Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communication with Emphasis in Motion Design

at Northern Arizona University - Flagstaff Campus USA

The Climate Science and Solutions (CSS) Professional Science Master's (PSM) program combines a foundation in climate science and sustainable systems studies with professional training and organizational skills to help graduates effectively communicate and apply their knowledge to jobs in the growing climate industry.

The CSS program provides students with an applied, interdisciplinary experience that develops competencies in the fundamentals of climate change, translating complex scientific concepts to diverse audiences, as well as analyzing policy alternatives and quantifying the emissions and cost savings linked to business and organizational actions. Students in the program come from a wide variety of undergraduate training and contribute to robust discussions of the implications of climate science for policy, business and communities.

CSS students examine interdisciplinary strategies for addressing climate adaptation and mitigation challenges. Building on an interdisciplinary core of knowledge in earth systems, climate, communications, policy and economics students can customize the program to meet their specific career objectives in areas including, but not limited to carbon offsets, energy 42 management, energy policy, climate communications, sustainability, environmental education, health and energy management.

The mission of the Public Administration and Justice Studies program is to prepare students to become effective and ethical managers in a variety of public service fields. As with other degrees in the Public Administration and Justice Studies program, the Bachelors (BA) degree focuses on experiential learning that links theory to issues that students are likely to encounter in the workplace. The BA degree allows students to transfer up to 64 credit hours to satisfy the 120 credit hours needed for the degree. Coursework in the BA degree is designed to allow the student to acquire a general knowledge of leadership and management, ethics, and policy issues.

Faculty in the Public Administration and Justice Studies program are experienced practitioners who promote rigorous academic standards and high expectations for student achievement. Rather than teaching students what to think, faculty focus on developing analytical skills in course structures that allow students to be active participants in the education process. The core courses in the BA degree focus on ethics, leadership and management, budgeting, public policy formation, organizational theory, research methods, and written communication skills. Courses offer theoretical perspectives as a foundation from which students can analyze and apply ideas to real-world situations, particularly through the evaluation of case studies.

Graduates of the program will be prepared to work in public, non-profit, and private sector organizations; the degree also serves as a platform for students who wish to pursue graduate degrees. For those students already working in the field, the BA degree expands knowledge and skills, and allows for advancement in their careers. Graduates of the Public Administration and Justice Studies program will have developed abilities to be dynamic and ethical leaders who are prepared to face the challenges of rapidly changing organizational environments. Above all, they will be committed to effectively and competently serving the public good

Are you interested in non-academic, technical employment in the aerospace, defense and high technology industries, government laboratories, and private research institutes? Are you looking for a basic graduate-level scientific foundation, so that you can further your studies even more? Our program is designed to train you in laboratory skills and with computational and computer modeling expertise, develop your competence in the use and design of modern instrumentation, and provide you with a basic foundation in physics. You will have a broad selection of cross-disciplinary course options, such as geology, chemistry, engineering, and mathematics. As a capstone to this coursework, you'll participate in an internship or write a master's thesis through partnerships with government laboratories, private research institutes, and industrial corporations.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology provides students with opportunities for focused study in this quintessential behavioral science and builds critical thinking skills necessary for evaluating scientific research within this discipline. The ability to engage in critical analyses of psychological ideas and scientific evidence constitutes a valuable personal asset, and is a key to success in many professions. Careers that are available for students with a bachelor's degree in psychology are varied, and include human resource professional, case manager, early childhood behavioral specialist, occupational therapy assistant, administrative assistant, science technician, and many others. Students successfully completing this degree should be prepared to enter the workforce after graduation, and those that engage in undergraduate research should also be competitive for graduate studies in applied mental health professions such as clinical mental health counseling or social work, and in other related graduate programs.
 
