Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry

at California State University - Fresno USA

The Bachelor of Science in Biology is a 120-unit program. Of the total, 49 units are required to satisfy the university's General Education Program and 21 units are required by the Department of Biology to satisfy the biology core. The core curriculum is a sequence of courses required for all biology majors. The core curriculum builds the foundation upon which further learning in biology will be based. Additional requirements are listed below.

The biology degree program prepares students for entry into a wide range of careers, for further academic study at the graduate level, including the department's own M.S. in Biology, and for entrance into professional degree programs. Within the scope of the major requirements and electives, students may focus their studies in areas that best meet their future career needs. Students must consult an advisor for help in selecting courses appropriate to their interests and career objectives. An emphasis on cellular and molecular processes prepares students for the department's professional science Master of Biotechnology.

Students planning for graduate and professional schools should be aware that entrance requirements for those programs will often exceed the minimal requirements for a Biology B.S., particularly in the ancillary fields of chemistry, physics, and mathematics. An advisor should be consulted for specific information on graduate and professional school requirements.

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. 

Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies is an approach that places women in the center of inquiry. The primary mission of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies is to analyze gender. Students acquire both a local and global perspective on gender. Attentiveness to diversity, privilege and power, and women's unique creative contributions to human experience are central aspects of this training. More than simply a body of knowledge, Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies encourages students to apply their learning to transform their lives and their communities. Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies offers a vital perspective everywhere gender impacts our world.

Why study physics? Physics is a fundamental science that is the basis of all sciences, from chemistry, engineering, to medicine. What do physicists do? We ask questions such as what is matter made of? The answers we get from our theoretical models and experiments are applied to study microscopic and macroscopic properties of matter, to diagnose, treat, and manage diseases and disorders, and to study the origin and evolution of the entire universe.

The Computer Engineering Program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Computer engineering is a discipline which allows the student to obtain expertise in the design, programming, and applications of computers. It prepares the graduate for professional practice or graduate studies.

The program combines the following:
a. A strong emphasis on electrical engineering (primarily electronic circuits and systems)
b. A broad basis in mathematics, physical science, and general engineering
c. Fundamentals of computer science including programming methodology, software engineering, and operating systems
d. Introductory and advanced concepts in the design of computers and computer systems

A rich set of technical area courses is available to allow students to broaden their knowledge within any of several computer engineering areas.

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. 

At California State University, Fresno, the interdisciplinary studies major under either the Master of Arts (MA) degree is available to qualified graduate students when there is a need for advanced study in subject matter that is multidisciplinary and that is not reasonably available through existing graduate degree programs. In such instances, a formal proposal for an Interdisciplinary Studies major that includes a cohesive curriculum with interrelated coursework and graduate experiences from two or more departments may be submitted for approval. Proposals that could be accommodated by an existing master's degree or option, as in the use of elective courses, are not approved.

The MA in Interdisciplinary Studies is awarded in all fields, particularly those that include the arts, letters, and humanities.

The world of the 21st century is a place where there are very complex interactions between an increasingly fragile environment and the people who make up the many varied and diverse cultures on it. Geographers are uniquely trained to "see the big picture" so that they can more fully understand these complex interactions of the environment and the many cultures of humankind.

The Geography Department offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in geography, a minor in geography, a minor in meteorology, and an interdisciplinary minor in urban studies. The geography course offerings support undergraduate preparation for careers in environmental study, teaching, weather, regional and urban planning, and preparation for graduate work.

Central to geographic inquiry is a concern with the human occupancy of the earth, the character of the human environment, and the interrelationships that link humans and the physical world. In sum, geography seeks to provide a broad understanding of the world, its people, and its problems. Geography seeks to provide applied specializations and technical skills that can address economic, social, and environmental problems at scales that range from local to global by employing a spatial framework for organizational purposes analogous to the chronological framework employed in history.

Geography integrates much information from the natural and social sciences and because of the diversity of subject matter from which it obtains data, offers a broad, liberal education applicable to many fields of employment.

The department offers a variety of courses that allow students to address different objectives. First, we provide, for both majors and non-majors alike, a greater understanding of the world as an element of a liberal education which has become an increasingly important component of a complete university education. Second, we provide courses that assure a depth of knowledge in subject matter and technique for majors and minors in geography. Third, we serve those students in related disciplines who wish to strengthen programs of study through a selection of courses in geography. 

The Master of Biotechnology offers students who are fundamentally educated in varied scientific disciplines the opportunities to advance their scientific skills. It allows them to acquire the business knowledge and skills necessary to commercialize emerging technologies or their products. Offered as a two-year program, it is representative of a unique interdisciplinary degree concept, the Professional Science Master's (PSM) degree, designed for students interested in entering the workforce in leadership roles to promote the development and production of new products and processes.

The Department of Linguistics offers an M.A. in Linguistics with an option in General Linguistics and an option in Teaching English as a Second Language. At California State University, Fresno, students may also get a Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Computational Linguistics or Cognitive Science. Department faculty will assist students in planning such a program. For specific requirements, see Degree Requirements below; for general requirements see Division of Research and Graduate Studies.

The Master of Arts degree program in Linguistics assumes a baccalaureate degree major in an appropriate field and at least three upper-division courses in linguistics as prerequisites. Graduate students are required to complete at least 30 units of courses with a minimum of 21 units of graduate level courses, and to pass a comprehensive examination or complete a thesis.