Technology

This program builds skills employers value across industries, including critical thinking, communication and problem-solving. Coursework also strengthens your ability to analyze information, manage projects and make systems-driven decisions.

You’ll explore four topic areas to become career-ready:

• Global and natural science perspectives
  • Learn to think scientifically, interpret data and explore global challenges in science and technology.
• Humanities, identities and society
  • Study culture, identity and human behavior through history, philosophy and the arts.
• National and civil service and professional studies
  • Explore government, civic leadership and ethical practices in public and professional settings.
• Organizations, technology and ethics
  • Understand how organizations function, use digital tools and apply ethics in practical settings.

Build on your previously earned credits with this transfer-friendly program

ASU values your previously earned credits and has designed this program to minimize credit loss. With a broad range of courses, you can tailor how you complete your remaining degree requirements.

You’re an ideal candidate if earning a bachelor’s degree supports your goals, whether you want to shift careers, advance in your current role, prepare for graduate school or achieve personal milestones. Completing a widely recognized general studies degree can help you stand out as a well-rounded candidate with marketable skills.

How three of our most flexible programs compare

Our most flexible degrees — general studies, interdisciplinary studies and liberal studies — share a commonality of choice and transferability. Housed in a college with advisors who specialize in supporting students with diverse interests, these programs enable you to explore multiple areas of study. Each offers a different level of customization and structure. Discover the best option for your goals:

• General studies
  • Finish your degree efficiently by applying the credits you’ve already earned. By choosing the most flexible path, you’ll build career-relevant skills and graduate with the academic credentials needed for advancement.
• Interdisciplinary studies
  • Design a degree that combines two areas of study and builds transferable expertise from nearly 200 concentrations. This is a strong option for gaining focused knowledge aligned with your career goals or graduate study.
• Liberal studies
  • Pursue a humanities-based education and tailor your course plan to your interests. This degree combines structure and choice, offering a broad foundation to explore diverse academic paths.

This program bridges the gap between complex scientific and medical information and the diverse audiences who need to understand it. The curriculum emphasizes communication theory, health literacy, information design and medical writing. You’ll learn to collaborate with health care professionals and researchers to improve access to accurate and life-impacting information.

Accessible health communication supports patients, but its reach goes further. Health care organizations and communities rely on clear, accurate messaging to support informed decisions. Your writing expertise will prepare you to pursue roles in medical writing, health education, regulatory documentation and digital health media.

The skills you’ll learn

Through hands-on practice, you’ll develop a specialty in communicating health information ethically and effectively for user needs. You’ll also gain experience with industry tools such as design software, content management systems and documentation platforms. Applied coursework includes opportunities to build skills you'll use in your career, such as:

• Creating digital content for health care platforms
• Developing accessible patient education resources
• Producing public health campaigns
• Translating scientific and medical data for non-experts
• Writing regulatory and compliance documents

Who’s a good candidate for this program?

This concentration in medical and health is ideal for strong communicators interested in nonclinical work in medicine, public health or health care systems. Medical documentation requires precision, so an eye for detail is essential. You’ll also thrive in this program and the field if you’re empathetic and committed to improving public health literacy.

Professionals skilled in writing, editing and translating complex information into accessible content are needed in nearly every industry. If you have experience in a health or medical environment or want to break into the field, this specialized branch of technical writing offers a rewarding path. If you’re more interested in broader applications of technical communication, ASU’s online technical communication bachelor’s is an alternative to consider.

The rise in cyberattacks is driving organizations across industries to strengthen their cyber defense strategies, enhance cloud security and improve risk management to protect their data and systems.

As a result, skilled cybersecurity professionals are in demand. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 33% job growth for information security analysts from 2023 to 2033, making it one of the nation’s fastest-growing careers. With a median annual wage of $120,360 as of May 2023, this field offers strong earning potential and job stability.

This program equips you to pursue employment as an information security analyst and other critical roles such as cybersecurity analyst and security compliance analyst.

What you’ll learn in this program

This degree provides a strong IT foundation, equipping you to develop and oversee innovative information solutions that drive positive change. The curriculum offers a comprehensive IT foundation, covering both software and hardware technologies, as well as key areas such as software development, computer architecture and networking. You’ll also gain hands-on experience with Python, Java, Unix, PowerShell and SQL.

