Master of Science in Informatics

at Northern Arizona University - Flagstaff Campus USA

The MA in Communication provides students with advanced skills in communication analysis, problem solving, critical thinking, research, theoretical application, argumentation, and written communication.  Students choose from either the MA in Communication (with no emphasis) or the MA in Communication with an emphasis in Documentary Studies.

The MA in Communication provides a foundation of the basic research methods, theories, and standards of argument in the academic study of communication.  Students explore theories and research in a variety of communicative contexts with an emphasis on the application of concepts, theories, and research to real-world issues.  Students will be able to access, understand, evaluate, and apply research, concepts, and theories.  Students will engage in original research and/or the application of existing research, concepts, and theories to specific situations for the purpose of problem-solving and/or evaluation, including effective message design.  Students will learn the expectations of academic argument in communication as well as how to effectively communicate their findings to diverse audiences.  The MA in Communication (with no emphasis) will be of relevance to working professionals in a variety of fields, educators, activists, and those preparing to pursue a PhD in Communication, Communication Studies, Rhetoric, or related disciplines.

Strategic Communication Emphasis
The Strategic Communication Emphasis will equip you with the strong communication skills, applied experience and in-depth understanding of consumer/audience behavior needed to achieve business communication goals and manage company reputations and retail purchases. The Strategic Communication Emphasis expands on undergraduate studies in public relations, advertising and merchandising, designed to lead to greater leadership opportunities, broader responsibilities and scholarly pursuits in these fields. Jobs related to your degree are available in nonprofit, for-profit and government organizations, academic and entrepreneurial ventures:

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Arts degree encompasses knowledge, skills, and dispositions that are in demand from an array of creative fields—including but not limited to medical, entertainment, and design—in addition to the skills needed to be studio artists. Studio artists work in a variety of different occupations that require a combination of hand skills, an understanding of a variety of material applications, and creative problem solving. Upon graduation, students are expected to exhibit the strong critical thinking, aesthetic design, and conceptual thinking skills needed to participate effectively in a competitive creative arts market.
 
Beyond the skills of artistic creation, students develop business practices for artists including graduate school application, grant application, gallery representation, self-promotion through web and print media, and maintaining a sustainable and safe studio practice. Studio Arts students learn how to apply their skills beyond traditional studio art applications to other industrial and non-industrial fields outside the world of art.

School of Art faculty teach students to apply critical thinking and analysis, innovation and creative solutions, as well as technical artistic processes towards the production of art while building an open mind to criticism respect for public opinion. All Studio Arts majors are required to complete a Foundation year which includes drawing and basic 2D, 3D, and 4D design coursework. Eventually, students work primarily in one of five emphases: Ceramics, New Media, Painting, Printmaking, or Sculpture.  Classes are studio-based and include classroom critiques and discussions about work produced in class, review of professional artwork and artists, and professional practices of an artistic practice. Each Studio Arts student works towards a senior thesis which reflects the student’s experiences and research the student has completed throughout the program.

Emphases Learning Outcomes  
New Media Art
A New Media student’s education focuses on 4D design and the applications of technology to create artwork. Students learn how to synthesize content, processes, and components to express compelling purpose, story, emotion, or ideas in a variety of media including but not limited to performance art, installation, interactive programming, and video. The work created in this program focus on personal research reinforced by additional electives outside of the School of Art to allow more in-depth interdisciplinary exploration.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Psychological Sciences 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, and the research methods skills necessary to become critical evaluators and producers of knowledge of human behavior. The BS in Psychological Sciences is distinct from the BS in Psychology because it provides students with the opportunity for focused study in behavioral science through four emphases and one certificate program, and trains students in the more advanced research skills necessary for scientific inquiry within this discipline and for entry into a Ph.D. program in Psychology, if a student chooses to continue in an academic track. Psychological Sciences 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.  Psychological Sciences majors also receive additional research training through completion of an advanced research methods course and a minimum of 6 units of research experience. Additionally, Psychological Science majors have the opportunity for in depth study in a specific area of psychology through completion of a certificate in human resource management, or an emphasis in social/personality, neuroscience, clinical/health, or developmental psychology.

Developmental Psychology
Students will complete advanced coursework and engage in research on human growth and lifespan changes, including the intersection of physical, cognitive, social, intellectual, perceptual, personality and emotional changes across time and context. Graduating students will be able to:

• Demonstrate depth in their knowledge and application of psychological concepts and frameworks to complex problems in developmental psychology.
• Demonstrate mastery of critical thinking and research skills through completion of a research placement in the area of developmental psychology.
• Produce a research study or other psychological project related to developmental psychology that meets writing standards of the profession, explain scientific results, and present information to a professional audience.

This degree is for students who are fascinated by questions of how life has evolved and how organisms function in the nature. Students will have the opportunity to apply knowledge of ecology and evolution to environmental and societal problems and to experience fieldwork among the diverse habitats of the Colorado Plateau. Opportunities to specialize include any of the diverse areas of expertise of our faculty from wildlife to plants to microbes and from evolutionary genetics to population ecology to ecosystem ecology.

