Bachelor of Arts, Major in Geography

at San Jose State University USA

Students in the BFA program will have accomplished these objectives and will have produced a portfolio of work that will enable them to apply to graduate schools. The required BFA Seminar gives students an opportunity to consider contemporary and historical issues and allows them to evaluate their work and the work of others within a broader context. BFA students are required to complete a senior project that reflects a personal direction. They exhibit the resulting body of work that is then reviewed by a committee of faculty members.

The overall objectives of the Pictorial Art Area are as follows: Visual sensitivity in the pictorial art is developed in a number of ways. In Beginning Drawing students learn to translate the perceived world into two-dimensional constructs such as line and tone. While formal elements of composition are specifically addressed in 2-D Concepts, they remain an integral part of all pictorial courses. As students progress through more advanced courses, they engage in more sophisticated levels of visual thinking. This will be reflected in their work in the utilization of more complex formal means, both representational and abstract, and to express content. In critique sessions, students are encouraged to articulate visual ideas.

In Pictorial Art, students learn to conceptualize their ideas and execute them. This is true on every level from introductory courses to the most advanced. In some courses, such as Expressive Drawing, the emphasis is on the discovery of personal content through abstraction of the observed world or through the development of non-representational vocabulary. In other courses, such as Representational Drawing and Life Drawing, the emphasis is on perception and learning more traditional methods of rendering and depiction. In more advanced courses students are given the opportunity to choose the stylistic means of expression which best gives form to their visual ideas.

Students in Pictorial Art area are exposed to a wide variety of techniques and technical processes. This ranges from the simple and straight-forward use of pencil and charcoal in drawing through the slightly more complex techniques of watercolor, acrylic and oil painting to the more involved processes of hand-drawn and photo-generated serigraphy, as well as the chemical processes of lithography and intaglio printing. By the time they graduate students will be proficient in several of these areas. The Art History requirements for the major give the students a broad understanding of the major movements of the past and present in both the Western and non-Western worlds. In addition, slide lectures and books presented in the classroom put course work into a historical and cultural context.

Anthropology is the study of humankind's past, present, and future. Our department provides students with an integrated anthropological experience through coursework in archeology, cultural anthropology, and physical anthropology. This broad training prepares our students for a wide range of careers in diverse fields including project management, health care, education, immigrant services, heritage management, museum curation, business and industry, and much more. Anthropology majors learn many useful skills including cultural competency, critical thinking, research design, and professional writing--skills that are increasing in demand in private, public, and non-profit organizations. In fact, USA Today recently rated anthropology as one of today's best science careers. There's never been a better time to be an anthropologist!

This 120-unit program provides a strong foundation in physics while allowing sufficient electives for the student to pursue a second program of study in another field (e.g., science education, business, math, engineering or a second science; transfer students must take at least 12 units of upper division physics major courses at SJSU with a GPA of 2.0 or better in these courses).

The Journalism and Mass Communications Department's Public Relations program is nationally recognized and the only degree program of its kind in Northern California. One of the largest PR programs in the United States, this dynamic program has been a consistent leader in preparing students for success in a wide variety of strategic communications careers.

Program Highlights

• The most comprehensive PR curriculum in Northern California.
• Rated one of the 'premier' programs in the U.S. in a national survey conducted by Marquette University.
• All majors are required to complete an internship providing an excellent foray into the field of Public Relations.
• The School of Journalism and Mass Communications is 100 percent wired for the Internet with student-friendly Mac and PC labs.
• Students in campaigns class plan public relations programs for actual clients, including Cisco Systems, Intel, American Cancer Society.
• One of the few programs in the nation to have course electives in Special Events Management and the Principles of Fund-Raising.

The emphasis on applied economics provides training in practical, problem-solving techniques appropriate for careers in teaching, private business, the public sector, banking, and consulting. Although this program emphasize applied economics, it also guides students in the rigorous preparation necessary for doctoral programs.

The Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a concentration in Computer Network System Management is designed to prepare students for employment opportunities in the field of Computer Network System and Management.

You will gain knowledge, skills and practical experience in network systems, operations, administration, and management.

Computer Network System Management is a diverse and expanding field which leads to careers including telecommunication and network services. The graduates of this concentration could design, implement, and maintain computer and information networks such as Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), Internet/Intranet/Extranet, Data Communications Network, and Computer Security to protect from cyber-attacks. Graduates of the Industrial Technology in Computer Network System Management will be able to:

• Use a broad understanding of network and communications technologies to solve challenges in wireless networking and communications.
• Use current programming languages and methods to solve problems in business and industry.
• Solve network and electronic systems problems in analytical and creative ways.
• Apply analog and digital communication techniques to a variety of problems in industry.
• Use computer-aided design and simulation for the development of electronic systems, printed circuit boards, and integrated circuits.
• Develop and implement software systems for control of industrial processes in electronics and communications.
• Integrate the processes of instrumentation and automation in the electronics industry.
• Use skills and knowledge in the control of electronics and networking manufacturing processes, production scheduling and testing.
• Apply networking and telecommunications theory and management.
• Design and analyze electronic circuits and systems.

