Bachelor of Arts in Economics

at California State University - Fresno USA

English is a general major or minor designed to give proficiency in skills that traditionally have been among the most highly prized by society: an ability to read with comprehension and critical judgment; to communicate accurately and clearly both orally and in writing; to grasp difficult ideas and think logically; to do research and organize materials; to make ethical and moral judgments from an historical and humanistic framework; and to appreciate literature and the arts.

The core of the English major consists of four basic kinds of courses in the upper division: literary history courses, literary genre courses, literacy seminars, and writing courses. The masterpiece courses apply to the minor and may meet General Education requirements. The department also offers courses in mythology and folklore, methods of research, film, and women's studies.

The Subject Matter Program for teaching credential candidates contains a number of specific prerequisites and special required courses, some of which are outside the Department of English. For specific program requirements, consult with the credential adviser each semester.

Logistics is associated with the movement, storage, and handling of materials and finished products. The option will also take into consideration the movement of agricultural commodities, fresh and processed foods, and managerial and safety issues pertinent to transportation and storage of agricultural commodities. Logistics includes all of the activities focused on efficiently moving goods to the right place at the right time. Logistics has come to be regarded as a key determinant of business competitiveness. Companies are substantially improving their competitiveness and productivity by overhauling their internal logistics and by more effectively managing their external links with suppliers and customers. The aim is to learn how to optimize the distribution of freight and freight-flow information from manufacturer to consumer, using advanced information systems and expertise to reduce inventories, cut transportation costs, speed delivery, and improve customer services. The current and long-term projected demand for logistics managers at all levels is very high. Currently logistics is the second largest employment sector in the United States. Logistics management offers everything that is expected in an ideal career including better than average salaries and advancement opportunities. The type of organizations that employ logistics managers include manufacturing firms, wholesalers, distributors, service institutions, and transportations firms.

Psychology is the scientific study of behavior -- including human thought, emotion, and action -- and the application of scientific knowledge to the solution of real-world problems. It includes a wide variety of topics, including perception, learning, memory, thinking, emotion, personality, social interaction, development, and abnormal behavior. Psychologists recognize that understanding behavior in all its complexity requires studying it from multiple perspectives. A thorough understanding of memory, for example, requires knowledge ranging from the neural structures and processes that underlie it to the social and cultural forces that influence it.

Students majoring in psychology take core courses in general psychology, statistics, and research methodology, along with additional courses in each of the primary areas of the discipline. There are also numerous opportunities for students to supplement their coursework with hands-on experience in faculty research labs and in the field under faculty supervision. Advanced and well-qualified students can participate in our senior honors program. These students design, conduct, and present an original research project as a senior thesis.

Psychology majors learn to think critically, write and speak clearly, identify and solve problems, and work effectively both individually and in groups. As a result, the study of psychology provides excellent preparation for graduate study and careers in a variety of fields.

The Criminology major is designed to prepare students for beginning professional work in criminal justice and to provide preparation for graduate work including law school. Criminology courses at the undergraduate level include integration of theoretical and applied materials of an interdisciplinary nature. The corrections option is designed for students interested in careers in probation, parole, correctional institutions, and other affiliated forms of work. The law enforcement option is designed for students interested in careers with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, or law enforcement careers within the private sector. The victimology option is designed for students interested in careers in domestic violence programs, rape counseling programs, victim/witness programs, or other victim-related programs at the local, state, or federal level; these programs can either be criminal justice based or community based. An internship course is required in the corrections, law enforcement, and victimology options. The Forensic Behavioral Sciences major prepares students interested in the application of other behavioral sciences — such as psychology, anthropology, social work, and linguistics — to the criminal justice system. However, it is also designed to prepare students interested in traditional criminal justice careers. 

The objective of our M.S. program is to build a firm basis for subsequent Ph.D. study in physics or in related fields, for positions in industry, and for teaching at the community college level. We offer a broad-based academic program with the opportunity for specialized theoretical or experimental research. Students completing degrees have successfully pursued all three of these career goals - with roughly equal numbers going to doctoral programs and industry, and a smaller number directly into teaching.

