Master of Visual Communication Design

at Kaplan Group - Arizona State University - Tempe Campus USA

The MA in social and cultural pedagogy is a two-year program designed for educators with professional experience who seek to develop real-world skills and practical knowledge to help them accomplish specific career goals.

After being equipped with philosophical, theoretical and practical knowledge on social pedagogy, students are able to analyze social structures and cultural dynamics, and work with communities to address complex societal problems through the design, implementation and evaluation of socio-educational strategies.

Students have the opportunity to create an individualized path of study that accommodates their personal interests and career goals. Students can also join a vibrant university club (Social and Cultural Pedagogy Graduate Organization), a national organization of scholars and practitioners (Social Pedagogy Association) and an international organization (Global Alliance for Social Pedagogy and Social Education).

The BFA program in art with a concentration in art education involves creative teaching and learning processes and strategies, first-hand experience teaching art for a range of ages, the study of art history and global cultures, and practice in a variety of studio areas.

The program focuses on engaging with artistic inquiry and education in K-12, community and museum settings. Students investigate issues related to teaching art from multiple perspectives, including:

• Creativity and critical thinking
• Ecological connections
• Inquiry-based learning
• Interdisciplinary curriculum development
• Multicultural contexts
• Studio and conceptual art practices

In addition to their art education coursework, students are required to take coursework in the various studio areas offered in the School of Art. Students declare their Bachelor of Fine Arts concentration at the time of their ASU admission. Following admission, if students wish to change their concentration, they may meet with their School of Art academic advisor.

The MM in performance with a concentration in conducting presents conductors of orchestras or wind bands with the opportunity to improve their art, craft and scholarship in pursuit of both professional and academic career aspirations. This program is also beneficial for public school teachers of orchestras and wind bands who want to strengthen their skills.

There are three tracks within this concentration.

The wind band track allows conductors to study privately with the director of bands and work closely with other members of the conducting faculty, including the director of athletic bands, to develop their conducting and rehearsal skills.

Podium time is essential for the development of conducting skills; therefore, wind band conductors enjoy significant time leading the ASU Wind Ensemble and Wind Symphony, serving as assistant conductor of the Maroon Band, and co-directing the Gold Band. Another exciting opportunity is the ASU Chamber Winds, a stand-alone graduate-level chamber wind group that the wind band conducting students have the opportunity to work with twice a week.

The orchestral track is designed to meet the needs of the conductor who focuses on orchestral conducting. Required courses are specific to orchestral conducting, and elective courses provide additional opportunities for further orchestral study.

The music direction track is designed to meet the needs of the musical director focusing on musical theatre and opera conducting. Required courses focus on music theatre and opera rehearsal techniques, technical production and repertoire.

The MM program in composition focuses on the development of skills required for a career in music composition.

Composers learn through experiential opportunities, including composing for fellow student performers leading to performances of their works in venues on campus and off. Project-based experiences include working with the Visiting Quartet Residency program and creating new works for student string quartets.

Students develop advanced skills such as orchestration, electronic studio techniques, film and video scoring, and jazz composition in the degree program. Collaboration with music scholars, theorists, performers, educators and other composers under the guidance of renowned composition faculty provides students with a broad and well-rounded foundation for advanced careers in music.

The BA in Jewish studies offers a transdisciplinary, cross-cultural program of study focusing on the study of Judaism, defined as the civilization of the Jews. It considers Jewish history and modern life and facilitates enhanced cultural awareness and a global perspective.

As with other degree programs in the humanities, a bachelor's degree program in Jewish studies can provide a balance to studies in contemporary science and technology.

Students choose a thematic concentration from history and society, literature and culture, or religion and thought.

The BA program in earth and environmental studies provides a foundational understanding of the evolution of the earth system with an emphasis on the planetary context for sustainable human societies.

The degree program includes broad training in the physical sciences, especially process-oriented geosciences that focus on Earth's life-sustaining surface environment. Advanced courses focus on topics including:

• Climate change
• Earth's water, energy and material resources
• Impact of land-use change on human civilization
• Physical, chemical and biological process interactions that define Earth's evolution

This is designed as a liberal arts program with an emphasis on basic scientific literacy, not as a preparatory degree program for graduate study in the natural sciences.

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 BMus in performance with a concentration in music theatre is an intensive, performance-oriented program designed to hone all the skills necessary for the complete musical theatre artist.

Training includes private voice lessons every semester of study as well as specialized instruction in acting, dance, audition techniques, technical production, repertoire classes, scene study and performance. A unique feature of this program includes an innovative sequence of musical theatre performance courses designed to synthesize all the abilities necessary to succeed as a professional musical theatre performer.

ASU is unique in that students may receive professional training in both opera and musical theatre in a broad variety of musical theatre styles, from traditional to contemporary. Two musicals and two operas are produced each year, plus new works and student-led productions. The annual showcase in New York City and Phoenix as well as formal collaborations with Arizona Opera and The Phoenix Theatre Company provide additional performance opportunities and valuable career immersion experiences for all students.

The School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering faculty offer a graduate program leading to the MS in biomedical engineering.

Areas of study include:

• Biomaterials, biosensors, biomarkers and biomimetic materials
• Biomedical imaging
• Molecular, cellular and tissue engineering
• Neural and rehabilitation engineering
• Synthetic and systems biology

Biomedical engineering offers an accelerated BSE/MS in biomedical engineering degree for students in the Bachelor of Science in Engineering program who have maintained a GPA of 3.50 (scale is 4.00 = "A") into their junior year. The program allows up to 12 credit hours of graduate-level coursework taken during the senior year to be applied toward both the undergraduate and graduate degrees.

The neurobiology, physiology and behavior concentration serves students in the BS program in biological sciences with a broad yet rigorous education.

While it might seem that neurobiology, physiology and behavior are quite separate fields, the three interact extensively in living organisms to achieve common goals. By studying neurobiology, behavior and physiology from the perspectives of molecular and cellular biology, evolution, organ systems (neural, endocrine, cardiovascular, respiratory, immune, etc.) and the environment, students gain insight into how these aspects work together in a variety of ways. Students in this concentration also learn to apply principles from mathematics, chemistry and physics. Discoveries are made at the laboratory bench and in the field, and students in the concentration are encouraged to participate in research projects in the labs of our faculty members.