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College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Quentin Wheeler, PhD, Vice President and Dean
The graduate programs in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are characterized by both a diversity of disciplines and a commonality of purpose. The disciplinary diversity of the college is broad by intent, embracing those branches of learning most central to the foundations of society in the humanities and the sciences. Unity of purpose is achieved through a common commitment to intellectual integrity, to research, and to the preservation of freedom of academic inquiry, as well as through informal exchanges and cross-disciplinary centers.
The college has active research programs in all units offering advanced degrees. In recent years, the rapid addition of excellent faculty has enhanced the cadre of senior scholars and scientists with whom graduate students work.
The college—which offers graduate study in the humanities, the mathematical and the natural sciences, and the social sciences—brings together highly qualified faculty and advanced students to share learning and discovery in 30 academic units and in a number of interdisciplinary centers. In lectures and seminars, in laboratories and libraries, in creative endeavors, field experiences, and research projects, faculty and students cooperate in preserving, evaluating, and expanding knowledge.
In cooperation with the Graduate College, faculty affiliated with various departments and units within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offer three research-oriented degrees: the MA, the MS, and the PhD. In addition, five professional degrees are offered: the Master of Advanced Study in Geographic Education and Geographic Information Systems, the Master of Natural Science, the Master of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, the Master of Fine Arts, and the Professional Science Master’s degree in Computational Biosciences. An interdisciplinary creative writing program is also offered in cooperation with the Katherine K. Herberger College of the Arts.
Interdisciplinary programs leading to the PhD degree are offered in Kinesiology, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Science and Engineering of Materials, and Speech and Hearing Science. Many departments participate in the Master of Education, Doctor of Education, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees offered and administered through the Mary Lou Fulton College of Education. Members of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics faculty participate in the interdisciplinary MS degree in Statistics (with W. P. Carey School of Business faculty). Members of the faculty in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the School of Life Sciences participate in the interdisciplinary MS and PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology. Members of the faculty in the Schools of Human Evolution and Social Change, International Letters and Cultures, and Social and Family Dynamics, the Departments of History, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, and Religious Studies participate in the interdisciplinary PhD in Justice Studies program. Members of the faculty in the Department of Political Science and the schools of Geographical Sciences and Social and Family Dynamics contribute to the interdisciplinary Doctor of Public Administration program. Members of the faculty in the Departments of English and Speech and Hearing Science, and the School of Social and Family Dynamics participate in the interdisciplinary PhD degree in Communication.
One of the features of an interdisciplinary program is that it draws upon faculty research and teaching interests from a number of academic units; thus, a student may tailor a course of study to fit individual needs and goals.
See the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Graduate Degrees and Majors table.
Applicants to graduate programs within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences must meet general requirements for admission established by the Graduate College (see Admission to the Graduate College). In addition, academic units usually require test scores from the Graduate Record Examination and Miller Analogies Test, letters of recommendation, and a statement of purpose. Consult the individual degree programs for particular requirements. International applicants must also submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores and are advised to submit application materials well in advance of deadlines.
The college continually strives to provide students with new program areas, many of which are interdisciplinary in content. There are special strengths, for example, in planetary geology, as well as in more traditional geological subdisciplines; in geochemistry, as well as in biochemistry and solid-state and materials science; and in magnetic properties of materials, as well as nuclear physics and surface physics. In psychology, traditional social, developmental and clinical research is augmented by a new interest in preventive mental health. Flexibility and forward-looking program development pervade all college programs. The interdisciplinary degree in Kinesiology is internationally recognized. The graduate Creative Writing program brings distinguished poets, playwrights, and novelists to ASU. The Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages program attracts students from all over the world. The Southwest environment has favorably affected program development in several ways, ranging from research activities in water resources, archaeology, and fluvial geomorphology to distinguished programs in Hispanic language, literature, culture, and history.
In addition to traditional and innovative programs within departments, there are multidisciplinary research centers within the college, bringing together faculty from various departments. These include the Centers for Asian Research, Biology and Society, Exercise and Sport Research, Film and Media Research, Hispanic Research, the Joan and David Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics, Latin American Research, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Meteorite Studies, Russian and East European Studies, Solid-State Science, the Study of Early Events in Photosynthesis, the Study of Religion and Conflict, and the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing. Centers sponsor colloquia, workshops, conferences, and visiting scholars. They administer international exchange programs, enhance library holdings and other collections, publish papers and monographs, maintain archives, and employ graduate research assistants.
Strong and nationally funded research facilities, such as the Facility for High Resolution Electron Microscopy and the Planetary Geology Laboratory, have attained national and international prominence. Important research collections include one of the largest meteorite collections in the world, the holdings of the anthropology archives and museum, the space photography collection, the Herbarium, and extensive library holdings, including important manuscript collections in late 19th-century British literature and historical documents of the Southwest.
Graduate students in all disciplines have access to outstanding computer facilities. Mainframe computing for research is provided free of charge. There are substantial microcomputer facilities within individual academic units as well as clusters serving the humanities and social sciences. Minicomputer capabilities are found in various academic units. Also refer to Computing Facilities and Services.
Financial Assistance and Support
In addition to the usual support for graduate students in the form of stipends and teaching and research assistantships, there is a vigorous funding program to support graduate student research. Not only do graduate students obtain grants from external sources to support their research projects, they also receive support from the college and university to present papers at professional meetings.
Faculty advisors in each academic unit provide guidance to graduate students from admission through completion of the program. Consult the director of graduate studies in the appropriate academic unit. Graduate students must follow an approved program of study filed with the Graduate College. The calendar for enrollment activities is published in the schedule of classes for each semester. Teaching and research assistants, who are required to be enrolled in at least six hours, as well as those enrolled for individual project, thesis, and dissertation credit, are subject to the same calendar deadlines as students enrolled in regularly scheduled classes.
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