Master of Science in Biology (Biology and Society) (STEM)

at Kaplan Group - Arizona State University - Tempe Campus USA

The astrophysics and astronomy MS program prepares you for discovering new planets, exploring cosmology, and building space-flight hardware and instruments for telescopes and satellites. You work with world-class faculty on NASA- and NSF-funded space missions, seeking answers to questions about how our universe began and how it continues to evolve.

This MS program provides fundamental graduate training in astrophysics and astronomy. Students take graduate-level courses in stars and interstellar media, galaxies, and cosmology; obtain quantitative skills through analysis and modelling, and may have observation opportunities through regional and international telescope observatories.

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.

The software engineering concentration of the BS program in computer science is appropriate for computer science students seeking careers as software engineers. Students learn advanced processes, methodologies and tools for developing and testing large and small software applications in emerging areas such as:

• Databases
• Enterprise systems
• Interoperable systems
• Mobile computing
• Service-orientated computing

They also learn cybersecurity concepts and techniques and principles of human-computer interaction and methods for developing these applications. The curriculum prepares students to assume leadership roles in software development organizations and to practice professional standards and emerging software technology to the software engineering life-cycle activities.

The internationally recognized theatre for youth and community MFA program features distinguished faculty, excellent facilities, comprehensive coursework and practical experiences in all areas of theatre, educational theatre, community cultural development and theatre for youth. The faculty provide students individualized attention and focused mentorship in a challenging and supportive atmosphere designed to educate future leaders in the field.

Students complete their course of study equipped to be engaged and innovative leaders in artistry, scholarship, education and activism.

The Chinese graduate program in the School of International Letters and Cultures offers an MA degree program with a focus in one of four areas: literature, linguistics, religion and culture; or pedagogy.

The focus on literature, linguistics, religion and culture provides disciplinary training that allows students to achieve in-depth command of spoken, aural and oral Mandarin Chinese as well as written literary Chinese. The four areas of instruction are designed to prepare students to succeed in Chinese language environments with cultural competence. Any of these four areas also introduce students to the fundamentals of Sinology and East Asian studies, which can prepare them for further scholarly, educational and professional pursuits.

The pedagogy focus is intended for students whose major interest is in teaching modern Chinese in K-16 environments. Students are trained in communicative and task-based language teaching approaches embedded within appropriate cultural contexts, as well as developing solid foundations in teaching Chinese literacy, pronunciation and linguistic systems.

The MFA in creative writing at ASU has always been an unswervingly student-first program. Through small classes, intimate workshops or one-to-one mentoring, the centuries-old apprenticeship model thrives within the New American University. Poets and fiction writers work with outstanding faculty who have published more than 80 books and garnered national and international attention through awards that include:

• Guggenheim, Howard Foundation, and National Endowment for the Arts fellowships
• International Griffin Poetry Prize
• Pulitzer Prize
• two Medals of Achievement from the National Society of Arts and Letters
• Walt Whitman Award from the Academy of American Poets

Additionally, in concert with the Master of Fine Arts program, the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing offers students a variety of creative and global fellowship opportunities each year, including two teaching fellowships in Singapore; two creative research fellowships to provide support for summer writing projects; and other generous forms of support that include graduate assistantships, travel scholarships, professional development support, and other teaching and leadership opportunities.

Furthermore, students have access to a variety of professional development opportunities, including serving on the editorial board of an international literary journal, Hayden's Ferry Review and internships with Four Way Books.

The BA in English with a concentration in secondary education focuses on rigorous content in literature, composition, linguistics and secondary teaching pedagogy. This program provides extensive preparation for meeting the needs of all student populations, including attention to levels of academic performance and cultural and linguistic diversity.

Students finish the program with Arizona Department of Education certification for middle and high school English language arts. Both a fingerprint clearance and a background check are required in the second year of the program.

The MS program in education sciences prepares educational research professionals to address contemporary problems in many educational settings. Students learn to use quantitative analysis and optimized research design to address important issues in education policy and practice.

Coursework in the program focuses on scientifically valid research designs, data management, data mining and quantitative data analysis --- all at intermediate to advanced levels. The accompanying research apprenticeship allows students to integrate coursework into their professional experiences, enriching their ability to understand and solve complex education challenges.

The supervised research project and internship places students in a research institute, business or agency. This combined project and internship model provides graduates with integrated, relevant experience designed to open opportunities for career advancement. Working students may be able to arrange for an existing job to serve as their internship site.

This program is ideal for individuals currently working in or interested in social science research centers, school districts, state or federal agencies, university research centers, foundations, educational testing companies and any industry that focuses on employee education and outcomes.

Learn to understand complex public problems and develop and implement innovative policy solutions. Through coursework and real-world projects, you gain the analytic skills required to address society's most challenging problems.

The MPP program allows students to approach the study of public policy with a focus on public policy in the urban setting.

The program trains people to lead by making positive policy decisions, addressing the difficult questions associated with public policy, and managing the process of policy creation, approval, implementation and evaluation. Students also gain an understanding of policies addressing issues such as poverty, education, the environment and public safety. At the conclusion of the master's degree program, students are able to identify, analyze and interpret the challenges and dilemmas of public policies, especially those of urban areas. Students also are able to approach policy analysis with a variety of quantitative and qualitative methods and are prepared to develop innovative processes and tools to deal with changing realities of public policy and address issues on a global, regional and local scale.

The Master of Public Policy program with a concentration in science and technology policy provides knowledge and skills for students seeking or advancing careers in areas where science and technology are guided by public policy or where science and technology play an integral role in the policy process. This concentration emphasizes theories and research concerning the role of science in decision-making, complexity theory, institutional design of knowledge production organizations, national innovation systems, innovation and industrial policy, technology transfer and research evaluation.

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