Master of Science in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling

at California State University - Fresno USA

The mission of the Liberal Studies Program is to provide rigorous and relevant subject matter preparation for elementary teaching that is committed to equity and social justice.

The Liberal Studies Program has received an Elementary Subject Matter Authorization from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. This authorization permits graduates from the program to satisfy the Subject Matter Proficiency requirement for the Multiple Subject Credential Program through completion of required coursework.

History is the study of humanity’s recorded past. It encompasses all aspects of human behavior, social organization, and cultural development. The arts and the sciences, the development of technology, and changing economic forces are as much a part of history as is politics or social conflict.

Students of history are engaged in a journey through time in which they can witness and compare the development of a variety of cultures and the interrelations between people in many different circumstances. Through the study of past events, history provides a great storehouse of experience by which the theories of the other social sciences can be tested. And through its analysis of the development of institutions and cultures, it provides one of our best tools for understanding social phenomena.

History is also one of the broadest and most universal of the humanities. Just as the personalities of individuals are shaped through the totality of their past experiences, so cultures and institutions also develop in time. The study of history can help students understand themselves and their culture better and develop a more tolerant and humane spirit toward others. In this way, as in so many others, a knowledge of the past can help all of us meet the problems of today with greater understanding and compassion.

It is the goal of the Department of Viticulture and Enology to be a world-class center of excellence that can effectively meet the needs of students and the broader community. The department offers courses in viticulture and enology. Each degree integrates viticulture and enology offerings with the basic sciences (e.g., biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics) and management skills to build a well-balanced foundation.

Academic Excellence
The Department of Viticulture and Enology at California State University, Fresno was officially established in July 2000. The foundations for the current curricula are firmly based in the sciences such as botany, chemistry, soil science, and microbiology. Classes in viticulture and enology are designed to help the students incorporate the basic sciences into the production of grapes and wines with numerous opportunities for “hands-on” learning experiences. We have the only university teaching facilities in the world that combines 120 acres of table, raisin and wine grape vineyards, a commercial 50,000 gallon winery, and a processing facility suitable for small-scale raisin production. This unique combination of academics and facilities has provided the training ground for numerous award winning viticulturists and winemakers.

The Master of Arts degree program in music is designed to increase the candidate's professional competence, to increase the ability for continued self-directed study, and to provide opportunity for greater depth in the chosen area of concentration within the field of music.

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. 

The Department of Educational Leadership offers a graduate program leading to a Master of Arts degree in Higher Education Administration and Leadership. The program prepares individuals interested in careers in higher education settings and agencies. The mission of the Higher Education Administration and Leadership (HEAL) program is to develop ethical leaders whose practice relies on critical thinking and is informed by research and theory to work in colleges, universities, and other educational agencies as a means of advancing social justice and diversity.

HEAL attracts individuals interested in careers in colleges, universities, and other related educational settings. During a 30-unit, four-semester, program of study, HEAL students delve into a curriculum that examines policies, practices, theories, and current issues related to the post-secondary education pipeline. Students acquire valuable analytical skills while developing their philosophies in social justice and leadership. The HEAL curriculum and the relationships with faculty lead to learning experiences that offer students the essential knowledge and skills required for exemplary practice in a variety of roles in higher education and student affairs.

The B.A. Option in TESL provides professional training and preparation in theories and methods for teaching second/foreign languages and is especially compatible with degrees in education and liberal studies.

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.

Economics is the social science that studies the way in which societies are organized to produce the goods and services that sustain and enhance the life processes of the community. As a fundamental scientific discipline, economics employs systematic analysis in the study of the production and distribution of income within and among nations. Since all social policy issues in modern societies have an economic dimension, the study of economics offers the student an opportunity to investigate the most important and exciting problems of political economy facing the world today.

Such topics as inflation, unemployment, business cycles, international trade, finance, and development have long been within the province of economics. More recently, the economic way of thinking has been extended to other areas. Economic theories have been used to explain crime rates, birth rates, class conflict, pollution, marriage decisions, migration, and many other topics involving human behavior.

Economics majors acquire skills in critical and analytical thinking that contribute to an individual's intellectual independence and self-confidence in the problem-solving processes. In addition, economics majors confront the necessity of developing a broad view of the options facing humankind in organizing the production and distribution of income. The literature of economics presents widely diverse systems of political economic philosophy. The department offers a well-developed and balanced curriculum.

The program in economics is designed to give the student maximum flexibility. A typical economics major might take courses in intermediate macroeconomic theory and statistics while also learning about global corporations in the third world, or the regional economy, or pursue an independent study project on the foundations of supply-side economics. The economics major is designed to permit the student to pursue a broad liberal arts undergraduate degree, integrating the study of economics with other social sciences, humanities, natural sciences, and business administration.

The general objectives for the B.S. in Cognitive Science are to develop and provide a thorough foundation in the study of cognitive science, drawing in perspectives from computer science, linguistics, philosophy, and psychology; to provide a foundation in cognitive science with which students will be able to pursue graduate education in cognitive science, computer science, linguistics, philosophy, psychology, or related fields; and to provide a foundation for the pursuit of jobs in business and industry where a multidisciplinary background is highly desirable.

The primary instructional objectives of the B.S. in Cognitive Science are to give an education in recent approaches to cognition and cognitive science and to give an overview of current methodologies used within cognitive science, including those methodologies used in the core disciplines of computer science, linguistics, philosophy, and psychology.