Undergraduate

Administrators are critical in all settings that address mental and physical health. Administrative work centers on meeting patient needs, evaluating key services, budgeting, improvement and daily oversight of operations. Health care policy involves collaborating with leaders to establish industry standards, develop standard operating procedures, advocate for key issues and work with the government to create or amend regulations.

In this program, you’ll gain the competencies to achieve management or administrative roles within the health care system. You’ll also be equipped to work at the local or federal government level to shape laws and policies or advocate for meaningful health policy changes through nongovernmental organizations. Additionally, if you’re a practitioner, this program can help you develop the skills to effectively manage your practice.

The knowledge and skills you’ll develop

The curriculum covers the history and current implementation of policies, as well as the organization of various parts of the U.S. health care delivery system. This program offers you more flexibility if you're unsure whether you want to pursue a career path in the administration, operations or policy side of health care. You’ll also gain specialized skills related to:

• Budget and finance processes using Excel.
• Cultural humility.
• Data analysis and visualization with Excel.
• Economic analysis.
• Ethical decision-making.
• Leadership and professionalism.
• Knowledge of U.S. health care system organization.
• Policy analysis.
• Population health management.
• Process engineering/quality improvement.

Health care administration roles are in demand and well paid

The need for a nonclinical professional workforce continues to grow due to a rise in chronic conditions, changes in technology and increasingly complex regulations. This demand creates various opportunities for those passionate about working to ensure providers can deliver top-quality patient care. In this program, you’ll learn through a multidisciplinary approach taught by a diverse group of experienced faculty members. You’ll graduate prepared to become an administrative leader or team member in health care facilities, private practices, hospitals and more.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in health care occupations is projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations from 2023 to 2033. Medical and health services managers are especially in demand, with projected job growth of 29% in the same time frame. Additionally, the median annual pay for the role was more than $110,000 as of 2023.

Applied psychological science connects theory to hands-on counseling practice. In this substance abuse and addictions degree concentration, you'll focus on learning how to counsel clients experiencing forms of addiction.

As an ideal candidate, you’ll be interested in learning a combination of psychological theory and practice related to addiction. This concentration is an especially good fit if you have an associate degree in psychology and are looking to focus your upper-division studies on substance abuse and addiction counseling.

The skills you’ll develop in this program

In this program, you’ll acquire skills in screening, assessing, diagnosing, and developing treatment plans for patients afflicted with substance abuse or related addictions. Upon graduation, you’ll be equipped with a range of skills that can apply to many career paths in behavioral health, including:

• Applying counseling theory to practice.
• Counseling microskills.
• Cultural sensitivity.
• Foundational knowledge of substance abuse and addiction patterns.
• Research methods.
• Understanding group dynamics relevant to substance use and addictions.

Does this lead to substance abuse counseling licensure?

Although earning a bachelor’s degree is the first step towards licensure, this degree won’t qualify you to become a licensed professional counselor. However, this program provides preparation for the master’s degree that leads to the licensed professional counselor credential.

Additionally, the coursework in this program meets the requirements for the Licensed Addiction Counselor Technician (LACT) credential in Arizona. Note: Licensure requirements differ in every state, so it’s important to determine your career goals and the educational requirements needed to achieve them.

State authorization:
We strongly recommend you visit our state authorization page to learn how ASU is authorized to operate in your state, policies for out-of-state students and program exceptions.

Human resources professionals are necessary to every organization, making candidates with a specialized degree highly sought after. This program prepares you for careers in this dynamic field by exploring how human resources influences every stage of employment from identifying business needs to managing the end of employment cycles.

You’ll graduate ready to lead organizational excellence across various industries and government sectors with abundant employment opportunities and the potential for a rewarding salary. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for this role is projected to grow 6% from 2023 to 2033, which is faster than the average for all occupations. The roles are well paid, too, with a median annual pay of $140,030 as of May 2024.

