Master of Science in Construction Management

at California State University - Fresno USA

The communication major is designed to provide broad-based competencies in oral and written communication, critical analysis of human discourse, and social scientific and humanistic research methods. The major also emphasizes how this theoretical knowledge is applied in specific contexts ranging from personal relationships to business management to public advocacy.

Our aim is to prepare students to understand and provide leadership in a competitive communication-oriented society. We offer a balance of humanistic and scientific instruction in communication skills people need to function effectively in teaching, business, law, nonprofit organizations, public service and administration, public relations, government, and management. Outside the workplace, these skills will also enhance students' ability to be active in civic engagement and community service.

Our program requires a comprehensive understanding of the breadth and depth of the communication discipline, as well as its major theoretical frameworks and research methodologies. The major and minor emphasize how this theoretical knowledge is applied in specific contexts ranging from personal relationships to professional organizations to public advocacy. Students investigate problems in diverse cultural settings, which make the San Joaquin Valley - with its tremendous ethnic diversity - an ideal location for study.

The Communication Skills for Professionals Certificate program recognizes development in such areas as presentational speaking, problem solving and decision making, leadership, and interpersonal communication.

Our program offers a variety of exciting activities to enrich students' educational experience. We have an active student organization, the Communication Club, and a debate team that participates in competitive intercollegiate tournaments and hosts public debates on campus. Our annual Peach Blossom Festival brings more than 5,000 elementary-age students to campus to present prose and poetry.

The Department of Kinesiology offers advanced study designed to enhance professional competencies in pedagogy (M.A. in Kinesiology), exercise science (Exercise Science Option), sport administration (Sport Administration Option), and sport psychology (Sport Psychology Option). These offerings prepare students for more advanced degrees, applied research, and/or careers in clinical settings, teaching, administration, coaching, or the sport industry.

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 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.

Marketing is the process by which organizations define and select target markets, design products and services, set prices, determine distribution channels, develop promotions, and design after-sale customer service. When all of these elements are correctly mixed, the firm is able to build long term relationships with its customers. Building on marketing theories and concepts, marketing students study the basics of marketing information systems. They also learn about exchanging relationships, personal communication, market segmentation, positioning strategies, Internet marketing, and marketing strategic planning. In addition, students can explore special interest areas such as promotion, retailing, international marketing, services marketing, logistics and supply chain strategies, sales management, distribution management, buyer behavior, and sports marketing. Particular emphasis is placed on marketing applications through experiential learning projects, service-learning experiences, hands-on projects with local companies, and semester long internships. Marketing is an exciting, fast-paced, dynamic field that offers career opportunities in e-marketing, marketing research, product design, retail and wholesale management, distribution, sales, sales management, purchasing, advertising and public relations, and marketing management. These exciting careers stimulate personal growth, challenge your creativity and imagination, and appeal to a variety of interests.

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.

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.

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 B.A. Option in TESL provides professional training and preparation in theories and methods for teaching second/foreign languages and is especially compatible with degrees in education and liberal studies.

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 Master of Arts program in English, Literature Option, serves several categories of students: those teaching high school and community college, those anticipating doctoral studies, those studying creative or expository writing, and those simply interested in extending and intensifying the knowledge acquired in their undergraduate studies.