Master of Visual Communication Design

at Kaplan Group - Arizona State University - Tempe Campus USA

The MS program in exploration systems design with a concentration in instrumentation promotes the development and growth of engineering-literate scientists and science-literate engineers who are interested in the design, construction and implementation of scientific instrumentation. Its unique curriculum combines science applications with engineering knowledge and skills through engineering and science courses focused on Earth science, space science and astrophysics. The concentration trains students to design the next generation of in-situ or remote sensing instrumentation for exploration of the Earth, space and the universe.

Modern science and technology use sophisticated mathematical and computational tools to extract patterns from large, complex and often unordered data sets. Machine learning and data mining are invaluable technologies with applications as diverse as detecting fraudulent online credit-card transactions, understanding the dynamics of social movements, and personalizing medical treatments based on a tumor's unique genetic profile.

The BS degree program in data science prepares students to be critical analysts and users of data in a variety of areas such as business, research and government. This transdisciplinary program allows students to choose a focus area from a variety of fields to center their understanding of data science. With a mathematical core consisting of linear algebra, statistical inference and classification, data mining, machine learning and associated computer methods, students leave the program with a strong background in data-related skills that are useful in solving real-world issues.

The MUEP program prepares students to help solve complex social, economic and environmental issues and create healthier, safer and more vibrant communities. The master's degree program emphasizes theories of planning, methods of analysis, effective public engagement, planning processes and creative implementation of planning tools, strategies and approaches. It is accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board. Students who join the program are eligible for certification by the American Institute of Certified Planners after two years of professional practice.

The Master of Urban and Environmental Planning program offers a unique opportunity to integrate urban and environmental aspects of planning in a rapidly developing metropolitan area. Small classes, one-on-one advising and a common core of courses that translate knowledge into practice provide students opportunities to build technical skills and grow their professional network.

As a part of the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, the program is enriched by school faculty whose research and teaching are grounded in geography, GIS, and meteorology and climatology. Students have access to a wide selection of electives within the school, electives that explore issues such as population and migration, environmental and landscape dynamics, and urban climate systems. The program is also complemented by the participation of faculty from other disciplines within the university and collaboration with leading planning practitioners in the Phoenix area.

Faculty research and teaching interests focus especially on the following broad interdisciplinary themes:

• City building and urban structure
• Environmental and resiliency planning
• Housing, neighborhoods and community development
• Spatial analytics and smart cities
• Transportation planning and policy

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 MS program in computer science with a concentration in arts, media and engineering emphasizes research on the integration of the human physical experience with computation and digital media.

Arts, media and engineering researchers produce experiential media systems and models that assist the disadvantaged, empower creativity, enhance scientific discovery, evolve human ability, facilitate learning and improve quality of life. Within these application areas, researchers explore experiential construction, interaction and feedback, knowledge creation, sensing, perception and modeling.

The purpose of the arts, media and engineering concentration under the master's degree in computer science is to train hybrid engineering-arts graduates who get their inspiration from the arts and their methodology from computer science and engineering. Students specialize in transdisciplinary media development.

Classics is a transdisciplinary field that includes the study of the literature, art, history and philosophy of the ancient Greeks and Romans, subjects which fueled the Renaissance and have continued to provide an intellectual foundation for innovative and influential people ever since.

ASU's BA program in international letters and cultures with a concentration in classical civilization provides a thorough grounding in the culture and history of the ancient Greeks or Romans while allowing students to satisfy their language requirement. The program begins with two cores: an introduction to ancient Greek and Roman literature (read in English translation) and knowledge of ancient history. With that basis, students are allowed to build a program to meet their needs and interests. Among the variety of topics students pursue are:

• Ancient history, war, politics and economics
• Archaeology of the ancient Mediterranean world
• Art and architecture of the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans
• Mythology and religious practices of the Greeks and Romans
• Thought of figures such as Plato, Aristotle and Lucretius
• Use of the classics in today's film, books and other media

A BS program in anthropology provides training in data analysis and research design within the context of human evolution, archaeology and the wider field of anthropology.

In this degree program, students learn how to use the scientific method to formulate and test hypotheses and how to gather qualitative and quantitative data through participant observation, interviewing, careful excavation and measurement. They also learn how to employ statistics to analyze and extract meaning from data. But this is not just a technical degree. Rather, through broad anthropological coursework the student learns how to ask important questions about the human species.

A special feature of the ASU anthropology program is its relevance to other disciplines and many exciting hands-on learning opportunities in laboratories, study abroad experiences and field-based courses. The student learns to think like an anthropologist, to appreciate humanity's place in nature and the long history of human societal change that brought us to where we are today.

The School of Human Evolution and Social Change values interdisciplinarity and also offers a traditional, four-field training, with faculty specialties in archaeology, sociocultural anthropology, evolutionary anthropology and linguistics.

Students enrolled in this program may not pursue a concurrent degree with the BA in anthropology or the Bachelor of Arts in global health but may add a minor in global health to complement the core curriculum.

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 curriculum of academic study across a number of disciplines. The transdisciplinary approach provides students with a variety of intellectual tools to address contemporary political, social and cultural issues in Asia and to apply their knowledge in various academic and practical settings.

The Asia studies degree program with a concentration on Southeast Asia includes coursework covering:

• Brunei
• Burma/Myanmar
• Cambodia
• East Timor
• Indonesia
• Laos
• Malaysia
• Singapore
• Thailand
• the Philippines
• Vietnam

The concentration in energy and environment within the BSE program in mechanical engineering is designed to prepare students to analyze technical problems in:

• Air pollution
• Climate change
• Energy efficiency
• Environmental sustainability
• Renewable energy
• Timely issues facing the global community

Although the primary focus of this program is technical, the general education courses in the areas of the humanities and social and behavioral sciences introduce students to the global, political and societal issues relating to energy and the environment.

By focusing on issues such as air pollution, water scarcity and the lack of alternative transportation, this program is even more attractive for employers in the greater Phoenix area as well as nationwide.

The MM program in voice, music theatre and opera performance provides students the opportunity to choose from emphases in voice performance, music theatre performance or opera performance. Students have ample opportunities to study a wide variety of repertoire, including music theatre and opera.

The voice performance emphasis provides intensive practical training and performance experience to prepare students for a broad range of vocal careers. In addition to studio voice instruction and advanced work in acting, students may study techniques in art song, music theatre and opera, and may perform up to two recitals or may participate in music theatre and opera productions.

The opera performance emphasis provides intensive practical training and performance experience to prepare students for professional careers in opera. In addition to studio voice instruction and advanced work in acting, movement, audition techniques, career skills and vocal coaching, students study standard and contemporary operatic repertoire and are required to perform roles in at least two ASU music theatre and opera productions.

The music theatre performance emphasis provides intensive practical training and performance experience to prepare students for professional careers as musical theatre artists. In addition to studio voice instruction and advanced work in acting, dance, movement, audition techniques, career skills and vocal coaching, students study repertoire from the traditional and contemporary musical theatre canon and are required to perform roles in at least two ASU music theatre and opera productions.