This degree enables students to develop an understanding of and knowledge about human behavior from several perspectives in psychological science, the ability to apply and synthesize that knowledge within specific psychological domains (e.g., developmental, social, personality, cognitive, behavioral neuroscience, clinical), and research method skills in order to become a critical evaluator of scientific knowledge of human behavior. In addition students will have the opportunity to develop transferable skills (e.g., read with comprehension and identify major points, write in a particular style, work as a productive member of a team) that will provide further preparation for workforce entry or continued education at the graduate level. Both Psychology and Psychological Science majors complete a core sequence of courses including introductory psychology, a set of lower division breadth courses, introduction to statistics, research methods in psychology, a set of upper division depth courses, and a capstone course. However, Psychology majors are not required to complete additional training in research, as are Psychological Science majors. Instead, Psychology majors have the flexibility to complete a minor, certificate, or foreign language so that they may personally tailor their degree to fit their future educational and career goals.

The study of Theatre Arts is an integral part of a liberal arts education. As such, Northern Arizona University Department of Theatre seeks to give the undergraduate theatre student the broadest possible understanding of the art and craft of theatre through the creative, critical, and applied practice of theatre, and provide opportunity through performance and production for the student to learn their art by doing their art in a learner centered environment. The program seeks to prepare students for the global society by creating an awareness of the “other”, practicing empathetical thinking, and sustainability with a global perspective.

Theatre: Emphasis in Theatre Studies

• Evaluate, analyze and apply a depth and breadth of knowledge about the global impact of Theatre history, literature, and practices to the scholarship and practice of Theatre.
  • Demonstrate a depth and breadth of knowledge about the numerous facets of Theatre by successfully participating in various positions in the process of making Theatre.
  • Successfully complete coursework from a wide variety of Theatrical sub-fields
  • Apply knowledge of select Theatrical positions in theory and practice.
  • Recognize the literary, theoretical, and historical practices of global Theatre by taking courses in Script Analysis, Modern Drama, and Theatre History.
  • Synthesize knowledge acquired through the study of Theatrical history, theory and criticism in order to articulate their own stances on the global stage of Theatre.
• Value and apply an understanding of and experience with Theatre as a collaborative art to the scholarship and practice of Theatre.
  • Practice effective communication within a collaborative environment through the hands-on process of Theatre-making.
  • Value and understand professional and ethical boundaries within the collaborative Theatrical process.
  • Apply active listening skills.
  • Evaluate and apply an appreciation of various areas of Theatre to effectively work in a specific area.
• Apply knowledge of theory to practical work in Theatre.
  • Identify and engage in the professional practices of the Theatre through successful completion of courses in either Stage Management or Theatre Management.
  • Recognize, characterize and implement an understanding of the human body and its relationship to narrative and expression through successful completion of performance courses.
  • Identify, implement, and critique the technology and processes used in the professional Theatre, both historically and contemporarily, through the successful completion of courses in Technical Theatre and Design.
• Articulate an understanding of sustainability in Theatre, in all its manifestations.
  • Identify and discuss current professional Theatrical practices aimed at increasing sustainability.
  • Recognize, discuss, and analyze the sustainability of storytelling as an art form that is socially, culturally, and historically contextualized.
• Effectively communicate the theory and practice of Theatre in the following modes: digital, literary, verbal, and non-verbal.
  • Engage in effective digital communication practices through successful completion of course work and practical work in the making of Theatre.
  • Demonstrate understanding and practice of effective written communication and research skills in the literary, theoretical, and historical practices of global Theatre by successfully completing courses in Script Analysis, Modern Drama, and Theatre History.
  • Practice effective verbal and non-verbal communication skills through successful completion of performance courses as well as practical application on stage.
  • Implement effective visual communication skills through the successful completion of courses in Technical Theatre and Design.
• Apply effective problem solving through creative and critical thinking.
  • Articulate the creative process through the successful completion of a Capstone defense.
  • Demonstrate the facility to synthesize and apply their liberal studies to the practice of Theatre.
  • Recognize and analyze Western and non-Western Theatrical practices through coursework and practical application.
  • Apply culturally-aware comparative critical analysis of diverse practices and theories.
  • Synthesize knowledge acquired throughout their academic experiences on and off of the stage.
  • Articulate personal positions on the global state of Theatre.
• Demonstrate the facility to synthesize and apply their liberal studies to the practice of Theatre.
  • Apply awareness and comprehension of the scope of university coursework taken in order to critically analyze historical and contemporary texts and practices.
  • Integrate university course work into analysis and discussion of historical, social, aesthetic, and political contexts for Theatrical practices and texts.
  • Aarticulate arguments about and analysis of the diversity of stories found in the Liberal studies curriculum.
  • Synthesize and apply their knowledge of all areas of Theatre and the liberal arts to effectively complete a capstone project.
• Practice an effective system of preparation and working habits.
  • Implement effective classroom strategies such as active discussion participation, engagement with course materials, and asking relevant questions.
  • Practice effective and efficient writing techniques, including outlining, peer reviewing, and revision.
  • Collaborate within groups to prepare and present course material.

