Master of Arts in English

at San Jose State University USA

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 program draws from a wide range of university and Bay Area community resources to prepare students for entry-level interior design practice and positions them for future professional growth in the fields of interior design and architecture.

The curriculum involves both theoretical and practical study of interior architecture with emphasis on critical thinking, communication skills, design process, merging technologies, human factors, aesthetic sensibilities, laws, codes and regulations, and professional ethics. Students are held to the professional standards set forth by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation Board.

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.

This 120-unit program prepares students for professional positions in applied physics and research or for graduate study at the PhD level (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 MSE degree is an interdisciplinary program with the primary objectives of offering the practicing engineer the opportunity to develop a wide range of knowledge and skills needed to function in today's complex industrial environment.

The program is designed to provide flexibility for students who need coursework that is interdisciplinary and not available through the other engineering programs in the college. The MSE program typically includes courses from at least three different programs in the College of Engineering, and may also use courses in the College of Science or the College of Business.

Program Learning Outcomes
Students completing the Master’s of Science General Engineering Program will be able to:

• Evaluate and apply advanced engineering principles, methods, and tools to solving  problems or improving efficiency.
• Design and implement a component, system, or process to meet design specifications and objectives.
• Understand and advance the frontiers of emerging technologies.
• Understand the social, economic and political context of contemporary engineering practice and its ethics; understand the impact of engineering solutions on society and the environment.
• Communicate effectively in both oral and written forms.

The Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW) curriculum is based on a basic liberal arts foundation obtained through guided coursework from general education approved courses. This liberal arts foundation provides students the necessary knowledge and skills to engage in critical thinking about social problems and develop an understanding of the social structures of American society. Foundation social work courses meet the primary program goal of preparing students with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for beginning social work practice. In addition to the core social work curriculum, electives are offered to expand interest in various areas such as child welfare, family welfare, alcoholism and the family, and social work with the aging. Unlike many of their counterparts in other disciplines, BASW graduates are required to undertake as part of their education extensive agency field internships to prepare them for practice upon graduation.

BASW graduates are employed in many different work settings under public and private agencies and programs that may include: family service agencies, children and youth services, juvenile justice agencies, elementary and/or secondary schools, ethnic oriented service agencies, residential treatment programs, substance abuse programs, domestic violence programs, homeless shelters, mental health services, aging services, nursing homes, hospices, hospitals, home care agencies, mental retardation/developmental disabilities services, vocational rehabilitation services, public health agencies, community action agencies, child and adult day care centers, income maintenance programs, and legal services agencies.

An approved program for each candidate may be designed in consultation with the advisor on the basis of each individual's objectives. The program shall include at least 30 semester units earned beyond the bachelor's degree in 200-level (ie: graduate level) and 100-level (ie: upper division undergraduate level) courses approved for graduate credit. This total includes 4 semester units of thesis research. At least 12 units must consist of 200-level courses. All students are required to take a 2-unit seminar (GEOL 285). All candidates are required to submit a master's thesis.

All candidates must complete the equivalent of the requirements of the San José State University B.S. Geology degree, including a minimum of four weeks of field camp, as well as two semesters each of Calculus, Chemistry, and Physics.

The oral examination for the Master of Science degree is scheduled with the student's thesis advisor. The candidate must demonstrate competency in written English. An oral presentation of thesis research is to be made before an open meeting of the Geology Department. The thesis must be approved by the student's thesis committee and submitted in final form, as outlined in the Thesis Section of the San José State University catalog, to the Graduate Division of the university in accordance with the published deadlines.

The BA in Art General Studio Practice Concentration allows students to pursue a general study in the visual arts, or to create their own curriculum combining studies in visual arts with other fields. For students preferring a broad art background instead of an intense specialization, this program provides students with a variety of art experiences.

Students enrolled in the Studio Practice concentration are not necessarily preparing for a career in art or design, although many use the program as preparation for graduate level studies. The required studio work is intended to intensify awareness of visual art forms and introduce a variety of technical processes and theoretical approaches. Concentrations and emphases are designed to offer opportunities to study digital media art, photography, pictorial art and spatial art. Studio Practice also provides a basic program leading to a teaching credential in art.

Teaching is a way for artists to develop and encourage creative ability in others and to increase awareness of the importance of art in our lives. The Art Teacher Preparation Program (ATPP) is vital to the future of Silicon Valley, because it trains the teachers who will teach aesthetics, problem solving and critical thinking skills to future citizens of the region and state.

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 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.