Master of Natural Science - Earth and Space Sciences (STEM)

at Kaplan Group - Arizona State University - Tempe Campus USA

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 BA in philosophy with a concentration in morality, politics and law combines the basic analytical approaches of philosophy with an emphasis on the moral questions that arise in political theory and law. The foundations of our political and legal systems are moral values, such as individual liberty, equality and justice. These are contested values, open to different understandings of their nature and implications.

Students explore the nature of morality, political theory, legal theory and the interconnections between them. Students complete philosophy courses as well as courses from disciplines related to philosophy to enrich and enliven their understanding of the intersections of morality, politics and law. This degree program is of special interest to students planning to pursue postgraduate work in law, policy or politics.

The BA in English with a concentration in secondary education focuses on rigorous content in literature, composition, linguistics and secondary teaching pedagogy. This program provides extensive preparation for meeting the needs of all student populations, including attention to levels of academic performance and cultural and linguistic diversity.

Students finish the program with Arizona Department of Education certification for middle and high school English language arts. Both a fingerprint clearance and a background check are required in the second year of the program.

Students earning an MS degree in chemistry in the School of Molecular Sciences are trained in the foundation disciplines of analytical, organic, physical, inorganic and environmental chemistry and geochemistry. Most also choose to learn by joining transdisciplinary research teams that work on larger, mission-based contemporary problems in areas such as:

• Energy and sustainability
• Frontiers of chemical measurement
• Fundamental molecular science
• Geologic and biospheric science
• Materials and nanoscience
• Medicine and health
• Structure function and dynamics

The master's degree program in chemistry provides students with the training they need to solve molecular scale problems and to contribute to research in current challenging societal issues.

The MS program in justice studies is an innovative, interdisciplinary program that prepares students to work, research, and advocate on behalf of social justice. Students study a wide range of topics at the local, national and international levels, gaining the training needed to analyze social, economic, cultural, political and legal inequalities and promote pathways to more just societies.

The MNS program in physics provides transdisciplinary graduate training in physics, physical science or physics education. The program is especially suited for in-service high school science teachers who desire professional training rather than pursuit of a research-based degree.

Designed for flexibility, the curriculum also features individualized professional graduate programs. These programs are well suited to the backgrounds and goals of students. Students are expected to emphasize coursework in two or more areas of concentration. The program must be transdisciplinary.

Students in the literature concentration of the BA program in English study texts and cultures from the earliest writings in English to contemporary expressions, on paper, online and out in the world. They learn to read critically and analyze representations and to understand how stories work to define human cultures.

The program offers students the opportunity to engage with faculty in exploring American and British literature, critical theories and methods and interdisciplinary studies. Students can choose from a broad array of courses to further explore subjects such as race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality and literary histories and traditions.

Students can gain practical experience through research, writing and internships that prepare them for an ever-expanding variety of careers. The undergraduate programs also prepare students to continue their studies in graduate and professional programs.

The faculty in civil, environmental and sustainable engineering offer a graduate program leading to an MS in civil, environmental and sustainable engineering. The program is designed to enhance the knowledge gained in the undergraduate program by requiring students to understand and practice fundamental concepts in engineering, mathematics and the basic sciences.

The pattern of coursework applicable to the degree is potentially unique for each student, although it must conform to the general guidelines for subject matter content for the degree as authorized here and on the program's website. Students are admitted to one of the following specialty areas in engineering: environmental, geotechnical, hydrosystems, structural, sustainable or transportation.

The School of Social and Behavioral Sciences offers a BS in political science in the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences.

Political science is the study of governmental practices, politics and theories. Coursework in the political science program covers American institutions, international relations, political theory and world affairs. This program helps students gain a basic understanding of the assumptions underlying political science and to develop the necessary research skills for analyzing complex sociopolitical issues. In addition to coursework, students learn through internships, service-learning and research opportunities. The Bachelor of Science degree differs from the BA degree in that it requires an additional statistics course and a methods course.

Graduates of this program are prepared for work as analysts or aides in local, state or national legislative offices, among other roles. Many graduates go on to law school or graduate programs in political science, social science, urban planning or public administration.

The MSTP program uniquely prepares its graduates to have an impact in today's science and technology decision-making. It is designed to train future leaders, policymakers and analysts in tackling diverse and complex policy issues such as climate change and artificial intelligence in ways that are socially responsible and that contribute to a more just and vibrant future.

This cohort-based program attracts students of the highest caliber and can be completed in one year or over an extended period on a part-time basis. It is suited to anyone interested in a career in which they work to ensure, through responsive and effective policy development and implementation, that science and technology serve society. Students come from a wide range of backgrounds.

The program provides students with knowledge and tools to analyze and answer complex questions around science and technology policy issues, including:

• How are science and technology influenced by the policy process?
• What is the rightful place of scientific expertise in public policymaking?
• What values and assumptions underlie society's current understanding of science and technology?
• Who should make decisions about science and technology policy? Only experts? Or should lay people also have a voice?
• How should policymakers deal with the risks and uncertainties that come from new science and technology (e.g., biotechnology, nanotechnology, geoengineering, information technology)?
• How can policymakers balance concerns about science and technology, while maintaining innovation and international competitiveness?

Students work on topics as varied as responsible innovation, technological convergence, social and environmental sustainability, health and well-being, energy, equity, security, data privacy, infrastructure, democracy, STEM education, the role of science, and space exploration and policy. They are able to describe the historical, social and institutional foundations of science and technology policy; discuss the complexities of science and technology policy decisions, decision-making under uncertainty and the role of experts; employ effective policy communications skills and techniques; and work collaboratively and effectively with experts from different backgrounds, including scientists, engineers and elected officials.

Graduates are able to apply critical skills and methods to science and technology policy analysis, apply cutting-edge approaches to ensuring socially responsive and responsible technology innovation, and contribute to developing and implementing creative solutions to many of today's most complex challenges.