Bachelor of Arts in Geography

at Kaplan Group - Arizona State University - Tempe Campus USA

The concentration in dramatic writing under the MFA in theatre includes coursework in playwriting, screenwriting, historical studies in theatre, dramatic theory, directing new work, literary management, electives and related topics such as writing for solo performance, storytelling, devising and collaborative writing.

The School of Music, Dance and Theatre supports the production of new plays and performance works written by its Master of Fine Arts students. Student-written work is included in the Theatre Labs and is considered for main stage productions.

The communication program prepares students to do far more than give a speech or two in front of their peers. It provides an extensive understanding of the practical, theoretical and professional distinctions of today's field of communication and equips students with the skills needed to convey complex ideas clearly and effectively through both the spoken and written word.

In the nationally recognized CommLabASU, this program trains and prepares students for in-depth study into 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, including: public relations, risk and strategic communication; media, culture and social technology; communication training and mentoring; dialogue, relationships and communities; and sport communication.

In the biology and society concentration of the MS program in biology, students examine topics where biology intersects with society.

The concentration tailors individual plans of study to individual needs and interests, with a solid grounding in the life and related sciences and with a rigorous analytical and interdisciplinary education. The program offers suggested courses for those wishing to focus on these areas: bioethics, policy and law; biology education research; ecology, economics and ethics of the environment; and history and philosophy of science.

Bioethics, policy and law --- Students are trained in the pressing moral, policy and legal issues raised by the biosciences and biomedicine and in the disciplinary methods necessary to address these issues.

Biology education research --- This focuses on using education research to identify ways to improve undergraduate biology education broadly.

Ecology, economics and ethics of the environment --- This area trains students in the theory and empirical methods for understanding, analyzing and shaping policy for coupled human-natural systems.

History and philosophy of science --- Students are trained in the conceptual foundations of science, especially the epistemological and methodological assumptions that shape science and its progress.

The MA in social and cultural pedagogy is a two-year program designed for educators with professional experience who seek to develop real-world skills and practical knowledge to help them accomplish specific career goals.

After being equipped with philosophical, theoretical and practical knowledge on social pedagogy, students are able to analyze social structures and cultural dynamics, and work with communities to address complex societal problems through the design, implementation and evaluation of socio-educational strategies.

Students have the opportunity to create an individualized path of study that accommodates their personal interests and career goals. Students can also join a vibrant university club (Social and Cultural Pedagogy Graduate Organization), a national organization of scholars and practitioners (Social Pedagogy Association) and an international organization (Global Alliance for Social Pedagogy and Social Education).

Biomedical informatics fosters collaborations among academic researchers, clinical practitioners and regional health care providers to apply new developments in informatics theory to clinical practice. The program educates students in the informatics knowledge and skills that will enable them to:

• Detect disease early
• Improve the patient hospital experience
• Improve the precision of diagnosis
• Improve the quality of patient health care and reduce its cost
• Minimize hospital visits

Biomedical informatics has a key role to play in the transition to more effective and efficient health care through the use of knowledge and information technology.

The BFA program in art with a concentration in ceramics provides a stimulating and challenging environment for artistic and intellectual growth. With the realization that discipline, familiarity with historical precedents and freedom go hand in hand with creative activities, the ceramics program strikes a balance between the acquisition of traditional skills and the promotion of independence and innovation. Responsibility is placed on the individual student to find personally meaningful content and an effective means to express that content within the ceramic arts.

The ceramics program features a complete and varied line of kilns, wheels and other equipment. Faculty members ensure that students learn the techniques and concepts that enable them to take their work in any direction they wish. A guest artist schedule enhances the program as does the Ceramics Research Center at the ASU Art Museum, which has a collection of more than 3,000 pieces and provides unparalleled opportunities to study and research the ceramic arts.

Students declare their BFA concentration at the time of their ASU admission. Following admission, if students wish to change their BFA concentration, they may meet with their School of Art academic advisor.

The MS program in computer science with a concentration in arts, media and engineering emphasizes research on the integration of the human physical experience with computation and digital media.

Arts, media and engineering researchers produce experiential media systems and models that assist the disadvantaged, empower creativity, enhance scientific discovery, evolve human ability, facilitate learning and improve quality of life. Within these application areas, researchers explore experiential construction, interaction and feedback, knowledge creation, sensing, perception and modeling.

The purpose of the arts, media and engineering concentration under the master's degree in computer science is to train hybrid engineering-arts graduates who get their inspiration from the arts and their methodology from computer science and engineering. Students specialize in transdisciplinary media development.

The BS program in earth and space exploration with a concentration in astrophysics is designed to offer students a fundamental grounding in astronomy and astrophysics, with exposure to the related fields of geology, planetary science and engineering.

Students of the astrophysics major develop a background in theoretical modeling and observational techniques of galactic and stellar astronomy, extragalactic astronomy and cosmology. They learn to think critically about scientific problems by reducing the complexity to more tractable components.

The rigorous and quantitative coursework includes a combination of physics courses taught in the ASU School of Earth and Space Exploration and the Department of Physics. The tools of astronomical discovery are increasingly dependent on technological advances, and students are exposed to engineering principles and computer programming. Through the capstone project in the senior year, students gain valuable experience in translating science drivers into engineering solutions.

In this MA program, global health is considered to be much more than and very different from international public health. It emphasizes that major health challenges stem from many factors well beyond disease itself --- factors that are cultural, ecological, evolutionary, historical, institutional, social and technological.

Any effective, sustainable solutions to the most pressing global health challenges need to take all of these factors into account, including the complex ways in which they relate to each other. In this manner, this degree program teaches students to understand health as not simply a product of disease, but rather emerging in the contexts of complex and interrelated ecology, politics, history, culture, social institutions and evolutionary biology. It also places primacy on how to address the broader (i.e., structural, cultural) bases of ill health in complicated, ever-changing health challenges in low-resource community settings and a globalizing world. To do this, the program combines both social and life science theories with on-the-ground research and its application. There is a strong emphasis on collaborative action as key to identifying and addressing global health problems in a sustainable and meaningful way.

Students accepted into the program are tied to ongoing transdisciplinary global health projects that address complicated, multifaceted health challenges that defy easy fixes, such as climate change-related diseases, emerging infectious diseases, and obesity.

By applying a collaborative, problem-solving format, the master's degree program in global health is intended to provide those planning to enter health or related fields (i.e., environmental, social) with the transdisciplinary orientation, team skills and social and cultural acuity that the Pew Health Professions Commission inter alia has identified as critical but lacking in current health workforce training. The program also emphasizes experiential learning as a way to gain mastery and requires participation in a global internship program based in one of the international partnering communities.

The MSE in construction engineering is a transdisciplinary degree program that encompasses the areas of geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, transportation engineering, construction engineering and management-related topics.

This focus on a combination of design and management prepares the student for a career at the interface of design and construction. Students who are interested in a career emphasizing construction of infrastructure find this program especially desirable.