Master of Arts in Education - Reading or Language Arts Option

at California State University - Fresno USA

The Option in Student Affairs and College Counseling is a 48-unit program designed for individuals seeking advanced preparation for careers in post-secondary and related settings.

The Student Affairs and College Counseling Option is designed to prepare individuals for employment as student service professionals in four-year university and community college. Graduates with this degree option are prepared for employment in the multi- faceted arena of post-secondary education.

Preparation for the Student Affairs and College Counseling option requires knowledge of individual and group dynamics, advising practices in specialized settings, and an understanding of the developmental issues associated with students' maturation process. It requires an appreciation of organizational dynamics and a firm foundation in counseling theory as well as acquisition of counseling skills appropriate for use with students from diverse populations and backgrounds. In addition, counselors are also required to know, understand, and address the impact of crises, disasters, and trauma-causing events on students in the post-secondary community. The 2009 Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) standards includes content in crises management (suicide, disasters, and substance abuse).

The Master of Arts degree in Applied Behavior Analysis is a two-year, full-time graduate program that meets the degree, coursework, and experience requirements needed in preparation for national certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Students are required to take 44 units of coursework, including 3 thesis units and 4 practicum units. Students are also able to acquire the required number of supervised experience hours over the two years of the program. Students must apply for admission to the M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis during the graduate application process.

This degree program, particularly the practicum, emphasizes behavior analytic applications with typically developing and developmentally disabled children and adults.

The Biology Department offers a research-intensive Master of Science in Biology with the opportunity for specialization in several areas of study. Among these areas are ecologically oriented field studies in fresh water, terrestrial, and marine environments; molecular, cellular, and developmental biology of plants, animals, and microbes; physiology of microbes, plants, and animals; entomology; microbiology; parasitology; botany; zoology; systematics; and animal behavior. The program also prepares candidates for teaching biological science disciplines at the secondary and community college education levels. The master's program provides a strong foundation for those seeking advanced education at universities offering the research doctorate (Ph.D.) or other professional degrees. The Biology Department has further informational materials available on request.

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.

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.

The Industrial Technology program at California State University, Fresno is geared towards preparing students for managerial and leadership roles in the industry. The program equips students with the necessary skills to use and manage state-of-the-art technologies in the fields of agricultural information systems, manufacturing, processing and packaging, quality systems and transportation. A blend of lectures, online instruction and hands-on lab activities together with engaged faculty and staff provides students with an environment that nurtures critical thinking and encourages innovation. The undergraduate curriculum includes technical concentrations in the areas of automotive technologies, food processing, and packaging, manufacturing quality and spatial technology which build on the strong foundations of our technology and management core courses.

The program for the Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology is accredited by the Association of Technology Management and Applied Engineering (ATMAE). The department was awarded the highest possible accreditation, six years which is valid until 2024.

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 Real Estate and Urban Land Economics Option provides the background for a wide range of career opportunities in addition to residential and commercial real estate sales. These areas include development, lending, banking, appraising, escrow, property management, and construction. Usually students who enroll in the real estate option will complete all courses necessary to take the California Brokers License Examination.

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.

The B.A. Option in Interdisciplinary Language Studies is for those students interested in combining the study of a particular language or languages with the core areas of linguistics.

The M.P.A. Program builds on the belief that effective leadership of public agencies requires a basic set of abilities and public values irrespective of the particular characteristics of an organization. Courses in the program focus on the development of critical thinking and analytical skills, as well as an appreciation for ethical decision making.

All students in the program complete a core program of 21 units within the 36 units required for the M.P.A. In consultation with their advisers, students will select the remaining units from graduate public administration courses and courses offered by other departments and programs. These units can be used to further develop a general competence in public administration or to provide students with an opportunity to pursue additional topics of interest. The M.P.A. student can meet the university Graduate Writing Requirement by passing the writing component of the course MPA 210. Please see program director for the written policy. To finish the program students may elect to write a thesis or to take a comprehensive examination.