The knowledge and skills you’ll develop

This program begins by providing you with foundational business knowledge crucial for managerial roles. As you advance, you’ll focus on core human resources functions and develop the skills to handle the complexities of modern workforce needs, such as:

• Analytical and critical thinking
• Effective communication
• Global and cultural sensitivity
• Leadership
• Legal knowledge
• Personal ethics and integrity
• Relationship management

Through a curriculum that blends theoretical study with practical applications using traditional texts, real-world case studies and contemporary business literature, you’ll gain comprehensive knowledge in assessing, selecting, developing, managing, compensating and guiding employees. This dual approach ensures you not only grasp the strategic importance of human resources management but also acquire hands-on skills to thrive in various organizational environments.

Mentorship and networking opportunities

This program offers ample opportunities to build a strong foundation in human resources management through mentorship and networking. As a student, you'll join the Society for Human Resource Management National Chapter, gaining access to invaluable resources tailored to your human resource concentration courses. You’ll also have the opportunity to engage in HR mentoring workshops each semester featuring guest speakers who share insights on resume writing and interviewing skills, as well as conduct mock one-on-one interviews with industry professionals. Many students choose to enhance their studies with internships, gaining valuable mentorship from practitioners and faculty with real-world experience, including former HR executives from Basis Education and Employers Council.

Yes, in this online program, art studies students will get to make art. This art studies program is about looking, making, thinking and communicating. While most online art programs have a design or graphic design focus, this online art program is a studio arts program for students wanting a broad survey of art practices.

This hands-on art studies program looks to expand beyond the traditional fine arts degree pathway by offering experimental processes across a vast array of mediums and materials with the goal of pushing you into new generative thinking and problem-solving modes, by allowing you to discover rather than merely replicate.

What is studio art?

Studio art is defined as the practice of visual art made in a studio. This online art degree’s curriculum includes studio art courses, taught by professional artists, in the areas of printmaking, painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, animation and illustration. While a large focus of this art studies program is studio art, you do not need any prior experience in it, as the program’s courses are built to bring everyone up to the same level of skills.

What skills will I gain from the art studies degree concentration?

In this online art degree, you’ll gain a wide range of career-focused skills, such as creative thinking, ethical reasoning, problem solving, verbal and written communication, cultural awareness and quantitative reasoning.

Additionally, through making and discussing art, you’ll become knowledgeable in a range of artistic practices, materials and processes, including:

• Creating artistic and visual designs or displays.
• Designing merchandise or product displays.
• Developing graphic art, artistic content and marketing or promotional materials.
• Learning about bookbinding.
• Telling stories through visual art.
• Understanding the composition and elements of design.
• Writing material for artistic or commercial purposes.

In this program, you’ll develop a comprehensive understanding of matter, energy and their interactions, which are foundational to most branches of science. ASU is the first university to offer an online bachelor’s in physics with advanced laboratory coursework, vital for honing your experimental skills.

Through upper-division laboratory courses, you’ll tackle the same challenges faced by in-person students. You’ll work with electronic kits at home and engage with simulated experiments online, mastering equipment alignment protocols and managing noisy data. Additionally, you’ll enhance your experimental analysis abilities, strengthen your mathematics proficiency and refine your problem-solving skills.

What you can do with an online physics degree

With an online physics degree, you’ll be well-prepared for graduate programs in physics. To enhance your competitiveness, you’ll need to seek additional extracurricular activities, such as internships, research or individualized instruction. Research opportunities for online students are available through our Online Undergraduate Research Scholars (OURS) program.

Additionally, this bachelor’s degree can be completed as part of an Accelerated Master’s program. When accepted, you can earn a master’s degree in as little as one year after completing your undergraduate degree. This opportunity saves you time and money while giving you advanced knowledge in your field. Applicable master’s degrees include:

• Master of Science in materials science and engineering.

The differences between a BA and BS in physics

Both bachelor’s in physics programs provide a solid foundation in physical science and mathematics, however, they differ in several key ways. The BS is necessary for students planning to pursue a PhD, offering additional upper-division courses in quantum mechanics, electromagnetism and statistical mechanics, along with four advanced math courses. For those interested in math but not in research, the BS is still a strong option.

Differently, the BA in physics focuses on lower-division math courses that are less rigorous. BA students are required to complete intermediate-level language courses, whereas BS students take extra science and society courses instead. Importantly, you can start in the BA program and switch to the BS, or vice versa, if your goals or interests change.

