Bachelor of Arts, Major in Political Science

at San Jose State University USA

The BA in Sociology, offered by the Department of Sociology and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, educates students about social processes that create, maintain, and transform social institutions and social identities. Sociology provides a framework for understanding social behavior in groups, social change and inequality in society, and solutions to social problems. Analytical and research skills speak to the needs of a changing world. The degree offers students the widest flexibility in terms of future career choices.

The Master of Arts in Art History and Visual Culture offers a broad education in art history, including preparation for a Ph.D. degree program. It also prepares students for a graduate library degree with specialization in art history, as well training for a variety of positions including community college professor, researcher, museum curator, arts administrator, conservator, and visual resources librarian. Our program is especially strong in modern and contemporary art, architecture and design, and the art of the Renaissance. We also feature a variety of special-topic courses such as Art and Architecture of Islam, History of Photography, German Art, and “Fashionology.” Students have the opportunity to study with experts in these fields and to work within a dynamic department that includes a strong M.F.A. program located in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Besides featuring a wide array of courses we host a number of activities during the academic year. These include the Art History and Visual Culture Colloquium, the Art History Association Symposium, the Tuesday Night Lecture Series and a range of exhibitions in the Thompson Gallery. The department website offers information about our courses, faculty, facilities, and events.

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.

The undergraduate degree, offered by the Department of Psychology, assures a broad coverage of the major areas of content and methods in psychology identified by the American Psychological Association as the backbone of a strong degree program. The goal of the breadth part of the degree requirements is to provide a strong background in general psychology. In addition, sufficient flexibility is offered through choices in fulfilling these requirements and through the electives so that students, in consultation with their advisors, can design a program of study which focuses on each student’s particular area of interest.

The undergraduate program in Justice Studies provides students with an interdisciplinary curriculum that engages in critical analysis of justice issues. Core classes focus on theory and empirical research that addresses the relationship between law, justice, the justice system, and society. Electives address a number of more specialized and topical justice-related issues.

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the Bachelor of Science degree in Justice Studies in the Department of Justice Studies, students will be able to:

• Explain the major concepts, theories, and historical trends within studies of crime, law, and social justice at all levels, from local to global.
• Describe and apply ways to gather valid information and conduct research to answer questions about crime, law, and social justice issues.
• Understand and critically analyze individual, institutional, and societal responses to crime, law, and social justice issues.
• Employ interdisciplinary perspectives on systems of inequality and concepts of justice to
• propose grounded, informed, and sustainable solutions to social problems in communities
• and/or institutions.
• Articulate compelling, reasoned, and empirically-informed positions on issues of justice to
• diverse audiences. Students will value empirical evidence, tolerate ambiguity, act ethically, and recognize their role and responsibility as a member of society.

San Jose State University has an outstanding curriculum in molecular biology that includes courses providing a strong theoretical background as well as intensive hands-on laboratory experience. Graduates from this program typically pursue PhDs, MDs and other health science-related graduate degrees, or careers in the biotechnology industry. Biotechnology is one of the most rapidly growing industries in the Bay Area and the world with an accelerating need for employees with training in the biological sciences. Career opportunities for students with a concentration in Molecular Biology include teaching, research, drug development, marketing, management, and patent law.

The faculty in the Molecular Concentration were trained at prestigious institutions including UC Berkeley, UC San Francisco, the Salk Institute, and Stanford University, and their research is funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.  Students in our program have the opportunity to directly interact with their professors, an important advantage over programs at many other universities.

At the core of all science, physics helps us understand chemical reactions, protein folding, the Earth’s interior, and the life cycle of stars. Physicists invented the semiconductor, the laser, and the electron microscope. They play key roles in the design and operation of spacecraft and in the development of electronic and optical instrumentation. The Department of Physics and Astronomy offers a Master of Science in Physics and two concentrations: Computational Physics and Modern Optics. Our faculty are experts in lasers and optics, computational physics, condensed matter, astrophysics, and physics education research. The department receives on average approximately $1.8 million annually in external funding for sponsored research.

This program prepares students for intellectually and aesthetically challenging careers in Graphic Design by providing courses that emphasize theory and professional practice. The curriculum concentrates on the organization and visual communication of information and includes typography, form and image, information architecture, user interface, interactive design, and motion graphics. Additionally, students have the opportunity to attend special classes and workshops led by studio professionals and faculty members.

To be admitted to the program, students must pass two portfolio reviews. To advance to the BFA GD program, students must pass two Junior and two Senior Reviews.

This degree program is recommended for students who wish to pursue a career in statistics. This program also prepares a student for graduate study in probability and statistics.

The concentration in statistics is appropriate for students pursuing a career involving the collection and analysis of numerical data, the use of statistical techniques to predict population growth or economic conditions, the use of statistics to analyze medical, environmental, legal and social problems, or to help business managers make decisions and carry out quality control. The statistics concentration also provides a solid foundation for students who plan to become actuaries.

Established over thirty years ago, the main objective of the Industrial Design Program is twofold: first, for students to understand the evolving needs of humanity; and second, for students to address those needs by giving form to solutions. Graduates will emerge from the program prepared to design sustainable solutions to world problems. They will be trained in designing for and from all perspectives and to take into account the diversity of human existence. In our program, students will get to put their concepts into practice from the convenience of our Seid Lab, funded by an alumni and holding the most cutting edge fabrication equipment, available strictly to Industrial Design students.

Our distinguished faculty recognizes that, to become impactful industrial designers, students must have a firm comprehension of all things related to the human experience. As such, the program takes full advantage of the university setting by collaborating with SJSU’s Anthropology, Business, and Engineering programs. Additionally, because of our ideal location at the center of Silicon Valley, guest speakers from local tech companies and design studios are often invited to give talks, as well as critique student work.

Industrial design is not just the design of objects that facilitate everyday living; it’s also the design around experiences and services. With the world in constant flux, we aspire to equip future industrial designers with essential tools—a balance of theory, skill, and practice—necessary to become global citizens and effect change throughout the world.