Master of Arts in Art

at California State University - Fresno USA

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.

The Master of Arts in Art provides the opportunity for highly motivated art and design students to pursue study at an advanced level and attain a level of accomplishment in the visual arts and design. The graduate program emphasizes self-direction and focus within a specific area. The program builds upon the equivalent of the undergraduate major in art at California State University, Fresno. The program provides specifically for certain areas of interest: art education, crafts, computer art, interior design, drawing, painting, ceramics, photography, sculpture, art history, and theory. With prior approval, programs with multiple concentrations may be arranged. For specific requirements, consult the departmental graduate program director. For general requirements, see Division of Graduate Studies.

The Master of Arts degree program in communication is designed to be a comprehensive program reflecting the history and breadth of the communication discipline. Four objectives serve as measures for competent M.A. graduates of the program. First, all graduates will have a comprehensive understanding of the historical and philosophical assumptions of the communication discipline, as well as the various theoretical perspectives underlying scholarship in the discipline. Second, all graduates will recognize and be able to use appropriate communication strategies in formal, informal, professional, and personal contexts. Third, all graduates will understand quantitative, qualitative, and/or rhetorical methods of research in communication. Fourth, all graduates will understand various communication perspectives and will have a clear understanding of their own personal perspective and ideologies.

The department offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation Administration for individuals who are committed to the recreation and leisure services profession. The major in Recreation Administration prepares students with the knowledge, understanding, ability, and skill necessary to successfully function in professional positions related to the major.

Curriculum
Accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism, and Related Professions, the department offers a B.S. and a Minor in Recreation Administration.

Students in the recreation administration major complete a core of courses. These courses are designed to assist students in acquiring competencies related to the principles of recreation, leadership, group dynamics, and leisure behavior. Courses also cover legal and financial aspects of recreation service, advanced program planning, organization and administration of leisure services, evaluation, and professionalism.

Students develop specific skills in the areas of communication, human behavior, youth services, entrepreneurism, and adventure-based recreation and tourism, finance, management, marketing, funding, resources, program planning and supervision, and facility management.

Under the guidance of a practitioner, students in recreation administration are encouraged to acquire 1,000 hours of paid or voluntary hands-on experience in a variety of recreation, clinical, or leisure services agencies. In addition, they complete full-time internships with commercial recreation and tourism enterprises, public recreation agencies, nonprofit organizations, park-oriented agencies, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and other service organizations.

The Management Option develops skills, knowledge, attitudes, and abilities necessary for effective leadership in a wide variety of organizations. Graduates are prepared for entry-level leadership positions in today's rapidly-changing workplace through a dynamic curriculum combining theory, skill development, and practical experience, including internships in the student's area of interest. Courses develop those leadership abilities demanded by employers that include written, oral, analytical, and people skills. The option also provides a strong foundation for the M.B.A. Students may choose one of the following three tracks:

Organizational Leadership - Courses in this track prepare students for positions as project leaders, team leaders, and business managers. Courses emphasize leadership issues such as self-directed work teams, performance improvement, negotiating, vision and goal setting, and change management.

Production/Logistics Management (PLM) - This track provides students with a foundation for a variety of management career opportunities in manufacturing and distribution. With total quality management as a common basis, the PLM curriculum combines the two integrated disciplines of production/operations (transformation of resources into high quality products and services) and logistics (management of supply and distribution activities). Emphasis is placed on complementing the student's knowledge of PLM subject matter with hands-on, industrial experience gained through internship programs with local firms.

Special Management Applications - This track is designed for Management Option students who have a professional interest in a particular industry chosen by the student (agriculture, fashion merchandising, health science, industrial technology, recreation, theater, etc.) Students take business and organizational leadership courses and then, with approval of the department chair, select courses in their specific areas of interest.

History is the study of humanity’s recorded past. It encompasses all aspects of human behavior, social organization, and cultural development. The arts and the sciences, the development of technology, and changing economic forces are as much a part of history as is politics or social conflict.

