Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy

at California State University - Fresno USA

The B.A. Option in Computational Linguistics is for those students interested in text processing, forensic linguistics, software design, machine translation, and other professions dealing with the interface between computers and humans.

The theatre arts major and dance major offer you the opportunity to develop your skills in acting, directing, dance theory, research and performance, choreography, playwriting, children's theatre, technical production, scene design, costume design, sound design, stage management, lighting design, history, literature, and teaching. After completing our program, you will have the background that will enhance your ability to pursue either a teaching credential, advanced degree or a professional career.

Our professionally trained instructors will guide you through a program that is not only educational but fascinating. A major or minor in theatre or dance can be one of the more exciting times in your life because it will develop communication and performing skills that will aid you no matter what career you finally decide to pursue. If theatre or dance is what you want, then the California State University, Fresno Theatre Arts Department is ready to serve you.

The objective of our M.S. program is to build a firm basis for subsequent Ph.D. study in physics or in related fields, for positions in industry, and for teaching at the community college level. We offer a broad-based academic program with the opportunity for specialized theoretical or experimental research. Students completing degrees have successfully pursued all three of these career goals - with roughly equal numbers going to doctoral programs and industry, and a smaller number directly into teaching.

Areas of research in which our faculty are active include physics pedagogy, condensed matter theory and experiment, characterization of materials properties (amorphous semiconductors), dipolar magnetism, Fullerene research, laser Raman spectroscopy, radiation medical physics, classical and quantum field theory, and gravitation. Faculty also study forces and interaction of fundamental constituents of matter with experiments using the world's most powerful particle accelerators at Fermi National Laboratory and CERN, Switzerland. Astronomy research includes observations of cataclysmic variables, black holes, and extrasolar planets. It is done with the most powerful instruments available today, including Hubble Space Telescope, and other NASA spacecraft, as well as many other telescopes around the world.

Chicano and Latin American Studies (CLAS) is an interdisciplinary department that has been successful in presenting a highly informed, active, and challenging view of the Chicanx/Latinx experience in the United States, Latin America, and U.S./Latin American relations. Chicano and Latin American Studies provides an opportunity for a pluralistic exchange of ideas in an interdisciplinary academic setting, where faculty, students, and visiting scholars can share experiences and create a dynamic, intellectual environment.

The Chicano and Latin American Studies Department is designed to meet the following objectives:

1. to promote an awareness of the historical and cultural roots of Chicanx/Latinx people in the United States
2. to enhance an understanding of Latin America
3. to cultivate an appreciation of ethnic and national differences among all people
4.  to critically analyze the Chicanx and the Latin American experience in terms of significant issues, theories, current problems, and solutions, and
5. to provide students with a set of important professional skills to be utilized as they interact creatively and constructively with Chicanx/Latinx communities and multicultural society at large.

The department emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of family life, history, politics, culture, and the arts of Chicano and Latin American communities. The courses reflect an integrated approach in providing students with greater knowledge and understanding of the social reality and diversity of Chicanxs and Latin Americans.

The B.A. in Interior Design allows students many unique opportunities in the field of design. The interior design major is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, formerly FIDER. Students use advanced computer-aided-design (CAD) and animation programs as well as traditional methods in developing sophisticated design solutions for a variety of architectural projects. Interior design students gain an excellent foundation in subjects such as color theory, space planning, presentation techniques, rendering, drawing, building systems and codes, and material and design for special populations. (Internship opportunities are available.)

The Option in Student Affairs and College Counseling is a 48-unit program designed for individuals seeking advanced preparation for careers in post-secondary and related settings.

The Student Affairs and College Counseling Option is designed to prepare individuals for employment as student service professionals in four-year university and community college. Graduates with this degree option are prepared for employment in the multi- faceted arena of post-secondary education.

Preparation for the Student Affairs and College Counseling option requires knowledge of individual and group dynamics, advising practices in specialized settings, and an understanding of the developmental issues associated with students' maturation process. It requires an appreciation of organizational dynamics and a firm foundation in counseling theory as well as acquisition of counseling skills appropriate for use with students from diverse populations and backgrounds. In addition, counselors are also required to know, understand, and address the impact of crises, disasters, and trauma-causing events on students in the post-secondary community. The 2009 Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) standards includes content in crises management (suicide, disasters, and substance abuse).

The profession of social work is dedicated to meeting the diverse social service needs of special populations of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. As a practice-oriented profession, social work deals with social concerns that range from societal oppression to people's emotional/behavioral problems.

The Department of Social Work Education offers two degree programs to educate beginning and advanced social work practitioners who can meet complex client needs in a broad range of public and private human service settings and who can perform in a variety of roles using a multisystems approach. The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree program prepares students for beginning generalist social work practice as well as for graduate study in the human service field, including social work. The Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) prepares the learner for advanced multisystems social work practice as well as for doctoral study in social work and related human service arenas. Both the B.A. and the M.S.W. programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

Our speech and language pathology program provides you with a broad professional background in normal speech and language development, language disorders, swallowing disorders, voice disorders, articulation disorders, and fluency disorders. The program is nationally accredited by the Council for Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA).

Prepare for the future in agricultural sciences, technology, and management with a degree in agricultural education. The Department of Animal Sciences and Agricultural Education offers options in agricultural communications, teacher preparation, science, and production management. The science option has career specialization in the areas of preprofessional animal science and preveterinary medicine. The production management option offers career specialization in the areas of dairy science, equine science, meat technology and livestock, and poultry management. Courses integrate animal evaluation, behavior, disease, environmental management, genetics, health, marketing, muscle biology, nutrition, physiology, production, and reproduction.

The agricultural education major is designed to equip students for careers as agricultural communication specialists or secondary agriculture teachers. Specializations may be developed in agricultural business, animal sciences, plant sciences, or mechanized agriculture.

The Master of Biotechnology offers students who are fundamentally educated in varied scientific disciplines the opportunities to advance their scientific skills. It allows them to acquire the business knowledge and skills necessary to commercialize emerging technologies or their products. Offered as a two-year program, it is representative of a unique interdisciplinary degree concept, the Professional Science Master's (PSM) degree, designed for students interested in entering the workforce in leadership roles to promote the development and production of new products and processes.