Master of Arts in Rehabilitation Counseling

at California State University - San Bernardino USA

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 Science Degree in Industrial & Organizational Psychology provides a comprehensive slate of I/O-specific courses designed to prepare students for immediate entry into careers in applied settings. Academic coursework is supplemented with an applied externship completed for academic credit. The program requirements provide excellent preparation for those interested in pursuing a Ph.D. upon completion of the MS. The course of study also includes a strong, five-course quantitative sequence in research methodology, statistics, and measurement. I/O students are expected to become competent in theory, research, and application of psychology as each relates to human behavior in private and public organizations.

The primary objective of the industrial/organizational program is to provide students with the skills to apply the principles and methods of psychology to organizations, public and private, and to settings where people are engaged in work. To be successful in this application, the graduate must have developed knowledge and appreciation of psychological theory and research as they apply to organizations and people at work, and mastery of the measurement and research technologies which are commonly used in the discipline.

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.

Students are encouraged to check that they have met the prerequisite requirements for each course in the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration in which they are planning to enroll. Prerequisite requirements listed for each course are strictly enforced.

Enrollment in 3000-, 4000- and 5000-level courses in the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration is restricted to students who have completed at least 60 semester units (i.e., have achieved junior standing). Course prerequisites are strictly enforced.

Courses offered in the Master of Arts in Spanish program at CSUSB provide intensive study of Spanish and Spanish American literature and civilization, as well as Spanish linguistics. Our program is designed for those students seeking to enhance their teaching skills at the secondary or community college level, as well as those who wish to continue their studies and pursue a Ph.D. degree. Students will take 46 units and a comprehensive exam based on the core courses and a reading list. The program may be completed in two years.

Fifteen units chosen from philosophy courses. Elective units may include philosophy courses taken to satisfy General Education requirements. No more than 6 elective units from philosophy courses numbered 1005 – 3099. In consultation with the chair, philosophy majors are encouraged to include philosophy courses from study abroad in their elective category. Students with philosophy as a double major may complete the elective requirements for the philosophy major by taking up to nine units in non-philosophy courses that are related to the philosophy major. These customized non-philosophy elective packages need to form a coherent plan of study within the philosophy major and should be constructed in consultation with a faculty advisor; the plan of the elective package then needs to be submitted to and approved by the department chair.   

Bachelor of Arts in French

Students in this degree program do not need to take courses in the General Education categories A3 Critical Thinking, D Social Sciences Discipline Perspectives, and B Upper Division Scientific Inquiry.

The Bachelor's of Science in Biology is designed to give students a broad foundation in the biological sciences while affording them the freedom to specialize in a subfield of their choice. The core requirements emphasize the relationship between structure and function in living systems and the concept that biological processes can be studied at the cellular/molecular, organismal, population, and ecosystem levels. Upper division electives allow students the option to tailor their curriculum towards particular subjects in biology. The degree prepares students for a variety of careers in the biological sciences and related fields, such as: biology- or science-related positions in academia, government, non-government organizations (NGOs), or industry; entry to graduate programs in biological research; or entry to pre-professional programs including medicine, dentistry, or veterinary medicine.

The Kinesiology Department has 3 concentrations. Allied Health Professions (AHP), Exercise Science (ES), and Physical Education and Adapted Physical Education (PEAPE).

Allied Health Professions (AHP):
The concentration in Allied Health Professions (AHP) is for people interested in eventual graduate education in allied health professions (e.g., physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician’s assistant, medical or dental school) after graduation from CSUSB. CSUSB Kinesiology AHP students will engage in a rigorous course of study in Kinesiology, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. This concentration offers undergraduate students essential pre-requisite courses for eventual graduate study in a preferred AHP. Students are strongly encouraged to review admission requirements at accredited universities to which they may apply for specific allied health professional graduate programs. Twelve units in the AHP concentration meets the requirements for GE and major.  Note: AHP concentration is the only Kinesiology concentration that is impacted at this time. Students must request to transfer into the program once meeting the admission requirements.