Students of history are engaged in a journey through time in which they can witness and compare the development of a variety of cultures and the interrelations between people in many different circumstances. Through the study of past events, history provides a great storehouse of experience by which the theories of the other social sciences can be tested. And through its analysis of the development of institutions and cultures, it provides one of our best tools for understanding social phenomena.

History is also one of the broadest and most universal of the humanities. Just as the personalities of individuals are shaped through the totality of their past experiences, so cultures and institutions also develop in time. The study of history can help students understand themselves and their culture better and develop a more tolerant and humane spirit toward others. In this way, as in so many others, a knowledge of the past can help all of us meet the problems of today with greater understanding and compassion.

The Department of Finance and Business Law offers three options (areas of emphasis) within the Bachelor of Science in the Business Administration degree program.

The Finance Option stresses the financial structure of businesses through a common set of courses and specialized courses directed at various applications. It is designed to provide students with the basic skills required to plan, supervise, and control the financial activities of business organizations. These include understanding the trade-off between risk and return, the time value of money, and the magnifying effect of leverage. Students also gain the skills related to evaluating the financial needs of a business, obtaining the funds required by the firm, and using these funds in such a way that the company's goals are met.

Mechanical engineering is the use of basic science in the design and manufacture of components and systems. This requires the application of physical and mechanical principles in the development of machines, energy conversion systems, materials, and equipment for measurement and control. Knowledge of mathematics, physics, and chemistry lies at the core of this field. Application of this knowledge uses engineering technology -- a disciplined way of thinking, modeling, and testing that enables development of new systems despite incomplete information and uncertainty.

The undergraduate and graduate programs in mechanical engineering provide basics and advanced studies in design, advanced materials, alternative energy and sustainable systems, thermo-fluids, engineering mechanics, mechatronics and controls. All areas include statics, dynamics, materials, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and experimental methods. Application areas in design include mechanics of materials, applied mechanics, structural and manufacturing aspects of producing equipment, and vibrations. Application areas in thermal and fluid mechanics focus on energy conversion and include combustion, heat engines, refrigeration, and fluid flow.

Students should consult with their advisers to select the proper courses that emphasize their areas of interest.

Attainment of Engineer-in-Training (EIT) and Professional Engineering (PE) licensure are strongly recommended as first steps in professional lifelong learning.

Mathematics and related subjects play important dual roles in our culture. On the one hand, mathematics is a study in its own right; on the other hand, it is an indispensable tool for expressing and understanding ideas in the sciences, engineering, and an increasing number of other fields. As a consequence, employment opportunities for mathematicians have been expanding in recent years. The courses offered by the department are designed to develop skills in, and an appreciation and understanding of, both roles.

Because there are so many different areas in which a trained mathematician can find employment or continue studies, the department offers a large number of electives within the mathematics major. By selecting appropriate courses, students have considerable flexibility to accommodate their individual interests. Students should consult with a department adviser for specific recommendations as to which electives are suited to their career paths.

Electives in pure mathematics prepare students for the pursuit of graduate studies leading to advanced degrees and employment at the college or university level, or research in industry or for government agencies.

Mechanical engineering is the use of basic science in the design and manufacture of components and systems. This requires the application of physical and mechanical principles in the development of machines, energy conversion systems, materials, and equipment for measurement and control. Knowledge of mathematics, physics, and chemistry lies at the core of this field. Application of this knowledge uses engineering technology -- a disciplined way of thinking, modeling, and testing that enables development of new systems despite incomplete information and uncertainty.

The graduate program in mechanical engineering provide basics and advanced studies in design, advanced materials, alternative energy and sustainable systems, thermo-fluids, engineering mechanics, mechatronics and controls. All areas include statics, dynamics, materials, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and experimental methods. Application areas in design include mechanics of materials, applied mechanics, structural and manufacturing aspects of producing equipment, and vibrations. Application areas in thermal and fluid mechanics focus on energy conversion and include combustion, heat engines, refrigeration, and fluid flow.