Bachelor of Arts in Community Development

at Kaplan Group - Arizona State University - Downtown Phoenix Campus USA

This STEM-designated* concentration program is offered to students who are interested in gaining both global management and data management expertise in order to work in multinational corporations, international nonprofit entities, governmental and non-governmental organizations around the globe.

As global companies and organizations in the Fourth Industrial Revolution continue to rely on data to drive management decisions, it is increasingly important for leaders to have the skills necessary to understand and interpret that data.

Thunderbird School of Global Management has produced unique leaders for 75 years, leaders in every sector capable of tackling the world's greatest challenges. The alumni network comprises 45,000 graduates and 170 chapters around the globe.

*As an added bonus for international students, this program meets special F-1 international student status requirements. This means that international students who graduate with the data science concentration qualify for a 24-month extension to their Optional Practical Training in the United States beyond the 12-month period already provided to international students in non-STEM degrees.

The BS program in public service and public policy prepares students for work in government at all levels and in nonprofit organizations through comprehensive coverage of topics in public policy, public leadership and management, and urban studies.

Students discover the challenges of management and learn how to lead a public organization and understand the process of policy development. This program examines the public sector and addresses, in a practical way, the challenges facing the public. The program is unique because it enables students to study public service, policy and administration with a professional focus.

Students select one of the following concentrations areas to supplement their core courses, including; American Indian studies, business, criminology, emergency management, health policy, law and policy, nonprofit leadership and management, parks and recreation management, public leadership and management, science and technology, social services delivery, sustainability, or urban and metropolitan studies.

The MGM program with a concentration in creative industries and design thinking teaches students critical skills with an interdisciplinary focus to meet a current need in the globally expanding field of creative industries. Additionally, providing students with an entrepreneurial skill set strengthens their ability to connect interdisciplinary knowledge of the cultural industries with design thinking methodology, building on management skills and the ability to apply entrepreneurial vision to the globally interconnected sector of art and design. Students are exposed to design-thinking pedagogy as they increase their capacity for interpersonal communication, public communication, opportunity recognition, network and systems thinking, problem recognition and creativity, as well as demonstrated abilities in cultural leadership, knowledge of the creative industries, distribution of creative products, the creative process and management of innovation in the creative industries.

This master's degree program empowers students to advance innovation in the cultural sector, support creative work and careers, harness social capital and design public and private enterprises that will strengthen arts and design in the future. The program prepares graduates to understand the complex economic, legal, political and social contexts that surrounds any innovation or enterprise.

The BS program in integrative health provides students with a foundation in integrative health, a holistic approach to wellness that focuses on the mind, body and spirit.

Through innovative and interprofessional approaches to serving and supporting diverse populations, students learn to understand and differentiate the ethics, legalities and standards of practice of integrative health and to think critically about different therapies, modalities and practitioners. Coursework and experiences include an emphasis on research and evidence-based practices and gaining an understanding of the historical and cultural foundations of the integrative health field.

This degree program has the same prerequisites as the nursing major; therefore, students may transition seamlessly to this program and obtain a bachelor's degree in a health-related field.

The MPS program in community development practice trains existing and future practitioners in approaches to developing healthy, sustainable and resilient communities. The program provides students with historical and theoretical foundations, applied research skills and core competencies centered around community building, development practices and the facilitation of democratic and cross-sector collaboration toward social innovation and community solutions. This program allows students to establish an emphasis on topics like housing and economic development, education, social and environmental justice, health, and sustainability, drawing from the extensive expertise of ASU faculty.

The BS program in criminology and criminal justice is for students who want to understand the causes of crime, the role of criminal justice agencies in the control of crime and the consequences of crime.

Students learn sociological, psychological, biological and economic explanations for individual crime as well as differences in crime across neighborhoods, states, countries and over time. They also learn about the history, legal issues and current practices of crime control via police agencies, the court system, prisons, probation and parole.

These topics are delivered by top-ranking research faculty who offer students hands-on research opportunities and by experienced criminal justice professionals with intimate knowledge of the daily realities of crime and criminals. Students are encouraged to take advantage of internship opportunities in more than 200 agencies, study abroad programs and flexible course scheduling offered in-person, online and across multiple campuses.

This top-ranked concentration within our MPA program (#5 in Nonprofit Management, U.S. News & World Report) will help you turn your desire for public service into a rewarding career as a nonprofit leader. The program can be completed full time, part time or entirely online.

The MPA is a professional degree program designed to prepare students for public service at all levels of government as well as the nonprofit and private sectors. The program consists of a core curriculum emphasizing managerial and analytic skills needed to work in a large range of careers that serve the public good.

The nonprofit administration concentration builds on the core program though the application of administrative and leadership principles to train students as professionals who choose careers in the nonprofit sector. Students focus on the managerial aspects of running nonprofit organizations that solve specific challenges in communities around the world, and that provide needed services not available through traditional markets or government providers. Students gain important skills to succeed including financial management, volunteer management, fundraising, strategic planning and how to work with boards of directors.

The BS program in community sports management focuses on preparing individuals with an interest in managing sport programs and activities for children, youth, adults and seniors in nonprofit, municipal and for-profit organizations.

The program emphasizes the many roles community sports plays within the community including as a mechanism to improve overall quality of life, youth development, sport tourism and community development. Both program delivery and managerial functions are targeted. Specific areas of opportunity include work with youth sports, adaptive sports, sports tourism, sport events and adult recreational sports.

Students are offered the opportunity to learn best practices from a broad array of industry experts (providers, regulatory agencies, government payers, and others) within the medical industry, giving graduates options from which to channel their career in health care compliance.

This program is ideal for anyone interested in the ethical, regulatory and business sides of the health care industry. Program areas of emphasis include:

• Industry standards for accreditation and auditing
• Data privacy, security, and analysis concepts
• Revenue cycles, including current billing and coding procedures
• Local and federal compliance policies, laws and regulations

Social services delivery is a fundamental building block of government affairs. Through this concentration, students explore the foundation and practices of social services and how social services can be designed, delivered and evaluated at local, state and federal levels.