Master of Liberal Studies

at Kaplan Group - Arizona State University - Tempe Campus USA

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 BA program in digital culture equips students with the technical skills to create computational media and the cultural skills to know when or why to apply them.

Students learn to create computational media, which is computation combined with objects, sound, video, time, space, culture and bodies; breathe behavior into media, objects or systems by programming; and think critically about how computation impacts lives and how culture makes a difference in how people experience computational media, a critical skill in this dynamic age.

The BA program in film with a concentration in film and media studies is an innovative program in the study of film, television and digital media.

The program provides students with the analytical, creative and communication skills to interpret and produce media texts, empowering them to be critical scholars, consumers and practitioners of media culture.

The MFA program in dance with a concentration in interdisciplinary digital media and performance builds on the strength of the School of Music, Dance and Theatre and expands into the specific area of new media practices.

The concentration provides a select group of graduate students a rigorous, in-depth opportunity to specialize in dance as well as transdisciplinary digital arts. The degree is normally accomplished within three years of residency. The interdisciplinary classes and research activities of the transdisciplinary School of Arts, Media and Engineering that are part of this concentration give students access to advanced media equipment, studios, project funding and interdisciplinary collaborators.

The program welcomes a diversity of students, including returning professionals, who have experience or interest in choreography, dance science and somatics, dance teaching praxis, dance and technology, community engagement, practices of equity and inclusion, professional partnerships, and dance scholarship and theory. The Master of Fine Arts program in dance seeks students whose approaches are interdisciplinary, cross-cultural in nature, and who are self-motivated, able to have clear and demonstrated objectives, and are willing to explore new possibilities in the field of dance and beyond. Students are encouraged to develop their potential as creators, performers, teachers, thinkers, and art advocates. Frequent showings, a final Master of Fine Arts project, a written document and oral defense are required for degree completion.

The big data systems concentration under the MS degree program in computer science is designed for graduate students who want to pursue a thorough education in the area of big data systems. The program has a thesis and nonthesis project portfolio option.

The goal of this concentration is to provide students with the knowledge, skills and advanced research expertise in designing scalable systems (parallel, distributed and real-time) for acquiring, storing, processing and accessing large-scale heterogeneous multisource data and in using analytical tools to mine information from the data.

Graduates are able to choose and deploy the appropriate data management processing and analysis systems with a suitable structured or unstructured data model that a particular task and domain application needs.

The BA program in Asia studies offers students the opportunity for in-depth study of East Asia, South Asia or Southeast Asia through a coherent concentration of academic study across a number of disciplines. The transdisciplinary approach provides students with a variety of intellectual tools that enable them to address contemporary political, social and cultural issues in Asia and apply their knowledge in various academic and practical settings.

The faculty in religious studies offer a graduate program leading to the MA in religious studies.

Candidates are offered an opportunity to develop knowledge of various religious traditions in their historical and cultural contexts and to learn research methods. Although students often concentrate upon a single religious tradition for their thesis work, the program provides a broadly comparative understanding of religions, not simply a specialist's training in a single tradition.

The MS in American Indian studies is a transdisciplinary program that provides students with an intellectual and practical understanding of the issues facing American Indian populations and the ability to apply that knowledge. Students acquire problem-solving skills useful in a range of professional arenas, including governmental, private and nonprofit agencies.

The program focuses on languages, cultures, arts, activism, histories, legal policy and education from an American Indian studies paradigm and perspective. Delivery is through in-person courses.

The tribal leadership and governance concentration explores traditional and modern concepts of Indian education leadership, tribal government leadership, tribal governments, decision-making and legislation, constitutional reform, planning, economic development, community development, nation rebuilding, tribal courts, administration and planning.

The MM program in performance with a concentration in performance pedagogy concentrates on the performance and teaching of music with an emphasis on pedagogy.

Students work on their own performance skills while developing the knowledge and abilities to be outstanding teachers in their area through pedagogy classes, observation and teaching in private and group settings.

The opportunity to collaborate with music scholars, theorists, composers, educators, dancers and theatre artists provides students with a foundation for a career as a performer, teacher and musician of the highest level. There is also the possibility of engaging in local and state professional organizations and presenting scholarly research or creative activities through workshops or publications.

The BA in art history is a dynamic program that investigates visual culture and engages students in a rich and diverse curriculum. Inherently interdisciplinary, art history intersects with a variety of fields including history, literature and economics.

Faculty members emphasize critical concepts in their teaching, including the close study of artists, objects and technologies. Students explore art's history in economic, social and political contexts and the relationship of visual art to other disciplines such as literature, science, anthropology, media and performance studies. In addition to art history courses, the program includes interdisciplinary coursework from disciplines across the university.

Internships are available at a wide range of arts organizations. The program is enriched by partnerships with the ASU Art Museum and museums throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area and beyond, including an affiliation with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.