Marketing examines the most dynamic aspect of business. As you go through the marketing courses you'll feel the excitement of learning about and dealing with issues and trends faced by real world marketing managers, even as they struggle with the same realities and opportunities. In the Marketing concentration students will learn about creating a product or service and managing relationships with customers. In the effort to continuously keep pace with the Silicon Valley, the marketing program is designed to spark student innovation and provide multi-disciplinary opportunities through an academically challenging curriculum. For instance, a cluster of high technology marketing electives is offered to keep majors on top of the latest advancements in the marketing field.

Keeping in step with the global marketplace, you may take courses in International Marketing, providing instruction on national and international concepts for developing and selling products. The marketing program also focuses on the business functions concerned with market definition and objectives, product or service development, customer segmentation and product positioning. When you graduate, you will have the confidence of entering the world of marketing ready and primed to take part in this fast-changing and exciting career field.

Spatial Art is an interdisciplinary program that encompasses a broad range of media including Ceramics, Glass, Installation Art, Metal Fabrication and Casting, Multimedia, Performance Art, and Sculpture. It provides excellent facilities and resources for students who wish to realize their ideas in three-dimensional form. The area is guided by a faculty with varying philosophical approaches and technical expertise and a common concern for spatial issues.

Technical facilities include well-equipped shops in a variety of areas. The jewelry lab allows for smithing and casting of small metal works. The large ceramics facility has complete clay mixing capacity and fifteen kilns which can serve almost any purpose, including a fifty cubic foot gas kiln. The glass area is a modern lab with heat recuperative furnaces, as well as slumping and casting facilities. A large foundry and outdoor sculpture yard provide for the realization of ideas in cast and fabricated metal, stone and mixed media, including large scale work, with all the major welding equipment, vacuum casting capability, two 285 lb casting crucibles, a 140 cubic foot burnout kiln, and a fork lift. The wood shop is fully equipped for furniture making and construction of sculpture in wood, foam and plastics. The machine shop has mills and lathes, and metal-cutting bandsaws. Other shop facilities include a laser cutter, plastic vacuum former, spray booth, sandblaster, and sheet-metal working machines.

Many Spatial Arts students work in the area of installation. There are seven galleries of varying size within the Art building that can be used on a weekly basis for such projects. There are also two brand new shipping containers, known as the Freight and Cargo Galleries, for installation projects. Students also have access to University and School digital and video equipment that may be needed as a part of installation work. Graduate students are encouraged to explore and utilize any and all of these facilities as resources. As they grow in their abilities to visualize and express the form and content of their ideas in three-dimensional terms, they may see each concept dictating its own technique and material. The resources of the Department of Art and Art History faculty and laboratories offer rich critical and technical support.

The History Department at San José State University offers a standard M.A. program with specializations, or primary fields of study, in United States history Modern European history, and World history. Many of the faculty hold advanced degrees from the nation's most prestigious universities and have distinguished publication records.

The History Department also offers an M.A. program with a concentration in history education, which is reserved for public and private middle and secondary school teachers, who already are teaching or have entered (or plan to enter) the social science teacher education program at SJSU. This program is specially designed for teachers who have, or will soon have, credentials. Since this is strictly a terminal degree, anyone intending to pursue a higher degree should enroll in the standard M.A. program.

The diverse participants in the M.A. program at San José State University include active and prospective teachers, Silicon Valley business people pursuing a personal interest or looking for a career change, and Ph.D.-bound historians. Because many of the approximately 75 actively enrolled M.A. students are working full-time, graduate courses are scheduled in the evenings (Monday–Thursday), and occasionally on Saturdays or in summer. Usually about five graduate-level courses are offered each semester. Some applicable upper division courses are also offered in the evening, as well as a few during summer sessions.

Chemical Engineers combine science with engineering technology to make an essential contribution to many industries, including biotechnology, semiconductor processing, environmental engineering, manufacturing and industrial chemicals. The Chemical Engineering degree also provides a strong foundation for graduate degrees in a range of disciplines. The Department has excellent laboratory facilities for courses and student research.

We offer specialization in biochemical engineering program which blend traditional engineering and subjects in the biological sciences with specially developed biochemical engineering courses and labs. Please contact Dr. Liat Rosenfeld for more information.

Chemical engineers in biotechnology work on projects related to pharmaceuticals and genetically engineered materials for diagnostics and treatment, and food and chemical processing. Chemical Engineers working in the environmental area are responsible for control of air pollution, remediation of contaminated water, hazardous materials management, waste reduction, industrial health and safety, risk analysis, and regulation. Manufacturing opportunities are in semiconductor fabrication, electronics, analytical equipment, and processing equipment for the production of inorganic and specialty chemicals.

The Chemical Engineering Program at SJSU is designed to provide a solid engineering foundation and then allow the student to develop some specialization in an area of interest.