Master of Science in Biology

at California State University - Fresno USA

It is the goal of the Department of Viticulture and Enology to be a world-class center of excellence that can effectively meet the needs of students and the broader community. The department offers courses in viticulture and enology. Each degree integrates viticulture and enology offerings with the basic sciences (e.g., biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics) and management skills to build a well-balanced foundation.

Academic Excellence
The Department of Viticulture and Enology at California State University, Fresno was officially established in July 2000. The foundations for the current curricula are firmly based in the sciences such as botany, chemistry, soil science, and microbiology. Classes in viticulture and enology are designed to help the students incorporate the basic sciences into the production of grapes and wines with numerous opportunities for “hands-on” learning experiences. We have the only university teaching facilities in the world that combines 120 acres of table, raisin and wine grape vineyards, a commercial 50,000 gallon winery, and a processing facility suitable for small-scale raisin production. This unique combination of academics and facilities has provided the training ground for numerous award winning viticulturists and winemakers.

Prepare for the future in agricultural sciences, technology, and management with a degree in animal sciences or agricultural education. The Department of Animal Sciences and Agricultural Education offers options in agricultural communications, teacher preparation, science, and production management. The science option has career specialization in the areas of preprofessional animal science and preveterinary medicine. The production management option offers career specialization in the areas of dairy science, equine science, meat technology and livestock, and poultry management. Courses integrate animal evaluation, behavior, disease, environmental management, genetics, health, marketing, muscle biology, nutrition, physiology, production, and reproduction.

The agricultural education major is designed to equip students for careers as agricultural communication specialists or secondary agriculture teachers. Specializations may be developed in agricultural business, animal sciences, plant sciences, or mechanized agriculture.

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).

Join the leader in science, technology, and management. Students majoring within the Department of Food Science and Nutrition are prepared for a wide range of professions in the food industry — the largest single industry in the United States. California State University, Fresno is centered in the greatest food production and processing area in the world.

Some of the largest and best dairy and food companies cooperate with the university to provide students with a view of commercial realities in this industry. There is strong demand for dietitians and nutritionists by the health care and food­ service industries.

The Master of Science in Food and Nutritional Sciences at California State University, Fresno provides for development of advanced level knowledge, development of research abilities, and the mentoring of future leaders.

Outcomes
The program graduates will be able to:

• Use knowledge and critical thinking skills to identify innovative solutions to problems,
• Communicate research findings through professional presentations and publications,
• Advance their careers, and (d) take an active role in their profession.

This program provides a graduate-level proficiency in food science or nutrition. The degree is applicable to specializations in food research, production, processing, chemistry, and microbiology; and dietetics, nutrition, nutrition education, and food service systems management.

Chicano and Latin American Studies (CLAS) is an interdisciplinary department that has been successful in presenting a highly informed, active, and challenging view of the Chicanx/Latinx experience in the United States, Latin America, and U.S./Latin American relations. Chicano and Latin American Studies provides an opportunity for a pluralistic exchange of ideas in an interdisciplinary academic setting, where faculty, students, and visiting scholars can share experiences and create a dynamic, intellectual environment.

The Chicano and Latin American Studies Department is designed to meet the following objectives:

1. to promote an awareness of the historical and cultural roots of Chicanx/Latinx people in the United States
2. to enhance an understanding of Latin America
3. to cultivate an appreciation of ethnic and national differences among all people
4.  to critically analyze the Chicanx and the Latin American experience in terms of significant issues, theories, current problems, and solutions, and
5. to provide students with a set of important professional skills to be utilized as they interact creatively and constructively with Chicanx/Latinx communities and multicultural society at large.

The department emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of family life, history, politics, culture, and the arts of Chicano and Latin American communities. The courses reflect an integrated approach in providing students with greater knowledge and understanding of the social reality and diversity of Chicanxs and Latin Americans.

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 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.

Because of increasing mobility in our modern world, it takes no time at all to travel to places where people speak a language other than English. If you visit or go to work in another country you will quickly learn the fallacy of the phrase, "Everyone speaks English there; don't worry!" Even in California, scarcely a day goes by that you do not hear people conversing in a language other than English, because the United States has a wealth of different heritage languages. Whether you travel overseas or stay in the United States, you will be more culturally sensitive if you are bilingual and bicultural. For example, agricultural, health, and music professionals benefit from knowing another language. It is never too late to acquire another culture and language.

The goal of the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures is to encourage multiculturalism and multilingualism in the Central Valley. That includes preparing students for communication in some of the important heritage languages of the area: German, Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese. These are also important languages of Mexico, Central and South America, and the European Union, so students are able to travel or work overseas with greater ease. The department also offers Greek and Latin, as well as Classical Studies and Humanities.

The department has programs for those who wish to be middle and high school teachers of French and Spanish. We offer courses to prepare those who wish to be bilingual/ cross-cultural teachers in elementary schools. We also offer courses in Italian, Portuguese, and other languages to the surrounding community. The department offers a major and a minor in French and Spanish, a minor in German, a minor in Humanities, and a minor in Classical Studies. We collaborate with the Department of Linguistics to offer the B.A. Option in Language Studies.

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.