Master of Science in Special Education

at California State University - East Bay USA

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry provides a strong education in chemistry and biochemistry that prepares its students to function and thrive in our 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. Chemistry majors receive extensive instruction in predicting chemical reactivity. Building on an understanding of mathematics and physics, chemistry majors receive a background in the major disciplines of chemistry including inorganic, analytical, organic, physical, and biochemistry. Students learn the protocols and techniques for working safely with chemicals. 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 Chemistry, B.A. degree prepares students for work as chemists in a variety of careers in industry or government. The Chemistry, Chemistry Education Concentration, B.A. program is designed for students interested in teaching at the high school level but also prepares graduates to work as chemists in industry or government.

Through inclusive and rigorous creative inquiry, the Department of Theatre and Dance provides comprehensive training for performance, creativity, reflection, diversity, collaboration, mentorship, community engagement, and social justice.

Through a combination of core classes with a concentration, the program provides comprehensive pre-professional training in the areas of performance (Acting, Dance, Inclusive Performance (Applied Social Justice), and Musical Theatre) and production (Stage Technology and Design). Our primary goal is to develop artists whose performance skills and creativity are supported by a firm background in history, literature, and aesthetics. In an environment designed to encourage creativity and self-expression, students perform regularly in a variety of theatre and dance productions. The culmination requirement offers an opportunity to direct, choreograph, perform, write, intern, or design.

Theatre Arts program encourages majors to acquire a range of skills to expand their career options. Many have entered advanced studies in nationally recognized universities and conservatories. Some have chosen careers in teaching, while others have gone directly into theatre or dance performance. Alumni perform on professional stages around the world, including Broadway and Hollywood, where they have won Tony and  Emmy Awards, as well as other professional recognitions. Employers in business and public service professions desire Theatre Arts graduates for their team skills, their imaginative approach to problems, and their ability to communicate creatively.

This program is designed to teach students to be linguists who can work with signed and spoken languages and their cultures. The Option to our general BA expands on students’ language and culture training to additionally train them to become interpreters between ASL and English. For admission, students must receive a C or better in all required lower division courses, a 2 or higher on the ASLPI national exam, and have a successful interview with an invitation from the CSULB BA Option admissions committee to join a Fall semester cohort of 20-25 students.

The Master of Science degree provides students with advanced training in chemistry and the analytical skills needed to process and critique complex chemical information. The program requires a set of core courses encompassing the different disciplines of chemistry. Students may complete the remaining unit requirements with coursework in chemistry or may choose a biochemistry concentration, with the additional coursework in that area. The degree program mainly serves students in four categories: those seeking opportunities in the chemical industry requiring training beyond the baccalaureate level, employed chemists who wish to enhance their career potential, future teachers of high school or community college chemistry, and individuals contemplating more advanced graduate study.

Because of the rapid progress in the fields of chemistry and biochemistry, the department strives to offer a range of courses that cover not only established principles but also recent advances. Through laboratory-based coursework and research opportunities, students are prepared for new developments in experimental methods and instrumentation. They acquire experience reading and analyzing the chemical or biochemical literature in several courses, as well as through a research-based laboratory or computational project (Plan A) or by developing a written literature review (Plan B).

The Master of Science in Counseling degree requires 60 units organized according to university and degree program requirements. Requirements are established to ensure that each degree candidate obtains adequate breadth in subject matter, field experiences, and research.

School Psychology Concentration
The School Psychology concentration is nationally accredited by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP).

The philosophy of the School Psychology concentration is to train graduate students in evidenced-based practice to promote social justice and equity to diverse school communities.  Social justice is the call to provide all pupils with the support, skills, and services they need to reach their full potential in spite of poverty and other significant challenges.  The School Psychology concentration is committed to the academic and social-emotional development of children, families and communities. Thus, we strive to promote a strong professional identity in School Psychology while providing a core of shared learning experiences.

The goals of the concentration are to provide clinical training, instruction, field-based placements, and cohort learning opportunities to promote four levels of trainee development; 1) Foundation for Clinical Practice, 2) Professional Skills and Knowledge, 3) Demonstration of Competency, and 4) Professional Identity.  Although each area is introduced at different points of the program, levels of development and knowledge based content are continuously revisited and integrated into group and individual discussion and reflection. In addition, coursework continues to build as trainees demonstrate competence in service delivery.

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.

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.

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 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

Anthropology is the multifaceted study of humanity from an evolutionary, historical, and global perspective. Students in anthropology learn about their own culture as well as those of other peoples as they are shaped by biological evolution, ecological constraints, political history, and sociological conditioning. The Department of Anthropology, Geography, and Environmental Studies offers ethnographic, theoretical and methodological courses in five sub-disciplines: biological anthropology, prehistory and archaeology, linguistic anthropology, sociocultural anthropology, and applied anthropology. Regional courses on major populations of the world, especially the heritage cultures of North and South America, and Asia, form an important component of the curriculum. The B.A. degree program bridges the sciences, social sciences, and humanities, preparing students for multidimensional careers. Fundamentally, the study of anthropology cultivates an appreciation of what all humans share, as well as how humans differ across time and space.

At the undergraduate level, students in the B.A. degree program may choose to focus on special interests in two combined sub-disciplines:

• Archaeology and Biological Anthropology emphasize the study of human biology, variation, evolution, and the reconstruction of past ways of life and cultural systems from material remains.
• Socio-Cultural and Applied Anthropology emphasize the study of social and cultural systems of more recent historical and contemporary populations, and the application of anthropological insights into present-day problems.