Master of Arts in History with Concentration in University Thesis

at California State University - East Bay USA

Geology is the study of the earth and of life and the natural processes occurring on the planet through time. Students learn about the causes of processes such as earthquakes, volcanoes, the formation of mountains, the effect of erosion and deposition, and the formation of rocks and minerals and their uses. Coursework combined with observations on field trips provide Cal State East Bay students with an understanding of natural processes and the human impact on the environment.

The Geology, B.A. program offers the student a greater degree of flexibility and may be more appropriate for those who do not plan to become certified professional geologists or pursue graduate study. Students wishing to do independent geological work professionally or plan on graduate study should enroll in the B.S. program; see the B.S. program in Geology in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences.

The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences offers undergraduate study leading to the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Geology, focusing on developing strong foundational knowledge and a broad set of field and laboratory skills in the Earth sciences.

Health Sciences is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on the application of physical, biological, and social sciences to understand and to improve health in human beings. It is an applied science that focuses on knowledge necessary to practice in both clinical and population health settings.

Our program helps students to understand health at the individual level, the community level and the population level. In addition to the biomedical model of health, we ask students to think critically and to explore health from a variety of perspectives and to understand the role that culture has in constructing health.

The program also emphasizes problem-based learning. Our goal is to help students develop strong critical thinking skills, team work, and strong problem-solving skills rooted in a population perspective.

Our program emphasizes the environmental factors that impact human health. The effects of climate change have an immediate and long-term effect on human health and the communities of California. Our program focuses on helping students develop the skills to face some of these health challenges.

The BS in Health Sciences without a concentration is designed to prepare students to enter directly into careers in health care or to enter into post-graduate professional programs such as medicine, physician assistant, occupational therapy, nursing, radiation technician, and other clinical fields.

The Recreation degree prepares students for leadership positions in public recreation and leisure services agencies. Such work enhances the quality of life for millions of people each day across the nation. Specializations available in the degree include the Sustainability Concentration, Youth Development Programming Concentration, and a Recreation Therapy Concentration that prepares students to sit for the state RT licensing exam.

Potential jobs in this rewarding field include program coordinators, supervisors and directors in a variety of areas including day camps, sports, youth, teen and older adult activities and classes and naturalist, park ranger positions. Many graduates from our program are leaders in leisure services organizations including Concord, Livermore, Oakland, Pleasanton, San Ramon, and the East Bay Regional Park District.

The M.B.A. program supports students’ career advancement by preparing them for positions of leadership in an increasingly diverse and globally competitive economy. The program is centered on the rigorous knowledge of the basic functional areas of business, an appreciation of management challenges in a global context, and opportunities to develop students’ interpersonal and executive leadership skills. It also enables students to deepen and broaden their knowledge and skills through elective courses in an area of concentration. The program offers a range of formats to cater to the needs of full and part time students and students seeking an executive style MBA.

The MBA Analytics for Managers concentration is designed for analytical business professionals who want to combine their managerial skills and training to advance into an information management role. It blends the teaching of core management disciplines and the science of information technology, tools, and skills. Students will expand their understanding of the business value and strategic importance of information. The program prepares students to assume managerial positions in business analytics. Students can broaden their experience and gain the skills they need to make impactful contributions to your organization. Students will develop an understanding of the need for lifelong learning, enabling them to use analytical tools and concepts benefiting their organization.

The Master of Science in Counseling degree requires 60 units organized according to university and degree program requirements. Requirements are established to ensure that each degree candidate obtains adequate breadth in subject matter, field experiences, and research.

Marriage and Family Therapy Concentration
The primary focus of the concentration is to train psychotherapists who eventually plan to obtain a California Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) and/or a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) internship license. Additional units may be taken to meet the requirements for the LPCC and the MFT internship. (See BBS Sections 4980.37, 4980.41 (a)(4)&(5) for MFT and 4999.33 for LPCC.).   These additional LPCC courses lead to completion of the required hours of clinical experience for the license application. The LPCC units may be completed at the same time as the M.S. in Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy concentration.