This program prepares you for a rewarding career where you can make a difference in your community and around the world. If you’re interested in volunteering or working for organizations that advance the causes of social justice and human rights, this program may be a great fit for you. Upon graduation, you’ll be prepared to work in community-engaged advocacy and effectively support marginalized groups.

The skills you’ll develop in this program

A social justice and human rights degree is an interdisciplinary program that prepares you to advocate for rights and equality in local, national and global contexts. This program draws from a variety of social science disciplines including politics, sociology, history, anthropology and linguistics. Examining perspectives from all of these disciplines will prepare you to address pressing issues related to racial justice, immigration, feminism, refugee rights and more.

In addition to gaining broad expertise in these topics, you’ll be equipped with transferable skills from across the social sciences, including writing, communication, research and statistical analysis of human rights data. As you hone your skills in writing and research, you’ll gain essential knowledge related to rights and justice by taking nine credit hours from three different interdisciplinary tracks:

• Identity and place.
• Law, citizenship and migration.
• Social justice and inequality.

Get the opportunity to participate in research with faculty

As a student, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in research with faculty for funding or academic credit through the New College Undergraduate Inquiry and Research Experience program. The faculty you meet throughout your courses can help you connect to other faculty who share your interests and have space for an NCUIRE student. This research can strengthen your resume and allow you to stand out among the competition when entering the workforce.

Additionally, this bachelor’s degree can be completed as part of an Accelerated Master’s program. When accepted, you can earn a master’s degree in as little as one year after completing your undergraduate degree. This opportunity saves you time and money while giving you advanced knowledge in your field. Applicable master's degrees include:

• Master of Arts in social justice and human rights.

Full-stack web development means building websites and applications from start to finish, encompassing the front end that users see and the back end that makes them work. Full-stack web developers’ responsibilities range from designing and programming to testing and maintaining applications.

This full-stack development degree concentration is unique because you’ll build a set of programming competencies, as well as gain experience in motion graphics, commercial photography, video production and print design.

Gain full-stack developer skills

In this Accrediting Council for Collegiate Graphic Communications (ACCGC)-accredited program, you’ll gain skills that complement front- and back-end development. Your versatility in designing visual applications and your technical programming abilities will be highly valued by employers across industries. In addition to learning about graphic media and web design, you’ll hone full-stack development abilities, including:

• Back-end languages, such as Java, Python, PHP and Ruby.
• Front-end languages, including HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
• Database management.
• Project management.
• Visual design.
• Web development.
• User experience.

Will I learn how to become a full-stack developer?

Yes. The full-stack development concentration provides you with the knowledge and competencies to become a full-stack web developer. You’ll also be qualified for a variety of other roles that may pique your interest, such as full-stack engineer, front-end developer, back-end developer and API engineer.

Additionally, this bachelor’s degree can be completed as part of an Accelerated Master’s program. When accepted, you can earn a master’s degree in as little as one year after completing your undergraduate degree. This opportunity saves you time and money while giving you advanced knowledge in your field. Applicable master’s degrees include:

• Master of Science in graphic information technology.

Forensic science degrees focus on applying scientific methods to matters of law. In this program, you’ll explore the investigative and scientific principles behind examining different types of evidence from crime scenes. Upon graduation, you’ll be equipped with the analytical skills required to pursue jobs related to forensic investigations.

Scientific and technological advances, as well as increasing caseloads, mean there is expected to be an increased demand for skilled forensic technicians over the next decade. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the job growth for forensic science technicians is projected to increase 13% from 2022-2032, much faster than average for all occupations.

The knowledge and skills you’ll develop in this program

In this forensic science program, you’ll learn how to uncover and analyze evidence that can be used in court during criminal and civil cases. You’ll learn the essential science, investigative and communication skills needed to meet this demand and be successful in the field. The beginning of the program focuses on building strong foundational knowledge in biology, chemistry and math. You’ll take various lab courses, including two organic chemistry labs which must be completed in person.

