Bachelor of Arts in Spanish

at California State University - East Bay USA

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 BS in Economics trains students in the tools of economic analysis and exposes them to a great breadth of areas in which those tools can be used to tackle problems, including international trade and finance, labor markets, industry structure, firms’ business strategy and competition, public policy and management, the environment, health care, economic development and income inequality, corporate governance and entrepreneurship, money markets and Federal Reserve policy, and law. The program provides rigorous analytical training and quantitative and programming skills that equip students to correctly formulate (and solve) complex problems in the preceding areas and in the daily decision-making and financial planning of their everyday lives. Economics students learn techniques for critically analyzing and correctly evaluating key issues in public policy, and those skills can also be applied outside the public sector (e.g., to business).

The political science curriculum helps students to acquire an organized body of knowledge about government and to think analytically about public policy, law, and politics. The political science degree prepares graduates to enter careers in government, public service, public administration, public policy analysis, legislative advocacy, business, international relations, and teaching. Many Cal State East Bay political science graduates continue their academic careers in law school, or in the pursuit of graduate degrees in political science or public policy analysis.

The Master’s degree in Interaction Design and Interactive Art is a unique interdisciplinary program at the intersection of interaction design and interactive content development. The program emphasizes the creative and technical aspects of current and emerging technology and its use in creating, controlling, delivering, and presenting compelling content in an interactive form. This degree draws upon elements from many fields, including visual and interaction design, UX/UI, Fine Art, Computer Science, Education, Psychology, Journalism, and Telecommunications.

Our program embraces industry skills and practices by emphasizing teamwork and a project-based, hands-on approach in the creation of interactive applications and objects as part of designed user experience. Instruction focuses as much on the enduring creative process as on the transient technology so that students learn skills needed to adapt quickly to new environments in a rapidly developing and ever-changing field.  

The Interaction Design and Interactive Art, M.A. Program is a two-year degree program, and most coursework is offered in the evening to accommodate working professionals.

During the first year, students develop a theoretical foundation, enhance their creative and research skills, and learn to work effectively in teams. During the second year, small teams of students of various backgrounds and talents create innovative, professional interactive thesis projects. Ideas for projects originate from students, faculty, or external sources.

Students in the Interaction Design and Interactive Art, M.A. Program, enjoy many benefits including small student-teacher ratios and dedicated interdisciplinary faculty. Thesis project students have 24-hour access to a dedicated production studio, maker space, and secure workspaces equipped and maintained with the current technology and support staff.

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.

Human Development is an interdisciplinary program that integrates theory and methodology from disciplines such as anthropology, biology, linguistics, psychology, and sociology. The program explores the processes and mechanisms underlying developmental change and stability across the lifespan and the socio-cultural and historical contexts in which development takes place.

The Program’s curriculum aims to develop in students a basic understanding of major research findings and core concepts in human development, the ability to analyze and evaluate theoretical and practical issues in the field, and the skills to apply learning to diverse communities outside the University. The Program strives to create an optimal learning community that values and fosters collaborative learning and dialogue between and among students and faculty from diverse backgrounds.

Geography is the study of spatial distributions, relations, processes and outcomes within the human-environment system. Attention is focused on historical and contemporary human activities in the natural and built environment, and on people as the major physical, social, cultural and economic change agents across the Earth’s surface. A curriculum in Geography helps students understand the world’s physical, social, economic and cultural landscapes and how they have been transformed or altered by either the Earth’s natural processes or human modifications, and the future sustainability of our current actions in the light of our past experiences and ongoing trends such as urbanization, globalization and climate change.

Psychology is the science of behavior and mental processes. Many psychologists work primarily with people to understand how they think, respond to stress, learn and forget, develop into unique personalities, and interact with one another. Others study the behavior and nervous systems of animals in order to find general principles that apply across species. Psychologists apply their knowledge to do therapy and counseling, to improve practices in schools, prisons, and rehabilitation centers, and to enhance performance in industrial and business settings.

The B.S. programs are designed for more specialized purposes. The concentration in Industrial/Organizational Psychology provides preparation for careers related to business, with an emphasis on personnel management. The concentration in Ergonomics and Human Factors provides preparation for careers in the design of work environments to take account of human limitations and strengths, for example, the design of equipment (computers, aircraft, automobiles) or the design of industrial procedures.

The Department of Social Work offers graduate study leading to the Master of Social Work (M.S.W.). This program trains social workers for leadership and direct practice positions in social work and is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. The program has a multicultural focus, preparing graduates to work in both non-profit and public agencies and to be proficient in serving diverse populations in urban communities.

The mission of the California State University, East Bay Master of Social Work program is to graduate culturally responsive urban social workers in the areas of Children, Youth, and Families and Community Mental Health. Social work graduates are prepared to address individual, family, group, and community needs caused by inequalities of class and identity including race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, immigration status, religion, caste, and other forms of social injustice. Advocacy and social change around these injustices form the core of the MSW program.

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.