Bachelor of Arts in Africana Studies with Concentration in Social Sciences

at California State University, Dominguez Hills - Carson Campus USA

The department offers an established graduate program leading to the Master of Arts in Sociology. The program is designed to provide all students with a strong foundation in sociological theory and research methodology. The graduate program is designed to allow for a substantial degree of student choice. Students may choose a macro- or micro-based program of study and select from several areas for further specialization or experience. These areas include, but are not restricted to, such concentrations as social research and computer applications; sociology of education; community and clinical sociology; law and society; criminology and deviance; and general sociology. Students are expected to select a major advisor who can best facilitate their specific interests in the program. Finally, students may choose one of the following options to complete their program of graduate study: comprehensive exam, thematic project or thesis. Students with an interest in teaching and administrative applications of the degree are encouraged to complete via examination. Those with research interests or who may wish to pursue advanced graduate study toward a doctoral degree are encouraged to opt for the thesis or thematic project options.

The Department of Sociology has an established record of success in graduate education. Many of the department's graduates have found careers in research, teaching and a wide range of other fields. Special emphasis is placed on practical and policy-relevant research participation by graduate students in the Urban Community Research Center. Students are encouraged to take an active role in the department, the discipline and the wider community. Students may apprentice in one or more of the many advanced forms of social scientific research, including evaluation research, social impact analysis, ethnographic field research, etc. Students who wish to pursue advanced study beyond the M.A. degree may elect to take additional work necessary to acquire the Graduate Certificate in Social Research.

The Department of Anthropology offers undergraduate students course work in the five anthropological subdisciplines: ethnology, archaeology, biological anthropology, applied anthropology and anthropological linguistics. In addition, courses focus on contemporary disciplinary research, area studies and societal applications of anthropological knowledge.

Comparative and evolutionary, scientific and humanistic, Anthropology provides a unique opportunity for broadening and integrating one’s view of human existence. Goals of the major concentration in General Anthropology include an understanding of cultural heritage along with a general overview of the significance of cultural change, whether that change be ongoing, from the past, or anticipated in the future. Acquainting students with the cross-cultural perspective and cultural pluralism also are major goals of the General Anthropology concentration.

Health Science offers a variety of programs including a major with different options leading to the Bachelor of Science in Health Science.

The Healthcare Management Option is designed to provide students with a general foundation in the principles and theories of management, the skills needed by frontline or middle level supervisors in a health care unit, an understanding of the organizational structure of the health care system, the financing of health care services in the United States, and knowledge of current health policies at local, state and federal levels.

Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS) is a broad-based, liberal arts and sciences major that focuses on developing exemplary skills in written and oral communication, textual analysis, critical thinking, research methods, and the ability to bring a wide range of resources to bear in approaching complex problems. Because it combines knowledge systems across the meta-disciplines of the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences, an IDS major is great preparation for both the workplace and for entry into graduate or professional schools. IDS is part of a national network of Programs for Accelerated College Education (PACE) that are designed for working, adult students who want to earn a bachelor’s degree in a reasonable period of time while they maintain a full-time job. While all admitted students are welcome, IDS/PACE students are primarily transfers who enter CSUDH with 60 units and junior-class standing.

The Department of Anthropology offers undergraduate students course work in the five anthropological subdisciplines: ethnology, archaeology, biological anthropology, applied anthropology and anthropological linguistics. In addition, courses focus on contemporary disciplinary research, area studies and societal applications of anthropological knowledge.

The major concentration in Biological Anthropology is designed to provide the undergraduate student with a strong background in general anthropology, biological anthropology, archaeology and research methods. It stresses biological anthropology research methodology, field research, data collection and statistical methodology.

The Master of Science Program in Biology is a two-year program in which a student must complete a series of both core and elective courses and engage in independent scientific research that culminates in a thesis. This graduate program is designed to be a flexible degree that can help students reach their career goals, whether that be further study in a doctoral program or employment in science education, health sciences or environmental fields.