The  MFT course work is geared towards a relational approach to counseling that focuses on  multicultural diversity, collaborative treatment, wellness, resiliency, and recovery. Faculty orient students to promote resilience and practice strength-based interventions. Course work combined with clinical practicum training in the field prepares graduates to work from a relational perspective.

Ethnic Studies offers an interdisciplinary major, providing a comparative approach to the study of people of color in the United States.  Our Ethnic Studies curriculum has a strong social justice focus. Through a systematic study of the cultures, histories, and social realities of communities of color in the US, our students finish our program prepared to work effectively in multiracial, multiethnic, multigender communities.  

The Art Department emphasizes study in our Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) Program. This is a professional degree that offers students the opportunity to develop greater expertise through comprehensive and intensive study in a specific area of art or design - a program that leads to successful careers in the visual art and design industries. Students who intend to pursue graduate studies or advanced skills for a professional career typically choose the B.F.A degree.

The B.F.A. professional concentrations require 70 units of study in the Department to complete the major.  There is no application procedure to enter the Bachelor of Fine Arts program beyond declaring as a B.F.A. student with a specific concentration.  The concentrations are listed below under major requirements.

Illustration Concentration
The concentration in Illustration prepares students for careers focused in various areas of this professional field.  Illustration  occupies an artistic space between creativity and communication and is influenced by society, culture and technology. Our program offers courses to enhance knowledge, skill, creative and professional development. Illustration has areas of specialty including publishing, games, film, concept art, graphic novels, cartoons, children’s books, and editorial. Our program begins with practiced emphasis on core and pictorial work then goes on to familiarize the student in ideas and tools specific to the Illustration field, including career and portfolio preparation. The program covers traditional and digital tools to give students a foundation with which to branch out into their own creative endeavors.

Human Development is an interdisciplinary program that integrates theory and methodology from disciplines such as anthropology, biology, linguistics, psychology, and sociology. The program explores the processes and mechanisms underlying developmental change and stability across the lifespan and the socio-cultural and historical contexts in which development takes place.

The Program’s curriculum aims to develop in students a basic understanding of major research findings and core concepts in human development, the ability to analyze and evaluate theoretical and practical issues in the field, and the skills to apply learning to diverse communities outside the University. The Program strives to create an optimal learning community that values and fosters collaborative learning and dialogue between and among students and faculty from diverse backgrounds.

Biology is concerned with living matter in all its forms, responses, and interactions. It deals with the study of anything that has been or is alive: microbes, fungi, plants, “protists” and all animals, including humans. The science of biology includes a large number of highly integrated sub-disciplines such as microbiology, genetics, molecular biology, ecology, evolutionary biology, physiology, systematics, and behavior. Biologists must draw upon a wide variety of academic disciplines to make observations and form conclusions, and well-trained biologists have solid backgrounds in chemistry, mathematics, computer science, statistics, physics, and the humanities, as required by graduate programs and professional schools, to meet the demands of professions in the life sciences.

The Department of Biological Sciences offers a diversified curriculum in the life sciences. Courses are designed for biology majors with specific degree objectives, for students seeking applied technical training, and for non-major students with general interest in biological subjects. Undergraduate programs will prepare students for both graduate work and for a diversity of careers. Biology majors may enter specialized or general careers in life science and find themselves working in laboratories, offices, the field, administrative posts, academic institutions, industry, government agencies, private foundations, botanic gardens, wildlife preserves and zoos.  Simply put, biologists study the living planet.

The Department of Statistics and Biostatistics offers graduate study leading to the degree Master of Science in Statistics. The program is flexible in order to serve the needs of students with varying backgrounds (including statistics, mathematics, computer science, engineering, business, economics and other quantitative fields) and with different career objectives. The program includes concentrations in in Actuarial Science, Applied Statistics, Data Science, and Mathematical Statistics. All students are expected to master a wide variety of applied statistical, computational, and probabilistic techniques and the theoretical foundations upon which these techniques are based. Students are expected to be familiar with recent developments in the field and to be able to use the statistical literature to learn new techniques and theories throughout their professional careers. In addition to the general requirements stated elsewhere in this catalog, students must satisfy the departmental requirements stated in the following paragraphs.