Bachelor of Arts, Major in Geography

at San Jose State University USA

• Students will demonstrate a high-level of ability to propose and complete a publishable, full-length work of literature in a primary genre concentration (fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, or scriptwriting).
• Students will demonstrate high-level of proficiency to write works of literature in a secondary genre concentration (fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, or scriptwriting).
• Students will demonstrate an appropriate level of knowledge of literary history, literary theory, and craft and theory of creative writing.
• Students will demonstrate critical and analytical skills in the evaluation and interpretation of literary texts.
• Students will demonstrate a command of written academic English, including the abilities to: a) organize and present material in a cogent fashion; b) formulate and defend original arguments; c) employ effectively the language of their discipline; d) write under time constraints.

The Department of Justice Studies at San José State University, located in the heart of the Silicon Valley, is less than one hour drive from San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley. The Department of Justice Studies was founded in 1930, and is the oldest degree-granting program in criminal justice in the United States. Over the last 80 years it has undergone significant transformations, but its longstanding reputation of academic excellence continues today, as the Justice Studies program expands to meet the challenges of a global society.

Faculty in our department are internationally renowned scholars whose research interests include mass-incarceration, urban policing, immigration control, prisoner reentry, juvenile justice, gender and race in crime and punishment, politics of reproduction, forensic science, crime in the Caribbean, and drug policies. We offer a unique interdisciplinary graduate curriculum drawing upon Criminology, Sociology, Political Science, Psychology, Law and History. Areas of teaching and research in the Department include criminal justice, law & society, human rights, policy evaluation, critical legal studies, punishment & society, feminist criminology, race theory, and history.

The M.S. Justice Studies program prepares graduates for careers in criminal justice administration, research and policy centers, public institutions, community organizations, and nonprofit agencies, as well as for doctoral programs and research positions in public agencies.

All students wishing to study graphic design, interior design or industrial design are admitted to the BA Design Studies Program. The BA Design Studies program is a liberal arts degree that allows students to choose from a broad range of university classes to curate their education with an emphasis on design. Students wishing to specialize in or achieve a  BFA in Interior Design, BFA in Graphic Design, or the BS in Industrial Design must successfully pass the required portfolio reviews held by each program.

Urban planning began at SJSU in 1970 and SJSU offers the only accredited Master in Urban Planning degree in Silicon Valley. Urban planners balance visionary thinking with pragmatic problem solving - working in partnership with multiple stakeholders to address challenges related to growth and change. Urban planners work within the frameworks of formal and informal institutions to solve problems related to affordable housing, climate change, economic development, environmental protection, public health, and transportation. The program has a long history of working in partnership with local communities to address their planning needs.

Located in downtown San José, the largest city in Northern California and the urban core of Silicon Valley, the department takes advantage of its location in a rapidly changing and socially complex region by collaborating with local planning agencies and community-based organizations. Faculty and students engage in public service projects designed to assist local communities in addressing topical planning issues, while also providing students with real-world professional experience. The program has a strong network of alumni who work in the region in city, county, and state government agencies, private sector firms, and nonprofit organizations. We have a strong track record of placing graduates in both public and private sector employment in the Bay Area and beyond.

 As a graduate program, Urban Planning attracts a diverse student body, including many non-traditional students who come to the program with a wealth of knowledge and experience. A special mission of the program is to promote planning education opportunities for a diverse student population, including working students who prefer to attend the program on a part-time basis. We are among a small number of fully-acredited MUP programs with a complete part-time option for our graduate students.

The Master of Science in Data Science program, offered by the College of Science’s Department of Computer Science and Department of Mathematics and Statistics, provides students with a Bachelor’s degree in the sciences or engineering with foundational knowledge, experience, and skills that are crucial for a data science career. It features a multidisciplinary curriculum in applied math, statistics, computer science, and their intersection - machine learning. Its rigorous, balanced coursework provides students with strong mathematical, computing, and data skills, as well as project experience. Graduates of this program will have the necessary theoretical knowledge, practical data analysis and coding skills for solving complex real-world problems based on massive amounts of data and also meet the qualifications for various data scientist positions in industry and government.

Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Students will be able to:

• Apply computer science knowledge and tools to assist in performing data science tasks.
• Summarize and evaluate statistical and machine learning concepts, models, and techniques.
• Integrate multidisciplinary knowledge and software to tackle challenging, complex data science tasks.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, data science concepts, algorithms, and results to a broad audience.
• Identify ways in which data scientists can contribute to the cultural and economic well-being of diverse societies in local, national, and global scopes. 

The Conservation and Organismal Biology Program at San Jose State University is designed to provide Biology majors with a diversified curriculum in conservation and wildlife management, entomology, zoology, and plant biology. Our students are provided with intensive, one-on-one attention from an outstanding faculty specializing in each emphasis. In addition, our students participate in several hands-on, field-oriented classes, which prepare them with practical experiences in the field. Destinations include Bodega Bay, Rancho Del Oso, Big Basin, the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Diablo Range, the San Francisco Bay Area Wildlife Refuge, the Central Coast, Death Valley, and the Sierra Nevada. We also provide students with opportunities to participate in research in Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Costa Rica, West Africa, Guatemala, Belize, and Japan.

The B.S. Recreation Degree Program offers a specialized concentration in Recreation Management. This concentration will help prepare students to take entry level supervision positions in recreation organizations in the public, nonprofit and private sectors.

Students completing the degree are eligible to take the National Recreation and Park Association’s certification exam to earn the Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) certification as well as the California Board of Recreation & Park Certification (CBRPC) exam to hold the title - Recreator Certified (RC).

Employment is secured through many types of agencies and settings. One could work in Federal, State, County, and/or City recreation agencies/parks. Other exciting and varied employment can be found at College unions and Campus Recreation centers; Non-profit/volunteer agencies; Armed forces; For-profit recreation companies – such as in Resorts or Theme parks, Camp and Outdoor Education recreation programs; Tourism enterprises; Corporate Recreation and Employee Wellness Programs; and in Event planning and management.   

The concentration is comprised of core classes (accredited by COPART), targeted units of specialized recreation management classes and flexibility within approved elective units. Check out the variety of our course offerings by accessing the degree from the link titled “Recreation Management course Requirements” from the Recreation Management home page.

The Masters Program prepares graduates for research and policy positions in government and business. Our teaching and research stress the importance of markets and institutions on political and socioeconomic outcomes. Although this program emphasizes general economics, it also guides students in the rigorous preparation necessary for doctoral programs.

The Master of Science program in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Molecular Biology and Microbiology, offered by the Department of Biological Sciences, offers students training in the pursuit of rigorous scientific investigation with an emphasis on discovering the molecular mechanisms that underlie biological processes such as behavior, cell biology, immunology, microbial diversity, microbial engineering, pathogenesis, and neural development. During their research experience, students acquire the skills necessary to successfully address a variety of research questions under the guidance of faculty.

In addition, students with our degree will have gained experience in critical thinking, problem-solving, research methodology (e.g., experimental design, sampling techniques, and analysis), and both written and oral communication. Our alumni are successful applicants for doctoral degree programs and generally attain high level academic and non-academic positions in both the private and public sectors.

The interdepartmental Creative Arts Program offers a major for students interested in making connections between the arts and in studying the creative process.

The program integrates and compares visual arts, performing arts, (music, dance, drama, film, broadcast media, performing arts) and literature (including electronic interactive forms). Creative Arts Program courses are interdisciplinary and provide opportunities for both creative and critical work.

The CA major is designed to provide a breadth of knowledge and depth of understanding of the arts which prepare students for a wide variety of professional programs and careers.

The Program provides great flexibility and individualized advising and is selected by students with diverse career interests: performing arts, creative writing, cultural journalism, arts administration, teaching, etc.