Master of Arts in Interaction Design and Interactive Art (STEM)

at California State University - East Bay USA

An undergraduate major in mathematics is one of the best preparations not only for studying advanced Mathematics, but also for graduate work in Computer Science, Statistics, Operations Research, Actuarial Science, and the Natural Sciences.  Math majors are encouraged to pursue a minor or double major in another discipline that supports their goals or interests.

Mathematics is an intriguing, interesting and beautiful subject.  It is also challenging and rigorous.  Students are drawn to mathematics because of its clarity and the joy of discovering solutions to difficult problems.  The Department of Mathematics offers a strong Bachelor of Science degree that includes a variety of courses intended to prepare students for a career in any mathematics related field or other areas that value quantitative and problem-solving skills.  The program allows flexibility in breadth and depth where students can choose among courses with applied and pure emphases. The faculty are committed to creating a welcoming environment and providing opportunities for undergraduates to explore mathematics within and beyond the classroom.  There are scholarships available for math majors to support their studies while at CSU East Bay.

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.

Interaction & Game Design Concentration
Interaction Design focuses on the creation of meaningful experiences expressed as interactive applications and objects. Game Design applies this to entertainment, both experimental and commercial. Students analyze interactivity in art, design, and everyday life, acquire skills and develop prototypes, and work in collaborative teams to produce successful games and creatively solve real world problems.

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.

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 Studio Arts Concentration is offered for students who want to develop a rigorous foundation in fine art practice. With an emphasis on 2D, 3D and emergent art media, students will gain a working knowledge of drawing, painting, digital media and photography. Following 2-3 semesters of study, faculty advisors work with students to design a coherent course of study, with focus in at least one area. Through hands-on studio courses, as well as art historical research, students will conclude their studies with a solo art exhibit and demonstrate a critical understanding of historical and contemporary art practice. (Intermediate and upper division courses in hands-on media are available to students pursing either the B.A. or the B.F.A. degrees.)

The Department of Public Administration offers a program of study leading to the degree of Master of Public Administration, with concentrations in public management and policy analysis (PMPA) and health care administration (HCA). The program is designed to assist full and part-time students in preparing for professional careers in positions of administrative leadership in public and quasi-public organizations, for teaching positions in the community colleges, and for advanced doctoral studies in public administration.

The International Studies BA consists of an integrated group of courses reflecting international aspects of various disciplines. It is designed to provide the student with a broad base of understanding of the world community and of international processes and relationships while providing the opportunity to specialize in an area of interest. A minor in International Studies is also offered.

The Recreation degree prepares students for leadership positions in public recreation and leisure services agencies. Such work enhances the quality of life for millions of people each day across the nation. Specializations available in the degree include the Sustainability Concentration, Youth Development Programming Concentration, and a Recreation Therapy Concentration that prepares students to sit for the state RT licensing exam.

Potential jobs in this rewarding field include program coordinators, supervisors and directors in a variety of areas including day camps, sports, youth, teen and older adult activities and classes and naturalist, park ranger positions. Many graduates from our program are leaders in leisure services organizations including Concord, Livermore, Oakland, Pleasanton, San Ramon, and the East Bay Regional Park District.

The College of Business and Economics, which offers the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (B.S.B.A.) program, is committed to providing life-changing, quality business education to prepare students from diverse backgrounds to become successful business professionals and leaders. The B.S.B.A. program imparts students with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand the changing global business environment and to prepare students for success in their professional careers.

The B.S.B.A. major program is structured around a set of core courses enabling students to develop general business perspective and skills. Students are required to choose an area of specialization, i.e., concentration, corresponding to their desired career path. In addition, the program allows students flexibility to customize their specialization by choosing business elective courses. These electives may be chosen to further strengthen their preparation in their chosen concentration.

The undergraduate and the graduate programs in the College of Business and Economics are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB).

The Master of Science in Business Analytics (M.S.B.A.) provides students with a balanced and broad set of knowledge and skills in data analytics. This degree offers an in-depth study of advanced information technology used in business analytics. It also provides a comprehensive presentation of quantitative methods and software for business analytics, and develops students’ knowledge and skills in applying analytics to solve business problems.

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.