This degree is offered by the Department of Biological Sciences, ensuring a well-rounded foundation in the understanding life of earth. In the course of this major, students will identify, describe, and apply the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, and empirical findings in ecology and evolution. Students will master the theory of evolution; examine the genetic and environmental bases of variation in organisms; and describe how populations are regulated, species interact in communities, and the major nutrients cycle in natural ecosystems.

Biology is the study of life and living organisms—their structure & organization, development, evolution, distribution and interactions.  The major offers a modern, balanced, and comprehensive treatment of biology, emphasizing critical analysis of information and integration among its sub-disciplines.  At NAU, all students take foundations courses that address fundamental biological concepts: cellular & molecular processes, genetics & inheritance, and ecological and evolutionary theory.  Then, students complete the major by selecting the courses in biology that best serve their individual interests.  Upper-division biology courses hone into areas of physiology, evolution, ecological systems, genetics or cell theory.  Our graduates attain the high-level scientific inquiry skills and have practiced the research methods needed to compete in graduate and professional schools and to succeed in the workplace.

Bachelor of Science in Fitness WellnessThe purpose of the B.S. degree in Health Sciences Fitness Wellness degree program is to provide focused educational and practical experiences to those interested in a career in the emerging  fitness/health/wellness industry. Students will be able to design and facilitate fitness programs in a variety of recreational, nonprofit, corporate, and health club settings. The Fitness Wellness program is a combination of general education and core coursework to prepare competent entry-level exercise professionals with the knowledge and skills to assist individuals across the lifespan in adopting and maintaining healthy behaviors that lead to increased fitness, wellness, and optimal health. Students engage in a variety of labs, simulations, and other course work and application activities that prepare them to design and implement exercise programs; understand biomechanics and motor development in the physical domain; develop health and wellness programs in the workplace setting; facilitate independent lasting healthy behavior change; teach and demonstrate exercises; and conduct fitness assessment and health screenings. As a culminating experience, students engage in an immersive and hands-on internship in the field of fitness and wellness.

The Environmental and Sustainability Studies program at NAU constructs an interdisciplinary base of knowledge and skills that integrates humanistic disciplines and perspectives with natural and social scientific approaches to develop real-world solutions to our environmental and sustainability challenges, from the local to the global.

Our BS degree program begins with a firm grounding in natural systems, to ensure all students understand how physical and biological processes maintain life, and how humans are affecting, and are affected by, the natural world. In addition to the natural sciences, students will also obtain a solid understanding of the environment through focusing on the social sciences and humanities in order to develop a critical appreciation of the historical, political, economic and ethical forces that have shaped our current environmental issues. This will prepare students for work in non-profit, government and community-action organizations.

Students will work together in field and lab environments to apply rigorous qualitative and quantitative methods to environmental and sustainability issues, exploring interdisciplinary impacts and solutions that range across space and time. Interdisciplinary experience is centered around focus areas or specific environmental problems, rather than disciplines. This structure produces students well-trained in both the fundamentals of multiple disciplines as well as specific knowledge needed to understand, analyze and become engaged in particular issues and professions. Additionally for the BA degree, students will attain foreign language competency and experience with cross-cultural communication to better understand the impact of environmental issues on global communities.

Composition Emphasis

• Students develop composition skills preparing them for careers as composers or for further study at the doctoral level.
• Refine music research and writing skills, including the ability to locate, assess, and synthesize a wide range of research materials related to music; create a bibliography; and write effective expository prose on music and related topics.
• Acquire advanced skills for analyzing traditional tonal music, including the ability to create Schenkerian graphs of musical excerpts and pieces.
• Learn advanced methodologies for analyzing post-tonal music, including pitch-class set theory and twelve-tone theory.
• Acquire detailed knowledge of post-World War II music.
• Increase compositional skills, leading to the production of a large-scale musical work as well as a full-length master’s recital featuring the live performances of several original compositions
• Acquire knowledge of music theory pedagogy, including diverse techniques and strategies for teaching musical fundamentals, tonal harmony, and ear training at the high school and college levels.

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 Personalized Learning Bachelor’s degree in Management is built around workplace competencies and prepares students to pursue management careers in a broad spectrum of opportunities in corporate, non-profit, public service or military settings. The curriculum is designed in consultation with business leaders and competencies identified by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs and the Society for Human Resource Management to ensure students a comprehensive and relevant educational experience.

 Healthcare Emphasis

• Review the state of US healthcare organizations
• Analyze healthcare operations, obligations and delivery
• Research legal and policy issues that govern the healthcare organization and workforce
• Evaluate quality management and risk management in healthcare
• Examine statistical methods used to inform management decisions
• Integrate and apply learning through a Capstone project