Later in the program, you’ll take advanced forensic science courses covering the common techniques used in crime labs. Key course topics include forensic botany, toxicology, forensic anthropology, molecular genetics and more. These courses will teach you how to analyze crime scenes, fingerprints, DNA, blood patterns and other types of evidence. Graduates will be equipped to pursue careers or a graduate degree in forensics and other science-related fields.

Gain hands-on experience with in-person lab sessions

To gain necessary laboratory skills and hands-on experience, this program requires two separate, in-person lab experiences in Arizona.

The first lab experience includes one week at ASU’s Tempe campus to complete two organic chemistry labs, followed by a four-day in-person biochemistry lab session at the ASU West campus in Glendale. Alternatively, you may complete equivalent organic chemistry lectures and labs at an approved local college or university. The biochemistry lab, a 300-level course, cannot be taken at a community college.

To finish the program, you’ll complete a 5-day in-person session at the ASU West campus during the summer. This experience covers key forensic field skills including photography, fingerprint analysis, blood pattern analysis and DNA analysis.

This concentration provides a deep understanding of constitutional rights in law enforcement interactions, police department operations and effective crime reduction strategies. You’ll explore essential topics that align with careers in policing, including:

• Case law and criminal procedure
• Crime analysis and mapping techniques
• Police accountability and management
• Police-citizen relations
• Policing research

While not always required, earning a degree focused on policing can give you a competitive edge in the hiring process. Employers often look for candidates with advanced knowledge and may offer higher starting salaries. A four-year degree is also a common requirement for leadership roles or careers in federal law enforcement.

Choose the right criminal justice degree for you

If you’re looking to enter a sworn position or civilian roles in areas such as private sector security, intelligence analysis or crime analysis, this program would be best suited for your goals.

If your interests extend beyond law enforcement, ASU’s online Bachelor of Science in criminology and criminal justice provides a broader overview of the U.S. legal system. You'll focus on the consequences of crime and the role criminal justice agencies play in responding to it. Coursework builds skills in research and analysis while offering a deeper understanding of the justice system.

Additionally, both programs are ideal for those looking to continue on to graduate studies. This bachelor’s degree can be completed as part of an Accelerated Master’s program. When accepted, you can earn a master’s degree in as little as one year after completing your undergraduate degree. This opportunity saves you time and money while giving you advanced knowledge in your field. Applicable master's degrees include:

• Master of Arts in criminal justice
• Master of Science in crime analysis

Preveterinary medicine is an undergraduate degree concentration that prepares students for admission to veterinary school and a career in veterinary medicine or animal science.

Program coursework provides a strong foundation in biology, chemistry, physics, math and animal science. It also offers specialized courses in veterinary medicine and opportunities to gain clinical hours or animal experience through internships and study abroad programs.

The online pre-vet major includes several advanced lab courses. Most are completed online, but the two organic chemistry labs must be taken in person at ASU’s Tempe campus. These are offered in a compressed one-week format over the summer. Learn more about the on-campus sessions and how to prepare.

What can I do with a preveterinary medicine degree concentration?

This concentration focuses on biology with an emphasis on animal behavior, anatomy and nutrition. You’ll have the opportunity to take classes exploring the field of veterinary medicine, ethical issues in biology, infectious diseases, comparative immunology and more. The preveterinary medicine concentration will help you develop the skills needed to effectively work with animals and use science to formulate solutions to various problems. These skills are important for many careers related to veterinary medicine, animal science and biology.

Why earn a pre-vet major?

Earning an applied biological sciences with a concentration in preveterinary medicine degree does not guarantee your admission into veterinary school, but it can help make you a competitive applicant. Our online preveterinary medicine degree concentration is designed to help you meet the common prerequisites required to apply to veterinary school. It also connects you with advisors who can help ensure you’re staying on track to apply to veterinary school or other animal-focused graduate programs.

Even if you’re a pre-vet major, it’s still important to thoroughly research the veterinary schools and graduate programs you’re most interested in applying to as each school has its own specific prerequisites and admission requirements. For more information on ASU’s pre-health education programs, please visit the ASU pre-health website.

Students must understand that completing this program does not guarantee admission to veterinary school. For students who may be interested in applying for veterinary school upon graduation, it is highly recommended they take the ABS 484 Internship course for experiential learning.