Areas of research in which our faculty are active include physics pedagogy, condensed matter theory and experiment, characterization of materials properties (amorphous semiconductors), dipolar magnetism, Fullerene research, laser Raman spectroscopy, radiation medical physics, classical and quantum field theory, and gravitation. Faculty also study forces and interaction of fundamental constituents of matter with experiments using the world's most powerful particle accelerators at Fermi National Laboratory and CERN, Switzerland. Astronomy research includes observations of cataclysmic variables, black holes, and extrasolar planets. It is done with the most powerful instruments available today, including Hubble Space Telescope, and other NASA spacecraft, as well as many other telescopes around the world.

The M.S. in Construction Management program provides the technical competencies, financial knowledge, and entrepreneurial skills that are essential to today’s leaders in the construction industry.

The program is designed for recent college graduates as well as working professionals with architecture, engineering, construction (AEC), business or related backgrounds.

It aims to prepare graduates to (a) fill upper management positions in the AEC industry; or (b) pursue Ph.D. studies in construction related fields, and eventually fill teaching and/or research positions in colleges and universities.

The Bachelor of Science in Geology prepares students for employment in petroleum geology, mineral exploration, land-use planning, environmental assessment, hydrology, and engineering geology, or for teaching earth science or physical science at the secondary level. The Master of Science program provides a graduate degree for students who want to work in industry or government on the professional level, for students who want to teach earth science in junior college, or for students who wish to pursue further graduate study.

The Master of Arts program in History is designed to extend the competence of persons engaged in a wide variety of fields requiring a broad grasp of historical knowledge, techniques, and interpretation. Within this degree program, students may choose to complete either a traditional track or a teaching option. The traditional track, which offers both thesis and examination as possible culminating experiences, best satisfies the needs of those interested in public service, teaching at the community college level, or pursuing advanced graduate study in history. The teaching option best satisfies the needs of those interested in enhancing their teaching of history primarily at the secondary level.

The Graduate Certificate program is most suitable for those teachers who would like to update their professional credentials, those seeking supplemental certification, those seeking to prepare for the CSET, and/or those who would simply like to continue their study of history but who do not require an M.A.

The M.S. in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling is a 60-unit CORE accredited program that aims to prepare professionals who are culturally competent, and able to provide rehabilitation and mental health counseling to individuals with disabilities in an ethical manner while adhering to the Code of Professional Ethics and Scope of Practice for the profession. Students have the ability to pursue certification as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and National Certified Counselor, as well as undergo requirements that position them for the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor credential. The program has earned top rankings in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, and is a national leader in hands-on, real world rehabilitation in California and beyond.

The Department of Counselor Education and Rehabilitation offers three master’s degrees and one credential program for post-baccalaureate students seeking careers in the counseling and rehabilitation profession. All academic offerings utilize the services and facilities of community agencies and school districts within the university service area and throughout the Central Valley. Emphasis is placed on preparing highly trained, culturally competent, well-rounded professionals who are civic-minded in their service and leadership to clients and communities.

Economics is the social science that studies the way in which societies are organized to produce the goods and services that sustain and enhance the life processes of the community. As a fundamental scientific discipline, economics employs systematic analysis in the study of the production and distribution of income within and among nations. Since all social policy issues in modern societies have an economic dimension, the study of economics offers the student an opportunity to investigate the most important and exciting problems of political economy facing the world today.

Such topics as inflation, unemployment, business cycles, international trade, finance, and development have long been within the province of economics. More recently, the economic way of thinking has been extended to other areas. Economic theories have been used to explain crime rates, birth rates, class conflict, pollution, marriage decisions, migration, and many other topics involving human behavior.

Economics majors acquire skills in critical and analytical thinking that contribute to an individual's intellectual independence and self-confidence in the problem-solving processes. In addition, economics majors confront the necessity of developing a broad view of the options facing humankind in organizing the production and distribution of income. The literature of economics presents widely diverse systems of political economic philosophy. The department offers a well-developed and balanced curriculum.

The program in economics is designed to give the student maximum flexibility. A typical economics major might take courses in intermediate macroeconomic theory and statistics while also learning about global corporations in the third world, or the regional economy, or pursue an independent study project on the foundations of supply-side economics. The economics major is designed to permit the student to pursue a broad liberal arts undergraduate degree, integrating the study of economics with other social sciences, humanities, natural sciences, and business administration.