Master of Liberal Studies

at Kaplan Group - Arizona State University - Tempe Campus USA

The MA program in museum studies examines how museums produce and reflect culture and examines the role museums play worldwide. Students develop theoretical questions and applied skills that engage the functions, practices and critical analyses of museums. They also gain practical experience while being encouraged to challenge preconceived notions about museums and the way museums affect and are affected by societies and cultures. Designed to be use-inspired, socially embedded and transcultural, the program ensures that students understand the meaning and significance of museums in contemporary society and prepares them for diverse museum careers.

In the MA program in music, faculty members provide and participate in multisensory learning experiences concerning musical genres, styles and forms, performance and listening practices, instruments, spaces, philosophies, musical infrastructures and geographic locations.

The faculty comprises leading scholars specializing in western and non-Western music, particularly traditions in the Americas and Eastern Europe (Russia, Ukraine, USSR), and music of the Middle East, Central Asia, Latin America, and Indonesia as well as Medieval music cultures, the long nineteenth century, jazz, music in popular cultures, musical modernism and experimentalism, intellectual property law, cultural policy, improvisation, sound studies, ecomusicology, dance and embodiment, and music's role in well-being.

The student must submit a final project that demonstrates advanced competence and professional capability in research and writing in musicology or ethnomusicology. The culminating project may be a thesis, a series of special papers or a written work of equivalent scope and depth.

The MS program in molecular and cellular biology focuses on the fundamental molecular events at the core of all life. It encourages interdisciplinary, innovative, world-class research, allowing students to choose from a diverse range of research and training opportunities that extend beyond the traditional boundaries of biological 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.

The BA program in English with a concentration in writing, rhetorics and literacies teaches students strategies for inquiry.

Students explore the ways in which communication creates knowledge and action. Students study how communication is constructed, circulated, reacted to and repurposed through time and place. Through differing tools of inquiry, students investigate the history, theories and methods of inquiry as well as pragmatic and social actions of rhetoric, writing and literacies.

The MID in industrial design is a studio-based program in which students learn to design new products and service systems that solve critical global problems.

Students engage in research, brainstorming, idea visualization, prototyping and testing of creative solutions that address critical problems faced in the world today.

Graduates of this program are adept in using principles of design innovation, sustainability and systems thinking in problem-solving.

The communication program prepares students to do far more than give a speech or two in front of their peers. It provides an extensive understanding of the practical, theoretical and professional distinctions of today's field of communication and equips students with the skills needed to convey complex ideas clearly and effectively through both the spoken and written word.

In the nationally recognized CommLabASU, this program trains and prepares students for in-depth study into what contributes to and detracts from effective human communication, recognizing that the art of communication is far more nuanced than simple speaking and writing prowess.

Students may pursue one or more focus areas that are designed to amplify their academic and professional preparation in specific contexts, including: public relations, risk and strategic communication; media, culture and social technology; communication training and mentoring; dialogue, relationships and communities; and sport communication.

The Master of Computer Science program affords an opportunity for students employed in industry to seek a breadth of advanced education in computer science.

The program reflects the dual nature of computer science as a scientific and engineering discipline by allowing emphasis on theory as well as practical applications. Students can study topics such as:

• Artificial intelligence
• Big data
• Cloud and distributed computing
• Cybersecurity
• Database management and information retrieval
• Database systems
• Data mining and machine learning
• Distributed computing and operating systems
• Imaging, graphics and visualization
• Simulation modeling and systems

Students earning an MS degree in chemistry in the School of Molecular Sciences are trained in the foundation disciplines of analytical, organic, physical, inorganic and environmental chemistry and geochemistry. Most also choose to learn by joining transdisciplinary research teams that work on larger, mission-based contemporary problems in areas such as:

• Energy and sustainability
• Frontiers of chemical measurement
• Fundamental molecular science
• Geologic and biospheric science
• Materials and nanoscience
• Medicine and health
• Structure function and dynamics

The master's degree program in chemistry provides students with the training they need to solve molecular scale problems and to contribute to research in current challenging societal issues.

The BSE program in computer systems engineering with a concentration in cybersecurity provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to build dependable and secure information systems and networks and to ensure the integrity and quality of the information being stored, processed and transmitted.