Master of Arts in History with Concentration in Generalist

at California State University - East Bay USA

The Master of Arts degree in Music is an intensive program that provides advanced study for students with highly developed interests and accomplishments in music. Students are given the opportunity to improve their musicianship skills, critical skills, and professional insights in preparation for furthering their careers in performing, teaching, composing and arranging, administration, and research. It also offers opportunities for current school and college music teachers to increase their professional effectiveness and provides prospective doctoral aspirants with a sound foundation for advanced graduate study.

Students take core courses in graduate-level music theory and music history, and construct an individual course of study in an area of emphasis that supports their artistic, creative and professional goals. Areas of emphasis include: conducting studies, composition, music theory, jazz studies, music education, music history and world music, and performance.

Students in our program have opportunities to study with leading performers, composers, and scholars, and to partake in the musical and cultural richness of the San Francisco Bay Area. Emphasis is placed upon maintaining small class sizes and close student-to-teacher interactions. The program also provides flexibility for students to explore further study in areas relevant to their career goals and aspirations. Beyond the classroom, the Department of Music boasts a thriving music program that includes numerous classical, electronic and jazz ensembles. Many of our students are actively engaged in performing, teaching, and other musical pursuits while simultaneously completing their degrees.

Area of Emphasis
A minimum of 6 units of coursework in one (1) of the following areas of emphasis is required:

• Conducting Studies
• Composition
• Jazz Studies
• Music Education
• Music History and World Music
• Music Theory
• Performance

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.

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.

The university offers the Master of Arts degree in English. Although there is no separate degree offered in creative writing, it is possible to satisfy the thesis option for the M.A. in English by work in fiction, poetry, or drama. Students seeking a degree must observe the general university requirements stated elsewhere in this catalog as well as the specific departmental requirements stated here.

Statistics is the science of learning from data. Majors study collecting and analyzing a variety of data, and reporting the results of the analysis.  Designs of Experiments are used to plan data collection in experimental settings, such as in medical research.  Surveys are used to collect opinions from samples in populations, such as in political polling.  Observational data is collected commonly by business as part of standard business processes, such as in website analytics.  Statistical methods are used to process data into easily read visual displays, and into summary statistics for interpretation, decision making, and reporting.

Statistics has been a rapidly growing science for many years and has many uses in other fields, such as Business Analytics, Machine Learning, Visualization, Econometrics, Biostatistics, Psychology, and many others.  Statistics is widely used by businesses and government organizations to understand changes in the economy and to make forecasts about future events based on past patterns in their data. Statistics is used to model relationships between variables and to predict future values of output variables from input variables.  Statistical methods draw accurate inferences about large groups on the basis of a representative sample from the group or population.  Descriptive Statistics are used to summarize and visualize the collected data.

The methodology of statistics can be adapted to many types of problems. Due to the extensive development of computers and the collection of large databases, the need for statistical techniques has greatly expanded in recent years.  A society like ours, which has become increasingly dependent on its data, has a growing need for statisticians.

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 Art Department emphasizes study in our Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) Program. This is a professional degree that offers students the opportunity to develop greater expertise through comprehensive and intensive study in a specific area of art or design - a program that leads to successful careers in the visual art and design industries. Students who intend to pursue graduate studies or advanced skills for a professional career typically choose the B.F.A degree.

The B.F.A. professional concentrations require 70 units of study in the Department to complete the major.  There is no application procedure to enter the Bachelor of Fine Arts program beyond declaring as a B.F.A. student with a specific concentration.  The concentrations are listed below under major requirements.

BFA in Fine Arts Practice
The Fine Arts Practice concentration is offered for students who wish to delve deeper into their art practice, develop their key concepts, and create a focused body of work to propel their career in the Arts to the next level. Through intensive hands-on studio courses, thought-provoking academics, and BFA critiques, faculty work with students to hone their skills, widen critical thinking, strengthen creative expression, and form a deeper understanding of their role as a cultural maker. Students can specialize in drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, or hybrid approaches to artmaking which may incorporate multiple media and digital media. Bridging traditional and contemporary art practices, the program prepares students with skills to produce and sustain a culturally responsive practice that embraces the emerging issues and technologies that impact society and cultural production. This degree is chosen by students who intend to become professional working artists, work in art related fields, or apply for graduate work.

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 master’s degree in Multimedia is a unique interdisciplinary program at the intersection of interactive content development and interaction design. 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 a number of fields including art, journalism, computer science, psychology, and telecommunications.

The master’s degree in Multimedia focuses on Interaction Design,  the creation of interactive applications and objects as part of designed user experience.

The Multimedia graduate program embraces industry skills and practices by emphasizing teamwork and project-oriented goals. Students learn the skills needed to adapt quickly to new environments - a valuable asset for any profession. Because multimedia is a rapidly developing and rapidly changing field, the program focuses as much on the enduring creative process as on the transient technology.

The Multimedia master’s is a two-year degree program. Most coursework is offered in the evening. During the first year, students develop a theoretical foundation in multimedia technology, enhance their creative skills and learn to work effectively in teams. During the second year, small teams of students with various backgrounds and talents create innovative, professional-quality interactive multimedia projects. Ideas for group projects can originate from students, faculty or external sources. Many of the program’s student projects have won national and international awards.

Students in the Multimedia graduate program enjoy a number of benefits including small student-teacher ratios and a dedicated interdisciplinary faculty. Thesis project students have 24-hour access to their own professional-quality multimedia production studio. These facilities are well equipped and maintained with the latest technology.

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.