In the first semester of the program, the student will choose a research mentor who will provide guidance for the thesis research and help the student set their curriculum. Three members of the student's thesis committee, including the research mentor, will need to be selected by the end of the first year of the program.

To accommodate students with other professional commitments, many graduate classes are scheduled in the late afternoon and evening.

Computer Technology forms the technological infrastructure of modern commerce. It's the driving force of every industry and permeates everyday life. The ability to combine the power of computing with the management of multimedia information is arguable the key to obtaining ascendancy in any field.

Computer Technology is an ever-evolving, expanding field. The proposed Computer Technology Program will provide students with the background, knowledge and skills they'll need to adapt to the dynamic nature of the marketplace. Program faculty will consist of traditional academics as well as industry professionals in order to provide curricular content that is on the cutting edge of industry trends.

The BACT degree provides a high quality degree program in computer technology that will prepare students for lifelong learning as they pursue professional careers in computer technology and leadership roles in the society in which they serve. It provides our students with a strong foundational base, state-of-the art techniques, methodologies, and tools to specify, design and develop technology-based solutions to complex system problems. This program prepares our students to communicate well, both orally and in wiring, on moral and ethical development, in knowledge of the liberal arts, and on commitment to services to others. CT provides opportunities for students to contribute to the body of knowledge that serves the profession, by engaging in activities which support their interests and are in agreement with the goals and objectives of the College, and the university.

The Biology Program at CSU Dominguez Hills is designed to provide students with intensive, progressive and balanced learning experiences in cell and molecular biology, organismal biology, population and community biology, and environmental science.

The Earth Science major is one of two programs housed in the Department of Earth Science and Geography. The Earth Science degree is a cross-disciplinary program that trains students for careers involving earth system science, which broadly includes the physical science behind the interactions of the lithosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere. The Earth Science program also examines the contribution of those systems to natural landscapes and geological hazards, during the modern era and through geological time. Importantly, it also considers the relationship of human populations to these geosystems.

If you are curious about the answers to the following questions, Earth Science might be the right major for you:

• How and when did the Earth form? How has Earth evolved? What is the history of life on Earth? When did the mass extinctions occur, and what caused them?
• What is plate tectonics, and how do tectonic plates interact? How do mountains form? How, where and why do volcanoes form? What causes earthquakes? Can we predict them? Why or why not? How do tsunamis form?
• What are the different drainage patterns for river systems? How do flowing water and ice sculpt the landscape? How does the generation of hydroelectricity change the characteristics of flowing rivers?
• What is groundwater, why is it important to humans, and what are the implications of groundwater contamination?
• What has Earth’s climate been like in the past? How might climate change in the future? What is the greenhouse effect and ocean acidification? What is the carbon cycle, and why is it important?
• What are the differences between non-renewable, renewable and perpetual natural resources? What is the nature of supply vs. demand in regard to water, petroleum, coal, minerals, and other natural resources? What are the pros and cons of various energy sources including nuclear, solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric and carbon-based fuels?

Physics is the study of the natural world at its foundation. As such it is the basis of other disciplines such as biology, medicine, chemistry, computer science, geology, astronomy and engineering. Physicists study the world from the smallest particles of matter (quarks and leptons), nuclei, atoms, and molecules; through forces and motions which determine properties of solids, liquids, gases, and plasmas; to descriptions of the behavior of matter on all scales up to stars, galaxies, and even the origin and fate of the universe. Other researchers explore how physics itself can be learned. Physics is also the base of most engineering. The department encourages student-faculty interaction in all these areas.

Since many physics majors find their niche in teaching, the department offers a Physical Science Option tailored to meet education standards and satisfy waiver requirements for a single subject teaching credential. The Physics faculty are committed to teaching excellence, and to teacher education in the sciences. The department provides essential laboratory hands-on experience in understanding and demonstrating science.