Master of Arts in Sociology - Research Skills Option

at California State University, Dominguez Hills - Carson Campus USA

Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS) is a broad-based, liberal arts and sciences major that focuses on developing exemplary skills in written and oral communication, textual analysis, critical thinking, research methods, and the ability to bring a wide range of resources to bear in approaching complex problems. Because it combines knowledge systems across the meta-disciplines of the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences, an IDS major is great preparation for both the workplace and for entry into graduate or professional schools. IDS is part of a national network of Programs for Accelerated College Education (PACE) that are designed for working, adult students who want to earn a bachelor’s degree in a reasonable period of time while they maintain a full-time job. While all admitted students are welcome, IDS/PACE students are primarily transfers who enter CSUDH with 60 units and junior-class standing.

The Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Peacebuilding Program involves a comprehensive study of applied methods, theory, and research and a choice of various electives covering a wide range of applicable subjects. This degree program is beneficial for those who work in the following professions: counseling, law enforcement, teaching, social work, therapy, benefit labor, human resources, management government, community organizing,  lobbying, foreign service, and the military, as well as international business and peace organizations. The Master of Arts and Certificate also are offered online through distance learning delivery.

The Bachelor of Arts in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Peacebuilding is designed to be an interdisciplinary, thoroughly inter-cultural, Undergraduate Degree Program that emphasizes

• Intercultural communication,
• The role of women in culture,
• Mediation, and
• The unique perspectives, fundamentals, theories, and research methods the field.

The NCRP program has a joint 3+3 option/concentration with ABA accredited Southwestern Law School. Students electing the "3+3" modified program will be advised during their first year concerning program requirements.

The Department of Africana Studies in the College of Arts and Humanities offers a major and a minor in Africana Studies. Africana Studies is primarily a peoples- and culture-based discipline that investigates Africana peoples’ experiences. These experiences range from earliest human civilizations through the tragic era of enslavement, colonization, uprootment, to the forced migration and displacement of African peoples. The intellectual framework that sets Africana Studies apart from other disciplines is that it explores the subject area from the perspective of Africana peoples’ interests, aspirations, possibilities, and envisioned destinies. The foundation of the discipline rests on an understanding and appreciation of African peoples’ worldview and philosophy of life as the starting point for all Africana intellectual inquiry.  The BA degree and minor program offered by the department emphasize an examination of the theoretical and empirical characteristics of the African world experience from both a contemporary and historical perspective.

Psychology is about people's behavior and about people's experience. Psychologists teach and do research or applied work on subjects relating to the social and behavioral sciences. In order to discover more about behavior, psychologists study both humans and animals. Psychology covers a wide range of topics, from the way our social environment influences us to the inner workings of our bodies. This diversity of topics is reflected in the psychology curriculum.

The Health Psychology Option will provide students with a solid academic background in health psychology. This specialized track is designed to meet the professional needs of college graduates who plan careers in community health and other health care settings such as rehabilitation centers, primary care centers and hospices. In addition, students enrolled in the Health Psychology Option will learn how to promote wellness in individuals and within organizations, and how to evaluate the effectiveness of prevention and treatment programs. The goal of concentrated study in health psychology is to provide the student with an understanding of the relationships among biological, psychological, and social factors as they interact to influence mental and physical health. This goal is accomplished through an integrated program of coursework and research training. Students can earn up to 3 units of credit per semester for directed research (PSY 598) and thesis research (PSY 599). Our graduate students have been very successful securing funding for their graduate studies through several opportunities at California State University, Dominguez: Graduate Studies and Research travel fellowships, Graduate Equity Fellowship, PEGS RA/TA fellowships, and PEGS travel fellowships. In the Psychology M.A. (Health Psychology track) the student is required to complete 36 units of credit. In addition, the student must successfully complete a thesis.

The Biology Program at CSU Dominguez Hills is designed to provide students with intensive, progressive and balanced learning experiences in cell and molecular biology, organismal biology, population and community biology, and environmental science.

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program is designed to provide quality professional education for persons entering or working in public service professions. The MPA program prepares students for careers as professional managers of public sector or nonprofit organizations, as well as for research, consulting, and teaching careers. The MPA curriculum provides a theoretical foundation for the practice of public management.
After meeting prerequisite requirements, students can finish all other program requirements in two and a half academic years if they complete two courses per semester and two summer courses (depending upon summer scheduled courses). The MPA program is accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), the professional association responsible for evaluating the quality of MPA degree programs. NASPAA is located at 1029 Vermont Ave., N.W., Ste. 1100, Washington, DC 20005-3517.

MPA Public Management Concentration
The Public Management concentration is designed to provide the Master of Public Administration program with an emphasis in the structure, functioning, and skill competencies required for contemporary managers in the public and nonprofit sectors. This concentration offers our students a program that addresses the social, political, and economic landscape of the public sector, and its history and role in American Society. This concentration provides a broad examination of theoretical perspectives, the environmental context, and management functions that can be used to analyze organizations and to improve organizational effectiveness. The concentration combines applied and conceptual readings and provides students with opportunities to apply concepts and techniques to issues experienced in various workplace settings.

The Bachelor of Science in Public Administration is designed to provide professional preparation for administrative or managerial positions in public service organizations. The degree program requires:

• Completion of a set of core courses common to all public administration students;
• A concentration and
• Two additional courses for breadth.

The Bachelor of Science in Public Administration Degree is a single-field major, which means that students are not required to complete a minor for graduation.

The department offers an established graduate program leading to the Master of Arts in Sociology. The program is designed to provide all students with a strong foundation in sociological theory and research methodology. The graduate program is designed to allow for a substantial degree of student choice. Students may choose a macro- or micro-based program of study and select from several areas for further specialization or experience. These areas include, but are not restricted to, such concentrations as social research and computer applications; sociology of education; community and clinical sociology; law and society; criminology and deviance; and general sociology. Students are expected to select a major advisor who can best facilitate their specific interests in the program. Finally, students may choose one of the following options to complete their program of graduate study: comprehensive exam, thematic project or thesis. Students with an interest in teaching and administrative applications of the degree are encouraged to complete via examination. Those with research interests or who may wish to pursue advanced graduate study toward a doctoral degree are encouraged to opt for the thesis or thematic project options.

The Department of Sociology has an established record of success in graduate education. Many of the department's graduates have found careers in research, teaching and a wide range of other fields. Special emphasis is placed on practical and policy-relevant research participation by graduate students in the Urban Community Research Center. Students are encouraged to take an active role in the department, the discipline and the wider community. Students may apprentice in one or more of the many advanced forms of social scientific research, including evaluation research, social impact analysis, ethnographic field research, etc. Students who wish to pursue advanced study beyond the M.A. degree may elect to take additional work necessary to acquire the Graduate Certificate in Social Research.

The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration program, is designed to accomplish two objectives. The first of these is to prepare students for lifelong professional careers in commerce, finance and industry, as well as for management careers in the public and not-for-profit sectors. A second objective is to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to obtain professional, entry level positions in one functional area of the business enterprise, or in some particular field of business.

Liberal Studies (LBS) is an interdisciplinary undergraduate major for students who intend to become elementary and special education teachers or to pursue related graduate work. Courses leading to the B.A. in Liberal Studies focus on the subject areas taught in elementary schools as well as professional preparation and early fieldwork.