Bachelor of Arts in Communication

at Kaplan Group - Arizona State University - West Campus USA

Forensic science is the study and application of scientific methods to matters of law. The BS program in forensic science emphasizes laboratory coursework in chemistry and biology as both areas provide essential experience with techniques commonly used in crime labs.

Rigorous coursework in the natural and mathematical sciences is required to ensure graduates are competitive in the workforce. The program is enhanced by a focus on oral communication skills that help prepare graduates for the multifaceted, transdisciplinary aspects of careers in forensic science, such as providing articulate expert witness testimony.

The BA program in history introduces students to a broad span of history that covers the ancient world through the modern period and extends from Europe to Latin America and the United States. In addition to learning about the origins and development of various peoples, ideas and institutions of the past, students engage in the practice of history by learning to conduct research, analyze historical evidence and formulate arguments using historiographical perspectives and methodological approaches.

The W. P. Carey BS program in management prepares students to become effective managers and team leaders. Students gain theoretical and conceptual knowledge and build critical skills such as:

• Analytical research and problem-solving
• Communication
• Critical thinking
• Global applications
• Leadership
• Personal ethics and integrity
• Teamwork

The curriculum includes the fundamentals of the global economy, the world of e-business, ethics, human resource and strategic management and collaborative team skills. Throughout the program, theories and concepts of management and ethical leadership are enhanced by experiencing and testing them in skill-based exercises, case discussions and real-world, team-based project work.

Students in the BS program in applied computing learn a computer science foundation and then explore the established knowledge and emerging developments in the high-demand areas of database systems, computer networks and cybersecurity. The program also provides the opportunity to investigate interdisciplinary connections, including the combination of computing with its real-world application in other disciplines through concurrent degrees and minors.

Hands-on class projects, internships, industry partnerships and authentic and impactful research conducted with faculty provide numerous opportunities for students to apply their knowledge before they graduate. Students use their programming expertise, systems knowledge and critical thinking skills to effectively problem-solve and articulate their experience through presentations, scientific posters and professional papers.

With a depth of knowledge and experience in databases, networks and cybersecurity, graduates have a strong foundation in systems with established interconnections among these fields that prepares them for graduate study and for careers that include cybersecurity analysts, database architects and network engineers.

The BSE program in electrical engineering prepares students for positions as electrical engineers.

Following initial coursework in mathematics and sciences, the foundation classes build a solid base of engineering knowledge. The electrical engineering curriculum includes a number of required upper-division electrical engineering and technical elective courses in such areas as circuits; communication, signal processing and control systems; computer engineering; electromagnetics; power; and solid-state devices.

Approved technical elective courses provide students with an opportunity either to broaden their background in electrical engineering or to study in greater depth the technical subjects in which they have special interest.

Students in the BS program in pharmacology and toxicology study how foreign materials react with human bodies. To have a thorough understanding of the interactions of chemicals in the biological system, students in the program study both biology and chemistry, and they become familiar with chemical interactions at physiological, molecular and cellular levels.

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 BS in population health program integrates the fields of public health and health care delivery to teach students about the factors that impact health.

Students learn how social determinants of health, access to care and infrastructure influence the health of defined groups, as well as the roles of stakeholders and how to work across systems to improve health. Students benefit as the field of population health requires training in disciplines fundamental to the College of Health Solutions, including biomedical informatics, economics, social determinants of health, program and community assessment, program planning, and health care delivery.

The multidisciplinary program features experiential learning, including student engagement as citizen scientists, to better understand population health. Students can customize their learning by focusing on environmental health systems, food systems, mental health systems, compliance in the health care industry, health education programs, the design and improvement of population health systems, or health informatics.

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 crosses into other disciplines such as medicine, law, business and economics.

Emphasizing critical thinking and reasoning, and quantitative research methods and writing, this BS program in psychology goes beyond the classroom with 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.)

The Bachelor of Science degree differs from the Bachelor of Arts degree in that it requires two additional lab courses and advanced statistical training, providing a greater depth of knowledge in the biological and neuroscientific aspects of psychology that are increasingly important both for research and for clinical practice. The advanced statistical training further prepares students for careers and graduate training involving psychological research, clinical research and legal policy research.

The MA degree in English offered by the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences is a comprehensive program that addresses the many facets of English: its literatures; its linguistic, social and cultural histories; and its capacities for persuasion, exposition and elucidation.

The program is grounded in scholarly tradition but designed for the demands of the 21st century. Its innovative curriculum has been developed to train present and future educators as well as individuals pursuing careers in the wide variety of professions that value advanced critical thinking, research and communication skills.

The world-class faculty is ready to help enhance students' skill set, deepen their knowledge base and put the Master of Arts in English degree to work in their chosen profession.