2016-17

Arizona State University
University Senate
Fall 2015

Senate Motion #2016-17

Motion Introduced by: Curriculum and Academic Programs Committee, Steven Semken, Chair

First Reading: October 26, 2015

Second Reading: November 23, 2015

Title of Motion: Request from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences – School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning – for the establishment of a graduate degree – MAS in GeoDesign and Planning

Action Requested: This curricular proposal has received all college, school, unit and university administrative approvals, and is being presented to the Senate for review and voting decision.    

Rationale: The Master of Advanced Study in GeoDesign and Planning will emphasize skills at the intersection of the geospatial sciences and planning. GeoDesign and Planning allows exploration and evaluation of alternative complex human-environmental systems using spatially and temporally explicit theories, data, and methods. Students will learn project conceptualization, geospatial data collection and analysis, design specification, stakeholder engagement and collaboration, and policy evaluation to inform decision-making. The program will initially have two concentrations: Global Security and American Indian Community Planning. The new degree and concentrations address an education gap that combines training in geospatial tools with their applications to a specialized thematic concentration.