Bachelor of Arts in Political Science

at Northern Arizona University - Flagstaff Campus USA

The MFA in Creative Writing at NAU is an interdisciplinary, full-time, two-year program in fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry. Students participate in writing workshops, undertake coursework in literature, and study critical theory. MFA candidates present a creative thesis of between 45 to 120 pages, depending on genre. Our program’s vibrant literary culture includes the literary journal Thin Air and the robust weekly Narrow Chimney Reading Series. Graduate teaching assistantships are available to a select number of students.

Creative Media & Film teaches students to create and critique stories made with moving images and audio. Students will engage in a shared core that will teach them the fundamentals of production and criticism. This program blends analytical thinking, creative expression, and professional experience to develop students’ skills in all aspects of digital filmmaking and critique.
 
CMF’s foundation rests on the critical view that our students should be empowered to tell their own distinctive, idiosyncratic, and regional stories, rather than have those stories told for them. Our program focuses on narrative and storytelling theories, skills, and application. As moving image/audio storytellers, our students learn about and are trained within the domains of both cultural and aesthetic values.
 
The program begins with an exploration of the theoretical, social, historical, and industry standards within which all media are grounded.  Through this foundation, students develop strong aesthetic sensibilities, storytelling skills, and a deep appreciation of the impact of audience, culture, time and place upon stylistic choices made during the creative process.

This bachelor of science degree in Strategic Communication offers a strong core of advertising, public relations, and communication courses, to engage students in a variety of professional communication environments. Students may pursue one of two emphases to allow deeper skill mastery in advertising or public relations.

Communication develop an understanding of communication theory and how messages are spread among groups of people. They apply analytical skills to the development and evaluation of communication plans. They also master practical skills needed for the implementation of those communication plans.

Upon graduation, students emphasizing one area of strategic communication will often find themselves working closely with other professionals focusing on skills in other areas of Strategic Communication. However, the emphasis areas tend to differentiate from each other in the following broad ways.

Advertising emphasizes the use of paid media in communication efforts and will often focus more on specific calls to action. These students focus on advertising campaigns for digital and heritage media. They will develop skills relevant to planning ad campaigns and important aesthetic concepts in advertising.

Choral Conducting Emphasis
Advanced professionalism and independence in the area of specialization:

• Music performance, which includes instrumental performance, vocalperformance, choral conducting, and/or orchestral conducting; or
• Scholarly research in music utilizing historical and theoretical methods.

Continued growth in musical understanding through analytic, historic, pedagogical, and performance skills, which include:

• The ability to identify appropriate literature in support of their individual career path.
• Understanding stylistic differences among various types of music and applying that understanding in performance.
• The ability to apply pedagogical concepts within an educational environment.

Graduate and professional level research skills, which include:

• The use of advanced historical and critical methodologies across a wide variety of musical styles, genres, and time-periods.
• Advanced interpretative, analytical, and synthesis skills within the area of music theory.
• Clear, cogent writing skills.
• The ability to systematically support an argument in writing.
• The ability to identify appropriate primary and secondary sources and effectively cite the sources in a research document.

  Acknowledgement, awareness, and exploration of connections across music subdisciplines and human experiences by integrating knowledge learned within the contexts of:

• History;
• Theory;
• Performance; and
• Culture.

 Integration of knowledge and skills gained in performance and scholarship into a meaningful and intellectual life in a global society by:

• Identifying human experiences expressed in a variety of musics.
• Communicating those human experiences through scholarship and performance.

This degree provides interactive performance training in either voice or instrument. These emphases are backed by a rich variety of coursework in theory, ear training, music history, and musical genres. The emphasis in Voice requires a demonstration of proficiency in French, German, or Italian.

The purpose of the Bachelor of Music Performance degree program is to prepare students as performers in a variety of settings, along with developing skills as teaching artists and musician-entrepreneurs.  Students are also prepared for further study at the graduate and/or professional level.

