Academic Fields of Study

2008-2009 FULBRIGHT VIETNAMESE STUDENT PROGRAM
ACADEMIC FIELDS OF STUDY

Graduate programs in the United States vary from school to school. Additionally, some MA degrees require pre-requisite coursework and/or experience.  We recommend that applicants use the Internet to familiarize themselves with the various types of programs offered by different schools, as well as to determine the field of study best suited for their career goals and interests.
 
The Fulbright Program in Vietnam supports Master’s degrees in the Social Sciences and Humanities. This list may not include the field you wish to study.  If that is the case, please contact Ms.Jessy Needham in the Fulbright office at the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy, Hanoi (04-831-4580, x155 or email: needhamjc@state.gov) to discuss your specific interest.
 
American Literature—focuses on literature and literary development, both formal and folkloric, of the United States from the Colonial Era to the present. Includes instruction in period and genre studies, author studies, literary criticism, and regional and oral traditions.

American Studies—focuses on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of the United States, including the flow of immigrants from other societies.  Programs tend to be interdisciplinary and may also include sociology and anthropology courses.

Business (MBA)
Concentration areas include:

Banking—prepares individuals to perform a wide variety of customer services in banks, insurance agencies, savings and loan companies, and related enterprises. Includes instruction in communications and public relations skills, business equipment operation, and technical skills applicable to the methods and operations of specific financial or insurance services.
 
Finance—prepares individuals to plan, manage, and analyze the financial and monetary aspects and performance of business enterprises, banking institutions, or other organizations. Includes instruction in accounting; financial instruments; capital planning; funds acquisition; asset and debt management; budgeting; financial analysis; and investments and portfolio management.
 
Management—prepares individuals to plan, organize, direct, and control the functions and processes of a firm or organization. Includes instruction in management theory, human resources management and behavior, accounting and other quantitative methods, purchasing and logistics, organization and production, marketing, and business decision-making. 
 
Marketing—prepares individuals to manage the process of developing consumer audiences and moving products from producers to consumers. Includes instruction in buyer behavior and dynamics, marketing research, cost-volume and profit relationships, pricing theory, advertising methods, sales operations and management, consumer relations, and retailing. 

Communications

Communications (general)—an interdisciplinary program that focuses on the study of the creation, transmission and evaluation of messages.  Includes instruction in communications regulation, law, and policy; media history; media aesthetics, interpretation, and criticism; the social and cultural effects of mass media; cultural studies; the economics of media industries; visual and media literacy; and the psychology and behavioral aspects of media messages, interpretation, and utilization.
 
Public Relations—a program that focuses on the theories and methods for managing the media image of a business, organization, or individual and the communication process with stakeholders, constituencies, audiences, and the general public. Includes instruction in public relations theory; related principles of advertising, marketing, and journalism; message/image design; image management; special event management; media relations; community relations; public affairs; and internal communications.
 
Journalism— a program that focuses on the theory and practice of gathering, processing, and delivering news and that prepares individuals to be professional print journalists, news editors, and news managers. Includes instruction in news writing and editing; reporting; photojournalism; layout and graphic design; web-based media; journalism law and policy; professional standards and ethics; research methods; and journalism history and criticism.
 
Community & Urban Planning—a program that prepares individuals to apply principles of planning, analysis, and architecture to the development and improvement of urban areas and surrounding regions, and to function as professional planners. Includes instruction in principles of architecture; master plan development; service, communications, and transportation systems design; community and commercial development; zoning; land use planning; applied economics; policy analysis; applicable laws and regulations; and professional responsibilities and managerial duties.

Economics—the study of the production, conservation and allocation of resources, together with the organizational frameworks related to these processes. Includes instruction in economic theory, micro- and macroeconomics, comparative economic systems, money and banking systems, international economics, quantitative analytical methods, and applications to specific industries and public policy issues.

