Innovation in Society

About this opportunity

At the School for the Future of Innovation in Society, students join a community of dedicated innovators who are bridging the gap between humans and technology and making a real difference in people's lives every day, across the planet. Help others imagine, design and create healthy, thriving, sustainable and equitable futures.

Innovation is fundamentally about empowering people and unlocking their potential to create positive change. That requires a human touch and knowledge of how to put people and communities first, not technology. The BA and BS programs in innovation in society are specifically designed to prepare students to be leaders in this exciting and fast-growing field.

The programs center on building a foundational knowledge in innovation while honing skills like scenario planning, policy analysis, the responsible design of innovations, and public engagement. Graduates are equipped to understand the intricacies of modern-day challenges and anticipate and navigate future trends.

Bachelors of Art focus:  

• Champion humanity --- craft strategies, turning innovations into societal solutions
• Re-imagine health --- blend technology and empathy, advancing global well-being
• Combat climate change --- use interdisciplinary knowledge for a sustainable tomorrow
• Navigate digital dynamics --- decode social media and digital landscapes, ensuring ethical integration
• Engage beyond theories --- explore the global challenges with other perspectives
• Fuse creativity --- merge artistry with technology, tackling issues from social inequality to digital divides

Bachelors of Science focus

• Artificial intelligence --- diving into its potential and grappling with its integration into society
• Biotech breakthroughs --- harnessing insights from biotechnologies reshaping the world
• Eco-conscious strategy --- merging technology insights with environmental imperatives for sustainable solutions
• Emerging technologies --- exploring new technologies like quantum computing and augmented reality and its global impact
• Impact on society --- engaging with simulations and projects that reflect technology's societal interplay
• Vantage point --- grasping how technology impacts different roles, such as policy making, technology consulting and digital ethics

Thesis

There is no typical SFIS honors thesis. Many students write research papers, but there are many other possibilities as well. To carry out their projects, students have used a variety of techniques including qualitative research, community engagement, interviews, historical research. Faculty members work with students to develop those skills and create a final project designed to have a real world impact. 

Previous SFIS Barrett Honors theses include: a video reflecting on a personal attempt to bring medical aid to a developing country, an historical analysis of fracking bans that was presented to environmental organizations, a photography portfolio designed to be a training manual for the ASU water-skiing club, the design and production of sustainable clothing, interviews of orphans in post-earthquake Nepal, and the development of a game to help think through possible energy futures. Some students even turn their work into published academic or popular press papers. 

Students working with SFIS faculty on their Barrett thesis have committees that include a faculty member and one or more additional committee members. In the past students have chosen committee members from both inside academia and from the specific fields they hope to influence including policymakers, environmental activists, and corporations.

Academic Preparation

Because every SFIS honors thesis is different, there is no standard preparation. The best way to get ready for your thesis is to get to know the professor you'd like to work with. They can instruct you in the skills you'll need to develop and mentor you on how to think through a successful project. If you're not sure where to start, you can do something as simple as an honors enrichment contract in an SFIS course or you can apply for one of our SFIS Undergraduate Research Fellowships and spend a semester working alongside a faculty member on their own research projects. 

Recommended Timeline

Because the possibilities are endless, it takes a lot of time to think of, develop, and finally produce an SFIS honors thesis. Students typically begin to develop their ideas in their Junior year and, sometime before beginning their senior year, have found a faculty member they are excited to work with. The summer after Junior year and the first semester of senior year are often used to do field research or to flesh out the details of the project. That gives a few months in the last semester to write up or put the finishing touches on a project. Every project is different, and faculty are happy to begin collaborating on a project earlier, but this general timeline can help guide you to completing a successful project.

Other Honors Opportunities

Students are encouraged to ask about honors enrichment contracts in their FIS courses. Faculty are open to contracts and offer a variety of ways to carry them out. In the past students have done everything from photography portfolios to opinion pieces for online newspapers. 

All students are welcome to enroll in the school's major or minor programs. Many students take "Innovation in Society" as a concurrent degree (double major) to give them a broad perspective on the world to complement the more focused views they get in other majors.