Master of Applied Science in Geographic Information Systems (STEM)

at Kaplan Group - Arizona State University - Tempe Campus USA

The MA program in political science offers a variety of areas of specialization within and between the four main subfields of political science -- American politics, comparative politics, international relations, and political theory -- with particular strengths in ethno-religious dynamics, women and politics, conflict and human rights, and Latino politics.*

Faculty also conduct research and teach in the areas of political psychology and political economy, and many are active in collaborative interdisciplinary research at ASU and with scholars at other universities; many have won major grants and awards. The school is host to the Center on the Future of War, the Center for Latina/os and American Politics Research and an experimental lab.

This Master of Arts program may be taken as a terminal program or as a step toward eventual fulfillment of the requirements for the doctorate. Students who plan to obtain the doctorate at ASU should apply directly to the doctoral program.

*Students interested in a political theory specialization should consult with the academic unit prior to application prior to application.

The MA program in linguistics and applied linguistics focuses on the study of human language and the application of that study to the human condition.

At the master's degree level, the program provides foundational training in several interdisciplinary areas, including discourse analysis, Indigenous American linguistics, language and cognition, language contact and change, language revitalization, language planning, phonetics, phonology, pragmatics, second language acquisition, second-language teaching and learning, semantics, sociolinguistics, syntax, teaching English to speakers of other languages, World Englishes, and professional practices.

Students in the BFA program in art with a concentration in photography are offered an education in the creation and analysis of photographs as a form of creative expression.

Students work in a wide range of photographic media including specialized 19th-century processes, traditional black-and-white and state-of-the-art digital output.

The internationally recognized photography faculty at ASU are diverse, representing and encouraging a wide range of approaches to the creation of photo-based art. Students learn to be self-disciplined and self-directed, to understand complex ideas around how images function in their work, and to develop a strong sense and control of the craft of photography. The Northlight Gallery engages students and provides opportunities to learn about gallery and museum practice through the mounting of exhibitions and working with artists and the collection.

The MS program in computer science with a concentration in arts, media and engineering emphasizes research on the integration of the human physical experience with computation and digital media.

Arts, media and engineering researchers produce experiential media systems and models that assist the disadvantaged, empower creativity, enhance scientific discovery, evolve human ability, facilitate learning and improve quality of life. Within these application areas, researchers explore experiential construction, interaction and feedback, knowledge creation, sensing, perception and modeling.

The purpose of the arts, media and engineering concentration under the master's degree in computer science is to train hybrid engineering-arts graduates who get their inspiration from the arts and their methodology from computer science and engineering. Students specialize in transdisciplinary media development.

Chemical engineering deals with the application of chemistry, physics and mathematics to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms. Chemical engineering also involves the design of valuable new materials and chemical products.

The BSE program offered in chemical engineering builds on a broad base of knowledge within the basic and mathematical sciences and engineering and offers excellent career opportunities. Chemical engineers are engaged in the development and production of a diverse range of products, including high-performance materials needed for aerospace, automotive, biomedical, electronic and environmental applications. The modern discipline of chemical engineering is intertwined with biology and biomedical engineering.

The BA program in French offers the opportunity to study the language, literature and culture of France and francophone countries.

Students gain competence in reading, writing, and oral and aural skills in the French language and take a number of related courses on topics such as:

• Art
• Cinema
• Colonization
• Government and political science
• History and civilization
• International business
• Linguistics
• Literature and theater
• Popular culture
• Religion

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 crosses into other disciplines such as medicine, law, business and economics.

Emphasizing critical thinking and reasoning, and quantitative research methods and writing, this BS program in psychology goes beyond the classroom with 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.)

The Bachelor of Science degree differs from the Bachelor of Arts degree in that it requires two additional lab courses and advanced statistical training, providing a greater depth of knowledge in the biological and neuroscientific aspects of psychology that are increasingly important both for research and for clinical practice. The advanced statistical training further prepares students for careers and graduate training involving psychological research, clinical research and legal policy research.

The School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies offers an MA degree program in traditional and contemporary philosophy. General areas of research include ethics, political philosophy, metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of law, philosophy of science, feminist philosophy, philosophy of language, experimental philosophy and the history of philosophy.

Members of the faculty are involved in interdisciplinary work in a variety of fields and enjoy close ties with the Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics, the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, and a number of other graduate programs at ASU. The philosophy program sponsors an active colloquium series and regular philosophical conferences on diverse topics. The Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics also sponsors a wide range of activities, including large-scale conferences, distinguished visitors and support for graduate study.

The program seeks to maintain a balance between course offerings in the traditional areas of philosophy and opportunities for study of current philosophical developments.

Students in the literature concentration of the BA program in English study texts and cultures from the earliest writings in English to contemporary expressions, on paper, online and out in the world. They learn to read critically and analyze representations and to understand how stories work to define human cultures.

The program offers students the opportunity to engage with faculty in exploring American and British literature, critical theories and methods and interdisciplinary studies. Students can choose from a broad array of courses to further explore subjects such as race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality and literary histories and traditions.

Students can gain practical experience through research, writing and internships that prepare them for an ever-expanding variety of careers. The undergraduate programs also prepare students to continue their studies in graduate and professional programs.

Creative enterprise and cultural leadership students are changemakers and innovators working toward more just and sustainable futures that connect art and design to society. The program has a particular emphasis on impact and place, looking at how art practice intersects with the social, political, economic and other structures that shape communities. This cross-disciplinary, collaborative program merges theory and practice in arts management, civic practice, creative placemaking, leadership and the management of innovation in the expanded creative fields.

The MA program in creative enterprise and cultural leadership offers classes that mix theory and practice through applied learning in collaboration with a range of community, nonprofit, business and public sector partners. Local and national leaders engage with students in classes, site visits, collaborative projects and through a field experience that includes travel to another city. The program culminates with a capstone Applied Project that can take the form of research or the launch of a new project. In addition to core classes, students select additional focused coursework to advance their own professional goals and interests. The program offers several areas of curricular emphasis including creative placemaking and placekeeping, civic practice, cross-sector work and new business models.