The cybersecurity concentration teaches you how to think like cyber attackers to build defensive security measures. Courses emphasize:

• Cloud and mobile security
• Network forensics and security analysis
• Security risk assessment
• System orchestration and configuration management

Choosing the right IT degree for you

ASU’s ABET-accredited online bachelor’s degrees in IT provide a strong foundation in engineering, mathematics and core industry concepts. While they share similarities, each program is tailored to different career paths.

• BS in information technology
  • Covers a broad IT foundation with hands-on projects in network security, data management and more. Prepares you to develop technology solutions and optimize efficiency across industries.
• BS in information technology with a concentration in cybersecurity
  • Focuses on network forensics, security analysis, cloud security and risk assessment. Equips you to secure digital infrastructures and protect organizations from cyber threats.
• BS in information technology with a concentration in networking
  • Emphasizes network design, high-availability architecture, performance analysis and cloud networking. Provides skills to build and maintain secure, scalable IT infrastructures.

No matter which program you choose, you can also pursue an Accelerated Master’s degree. Once accepted, you can earn a master’s degree in as little as one year after completing your undergraduate degree. This opportunity saves time and money while providing advanced knowledge in your field. Applicable master's degrees include:

• Master of Science in information technology

As companies invest in new technologies, mobile networks and cloud-based infrastructure, the demand for networking professionals continues to increase. With a networking-focused IT degree, you can pursue growing careers such as network administrator, engineer or service technician, systems architect or wireless network engineer.

For example, a high-growth career in this field is computer network architecture. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 13% job growth for computer network architects from 2023 to 2033, much faster than the average for all occupations. The median annual salary for this role was $129,840 as of May 2023.

The skills you’ll develop

This program builds a strong IT foundation that adapts to industry advancements. The core curriculum blends theory and hands-on practice in infrastructure, cloud computing, DevOps, data and cybersecurity. You’ll work with industry-standard tools such as Python, Java, Unix, PowerShell and SQL, gaining the skills to design and implement impactful IT solutions across industries.

Beyond the broader IT curriculum, networking delves into the design, configuration and optimization of interconnected systems. You’ll gain hands-on experience with routing protocols, network hardware, wireless technologies and troubleshooting tools. You’ll also learn to secure networks using firewalls, intrusion detection and VPN configurations — specialized skills essential for managing and protecting complex network environments.

Choosing the right IT degree for you

ASU’s ABET-accredited online IT bachelor’s degrees build a solid foundation in engineering, mathematics and core industry concepts. While they share common elements, each program focuses on distinct career goals.

• BS in information technology
  • Covers a broad IT foundation with hands-on projects in network security, data management and more. Prepares you to develop technology solutions and optimize efficiency across industries.
• BS in information technology with a concentration in cybersecurity
  • Focuses on network forensics, security analysis, cloud security and risk assessment. Equips you to secure digital infrastructures and protect organizations from cyber threats.
• BS in information technology with a concentration in networking
  • Emphasizes network design, high-availability architecture, performance analysis and cloud networking. Provides skills to build and maintain secure, scalable IT infrastructures.

Whether you choose the networking concentration or another path, you can pursue an Accelerated Master’s degree. Once accepted, you can earn a master’s degree in as little as one year after completing your undergraduate degree. This opportunity saves time and money while providing advanced knowledge in your field. Applicable master's degrees include:

• Master of Science in information technology

User experience (UX) refers to the feelings people have when using a product, application, system or service. It’s a broad term that covers anything from how well users can navigate a product to the relevance of content. This program will prepare you to deliver real-world solutions that address users’ wants and needs across industries.

Ideal for students interested in computer systems, human-computer interactions and content development, this UX degree is built using a holistic approach featuring elements of three subject areas:

• Graphic information technology (how users interact with products, including design)
• Human systems engineering (product development and research)
• Technical writing and communication (information development and content focus)

The skills you’ll develop in this UX program

In this program, you’ll become familiar with UX research, design, content development, communication and tone of voice elements. You’ll also learn how to evaluate all components and products with which end users interact. This includes hardware and software user interfaces, informational products, help systems, user support, identification of user needs, tasks, procedures and more. Additionally, you’ll gain a range of transferable skills, such as:

• Data analysis
• Literature review
• Research, interaction and visual design
• Technical writing
• User experience
• User flow and testing
• Verbal presentation
• Web content management
• Wireframing and prototyping

What you can do with a UX design degree

To effectively lead teams and collaborate with clients, UX professionals must be skilled in research, analysis, design and communication. Upon graduation, you’ll be equipped with these skills and prepared for a range of jobs, including UX researcher, UX developer, usability engineer, web content writer, information architect and more.

