Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies

at Kaplan Group - Arizona State University - West Campus USA

The secondary education concentration within the BA in history offers a flexible degree for students who are considering a career in education. The concentration program fully prepares students for teaching and certification. At the same time, all the disciplinary knowledge of a traditional history degree provided by the program prepares students for a variety of noneducation careers.

History is a discipline that constantly adopts new techniques of analysis and new ways of gathering and presenting information. Students of history learn to use and create digital media, to perform quantitative as well as qualitative analysis, and to present their findings in compelling ways to all kinds of audiences.

Students currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts in history with a concentration in secondary education offered by The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences may not pursue a concurrent degree with the Bachelor of Arts in history offered by The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Bachelor of Arts in secondary education with a concentration in history offered by the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, the Bachelor of Arts in history offered by the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, or the Bachelor of Arts in history offered by the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts due to the high level of overlap in curriculum. Students should speak with their academic advisor for any further questions.

The BA program in communication is a broad-based program that trains individuals to speak and write competently, manage relationships well, problem-solve effectively and understand the role and function of communication in public forums, organizational settings, relational exchanges and intercultural situations.

The curriculum provides an extensive understanding of the practical, theoretical and professional distinctions of today's field of communication. Utilizing the nationally recognized CommLabASU, students perform in-depth study of 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.

Learning happens everywhere and at all ages. The BAE program in educational studies prepares students to work with children, youth and adults in formal or informal learning environments within nonprofit settings, community institutions, civic organizations and businesses. The degree program provides a foundation for students to shape society by supporting educational endeavors. Through coursework and a series of internships, students develop skills for effective communication, collaboration, leadership, advocacy and innovation, all of which are essential to education professionals.

Graduates of the program are prepared to teach others and change the face of learning throughout society.

The Bachelor of Arts in education in educational studies is intended for students seeking a career in formal or informal learning contexts. This degree does not lead to teacher certification.

Veterans may be interested in this program as credit may be offered for military service.

An educational studies minor is also available to ASU students in other degree programs.

This program does not lead to Arizona teacher certification. Students seeking teacher certification should enroll in one of the other Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College undergraduate programs.

The BS program in computational forensics is a multidisciplinary degree program that encompasses areas of physical, biological and social sciences with an additional focus on statistics and computation.

Students investigate specific forensic problems using statistics, computing and mathematics with the main goal of advancing their forensic science knowledge and capabilities. Students study and develop the quantitative and computational methods that assist basic and applied research efforts in forensic science, establish or prove scientific basis in investigative procedures and support forensic examiner casework. Through modeling, computer simulations and computer-based analysis and recognition, students gain an in-depth understanding of the forensic science discipline, the scientific method and the systematic approach to forensic science.

The BA program in community advocacy and social policy focuses on advocacy strategies through an in-depth exploration, analysis and comparison of social service systems and policies from an empowerment perspective.

The program's emphasis is on examining the needs of historically under-served individuals, families and communities. Policy analysis and social change are critical themes in developing an advocacy knowledge base as are the equally important themes of prevention and social well-being. Students complete courses in two core areas: diversity and oppressed populations and social issues and interventions.

While the Bachelor of Arts in community advocacy and social policy program is fully accredited regionally under the North Central Regional Higher Education Association, it is not accredited through the Council of Social Work Education because this degree is not a BSW degree. Therefore, the Bachelor of Arts in community advocacy and social policy degree would not fulfill a professional licensing requirement that requires a Bachelor of Social Work degree from a CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work program.

The study of human impact on the earth's ecosystems and resources has become increasingly important over the past 20 years. The BA program in environmental science is dedicated to finding solutions to the challenges posed by climate change.

This degree program is founded on established environmental basics, ensuring that students are well-versed in biological study including molecular, organismal and ecosystem biology. Students gain competency in chemistry, statistics and geographic information systems. Rounding out student preparation, the program includes a focus on the management and communication skills necessary in various environmentally-specific careers.

The Bachelor of Arts in environmental science prepares graduates to find innovative and sustainable solutions to today's critical environmental challenges, including pollution and climate change. The world-renowned faculty conduct research across the globe and engage students in the process of creating new scientific knowledge that, in turn, impacts a rapidly changing world.

In the BA program in business with a concentration in business administration, students gain a breadth of knowledge and the skills needed for managing business operations. The program provides the full business core plus a concentration with 18 hours of coursework focused on skills such as forecasting demand; planning inventory; purchasing services; conducting skillful negotiations; building strategies for the future and managing people, finances and risk.

The BSE program in electrical engineering prepares students for positions as electrical engineers.

Following initial coursework in mathematics and sciences, the foundation classes build a solid base of engineering knowledge. The electrical engineering curriculum includes a number of required upper-division electrical engineering and technical elective courses in such areas as circuits; communication, signal processing and control systems; computer engineering; electromagnetics; power; and solid-state devices.

Approved technical elective courses provide students with an opportunity either to broaden their background in electrical engineering or to study in greater depth the technical subjects in which they have special interest.

The MS program in psychology offered by the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences has two main options.

One option is ideal for students who plan to pursue doctoral work or careers that involve psychological research methods such as marketing research, education research analysis, public policy analysis, research project management or program evaluation. The program is intensive and research-oriented, and it culminates in a thesis or applied project. Students receive training in advanced research methodology and statistical analysis, grant proposal writing, laboratory instrumentation, data collection and manuscript development. Students gain first-hand exposure to designing and conducting research, analyzing data and developing presentations and manuscripts. Students are encouraged to present research reports at professional meetings and conferences and to publish as co-authors in faculty-guided research.

The online program option gives students and working professionals an understanding of psychological theory and empirical research findings as they relate to human behavior, cognition, emotion and attitudes. The coursework is designed to help students learn about the various roles of psychologists in society today and discover which they might like to pursue through careers in education, social service, for-profit and nonprofit organizations, management or through additional graduate training.

Elective courses in all options are offered in several areas, including abnormal psychology, affective science, behavior analysis, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, health psychology, legal psychology, psychophysiology and social psychology.

BAE programs in secondary education prepare educators to teach youth enrolled in grades 6-12. While teacher candidates develop a strong theoretical background in their specific content areas, education program courses focus on developing the skills and teaching abilities required to be successful in the classroom. This program offers the Structured English Immersion instruction that qualifies them to receive the endorsement that enables them to work with English language learners and also provides extensive experiences throughout the program in integrating technology into teaching.

Secondary education professional pathway programs are clinically embedded during the junior and senior years. The primary goal of all professional experiences is to provide students with multiple opportunities to apply knowledge learned in ASU coursework to classroom practice in grades 6-12. Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College students complete internships one day a week during the junior year and first semester of the senior year. In the final semester, students complete a full-time teaching residency. Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College faculty and highly qualified lead teachers from partner school districts and charter schools collaboratively coach interns and residents during required professional experiences. The professional experience provided by the program provides students an opportunity to work directly with youth and make an immediate impact on classroom achievement. Students are also given the opportunity to work collaboratively with fellow interns in content area and interdisciplinary teams. This intensive, hands-on model of teacher preparation creates highly sought-after graduates.