Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies

at Kaplan Group - Arizona State University - West Campus USA

The MS program in biological data science provides students with real-world training at the interface of the natural and mathematical sciences. Students learn to manipulate big data, including the generation and analysis of data using statistical and computational toolsets. Students use their analytical skills in ecological, environmental, toxicological and other biological applications. The program incorporates multiple levels of experiential learning to ensure students gain critical thinking skills on top of core competencies.

The MA in communication studies is a cutting-edge degree program designed for students who wish to pursue a wide range of today's communication professions.

With special emphases on both advocacy and social technologies as defining themes, students can tailor the program to their personal goals, focusing on topics such as interpersonal, organizational, sport, environmental, social media politics and global or technology-mediated communication.

Students use multiple perspectives to explore a variety of topics and issues in communication.

These include how individuals and collectives participate effectively in personal relationships, organizational settings and public dialogues across cultural contexts, and the impact and effects of media, mediated representations and new technologies. They also learn to use communication strategically to advocate for others.

Graduates are prepared to pursue doctoral work or careers in a variety of communication-driven fields such as public affairs, public relations, employee development, strategic communication, community relations and grassroots movements through exposure to a variety of research methods, theories and practical applications.

The MA program in social justice and human rights addresses urgent social issues related to human security, labor, migration, children, family, education and the environment.

The social justice in human rights graduate degree program provides students with a combination of applied real-world skills and training in research. They may choose to focus on specific issues such as racial justice, educational rights, disability rights, indigenous rights, animal rights or the abolition of human trafficking. Or they may direct their focus to regional contexts such as the Middle East, Central Europe, East Africa or Central America.

The coursework in this theoretically and methodologically rigorous program examines social issues in contexts defined by multiple and intersecting forms of social identity and disadvantage, including gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexuality and nationality.

The program requires an internship, to be completed domestically or internationally, in which students typically work alongside other advocates for social justice to help refugees, migrants, workers and survivors of violence or human trafficking.

Students may select from three degree tracks: research, advocacy, or critical trauma studies and social work. The research track prepares students for positions as researchers, analysts and advocates in governmental, intergovernmental and nongovernmental agencies. The advocacy track prepares students to be leaders in nonprofit, social movement, governmental and intergovernmental organizations. The critical trauma studies and social work track prepares students to assist vulnerable people, especially survivors of extreme violence, poverty, war, sex trafficking, human trafficking, gender-based violence and various forms of marginalization.

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 Bachelor of Science in international trade provides talented, driven students the exposure to the global business environment that will distinguish them in the workforce. Students learn the functional disciplines of international business while gaining an in-depth understanding of the political, cultural and economic aspects of doing business on a global scale and in international markets in which government regulations vary widely from country to country.

Supported by Thunderbird's training that builds a global mindset, students gain tools for managing supply chains, systematically assessing risk, exporting and importing goods and services, and using economic agreements to develop effective strategies for conducting international trade.

The Thunderbird Difference

This program is unique in allowing students to learn new skills needed for a career in international trade through comprehensive, hands-on training and to apply these skills during a local, national or international internship. Along with real-world learning experiences that open up global career opportunities, students attend courses taught by outstanding Thunderbird graduate school faculty and enjoy unique opportunities to learn from fellow students from around the world.

Graduates of this program possess the intercultural skills and global mindset needed to do business or take on a leadership role in any part of the world. Employers hire Bachelor of Science in international trade graduates for their proven ability to develop effective strategies for international trade and exporting goods and services.

Today's employment landscape is evolving into one that prizes expertise in an increasing number of specialized fields. The BA program in interdisciplinary arts and sciences allows students to build a flexible, customized degree that is unique to their specific career goals. For example, a business degree with an emphasis in communications can lead to employment opportunities that aren't as easily accessed by a traditional business degree alone.

By providing the opportunity to combine disciplines, the college equips students with the specialized education they need to reach their individual career goals.

This degree program culminates in a capstone internship experience that provides real-world perspective, skills and connections, creating versatile graduates and attractive job applicants for the corporate world

The MA degree in English offered by the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences is a comprehensive program that addresses the many facets of English: its literatures; its linguistic, social and cultural histories; and its capacities for persuasion, exposition and elucidation.

The program is grounded in scholarly tradition but designed for the demands of the 21st century. Its innovative curriculum has been developed to train present and future educators as well as individuals pursuing careers in the wide variety of professions that value advanced critical thinking, research and communication skills.

The world-class faculty is ready to help enhance students' skill set, deepen their knowledge base and put the Master of Arts in English degree to work in their chosen profession.

The pharmacology and toxicology concentration of the BS program in biology provides an emphasis in the biochemical, molecular and physiological components of drug and body interactions.

The degree program emphasizes experiential learning, and all required core courses have laboratories. By learning in an integrative environment that emphasizes the connectedness of the disciplines, students gain a better understanding of larger scientific concepts and they can view these concepts from multiple perspectives. To have a thorough understanding of the interactions of chemicals in the biological system, students study both biology and chemistry and become familiar with chemical interactions at physiological, molecular and cellular levels.

Undergraduates have the opportunity to conduct independent research under the mentorship of faculty members or in internships outside the school.

Students in the BA program in interdisciplinary arts and performance engage with faculty in collaborative investigation of many disciplines, preparing for the complex and changing world through current approaches to artistic and aesthetic research.

Students in this major engage in practical and theoretical studies of visual, sonic, performance, game and interactive arts to become versatile artists. With skill sets preparing them for professional and entrepreneurial opportunities, they can tap into evolving marketplaces and expanding fields of arts research and practice.

Students who major in interdisciplinary arts and performance receive extensive preparation for careers as artists, performers and creative professionals, and they develop solid foundations useful for teaching and scholarship.

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.