Master of Science in Information Systems Management (STEM)

at Kaplan Group - Arizona State University - Tempe Campus USA

In the biology and society concentration of the MS program in biology, students examine topics where biology intersects with society.

The concentration tailors individual plans of study to individual needs and interests, with a solid grounding in the life and related sciences and with a rigorous analytical and interdisciplinary education. The program offers suggested courses for those wishing to focus on these areas: bioethics, policy and law; biology education research; ecology, economics and ethics of the environment; and history and philosophy of science.

Bioethics, policy and law --- Students are trained in the pressing moral, policy and legal issues raised by the biosciences and biomedicine and in the disciplinary methods necessary to address these issues.

Biology education research --- This focuses on using education research to identify ways to improve undergraduate biology education broadly.

Ecology, economics and ethics of the environment --- This area trains students in the theory and empirical methods for understanding, analyzing and shaping policy for coupled human-natural systems.

History and philosophy of science --- Students are trained in the conceptual foundations of science, especially the epistemological and methodological assumptions that shape science and its progress.

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.

Biomedical informatics fosters collaborations among academic researchers, clinical practitioners and regional health care providers to apply new developments in informatics theory to clinical practice. The program educates students in the informatics knowledge and skills that will enable them to:

• Detect disease early
• Improve the patient hospital experience
• Improve the precision of diagnosis
• Improve the quality of patient health care and reduce its cost
• Minimize hospital visits

Biomedical informatics has a key role to play in the transition to more effective and efficient health care through the use of knowledge and information technology.

The School of Music, Dance and Theatre provides an inclusive, dynamic and culturally diverse learning environment in which students develop as creative artists, scholars and educators. The BFA program in dance offers an engaging curriculum that emphasizes collaboration and a holistic approach to movement and education. The program encourages artists of the 21st century to develop multiple skills for success in the arts and its related fields.

The core values of the program include creativity, inquiry and humanity. To bridge knowledge and community and to gain understanding of dance as inquiry, these values are embedded in a broad range of academic experiences and exploratory processes. The dance program includes coursework in creative practices (the study of the creative process and dance-making using improvisation, choreography and interdisciplinary approaches); dance and digital arts; dance history, ethnography and philosophy; movement practices (the study of the theory, history and technique of a range of dance forms and mind-body practices, including Afro-Latin movement, contemporary ballet, Hip Hop practices, postmodern contemporary dance and somatic practices); and seminars.

The School of Arts, Media and Engineering educates the next generation of learners and empowers them with technofluency --- its development, application and implications. The School of Arts, Media and Engineering prepares students to be socially aware, critically thinking global citizens who strive to bring about positive change in a society that will be increasingly shaped by new technologies.

The BA program in digital culture equips students with the knowledge, abilities and technical skills they need for creating computational media.

Students learn to create computational media and computation combined with objects, sound, video, time, space, culture and bodies; breathe behavior into media, objects or systems by programming; and to 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.

Armed with skills and judgment, graduates work in cultural communication, marketing, design, social media, health, education, entertainment and creative arts, and all areas in which culture is shaped by technology and computational media. All students gain techniques to change the world and communicate using contemporary computational media, a vital power in the 21st century. Some go on to invent fresh techniques.

Digital culture --- theatre concentration

The digital culture program in theatre is for students who desire to integrate principles of design and production with digital culture. Students complement their knowledge of digital culture with discipline-specific courses in the School of Music, Dance and Theatre that focus on understanding the fundamentals and principles of theatre design, including scene, lighting, sound, costume and multimedia design, while developing art and technical direction and digital design skills.

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 BA program in business with a concentration in financial planning provides students with knowledge and experience in personal financial planning.

Students learn from leading faculty the necessary skills in finance, taxes, portfolio management, insurance and estate planning.

This program delivers to the next generation of financial planning professionals the knowledge and skills needed for developing solutions to clients' personal financial needs.

The BA in philosophy teaches students how to think well, which in turn lays the foundation for personal and professional success.

Philosophy students learn how to structure arguments, write precisely and clearly, and communicate their ideas in an orderly, persuasive and unambiguous way. Many philosophical texts are complicated, and philosophy courses teach students how to read, comprehend and summarize conceptually difficult material. In short, studying philosophy trains one to be a better, clearer thinker.

Coursework includes the major subfields of philosophy, such as metaphysics, epistemology and ethics, and electives that connect philosophy to other areas of inquiry, emphasizing the social relevance of philosophy.

Philosophy alumni are well prepared for leadership roles whatever path they take, whether it be in business, law, politics, medicine or education.

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 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