Bachelor of Arts in Geology with Concentration in Geoscience Education

at California State University - East Bay USA

The Liberal Studies Major aims to provide a rich liberal art educational experience through selected courses from a wide range of academic disciplines, while at the same time allowing students to select a field for in-depth study of their own interest.  The broad-based, interdisciplinary nature of Liberal Studies provides a solid well-rounded undergraduate educational experience, integrating knowledge from arts and humanities, social science, and natural sciences, with analytical and communication skills well suited for many careers and professions.

The major consists of a common core and a choice from seven concentrations, designed to meet diverse student interests and needs not only for school teaching, but also for leadership in government, non-profit organizations, and business, and for graduate education in law, counseling, social work and services, public affairs and administration, and educational leadership.

The Art Department offers three programs of study in the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree. The Art History and Visual Studies concentration develops students’ skills in research, visual analysis, and argumentation, leading to a range of careers in the arts or to graduate study. The concentration in Studio Arts and the concentration in Design provide broad survey art and design practices in preparation for continued professional development or creative and design careers.

The concentration in Art History and Visual Studies trains students in the critical and historical study of art and other visual media. Students in this concentration learn how to approach art objects and images with respect to the socio-political and cultural conditions of their making and reception. This fosters sensitivity for diverse viewpoints and promotes critical awareness of the ethical and aesthetic dimensions of how we see the world. Coursework introduces comparative studies of world cultures, critical investigations of old and new media technologies, and examination of the global impacts of contemporary visual cultures. Students are also encouraged to broaden the scope of their studies by locating cognate courses on visuality and visual practices outside the department. The concentration prepares graduates for a wide range of careers in the arts or for graduate work in art history, film and media studies, law, and education.

This program is designed to prepare teachers and educational professionals advanced training and integrated competencies in the area of Curriculum and Instruction. The program is committed to the philosophy that teachers are dedicated to the academic achievement of all students in the T-K-12 arena and beyond. National, state and local documents are analyzed in coursework to promote inclusive and diverse instruction. Evidenced-based pedagogies, inquiry-based learning and social justice are examined through a critical lens. This 3-semester program caters to the working practitioner and classes are offered at convenient times. Students take a series of classes designed to prepare them to become creators and consumers of curriculum and implement an action-research project in an educational setting. This degree is intended for the T-K-12 teacher and other instructors.

The M.B.A. program supports students’ career advancement by preparing them for positions of leadership in an increasingly diverse and globally competitive economy. The program is centered on the rigorous knowledge of the basic functional areas of business, an appreciation of management challenges in a global context, and opportunities to develop students’ interpersonal and executive leadership skills. It also enables students to deepen and broaden their knowledge and skills through elective courses in an area of concentration. The program offers a range of formats to cater to the needs of full and part time students and students seeking an executive style MBA.

The Communication Department features the integration of theories and criticism with the essential skills for media production, professional engagement, and meaningful research. Graduates will be able to make a positive, professional, and important contribution in communication theory and research, Strategic Communication, Multimedia Journalism, and Communication and Media Studies. Students will study, research and analyze the perspectives that will lead to their becoming inclusive, ethical, and effective leaders and participants in global and local communities. They will acquire skills in critical analysis, speaking, writing, and visual presentations across all media. They will learn about the changing world of today’s and future media as well as the long history of the relationship between communication, self, and society and they will be prepared for a broad array of careers or graduate studies. All undergraduates must complete 32 units in 8 core courses in communication and elect one of three concentrations: Multimedia Journalism emphasizing digital journalism for social justice that converges print, audio, visual, and video; Strategic Communication that converges the study of Advertising, Public Relations and Organizational Communication; and Communication and Media Studies that is designed to give students maximum flexibility in the 21st century job market while providing ample depth for those wishing to pursue graduate study.

Ethnic Studies offers an interdisciplinary major, providing a comparative approach to the study of people of color in the United States.  Our Ethnic Studies curriculum has a strong social justice focus. Through a systematic study of the cultures, histories, and social realities of communities of color in the US, our students finish our program prepared to work effectively in multiracial, multiethnic, multigender communities.  

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry provides a strong education in chemistry and biochemistry that prepares its students to function and thrive in society. The department attempts to increase the problem solving and critical thinking skills of all students. Non-science students learn about the scientific and chemical aspects of everyday life that allow them to understand issues related to the environment, energy production, disease prevention, and nutrition. Students of the sciences learn the fundamentals of chemistry that control the interactions of elements and molecules. Building on an understanding of mathematics, physics, and biology, biochemistry majors receive a background in the major disciplines of chemistry including inorganic, analytical, organic, and physical, and take in-depth coursework in biochemistry. Students learn the protocols and techniques for working safely with chemicals and biochemicals. The department recognizes the importance of the pursuit of new knowledge in the development of skilled scientists and productive members of society, and encourages its students to participate in research projects and cooperative educational opportunities.

The Biochemistry, B.A. degree prepares students for employment in biochemistry, biotechnology and related fields. It can also serve as preparation for professional health-related programs such as pharmacy or medicine. The Biochemistry, B.A.: Chemistry Education Concentration is designed for students interested in teaching chemistry at the high school level but also prepares graduates to work as biochemists in industry or government. This program prepares students to enter a single subject credential program.

Biology is concerned with living matter in all its forms, responses, and interactions. It deals with the study of anything that has been or is alive: microbes, fungi, plants, “protists” and all animals, including humans. The science of biology includes a large number of highly integrated sub-disciplines such as microbiology, genetics, molecular biology, ecology, evolutionary biology, physiology, systematics, and behavior. Biologists must draw upon a wide variety of academic disciplines to make observations and form conclusions, and well-trained biologists have solid backgrounds in chemistry, mathematics, computer science, statistics, physics, and the humanities, as required by graduate programs and professional schools, to meet the demands of professions in the life sciences.

Health Sciences is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on the application of physical, biological, and social sciences to understand and to improve health in human beings. It is an applied science that focuses on knowledge necessary to practice in both clinical and population health settings.

Our program helps students to understand health at the individual level, the community level and the population level. In addition to the biomedical model of health, we ask students to think critically and to explore health from a variety of perspectives and to understand the role that culture has in constructing health.

The program also emphasizes problem-based learning. Our goal is to help students develop strong critical thinking skills, team work, and strong problem-solving skills rooted in a population perspective.

Our program emphasizes the environmental factors that impact human health. The effects of climate change have an immediate and long-term effect on human health and the communities of California. Our program focuses on helping students develop the skills to face some of these health challenges.

The BS in Health Sciences without a concentration is designed to prepare students to enter directly into careers in health care or to enter into post-graduate professional programs such as medicine, physician assistant, occupational therapy, nursing, radiation technician, and other clinical fields.

Geology is the study of the earth and of life and the natural processes occurring on the planet through time. Students learn about the causes of processes such as earthquakes, volcanoes, the formation of mountains, the effect of erosion and deposition, and the formation of rocks and minerals and their uses. Coursework combined with observations on field trips provide Cal State East Bay students with an understanding of natural processes and the human impact on the environment.

The undergraduate degree programs consist of required courses plus electives designed to meet the needs of students with objectives including employment at the Bachelor’s degree level, preparation for a secondary school teaching credential, and graduate study in Geology. The Geology, B.S. program is the primary professional degree program in Geology offered by the department, and serves as preparation for employment in the field, usually in a technical capacity.