Bachelor of Arts with Special Major

at California State University - San Bernardino USA

Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts

The Master of Science in Entrepreneurship and Innovation (MSEI) program is designed to offer students with business, technical or other non-business degrees a comprehensive education that prepares them to launch entrepreneurial ventures or new business ventures in large organizations.

The program is structured as a 16-24 month, 30-unit program for both business and non-business majors alike and utilizes primarily face-to-face courses but will also integrate hybrid instruction where appropriate. Through coursework and experiential learning activities, students will be exposed to the key concepts of entrepreneurship including creativity and idealization, evaluation and screening of business concepts, business model formulation, startup models and the entrepreneurial process, team formation, marshaling resources, planning techniques, and launch strategies.

The M.A. in Education with an option in career and technical education is designed to provide advanced and specialized education to personnel working in a variety of settings related to vocational education such as secondary, postsecondary, and private schools. The program should also meet the requirements for leadership positions in these facilities. The emphasis area courses offer the opportunity to focus on a particular area of personal interest. Up to 16 units of graduate-level courses from other programs (either at CSUSB or any accredited university) may be used as electives or, in some instances, substituted for program courses. The result is that we can custom design a program of study to meet almost anyone’s needs.

The Master of Science in Biology is designed for students entering research-re­lated careers or planning to enter advanced graduate and professional de­gree programs. The general goal of the program is to provide students with the opportunity to sharpen their knowledge and expertise, improve their ability for self-directed study, and advance intellectual responsibility, all in preparation for professional leadership in the field of biology. The program allows students the flexibility to develop avenues of study and thesis research proposals based on their interests and goals.

The Bachelor of Science in Chemistry program is certified by Committee on Professional Training of the American Chemical Society.  It is designed for the student who plans a career in chemistry or a related field upon graduation or plans to go on to graduate school in the chemical sciences.  It is also an option for students interested in medicine, pharmaceutical sciences, clinical laboratory science, forensics, environmental science, as well as industries such as petrochemicals, instrumentation, food, nutraceuticals, or cosmetics.  The program provides foundational course work in the sub-disciplinary areas of organic, inorganic, physical, analytical, and biochemistry with cognate course work in biology, mathematics and physics.  A concentration in biochemistry or chemistry is required.  

The chemistry option requires in-depth courses in instrumental analysis, an inorganic chemistry lab, materials or polymer chemistry, one upper-division chemistry elective, and completion of a senior project.  The biochemistry option requires additional biology and biochemistry course and laboratory work, and may be more appropriate for students interested in the biotech industry, medical, or pharmacy school.

The Bachelor of Music program prepares students for careers as professional performers of classical art music or in music teaching. Students must meet rigorous academic and artistic standards to enter and continue in the program, and after graduation the majority of students in performance concentrations pursue advanced music degrees or similar post-baccalaureate training.  Students in the music education concentration pursue post-baccalaureate credentials to teach music.  The performance concentrations puts particular focus on real world performing as a supplementary learning experience, with emphasis on auditions for professional engagements and competitions, service learning, and formation of ad hoc ensembles. The music education concentration puts similar focus on pre-professional activities, including substantive observations in school music settings, as well as pursuit of meaningful paid or volunteer teaching in such settings.

Entrance to Bachelor of Music requires a demonstration of significant academic, performance, and intellectual achievement. Students may apply at any time for entrance to the Bachelor of Music, but freshmen students usually apply to enter the program after the completion of two semesters of CSUSB coursework, and transfers usually apply immediately before their first semester of enrollment.  Students whose initial application does not result in acceptance into the program may apply a maximum of one additional time.

Occasionally, students with specialized educational or professional objectives may find that the existing degree programs offered at the university do not satisfy personal needs or career plans and that a carefully structured, interdisciplinary program of study is more appropriate.

The B.A. with Special Major is an interdisciplinary program intended for students with unusual interests and abilities who have the initiative and desire to design their own major with the aid of faculty and professional advisors. The purpose of these individually-designed special majors is to provide a carefully controlled opportunity for exceptional students to design, with faculty approval, a flexible interdisciplinary course of study that leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Admission normally is limited to students who can design (with the aid of a faculty committee) individualized programs organized around a coherent topic or cross-disciplinary subject that involves two or more departments. Occasionally, short-term interests in interdisciplinary programs may be served by more structure and degree plans organized by faculty for groups of students.

The B.A. with Special Major is not intended to bypass normal graduation requirements or to avoid certain requirements of a regular major offered at CSUSB or at other nearby institutions. The self-designed major should not substantially duplicate any existing degree offered at CSUSB. Likewise, a Special Major cannot be developed in areas such as architecture, agriculture, or engineering where the campus lacks the necessary faculty expertise to guide the student and supervise the culminating project. Students must have an overall grade point average of 3.0 including work taken at all institutions and must maintain a 3.0 average in the courses required for the self-designed major.

Although the Special Major is a unique program that suits individual goals, has potential to combine fields and functions, and can add distinction to the degree, such an interdisciplinary program may pose professional obstacles and be difficult to explain to graduate schools and employers. Career goals and prerequisites for higher degrees should be reviewed before proceeding with this major. In particular, students who will be seeking a teaching credential should consult with faculty in the College of Education to see how a Special Major might impact subject matter requirements for teachers.

Interested students should contact the Office of Undergraduate Studies to begin the application and screening process. Prospective majors should be prepared to present a one-page description and justification of the program which outlines the concepts, goals and objectives to be fulfilled by the Special Major. If, after discussing the tentative interdisciplinary interests of the student, the Office of Undergraduate Studies believes the student should be encouraged to prepare a formal application and proposal for a Special Major, a packet of information and forms for justifying and submitting the proposed interdisciplinary curriculum will be provided to the student. If the student has not yet found faculty members who are interested in helping the student develop the curriculum and guide their study, the Office of Undergraduate Studies will suggest possible faculty committee members.

The Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art program provides a rigorous study for students with a strong direction and focus in art and a high level of technical proficiency. The program provides advanced study and practice in preparation for professional careers in studio art or teaching in higher education. Graduates will be prepared to take their places in the visual arts community and make significant contributions to our visual culture. The program focuses on creative studio work, supplemented by art history and theory, professional and critical writing, graduate studio critiques, studio electives, professional development, and independent study.
 
The MFA in Studio Art is a non-media specific, full-time, three-year terminal degree, with courses that embrace the multiplicity of artistic expression, augmented with graduate-level critical art theory seminars. Visiting artists, critics, field trips, and exhibition opportunities round out the curriculum.

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science

The bachelor of science program includes appropriate course work in physics to prepare students for employment or graduate work in a variety of physics-related fields. Students are encouraged to speak to their advisor to select elective courses that will best meet their career needs.