Graduate Advanced Master Accelerator Pathway (1-Term) - Master of Arts in Political Science

at Shorelight Group - American University USA

The US is experiencing an acute shortage of qualified cybersecurity professionals. Well-trained professionals who can wield mathematical models to protect sensitive data are in growing demand. Our MA program combines the study of applied mathematics, data science, and information technology. Our DC location allows students to gain valuable job experience while earning graduate credit.

The courses that constitute the Justice, Ethics, and Human Rights Thematic Area wrestle with the thorny issues of justice, equality, and human rights. How do we create more just societies? What are the conditions that promote or impede collective violence and mass murder? What kinds of peace settlements are long lasting? Can we protect human rights and simultaneously reduce poverty and inequality? What kinds of criminal and transitional justice systems are both fair and effective at reducing abuse? Students in the program will learn about an array of empirical cases and master the pertinent theoretical and ethical debates.

Majors in the BS program receive firm grounding in the theory and techniques of algebra, analysis, and other fields as a basis for further work in pure or applied mathematics and for graduate studies. Graduates go on to work for organizations such as Pew Research Center and Environmental Defense Fund.

The Religious Studies (BA) major at American University prepares students for careers across diverse fields by exploring how religion informs, influences, and directs social action and thought. Because “religion” pervades all aspects of life, our major allows students to focus on specific areas of interest, grounding religion in an historical and pluralistic framework while also bringing the topic into the modern world, recognizing how religion continues to shape politics, international relations, law, education, and economics.

The Religious Studies major is inclusive, investigating religion through diverse methodologies like critical theory, feminism and womanism, psychology, philosophy, and lived religion. Studying religion at American University expands students’ worldview, preparing them to be community leaders and changemakers.

The Photography BA program is for students interested in all forms of photography, from fine art to photojournalism. Combining the resources and expertise of AU's Department of Art, College of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Communication, the program includes historical, theoretical, and practical approaches to photography.

Students study the evolution of photography, and can gain hands-on experience in darkrooms and digital editing labs. Students who complete the program understand the why and how of photography's adoption by fine artists, commercial studios, and the general public; and photography's changing role in the greater art world. Students relate technical developments in the medium to aesthetic and conceptual developments, citing movements and trends that also coincided with a broader art history. Through a final project and exhibition, students delve into a relevant topic of their choice and analyze it through a specific socio-cultural lens.

The BS in statistics features two tracks: data science and mathematical statistics. The former is for students with a strong interest in the field of application, who want to gain the skills to collect, analyze and use data to drive decisions. The latter is for those with an interest in the theory of statistical methods. 

The Global and Comparative Governance Thematic Area is designed for students who are interested in how a range of actors—local, national, global—seek to understand and solve the compelling security, development, environmental, and economic problems of our time. This thematic area focuses on the role that states, regional and global institutions (the United Nations, EU, World Bank, etc.), civil society, and the private sector play in addressing regional and global problems. Students also have the option of specializing in a geographical region. Students will take a multidisciplinary approach and will acquire the skills to empirically evaluate phenomena, anticipate emerging trends, and interpret data through an innovative curriculum that emphasizes theory and applied knowledge.

Combine business and STEM courses to develop an analytical skill set for the modern business world. Learn from top-credentialed faculty interested in your success. Specialize in accounting, analytics, entrepreneurship, finance, information systems and technology, international business, management, or marketing. Gain real-world experience by solving problems for local businesses or interning at DC’s many financial institutions, consulting firms, and policy institutes.

Come gain a deeper understanding of the most vital issues underlying our global economy from domestic and international perspectives. You’ll study a variety of economic theories as well as political economy. Deepen your understanding with an internship at such leading economic institutions as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and US Treasury, Labor, and Commerce Departments.

Interdisciplinary course work includes courses in chemistry, physics, and statistics and readies students for the diversity of upper-level biology courses taught by our faculty experts. Biology majors acquire a thorough, competitive background in biological science and are encouraged to obtain valuable research experience working one-on-one with faculty mentors in research labs on campus, to participate in study abroad and off-campus internships, and to gain teaching experience as student instructors.