Master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis

at California State University - Fresno USA

Sociology majors receive strong grounding in traditional and contemporary social theory, methods of conducting social research, and techniques of analyzing social data. Courses with a service-learning component provide students with an opportunity to engage in participant-observation studies, while the Social Research Laboratory (SRL) gives them a chance to participate in survey research. Encouraging student research is one of the hallmarks of sociology at Fresno State.

The program also offers advanced courses on topics ranging from medical sociology, religion, and family to popular culture, deviance, and social movements and social change.

Logistics is associated with the movement, storage, and handling of materials and finished products. The option will also take into consideration the movement of agricultural commodities, fresh and processed foods, and managerial and safety issues pertinent to transportation and storage of agricultural commodities. Logistics includes all of the activities focused on efficiently moving goods to the right place at the right time. Logistics has come to be regarded as a key determinant of business competitiveness. Companies are substantially improving their competitiveness and productivity by overhauling their internal logistics and by more effectively managing their external links with suppliers and customers. The aim is to learn how to optimize the distribution of freight and freight-flow information from manufacturer to consumer, using advanced information systems and expertise to reduce inventories, cut transportation costs, speed delivery, and improve customer services. The current and long-term projected demand for logistics managers at all levels is very high. Currently logistics is the second largest employment sector in the United States. Logistics management offers everything that is expected in an ideal career including better than average salaries and advancement opportunities. The type of organizations that employ logistics managers include manufacturing firms, wholesalers, distributors, service institutions, and transportations firms.

Mathematics and related subjects play important dual roles in our culture. On the one hand, mathematics is a study in its own right; on the other hand, it is an indispensable tool for expressing and understanding ideas in the sciences, engineering, and an increasing number of other fields. As a consequence, employment opportunities for mathematicians have been expanding in recent years. The courses offered by the department are designed to develop skills in, and an appreciation and understanding of, both roles.

Because there are so many different areas in which a trained mathematician can find employment or continue studies, the department offers a large number of electives within the mathematics major. By selecting appropriate courses, students have considerable flexibility to accommodate their individual interests. Students should consult with a department adviser for specific recommendations as to which electives are suited to their career paths.

The Department of Finance and Business Law offers three options (areas of emphasis) within the Bachelor of Science in the Business Administration degree program.

The Finance Option stresses the financial structure of businesses through a common set of courses and specialized courses directed at various applications. It is designed to provide students with the basic skills required to plan, supervise, and control the financial activities of business organizations. These include understanding the trade-off between risk and return, the time value of money, and the magnifying effect of leverage. Students also gain the skills related to evaluating the financial needs of a business, obtaining the funds required by the firm, and using these funds in such a way that the company's goals are met.

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:

• To promote an awareness of the historical and cultural roots of Chicanx/Latinx people in the United States
• To enhance an understanding of Latin America
• To cultivate an appreciation of ethnic and national differences among all people
• To critically analyze the Chicanx and the Latin American experience in terms of significant issues, theories, current problems, and solutions, and
• 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 Criminology major is designed to prepare students for beginning professional work in criminal justice and to provide preparation for graduate work including law school. Criminology courses at the undergraduate level include integration of theoretical and applied materials of an interdisciplinary nature. The corrections option is designed for students interested in careers in probation, parole, correctional institutions, and other affiliated forms of work. The law enforcement option is designed for students interested in careers with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, or law enforcement careers within the private sector. The victimology option is designed for students interested in careers in domestic violence programs, rape counseling programs, victim/witness programs, or other victim-related programs at the local, state, or federal level; these programs can either be criminal justice based or community based. An internship course is required in the corrections, law enforcement, and victimology options. The Forensic Behavioral Sciences major prepares students interested in the application of other behavioral sciences — such as psychology, anthropology, social work, and linguistics — to the criminal justice system. However, it is also designed to prepare students interested in traditional criminal justice careers. 

Philosophy is one of the fundamental domains of human thought. It grows out of basic life questions, including questions of ethics, religion, politics, and science. The study of philosophy has had an historic role in the core of sound education, because it helps sharpen skills of careful, independent thinking and aids people of all ages in defining their most important values and beliefs. The examination of great philosophical ideas, and the emphasis on clear reasoning and personal development that are involved in philosophy serve as a strong foundation for life, regardless of one's career objectives.

The Department of Philosophy offers students the following opportunities for a rich and rewarding undergraduate experience: the traditional B.A. philosophy major, the prelaw option, the religious studies option, and the philosophy minor. The department provides ample opportunity for individual attention and student participation in its activities, e.g., student Philosophy Club, symposia, colloquia, etc.

The Religious Studies Option offers objective methods for exploring the vast and complex human experience known as religion. This study is done with an appreciation for the variety and diversity of religious beliefs and expressions. This option provides students with an academic approach to religion in personal, social, historical, and global contexts.

The B.A. Option in Interdisciplinary Language Studies is for those students interested in combining the study of a particular language or languages with the core areas of linguistics.

The mission of the graduate program in chemistry is guided by the mission of the university; it seeks to provide comprehensive undergraduate and graduate degree instruction for qualified students, and to contribute to the needs and well being of the people of the San Joaquin Valley and California.

The California State University, Fresno graduate program in chemistry is primarily oriented toward two groups of students: students who are preparing themselves for employment in chemistry-based occupations (including teaching) and students interested in additional training in chemistry and biochemistry to prepare for advanced Ph.D. graduate work.

The degree program course requirements are rigorous, and the approach to an M.S. curriculum is a demanding one. However, as the quality of training in all of chemistry's subdivisions remains high, we perceive this diversity as the primary strength of the program.

For students in the first category, the program stresses strengthening the student's chemistry background while also providing advanced training in both theory and research - training that is very beneficial in today's competitive job market. Furthermore, the program also strives to meet local and regional needs for individuals with advanced training in chemistry and biochemistry, needs that are strongly tied to the agricultural nature of the valley.

For students in the second category, the program's emphasis on improving chemistry background and basic research skills prepares students for work at the Ph.D. level and enhances their chances for success.

The Africana Studies program (AFRS) at California State University, Fresno offers an interdisciplinary curriculum that illuminates the connectedness of the human experience and provides culturally-appropriate knowledge and skills. This helps students understand the experiences of African peoples all over the world and other ethnic groups in the United States. The program also involves its faculty and students in research, experiential learning, career counseling, computer technology, curriculum development, conference participation, and extended day, evening, and weekend courses.

Africana Studies emphasizes the study of the history and culture of African Americans as they relate to the experiences of Africans on the continent and other peoples of African descent in the Diaspora. The major in Africana Studies provides an epistemological basis for understanding issues that pertain to the experiences of African peoples and other minority ethnic groups in the American society. The curriculum promotes an awareness of the African heritage of African Americans and others throughout the Americas. Opportunities are provided for students to engage in study abroad and service-learning in Africa and the Caribbean to stimulate intellectual interest in, and linkage to, contemporary Africa and the African Diaspora while enhancing global understanding of the varied social realities of the human experience.