Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy with Concentration in Philosophy

at California State University - East Bay USA

The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences offers undergraduate study leading to the Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science, focusing on developing strong foundational knowledge and a broad set of field and laboratory skills that allow students to seek employment, or prepare them for continued academic study in the Earth and environmental sciences.

Environmental science is an interdisciplinary field, focusing on the study of physical, chemical, and biological processes that underpin both natural ecosystems and human-influenced systems. While their focus is often on the physical and life sciences, environmental scientists must also be mindful of social issues, political context, economic factors, and human  well-being in order to understand environmental issues and address environmental problems. The coursework for the Environmental Science degree reflects this broad, systems-level approach, with coursework in science and mathematics, as well as the social sciences. This allows students to gain a deeper understanding of the science and social issues involved in addressing complex environmental problems such as environmental contamination, access to food and safe drinking water, and climate change.

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 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 MBA Analytics for Managers concentration is designed for analytical business professionals who want to combine their managerial skills and training to advance into an information management role. It blends the teaching of core management disciplines and the science of information technology, tools, and skills. Students will expand their understanding of the business value and strategic importance of information. The program prepares students to assume managerial positions in business analytics. Students can broaden their experience and gain the skills they need to make impactful contributions to your organization. Students will develop an understanding of the need for lifelong learning, enabling them to use analytical tools and concepts benefiting their organization.

The Education Specialist Credential program prepares individuals to teach and provide services to children and young adults with disabilities from kindergarten through age 22. The CSU East Bay program includes authorizations to teach and provide services for children and young adults with mild/moderate or extensive support needs including those who are English learners. While completing the requirements for the Education Specialist credential, candidates will concurrently complete the requirements for the M.S. Special Education program.

The program includes foundational coursework in educational psychology, special education law, policy and program design, instruction and assessment working with diverse populations, teaching English language learners, and teaching students with disabilities; a full complement of discipline-based methods courses; and three semesters of fieldwork and student teaching in a range of service delivery models and programs in the bay area.

The program is a full-time, two-year cohort-based program. Candidates begin with full-time enrollment in June and supervised fieldwork experiences begin in the spring semester of the first year and continue fall and spring semesters of the second year of the program. The fieldwork experience begins with three full days a week during the first year and increases to four, and then five full days, full-time teaching during the second year. The program only accepts candidates without a general education credential for the Summer Term admissions starting in June. 

The Master of Arts degree in History is designed to meet the varied needs and interests of students seeking an advanced degree in history. The program educates students in advanced skills in historical research, writing, interpretation and research, and provides opportunities for training in teaching and public history. Four areas of concentration permit students to plan their coursework to best suit their goals within the overall program requirements and the range of courses offered. The program includes graduate course offerings in historical research and historiography, a  portfolio course, reading seminars, graduate elective units, a scholarly practicum, and a culminating master’s experience. Elective units may be taken in other fields with the approval of the History Graduate Coordinator. The Master’s culminating experience may be a university thesis, examinations in major and minor fields, a public history project or a graduate teaching project, depending on the concentration chosen. Because the majority of students in the master’s program are employed full-time during the day, graduate courses are offered in the evening, usually on a one-night-a-week basis, in fall and spring semesters. This schedule allows students time to complete regular assignments, carry on research, and make regular progress toward the M.A. degree.

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 Design Concentration introduces students to processes of design thinking, critical discussion and fundamentals of visual communication. Design projects balance learning of conceptual development with technique and design tools. Students address communication problems with concept-focused solutions that integrate images, text and graphics through hands-on and digital production skills.

The new program is ideal for students looking to increase their quantitative skills for jobs in economic consulting, data science, policy analysis, and finance, or for Ph.D. programs in economics.  The program combines economic theory with cutting-edge training in econometrics, machine learning, simulation, and optimization, for analyzing real-world data.

Highlights

• Prepare for the needs of the future economy right where it’s created – halfway between San Francisco and Silicon Valley, in the beautiful East Bay.
• Innovative program and outstanding faculty at low Cal State costs.
• Finish in as little as a year, or suit your personal timetable and work schedule.
• Non-economics majors are eligible for admission, no work experience is required.

The Department of Computer Science offers graduate study leading to the degree of Master of Science in Computer Science. This program is designed to extend the student’s knowledge in a broad manner beyond the baccalaureate degree major in Computer Science. It will both (1) deepen general understanding of theoretical principles and (2) provide exposure to important applications of Computer Science such as security, software engineering, database, networking, and others. This approach is especially important in Computer Science, where training in specific languages and systems and on specific machines is transitory, as these languages, systems, and machines evolve. In contrast, many of the principles will last, and generally apply to a wide variety of specializations within the field.  The breadth of subject material is important as many students will have a number of different job classifications in their working lives.

The Department of Statistics and Biostatistics offers graduate study leading to the degree Master of Science in Statistics. The program is flexible in order to serve the needs of students with varying backgrounds (including statistics, mathematics, computer science, engineering, business, economics and other quantitative fields) and with different career objectives. The program includes concentrations in in Actuarial Science, Applied Statistics, Data Science, and Mathematical Statistics. All students are expected to master a wide variety of applied statistical, computational, and probabilistic techniques and the theoretical foundations upon which these techniques are based. Students are expected to be familiar with recent developments in the field and to be able to use the statistical literature to learn new techniques and theories throughout their professional careers. In addition to the general requirements stated elsewhere in this catalog, students must satisfy the departmental requirements stated in the following paragraphs.

The Department of Philosophy at Cal State East Bay seeks to promote the exploration of enduring human concerns - concerns, for example, about the nature of knowledge, ethics, truth, and God. In addition to emphasizing classical philosophy, the department encourages students to think critically about contemporary debates, particularly in the areas of law, human rights, and social justice; science, technology, and values; and religion. The department’s faculty strive to instill in students lifelong habits of questioning, of exploring views contrary to their own, and of engaging in reasoned and honest dialogue. By their focus on analysis, comprehension and communication, they aim to develop qualities that are essential to personal fulfillment, civic responsibility, and career success.

Many different kinds of students choose the major in philosophy. Some intend to do graduate work in philosophy, often with the intention of becoming philosophy professors who research and teach in philosophy. Others take philosophy as a preparation for another professional area. Traditionally, for example, philosophy has been one of the chief roads to professional law schools. Philosophy also serves as a good general liberal arts education, since many of the long-established university disciplines are founded on philosophical principles: political science, sociology, education, aesthetics, physics, and other subjects. Finally, many students major in philosophy in order to prepare for careers that require clarity of thought, analytical ability, good writing skills, and the ability to present a reasoned argument.