Economic Development—the systematic study of the economic development process and its application to the problems of specific countries and regions. Includes instruction in economic development theory, industrialization, land reform, infrastructural development, investment policy, the role of governments and business in development, international development organizations, and the study of social, health, and environmental influences on economic development.
 
Environmental Health—prepares specialists to monitor environmental health hazards and to manage environmental health programs.  Includes instruction in environmental and genetic toxicology, biohazard research, and testing and evaluation procedures.
 
Environmental Studies—the study of environment-related issues using scientific, social scientific, or humanistic approaches or a combination. Includes instruction in the basic principles of ecology and environmental science and related subjects such as policy, politics, law, economics, social aspects, planning, pollution control, natural resources, and the interactions of human beings and nature.
 
Educational Administration—the study of the principles and techniques of administering a wide variety of schools and other educational organizations and facilities, supervising educational personnel at the school or staff level. Includes instruction in finance, faculty relations, student services and institutional research.
 
Fine & Performing Arts—prepares creative artists in the creation and interpretation of art works and performances.  May include instruction in the traditional fine arts (drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking) and/or modern media (ceramics, textiles, intermedia, photography); theory of art; color theory; composition and perspective; and anatomy.
 
IT/Information Systems Management—prepares individuals to apply principles of information technology, computer systems management, and business operations to the planning, management, and evaluation of information services in organizations. Includes instruction in systems planning and integration, information policy, information security, contracting and purchasing, budgeting, information technology, operations management, human resources, communications skills, and applicable law and regulations.
 
International Relations—the study of international politics and institutions, and the conduct of diplomacy and foreign policy. Includes instruction in international relations theory, foreign policy analysis, national security and strategic studies, international law and organization, the comparative study of specific countries and regions, and the theory and practice of diplomacy.

Journalism – (see Communications)

Law  (L.L.M or Master of Laws)—a one-year degree program for candidates who have completed their first degree in Law.  The curriculum includes the study of a variety of legal topics in the American legal system.  A key element is the instruction of the common/case law system used in the U.S.  The majority of LL.M participants are international students seeking an understanding of the theory, history and application of laws in the U.S.  Areas of specialization include:  International Trade, Tax, Environmental, Intellectual Property and Human Rights law.
 
Library Science—includes instruction in the knowledge and skills required to develop, organize, store, retrieve, administer, and facilitate the use of libraries and related information and record systems, collections and facilities for research and general use.
 
Public Administration—prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state, and federal government; and that focuses on the systematic study of executive organization and management. Includes instruction in the roles, development, and principles of public administration; the management of public policy; executive-legislative relations; public budgetary processes and financial management; administrative law; public personnel management; professional ethics; and research methods.
 
Public Policy—prepares individuals to analyze, manage and deliver public programs and services.  Includes instruction in the role of economic and political factors in public decision-making and policy formulation; microeconomic analysis of policy issues; resource allocation and decision modeling; cost/benefit analysis and statistical methods.
 
Public Health—prepares individuals to plan, manage, and evaluate public health care services and to function as public health officers. Includes instruction in epidemiology, biostatistics, public health principles, preventive medicine, health policy and regulations, health care services and related administrative functions, public health law enforcement, health education, health economics and budgeting, public communications, and professional standards and ethics.
 
Social Work—prepares individuals for social welfare administration and counseling, and the study of organized means of providing basic support services for vulnerable individuals and groups. Includes instruction in social welfare policy; case work planning; social counseling and intervention strategies; administrative procedures and regulations; and specific applications in areas such as child welfare and family services, probation, employment services, and disability counseling.
 
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) –-focuses on the principles and practice of teaching English to students who are not proficient in English or who do not speak, read or write English, and prepares individuals to function as teachers and administrators in such programs.
 
Women’s Studies/Gender & Development –-focuses on the history, sociology, politics, culture, and economics of women, and the development of modern feminism in relation to the roles played by women in different periods and locations in North America and the world. Programs are often part of another disciplinary program, including public policy, sociology, or literature.