Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies

at Kaplan Group - Arizona State University - West Campus USA

The MA in interdisciplinary studies offered by the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences is an innovative program that allows students to combine the study of two or more disciplines for their program of study.

Founded on the conviction that solving problems in the 21st century often requires an interdisciplinary approach, this flexible program provides exposure to a variety of research methods, historical perspectives and modes of inquiry.

The program gives students access to faculty members who are active practitioners of interdisciplinary inquiry. Working with the faculty, students may define their own area of emphasis or adopt an existing area within the humanities and social sciences.

The skills and knowledge that students acquire can be directed toward doctoral study or professional goals in any enterprise that engages in research or education.

The MA in communication studies is a cutting-edge degree program designed for students who wish to pursue a wide range of today's communication professions.

With special emphases on both advocacy and social technologies as defining themes, students can tailor the program to their personal goals, focusing on topics such as interpersonal, organizational, sport, environmental, social media politics and global or technology-mediated communication.

Students use multiple perspectives to explore a variety of topics and issues in communication.

These include how individuals and collectives participate effectively in personal relationships, organizational settings and public dialogues across cultural contexts, and the impact and effects of media, mediated representations and new technologies. They also learn to use communication strategically to advocate for others.

Graduates are prepared to pursue doctoral work or careers in a variety of communication-driven fields such as public affairs, public relations, employee development, strategic communication, community relations and grassroots movements through exposure to a variety of research methods, theories and practical applications.

The MA program in social justice and human rights addresses urgent social issues related to human security, labor, migration, children, family, education and the environment.

The social justice in human rights graduate degree program provides students with a combination of applied real-world skills and training in research. They may choose to focus on specific issues such as racial justice, educational rights, disability rights, indigenous rights, animal rights or the abolition of human trafficking. Or they may direct their focus to regional contexts such as the Middle East, Central Europe, East Africa or Central America.

The coursework in this theoretically and methodologically rigorous program examines social issues in contexts defined by multiple and intersecting forms of social identity and disadvantage, including gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexuality and nationality.

The program requires an internship, to be completed domestically or internationally, in which students typically work alongside other advocates for social justice to help refugees, migrants, workers and survivors of violence or human trafficking.

Students may select from three degree tracks: research, advocacy, or critical trauma studies and social work. The research track prepares students for positions as researchers, analysts and advocates in governmental, intergovernmental and nongovernmental agencies. The advocacy track prepares students to be leaders in nonprofit, social movement, governmental and intergovernmental organizations. The critical trauma studies and social work track prepares students to assist vulnerable people, especially survivors of extreme violence, poverty, war, sex trafficking, human trafficking, gender-based violence and various forms of marginalization.

The MS program in biological data science provides students with real-world training at the interface of the natural and mathematical sciences. Students learn to manipulate big data, including the generation and analysis of data using statistical and computational toolsets. Students use their analytical skills in ecological, environmental, toxicological and other biological applications. The program incorporates multiple levels of experiential learning to ensure students gain critical thinking skills on top of core competencies.

The secondary education concentration within the BA in history offers a flexible degree for students who are considering a career in education. The concentration program fully prepares students for teaching and certification. At the same time, all the disciplinary knowledge of a traditional history degree provided by the program prepares students for a variety of noneducation careers.

History is a discipline that constantly adopts new techniques of analysis and new ways of gathering and presenting information. Students of history learn to use and create digital media, to perform quantitative as well as qualitative analysis, and to present their findings in compelling ways to all kinds of audiences.

Students currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts in history with a concentration in secondary education offered by The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences may not pursue a concurrent degree with the Bachelor of Arts in history offered by The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Bachelor of Arts in secondary education with a concentration in history offered by the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, the Bachelor of Arts in history offered by the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, or the Bachelor of Arts in history offered by the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts due to the high level of overlap in curriculum. Students should speak with their academic advisor for any further questions.

The BS program in health sciences provides students with the academic knowledge and skills that allow them to move directly into a range of employment opportunities within the health field or to continue their education in discipline-specific programs.

Students choose a track focus in either community-based health outcomes; health legislation and regulation; integrated care; or language, speech and communication.

A limited number of students each year may apply to pursue the echocardiography certificate through Mayo Clinic. Once the certificate is successfully completed, students may transfer the credits to Arizona State University and those credits may be applied toward completion of the Bachelor of Science in health sciences. Students interested in this option should seek advising before starting this track.

The BA program in English is focused on literature, writing, film and culture.

Courses address a wide variety of genres, traditions and time periods. Students engage in close reading and critical thinking as they work with powerful, multilayered texts. They build communication skills as they compose for multiple purposes and audiences. The program ends with a degree capstone that allows students to use their skills and knowledge in a personalized academic or creative project.

The BA program in community advocacy and social policy focuses on advocacy strategies through an in-depth exploration, analysis and comparison of social service systems and policies from an empowerment perspective.

The program's emphasis is on examining the needs of historically under-served individuals, families and communities. Policy analysis and social change are critical themes in developing an advocacy knowledge base as are the equally important themes of prevention and social well-being. Students complete courses in two core areas: diversity and oppressed populations and social issues and interventions.

While the Bachelor of Arts in community advocacy and social policy program is fully accredited regionally under the North Central Regional Higher Education Association, it is not accredited through the Council of Social Work Education because this degree is not a BSW degree. Therefore, the Bachelor of Arts in community advocacy and social policy degree would not fulfill a professional licensing requirement that requires a Bachelor of Social Work degree from a CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work program.

Forensic psychology is the application of psychology to the law. The concentration in forensic psychology within the BA program in psychology combines general training in psychology with specialized coursework in criminal law, criminal behavior, the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders and legal decision-making.

When courts are faced with cases in which a psychology-related question arises, they may turn to psychologists for help with the case. For example, psychologists might assist the court in understanding a criminal's mental state at the time of a crime or in determining whether a particular jury might have been biased against a defendant based on his or her race. This is the realm of forensic psychology.

This program teaches students about the various roles for psychologists in the legal system and helps them discover which roles they might like to pursue through careers in mental health, criminal justice or through graduate training.

The Bachelor of Arts degree differs from the BS degree in that it does not require two additional lab science courses.

The BS in applied mathematics is an interdisciplinary program that provides a broad and rigorous foundation in applied mathematics. It includes a foundation in computing and statistics as well as both theoretical and applied mathematics.

The program emphasizes quantitative problem-solving and critical thinking through courses that expose students to a variety of mathematical theories, techniques and applications currently used by analysts and researchers in government, industry and nonprofit organizations.