The Environmental Science program at NAU constructs an interdisciplinary base of knowledge and skills to explore and develop real-world solutions to environmental problems.

Our program provides a firm grounding in the natural and social sciences to ensure all students understand how chemical, physical and biological processes maintain life, and the complex relationships among humans and the environment. Students work together and individually in the classroom, field and laboratory to practice applying the scientific method to address environmental problems and explore creative solutions that apply cutting-edge technologies.

The broad range of emphases available within our program allows students to delve deeper into a specific knowledge base, then work individually and often together in Environmental Science courses to solve problems by applying the perspectives and knowledge they developed in their emphasis with students from other emphasis areas. To culminate the learning in the program, students develop an individually designed research project or internship addressing an environmental issue of importance to them, which in turn, is expected to further prepare students for a range of professional or graduate opportunities.

Applied Statistics Emphasis

• Apply statistical techniques to find innovative ways of understanding environmental problems.
• Explore advanced math, computer programming, bioinformatics, and geographic information systems, and through collaborations with those of other disciplines and viewpoints, apply this information to generate solutions to environmental problems.

The Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Policy (MS ES&P) is an interdisciplinary degree program that combines natural and social science core courses with a breadth of specialized classes from across the University. Lasting solutions to most environmental problems are likely to be found at the nexus of the natural and social sciences. The MS ES&P program provides applied, cross-disciplinary training to prepare students to solve environmental problems using the scientific method combined with an in-depth knowledge of relevant socio-political systems. Students gain this knowledge through their individual thesis research and coursework in quantitative research methods, natural sciences and social sciences.

Paleoenvironment Emphasis Learning Outcomes

• Develop an interdisciplinary understanding of paleoenvironmental systems through coursework and thesis research.
• Examine Quaternary geology including glaciation, hydrology, stratigraphy, geomorphology, and paleoclimatology.
• Elucidate major theories and methods in reconstructing terrestrial and aquatic biotic communities of the past.
• Examine and understand how and why the climate system responds to natural changes and human impacts.
• Use archeological analysis to examine the impacts of humans on past climate and environments.

This program offers students the opportunity to explore such topics as: data mining (through the Center for Data Insight), parallel algorithms, distributed systems, artificial intelligence, fuzzy logic, neural networks, evolutionary programming, and modeling reactive systems as well as foundation work in programming languages, software engineering, virtual collaborative environments, and user interfaces.

Data science is systematic way to discover, quantify, and understand relationships hidden in data. A data scientist is an expert in acquiring, storing, accessing, and manipulating data; visualizing and modeling relationships in the data; and drawing actionable conclusions from the data. Data science is a tool applied to other areas of study such as biological sciences or business, and emphasizes the holistic process of “thinking with (real) data.”
 
The required course work is in statistics and computer science with the upper-division statistics courses utilizing the program competency acquired. Students are encouraged to pursue a minor in another field of interest in order to gain deep understanding of the challenges and needs that can be addressed by data science.

The purpose of the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management program is to prepare students for successful hospitality careers and productive citizenship. This is accomplished by providing a curriculum that is responsive to the needs of Arizona’s growing hospitality industry and the conditions of the twenty-first century. Graduates are able to gain entry-level management positions in a variety of hospitality sectors, such hotels, resorts, restaurants, country clubs, theme parks, stadiums, casinos, event planning, microbreweries, wine bars, food and beverage vendors, and spas. Because the hospitality industry is so diverse and lucrative, a degree in hotel and restaurant management from a nationally-ranked program opens the door to vast opportunities for advancement.