The undergraduate degree programs in Criminology and Criminal Justice (CCJ) combine foundational knowledge of criminal justice with a critical understanding of its institutions, processes and operations. CCJ students learn how social forces influence lawmaking, approaches to criminal justice, perceptions and experiences of justice; and how, in turn, criminal justice trends influence society. In accordance with our commitment to promote a more just society, CCJ students develop a firm understanding of the cultural, political, economic and moral complexities surrounding the creation and enforcement of law, and are prepared to become practitioners, advocates and defenders of social justice. CCJ students accomplish this through critical examinations of how power and privilege shape the social realities of criminal justice globally, nationally and locally and by utilizing the latest in legal and social science research to develop critical understandings of how these realities impact diverse groups of people. In addition, CCJ students investigate how social and cultural identities are related to differential experiences of criminalization, victimization, offending, and justice work.

Data science is systematic way to discover, quantify, and understand relationships hidden in data. A data scientist is an expert in acquiring, storing, accessing, and manipulating data; visualizing and modeling relationships in the data; and drawing actionable conclusions from the data. Data science is a tool applied to other areas of study such as biological sciences or business, and emphasizes the holistic process of “thinking with (real) data.”
 
The required course work is in statistics and computer science with the upper-division statistics courses utilizing the program competency acquired. Students are encouraged to pursue a minor in another field of interest in order to gain deep understanding of the challenges and needs that can be addressed by data science.

The Master of Science in Biology prepares students for research-focused professions in the biological sciences, emphasizing the development of a students’ ability to develop experimental approaches that accurately capture information to solve questions and problems in their biological field of study.  Our faculty members conduct research in the many fields of biology, from the level of single molecules to whole ecosystems. From the first day of entry into our program, students work closely with their faculty mentor, selecting a course of study suited to their future goals and professional interests.  The program enables graduates to contribute to the forefront of knowledge in the scientific community, share their knowledge through teaching, or apply it in public service or industry.  
 
Students pursuing the emphasis in Ecology, Evolution & Conservation Biology will integrate theoretical and empirical concepts in ecology and evolutionary biology to understand ecological patterns and the mediating processes that drive populations, communities and ecosystems.  Students will become familiar with ecological sampling techniques and statistical methodologies necessary to characterize populations, communities and ecosystems over broad geographic regions, and will apply current approaches for identifying and mitigating the effects of invasive species and anthropogenic impacts on threatened and endangered species within the natural ecosystems they inhabit.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Visual Commuication is designed to produce graduates who are skilled in using art, design and technology to creatively communicate ideas and transform messages into visual communication. Through the rigorous coursework, students will develop skills in using aesthetic and conceptual judgment, color, type, symbols, digital images, multi-media, interactivity, motion graphics, photography, and project management to produce messages that clearly inform, effectively communicate brand experience, and persuade viewers.

Motion Design Emphasis

• Knowledge and skills in the use of basic principles, concepts, tools, techniques, procedures, and technologies sufficient to produce motion graphics from concept to a finished product that communicates ideas and/or stories to a viewer or to an audience. This includes, but is not limited to, the ability to use the competencies listed in items below in professional contexts as appropriate to the needs of specific projects.
• Knowledge of the principles of motion design, including its visual, spatial, sound, motion, and temporal elements and features, and how these elements are combined in the development of motion graphics.
• Functional understanding of and ability to use narrative, non-narrative, and other information/language structures (linear, non-linear, thematic, cinematic, interactive, etc.) to organize content in time-based media.
• Ability to use concepts and processes for the development, coordination, and completion of motion graphics (examples include, but are not limited, to concept, visual, and character development; the use of scenarios and personas; and storyboarding, flowcharting, and layout).
• Functional understanding and ability to use the characteristics and capabilities of various animation methods and technologies in creative and project development contexts (examples include, but are not limited to, stop motion, 2D Digital, 3D Digital, etc.).

The program is designed to provide the foundational skills for continuous learning and to adapt to the fast changing information technology environment.  This program also includes competency-based and hands-on learning modules to enhance acquired business skills.  Parts of the curriculum are designed around highly valued certifications.  Students will also augment their IT skills with the social, verbal and intercultural business skills demanded by today’s work environments.