Master of Arts in Communication Studies

at San Jose State University USA

The written word grounds the Master of Arts in English and Comparative Literature. Its students learn to analyze literature and to write on literary topics at an advanced level. Students complete a rigorous program of courses that introduce them to cutting-edge research while training them to understand a range of theoretical and literary-historical frameworks for understanding literature. Before students earn a Master of Arts in English, they pass a two-part comprehensive exam. They also may choose to write a thesis. Students have the option to engage in graduate study in rhetoric and to train as college-level writing teachers. The program also offers students pathways to prepare for doctoral work.

Program Learning Outcomes

• Students will demonstrate an appropriate level of expertise in literary history, literary theory, and rhetoric.
• Students will demonstrate high-level proficiency in literary research and in the synthesis of research.
• Students will demonstrate critical and analytical skills in the interpretation and evaluation 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 and d) write under time constraints.
• Students will demonstrate a reading knowledge of at least one foreign language.

The goal of this concentration, offered by the Department of Physics and Astronomy, is to give the candidate a thorough grounding in physics, computer programming, and numerical methods. All candidates are required to complete a thesis including the defense (Plan A) or take an oral comprehensive examination as culminating experience (Plan B).

Music Composition Majors engage themselves in the study of new music and its construction for traditional ensembles as well as electro-acoustic mediums. Private composition lessons are at the heart of this degree program: each student is given individual time to be mentored by one of our distinguished faculty in the art of composing music. This degree program also offers group composition classes and provides many opportunities for students to hear their own works performed by other students and faculty members. Students in this program must complete both junior and senior recitals in addition to the regular course of study.

The Bachelor's degree in Recreation is a nationally accredited program comprised of a core set of classes and courses split generally between concentration courses and major electives. Graduates completing one of these concentrations are eligible to apply for national and state certification. While the general recreation degree is the most flexible in terms of choosing related electives, students may instead elect to complete a more specialized course of study in one of our two approved concentrations within the B.S. Recreation Degree.

The Recreation program's mission statement is: Through collaboration, applied learning and scholarship we ensure that individuals, diverse communities, and the Earth flourish by preparing innovative leaders of parks, recreation, tourism, and recreation therapy.

Our vision statement: The Recreation and Recreation Therapy programs will cultivate individual and societal wellness through a thriving transdisciplinary community of faculty, students, alumni and, partners who enjoy learning together and who excel in exploring and co-creating new frontiers of recreation, health, leisure, and play-related scholarship and services

The EE department is committed to fulfilling the following Program Learning Outcomes in its Master of Science in Electrical Engineering program:

•  Graduates will be able to base analysis, problem-solving, and design on core advanced EE theory
• Graduates will be able to demonstrate a high level of expertise and competence in an area of concentration in electrical engineering
• Graduates will be able to apply modern tools for research, computation, simulations, analysis, and design
• Graduates will be able to demonstrate leadership skills in the workplace, to function professionally in a globally competitive world, and to communicate engineering results effectively

Student Learning Outcomes
 Graduate Students in Electrical Engineering at San José State University will be able to:

•  Identify, formulate, and solve problems using advanced engineering principles, methodologies, and tools
• Design, implement, validate and deploy a component, device, system, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints
• Understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, societal, and ethical context, including political, health, safety, manufacturability, and sustainability
• Understand contemporary issues in electrical engineering practice
• Communicate professionally and effectively

The Master of Science in Data Analytics, offered by the Department of Applied Data Science, is developed in partnership with industry experts targeting students from diverse academic and professional backgrounds. Students receive the advanced education necessary to apply analytics to solve real-world problems by immersing them in the full data analytics process lifecycle.

Students learn how to build portfolios of data analytics projects by leveraging the interrelationship between domain data knowledge and emerging information technologies. Students advance their knowledge and skills through the integration of:

• Identifying domain-specific problems, defining requirements, and establishing measurable organizational objectives.
• Performing data exploration, preparation, visualization, and governance.
• Applying programming, statistics, database, data mining, and machine learning technologies to build models for descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive data analytics.
• Engaging in the development, validation, and monitoring of data analytics systems to meet requirements and objectives.

Today most organizations treat analytics as a strategic asset, and analytics is central to many functional roles and skills. This program prepares students for a career in data analytics in almost all industry domains. Potential career roles for graduates include data analyst, data administrator, business intelligence analyst, and information research scientist.

The Master of Science program gives students the opportunity to further their knowledge in foundational and applied topics, preparing them for advanced industrial or research positions. Students are expected to complete six graduate level courses, two electives, and two semesters of project work. Full-time students generally take two years to complete the program. The program is available to students with a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related discipline. In order to ensure small class sizes and individual supervision of projects, the size of the program is limited and applications are competitive.

The graduate concentration in exercise physiology will help prepare students to meet societal challenges for health and wellness. This area of study provides an advanced theoretical and research background in exercise physiology, as well as hands-on experience gained through a required internship. There are 3 areas of focus in the exercise physiology graduate program.

• General Exercise Physiology
• Clinical Exercise Physiology
• Strength & Conditioning

The Humanities B.A. Comparative Religious Studies Concentration presents scholarly interpretations of the world's religious traditions.  It aims to be as global as possible in covering the great diversity of religions and as inclusive as possible in covering various methodological approaches to the study of religion.

Faculty members of the Comparative Religious Studies Concentration are committed to guiding students in the kinds of learning needed for this task.  In other words, it is our goal to provide students with the key elements of religious literacy: knowledge of the basic data in the study of religions, respect and tolerance for diverse religious perspectives, and critical thinking skills that can be applied to explanations of religion from insiders as well as outsiders.

The Humanities B.A. Comparative Religious Studies Concentration offers a comprehensive preparation for those who plan to undertake graduate education in theology, history of religions, and other related areas.

The Comparative Religious Studies Minor offers a basic understanding of religious beliefs and practices for those whose careers would benefit significantly from a familiarity with various religious traditions.

The M.A. in Applied Anthropology is designed to help students develop skills in applying or using anthropological knowledge which can be used across a wide range of careers. Specifically, its mission is to enable students to build on their knowledge of cultural anthropology, physical anthropology and archaeology to address real world problems and issues. The program seeks to provide a structure through which students can develop as practitioners by working closely with faculty on projects that are often done in collaboration with regional organizations. Graduates of our program have secured positions in public, private, and non-profit organizations as researchers, designers, administrators, and program developers. The M.A. program is built around three broad sets of research skills: (1) ethnographic methods for understanding how social systems, including organizations and communities, function in the regional environment; (2) assessment and evaluation skills, especially those based on qualitative methods that complement quantitative methods; and (3) the planning and design of programs, organizations, services, and artifacts.

Students graduating from this program should:

• Understand a range of anthropological research methods and be able to conduct research relevant to problem solving in various settings and for different clients or partners
• Know basic models of applying anthropology in different settings and have the skills to be able to function as practitioners in several
• Be knowledgeable about (a) the discipline of anthropology in general and how it contributes to understanding and improving contemporary society; and (b) a particular field of anthropology in greater depth
• Be able to function effectively in at least one content area or domain of application
• Understand personal, political, and ethical issues inherent in research and application
• Develop professionally as practitioners with skills in contracting, project management, and budgeting, as well as the ability to communicate about project goals and findings and the discipline of anthropology to diverse audiences
• To be knowledgeable about the region as a social and cultural system with complex state, national, and global interconnections