programs. You can acquire the teaching skills needed by schools, youth-serving organizations and other potential employers focused on well-being.

The MPE program prepares students to successfully teach and conduct research on quality physical education programs for learners in preschool through grade 12.

This flexible program allows students to design a program of study that enhances their interests and professional specializations. There are three program options:

The teacher certification route provides the coursework and professional experiences necessary for students to obtain certification to teach physical education in Arizona public schools after graduation. Students in this route take a total of 58 credit hours --- 33 credits for the master's degree and 25 credits for teacher certification coursework. Students complete internships prior to a full-time student teaching residency.
The physical education endorsement route familiarizes students with the most current trends and issues in school physical education. Students can focus on numerous topics within elementary physical education, secondary physical education and adapted physical education. This option may be of interest to students who already have a teaching certificate in a different subject area and are interested in earning a physical education endorsement. Students in this route take 33 credit hours and complete the coursework required for the Physical Education PreK-12 endorsement through the Arizona Department of Education.
The pedagogy research route is appropriate for students interested in learning more about research on teaching in physical education and other related physical activity settings. This track may be of interest to students who already have a teaching certificate in physical education and are interested in pursuing doctoral studies in the future. Students in this route take 33 credit hours.
Students in all three options learn about designing, implementing and assessing comprehensive school physical activity programs. This type of programming reflects current global trends in promoting physical activity for children, youth, school staff and families in communities surrounding school campuses.

The sustainable horticulture concentration within the BS program in applied biological sciences is designed for students who want theory and practical experiences in the unique aspects of the culture of plants in an urban desert environment. Students acquire the skills to produce, design and care for ornamental and edible plantscapes using sustainable technologies.

Students are prepared for a range of horticulture careers in the private and public sectors.