Master of Public Administration With Concentration in Public Finance

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

The professional program leading to the MSW degree prepares social workers for advanced professional social work practice. The program is designed to prepare social workers to be capable of responding effectively to the needs of special populations, particularly in the American Southwest.

The first year of the standard program focuses on curriculum and skills that build a foundational knowledge in social work. The second year of the program allows students to focus their coursework in a specific area to build specialized practice knowledge.

This top-ranked concentration within our MPA program (#3 in Local Government Management, U.S. News & World Report) will help you turn your desire for public service into a rewarding career in local and city management. 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 urban management concentration prepares students to be leaders in local government, where most services and programs to residents are managed. Through a focused set of electives and interactions with experienced city managers, students gain knowledge and develop the skills required to contribute to the operations of local government and help communities better serve the people who live there.

The BA program in journalism and mass communication at ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, widely regarded as one of the nation's premier journalism schools, is a highly professional, hands-on degree program that prepares students for careers in media and communications.

Through access to a world-class faculty of veteran and current journalists, and with prestigious internships and hands-on learning opportunities, undergraduate students learn the values and principles that have long formed the core of the journalism profession, and they master the highly specialized, practical skills needed to succeed in today's digital world.

Topics of study can include unique courses in digital media, broadcast news, innovation and entrepreneurship, audience engagement, public relations and Spanish-language news. The Cronkite School's full-immersion professional programs afford students the opportunity to gain experience in activities like hosting the evening news on AZ PBS and creating digital advertising campaigns.

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.

The Master of Global Management program with a concentration in global health care delivery is designed for current or aspiring executives and managers in health care who would like to hone their leadership and business skills to position themselves for careers leading health care organizations around the world. Some health care practitioners, such as nurses and doctors, may also use the degree as a way to move from clinical practice into management roles.

The concentration in global health care delivery addresses the current and future needs of the management workforce in the health care industry globally, including C-suite executives and administrators, health care providers (physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and nurses), frontline staff (respiratory therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists and dietitians) and students in medical disciplines. Students master core and advanced skills in designing systems, processes and mechanisms used to optimize health care delivery anywhere in the world. In addition, students integrate evidence-based financial principles geared toward improved individual and population health outcomes, such as leadership strategies in change management, for example.

Complementary to the nation's first BS degree in nonprofit leadership and management, the American Indian studies concentration empowers purpose-driven students to be culturally aware, competent, and ready for key roles that enable them to advance nonprofits that serve tribal lands, including those organized by tribal governments.

The nonprofit sector in the United States is unique in form and function. This sector includes institutions and individuals situated between government, public, business and commerce sectors. Students learn about the nonprofit sector through curriculum instruction and field experience. The concentration in American Indian studies familiarizes students with American Indian worldviews, current issues and tribal governance. Many students in the nonprofit sector work with American Indian populations.

The BS program in health care coordination prepares students to effectively coordinate resources to optimize individual health outcomes.

Through coursework, students build a thorough understanding of health care systems, community and public health, community resources, health education and health advocacy.

The program emphasizes patient advocacy and education, the resources available from community and public health services, and the role of health policy and financing in modern health care.

Graduates of the program are prepared to work with an interdisciplinary team to utilize resources, provide health education and advocate for the patient when it is needed the most.

This degree program uses 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 MS in clinical exercise physiology degree program prepares students for careers as clinical exercise physiologists. Students learn how to use primary and secondary prevention strategies to improve, maintain or attenuate declines in fitness and health in populations ranging from children to older adults. They learn to collaborate with medical professionals to guide exercise and rehabilitation programs for at-risk clients and clients with chronic diseases.

The American College of Sports Medicine is the national association responsible for establishing guidelines and recommendations for exercise testing, prescription and evaluation of research for both healthy populations and those with chronic disease. The ACSM certification is deemed the organization's most prestigious credential for clinical professionals with a master's degree and 600 hours of hands-on clinical experience. This program provides the knowledge, clinical experience and skills needed by individuals preparing for successful completion of the registration examination for the registered clinical exercise physiologist certification.

The MS in criminology and criminal justice is a research degree program designed to provide students with a high level of theoretical and empirical knowledge about crime and criminal justice.

The program provides students with the advanced research skills, training in program planning and management, and policy and statistical analysis needed for careers as criminal justice researchers, leadership roles in criminal justice and related agencies and organizations, and for continued study in doctoral programs in criminology and criminal justice.

Psychology is the scientific study of human behavior. This diverse field includes mental health and counseling as well as child development, neuroscience and brain function, memory and decision-making, behavior analysis, statistics and more. It also crosses over into other disciplines such as medicine, law, business and economics.

This BA program in psychology --- emphasizing critical thinking and reasoning, quantitative research methods and writing --- goes beyond the classroom, adding practical experiences through internships, service-learning and faculty-supervised research. (Some opportunities are not available to students enrolled in the degree offered through ASU Online.)

Graduates are prepared for graduate programs in psychology or other areas as well as for professional employment.