Bachelor of Arts in Japanese Language and Culture

at California State University - Monterey Bay USA

The B.A. in Music is a hands-on program that prepares students for careers in performance, composition for acoustic and electronic/interactive media, sound engineering, audio programming, and music education, across commercial, independent, and community sectors: Music students produce concerts, mixes, musicals, scores, performances, sound installations, texts, talks, electroacoustic compositions, and interactive and experimental multimedia work in a variety of collaborative, independent, and cross-disciplinary projects. Courses develop skills and experience in all aspects of music-making, including producing, performing, analyzing, composing, songwriting, mixing, editing, documenting, marketing, and programming.

Rooted in the liberal arts tradition of critical, interdisciplinary thought and practice, the degree emphasizes well-rounded musicianship through a balance of experience in performance, composition, musicology, ethnomusicology, music theory, acoustics, and music technology - each characterized by its own ways of thinking and doing - complemented by rigorous, fundamental training in critical listening, sight-singing, keyboard skills, and the fluent reading, writing, and digital engraving of Common Western Music Notation. Beyond these fundamentals, students craft a personal, inquiry-driven degree emphasis in response to a chosen research and creative agenda, leading to an ambitious scholarly-creative capstone thesis project in a chosen area of expertise.

In the CS program, you will learn fundamental computer science concepts while applying your knowledge to solve real-world problems. Collaboration, team work, and communication skills are infused into the learning experiences with heavily project-based courses in a state-of-the-art technological environment.

You’ll begin by taking a set of common core courses to establish a strong foundation in computer science, followed by coursework in one of four concentration areas: Software Engineering, Network and Security, Data Science, or Game Development. The curriculum provides you the opportunity to learn concepts and develop skills in more than one concentration, helping you to become a well rounded computer science professional.

The School Psychology program is designed to prepare professional K-12 school psychologists with the essential competencies to provide the complex services demanded of schools within the educational system. The program is designed to foster development along the ten NASP domains, with a focus in each area around serving culturally and linguistically diverse students in diverse settings.

In the Psychology major, you’ll develop a solid understanding of human behavior and mental processes using a scientific approach. You’ll explore the ways in which human biology, psychological experience and cultural contexts combine to influence our actions and thoughts.

The ability to communicate with Spanish speakers and appreciate Hispanic cultures gives you a tremendous advantage in a wide range of careers. Whether on the job or in your community, your Spanish language competency and cultural understanding can help you establish valuable connections in the inter-dependent global community.

You will attain an advanced level of proficiency in Spanish according to the criteria of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages(ACTFL) guidelines. You will also acquire a reasonable understanding and knowledge of Hispanic cultures through the study of literature, history, art, social science, philosophy, etc. in a variety of courses taught in Spanish and English. As you plan your program, you will be able to select a specific area of concentration (literature, culture, linguistics) in which to acquire a deeper knowledge relative to your particular interests and goals. Additionally, you will engage in real-life learning via your service-learning experiences where you will have opportunities to work with public and private agencies on projects that integrate your language skills with community needs. Finally, in your Senior Capstone project, you will have the opportunity to demonstrate thorough understanding of a topic of interest to you.

The program prepares you for successful professional careers in teaching, business and technology, travel, tourism, governmental and non-governmental agencies, and for graduate study in Hispanic languages and literatures, Chicano/Latino studies, linguistics, translation and interpretation, TESOL, or focused international disciplines such as policy, management and business.

Statistics is the study of data collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation. Statisticians summarize and visualize data in meaningful ways, test hypotheses, estimate unknown quantities in the population, and predict unknown outcomes based on available data.

The Statistics B.S. prepares you (i) to summarize and visualize data, (ii) to analyze data to address research objectives, (iii) to communicate results clearly and effectively in both oral and written forms, (iv) to understand the role of the profession in service of society, and (v) to work in interdisciplinary environments.

Our program is designed for two paths. The first path is for workforce immediately after the B.S. degree such as industry (e.g., business, pharmaceuticals, actuarial science) and federal agencies. The second path is to pursue graduate degrees (M.S., M.A., or Ph.D.) in statistics, biostatistics, data science, and related fields requiring the statistical skills.

Students in the Marine Science major apply a wide range of technologies to studying marine ecosystems. Through applied learning and research, you will gain the skills necessary to develop a sustainable balance between the unique environmental, recreational, cultural and economic opportunities in the Monterey Bay region.

Through lab and field experience, you will apply techniques of experimental design, data acquisition, analysis and presentation that provide you with the skills needed to monitor and analyze marine science problems. You are encouraged to interact with other Monterey Bay institutions, such as the Moss Landing Marine Labs, to take advantage of additional local expertise in marine and coastal ecology.

Graduates of the Marine Science major are prepared for a variety of career pathways in the public and private sector. Graduates are also poised to continue their education via graduate studies and research in ecology, environmental science and related fields.

The Master of Arts in Education prepares strong education professionals to have an informed understanding of complex learning; the knowledge and skills to promote such learning; and the disposition to advocate effectively for the learning, living and growth of students, especially those who bring cultural, linguistic and other diversity to schools. The program coursework challenges educators to analyze and improve their instructional practice to better serve students with diverse ethnic and linguistic backgrounds, as well as students with special needs.

Curriculum and Instruction

The Master of Arts in Education provides advanced training to prepare effective professional educators who implement evidence-based practices to promote meaningful outcomes in our schools and communities.

The Liberal Studies (LS) B.A. program is designed for students who desire to become elementary or special education teachers. There are different pathways to choose from, depending on your interests:

LS BA Traditional Pathway - This pathway is for the Liberal Studies BA degree only. Upon graduation, students on this pathway may pursue a credential at CSUMB or another institution.

The Mathematics major prepares you to analyze complex discipline-based issues, synthesize information from multiple sources and perspectives, communicate skillfully in oral and written forms, and use appropriate technologies. The flexibility of the major gives you enough freedom to mold your degree along your particular interest toward a career or graduate school. Many mathematics majors pursue careers in industry (e.g. engineering, finance, business), teaching, and government service immediately upon graduation. Others continue on to graduate school, then pursue careers in research and university teaching.