Bachelor of Arts with Special Major

at California State University - San Bernardino USA

Occasionally, students with specialized educational or professional objectives may find that the existing degree programs offered at the university do not satisfy personal needs or career plans and that a carefully structured, interdisciplinary program of study is more appropriate.

The B.A. with Special Major is an interdisciplinary program intended for students with unusual interests and abilities who have the initiative and desire to design their own major with the aid of faculty and professional advisors. The purpose of these individually-designed special majors is to provide a carefully controlled opportunity for exceptional students to design, with faculty approval, a flexible interdisciplinary course of study that leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Admission normally is limited to students who can design (with the aid of a faculty committee) individualized programs organized around a coherent topic or cross-disciplinary subject that involves two or more departments. Occasionally, short-term interests in interdisciplinary programs may be served by more structure and degree plans organized by faculty for groups of students.

The B.A. with Special Major is not intended to bypass normal graduation requirements or to avoid certain requirements of a regular major offered at CSUSB or at other nearby institutions. The self-designed major should not substantially duplicate any existing degree offered at CSUSB. Likewise, a Special Major cannot be developed in areas such as architecture, agriculture, or engineering where the campus lacks the necessary faculty expertise to guide the student and supervise the culminating project. Students must have an overall grade point average of 3.0 including work taken at all institutions and must maintain a 3.0 average in the courses required for the self-designed major.

Although the Special Major is a unique program that suits individual goals, has potential to combine fields and functions, and can add distinction to the degree, such an interdisciplinary program may pose professional obstacles and be difficult to explain to graduate schools and employers. Career goals and prerequisites for higher degrees should be reviewed before proceeding with this major. In particular, students who will be seeking a teaching credential should consult with faculty in the College of Education to see how a Special Major might impact subject matter requirements for teachers.

Interested students should contact the Office of Undergraduate Studies to begin the application and screening process. Prospective majors should be prepared to present a one-page description and justification of the program which outlines the concepts, goals and objectives to be fulfilled by the Special Major. If, after discussing the tentative interdisciplinary interests of the student, the Office of Undergraduate Studies believes the student should be encouraged to prepare a formal application and proposal for a Special Major, a packet of information and forms for justifying and submitting the proposed interdisciplinary curriculum will be provided to the student. If the student has not yet found faculty members who are interested in helping the student develop the curriculum and guide their study, the Office of Undergraduate Studies will suggest possible faculty committee members.

The study of art history equips and empowers students with acute visual literacy, tools for intellectual discovery, and deep understanding and mastery of the political and social significance of art in the global and historical context (including contemporary art and design produced in diverse cultures) through introduction and implementation of research and scholarship.

The BA in Art History prepares and qualifies students for meaningful and rewarding careers after university, in such areas as gallery and museum occupations, archives and libraries of the visual arts, non-profit arts organisations, governmental and NGO arts funding bodies, arts journalism and  communications, advertising and marketing industries, as well as preparing many students for post-graduate study in art history and related fields.

The objective of the M.A. in Social Sciences is to provide students with a survey of the concepts and ideas social scientists study with emphasis placed upon the domestic and international impact of global processes and global connectivity. While the program provides course work in each of the contributing disciplines of Anthropology, Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, and Sociology, the program also supports interdisciplinary learning and research through a colloquium series. This program is especially attractive to those pursuing a career in or seeking advancement in secondary school and community college teaching in the social sciences. Those interested in work in other types of educational and social science related fields, such as non-profit or non-governmental work, applied social sciences, and those interested in pursuing advanced degrees (Ph.D., J.D., etc.) may also benefit from this program.

Bachelor of Arts in Political Economy

Students are encouraged to check that they have met the prerequisite requirements for each course in the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration in which they are planning to enroll. Prerequisite requirements listed for each course are strictly enforced.

Enrollment in 3000-, 4000- and 5000-level courses in the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration is restricted to students who have completed at least 60 semester units (i.e., have achieved junior standing). Course prerequisites are strictly enforced.

The B.A. in Geology, General Geology Concentration is recommended for students planning a career in public service and education (e.g. government agencies, park rangers and K-12 science teaching), non-profit or non-governmental environmental organizations, or pre-environmental law. This Concentration has maximum elective flexibility to produce an experience tailored to the needs of the student.

The B.A. in Geology, Field and Applied Geology Concentration is recommended for students planning to become professional geologists employed by environmental and geo-technical firms, governmental agencies, oil and mining companies, and for those students planning to pursue a graduate degree in geology. Emphasizing field and applied geology courses, and experiential learning, this program is designed to permit students to meet existing requirements for Professional Licensing.

Students are encouraged to check that they have met the prerequisite requirements for each course in the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration in which they are planning to enroll. Prerequisite requirements listed for each course are strictly enforced.

Enrollment in 3000-, 4000- and 5000-level courses in the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration is restricted to students who have completed at least 60 semester units (i.e., have achieved junior standing). Course prerequisites are strictly enforced.

Students are encouraged to check that they have met the prerequisite requirements for each course in the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration in which they are planning to enroll. Prerequisite requirements listed for each course are strictly enforced.

Enrollment in 3000-, 4000- and 5000-level courses in the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration is restricted to students who have completed at least 60 semester units (i.e., have achieved junior standing). Course prerequisites are strictly enforced.

The Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies promotes an understanding of globalization and its impact on human and physical landscapes.  Geography serves as the foundational disciplinary lens through which globalization is studied and other disciplinary perspectives supplement this greater understanding of the global system.  As globalization has (re)created the spaces and places of the world, it is vital for students to understand the spatial dimension of globalization and its impact on individuals and communities around the world.  Students will gain a better understanding how the social, political and economic realms of human life have been impacted by globalization.  The program also explores how the interaction between the environment and humans has been and continues to be impacted by globalization.

Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary B.A. degree program that examines interactions of human society and nature through approaches of the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.  Courses introduce foundation principles of ecology and environmental science in relation to issues of policy, politics, law, economics, social aspects, planning, pollution control, and natural resources management.  Two degree concentrations are designed to prepare students for a broad field of environmental career pathways: Environmental Sustainability and Environmental Systems.  Upon successful completion of the Environmental Studies B.A. degree program, students who want further training may go to graduate school in the natural sciences, public administration, planning, environmental law, environmental health, or education.

The Environmental Studies B.A., Environmental Sustainability Concentration, focuses on the concept of sustainability from an interdisciplinary perspective. This concentration includes instruction in sustainable development, environmental policies, ethics, ecology, landscape architecture, city and regional planning, economics, natural resource issues, sociology, and anthropology.  Career pathways explored by this concentration include the work of government agencies and non-governmental organizations, natural resource planners and managers, environmental regulators, K-12 educators, and advocates. This concentration is recommended for students that want a broad and flexible liberal arts program that allows them follow diverse interests.

The Environmental Studies B.A., Environmental Systems Concentration, focuses on the application of biological, chemical, and physical principles to the study of environmental problems and solutions, including subjects such as abating or controlling environmental pollution and degradation; physical interactions between human society and the natural environment; and approaches to natural resources management. This concentration provides a science-intensive background with instruction in biology, chemistry, physics, geosciences, environmental health, climatology, statistics, and mathematical modeling.  Career pathways explored by this concentration include the work of environmental specialists in consulting firms, governmental agencies that monitor and protect environmental quality, as well as in multiple fields of scientific research on human impacts to the environment.  This concentration is recommended for students preparing to pursue a graduate degree in the natural sciences, or preparing for an environmentally related technical career.