You can also elevate your studies by earning a graduate degree. Pair this bachelor’s degree with an Accelerated Master’s and finish in as little as one additional year. This path can reduce your time and costs while deepening your expertise. Eligible programs include:

• Master of Science in user experience (UX)

Are you interested in exploring a particular user experience discipline further? Check out ASU’s online UX concentrations:

• Bachelor of Science in graphic information technology – user experience
• Bachelor of Science in human systems engineering – user experience
• Bachelor of Science in technical communication – user experience

The demand for statisticians has significantly increased because statistical and analytical skills have become critical to so many fields. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for mathematicians and statisticians is projected to grow 11% from 2023 to 2033, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.

Beyond the number of jobs available, a career in statistics is lucrative as well. The median average pay for statisticians was $103,300 as of May 2024. Earning this bachelor’s in statistics can set you apart and prepare you to pursue statistics- and data-driven careers immediately after graduating.

The skills you’ll develop in this online statistics program

In this program, you’ll learn how to gather, organize, analyze and interpret data. You’ll gain experience with probability, big data and machine learning, and understand how to apply this knowledge in real scenarios. You’ll also become proficient in communicating the results of your analyses, an ability highly valued by employers. Additional transferable skills you’ll graduate with include:

• Data visualization
• Experiment design
• Methods of inference
• Programming languages, such as Python, R and SAS
• Statistical modeling

What fields do statisticians work in?

Due to advances in computing technology, data is more valuable than ever in driving decisions and influencing new research areas. Statistics has applications in fields ranging from business and science to policy and government. You’ll also find statistician roles in banking and finance, journalism, sports and fashion.

This program stands out because of its holistic approach. As you progress in your career, you can use your statistical modeling and communication abilities to solve data-driven problems and streamline processes in any industry. This can include building innovative software, developing safer drugs, communicating data with the public and more.

Planning to pursue graduate studies? Pair this bachelor’s degree with an Accelerated Master’s and finish in as little as one additional year. This path can reduce your time and costs while deepening your expertise. Eligible programs include:

• Master of Science in biological data science

As a digital society, there’s a growing need for professionals who understand the importance of art, media and technology in learning. In this concentration, you’ll explore how humans learn and the role arts technology plays in shaping the future of education. You’ll also learn how to drive innovation in settings ranging from libraries and science museums to after-school programs and adult education settings.

Additionally, you’ll gain insight into different types of media technologies and ways they can enhance education. Your courses will demonstrate how to use artificial intelligence, virtual reality and creative tools to facilitate learning. You’ll also develop cultural literacy, which involves understanding the sociocultural and environmental impacts of implementing technology in education.

The skills you’ll develop in this program

In this interdisciplinary program, you’ll expand your media arts and technical skills in the context of education. You’ll build competencies in programming for media creation, digital design, research, communication and collaboration. Additional skills you’ll add to your toolkit include:

• Aesthetic literacy, including form and composition.
• Computational tools and methodologies.
• Improvisation and rapid prototyping.
• Media processing and editing for video, audio and graphics.
• Modeling and inference.
• Physical computing.
• Visualization and sonification.
• User experience.

Who’s a good fit for this media arts and sciences degree?

This concentration can complement your skills whether you have a creative or technical background. For artists and creatives, this degree offers opportunities to increase your fluency with technological tools. If you’re technical-oriented, you’ll gain a foundation in the cultural and creative use of technology. Regardless of where you start, you’ll graduate prepared to reimagine learning experiences within communities, organizations and more.

If you’re interested in exploring media technologies outside of the context of education, ASU’s general Bachelor of Arts in media arts and sciences online is an option to consider. However, both the general program and the education concentration focus on cultivating your creative and technical skills, equipping you to make an impact in today’s digital world.