Bachelor of Arts, Major in Humanities with Concentration in Comparative Religious Studies

at San Jose State University USA

American Studies concentration provides a San José State home for the study of U.S. cultures. Our courses, research, and events emphasize the cultural, political, and social aspects of the United States, past and present. In addition to our core faculty, we draw our instructors from departments throughout the university in order to integrate disciplines and themes.

In order to major in American Studies, students choose the American Studies concentration within the Humanities major. American Studies graduates master knowledge and skills helpful to careers in teaching, advanced study in law and public policy, or going directly into museum work or business. Employers and graduate schools value the critical thinking, analytical, and writing skills of a broad liberal arts education like American Studies.

In both the major and minor, the student will take our most popular course, the full year "Introduction to American Civilization" and then quickly graduate into small seminars like "American Popular Culture," "The American Dream," and "Nature and World Cultures." The student will cap the major off with a senior seminar on an advanced research topic. Recent seminars focused on "American Autobiography," "The Fantastic in Literature," and "Jailed Artists and Writers in the U.S."  For a transfer student from another college, there's an alternative option for completing the minor that is just as dynamic, completely based in our upper division coursework.

San Jose State University offers an MPH degree with a specialization in community health education in two formats: On Campus (regular session) and Online (through the College of Professional and Global Education, "CPGE").
The MPH degree on campus offers students the flexibility to complete their degree in two years or more, depending on personal circumstances.
The MPH-Online option is offered through special session and is a fast-paced, 24-month program of study.  The SJSU MPH Program is well-known for its practice-oriented, community-based training.

The Master of Science program gives students the opportunity to further their knowledge in foundational and applied topics, preparing them for advanced industrial or research positions. Students are expected to complete six graduate level courses, two electives, and two semesters of project work. Full-time students generally take two years to complete the program. The program is available to students with a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related discipline. In order to ensure small class sizes and individual supervision of projects, the size of the program is limited and applications are competitive.

Music Composition Majors engage themselves in the study of new music and its construction for traditional ensembles as well as electro-acoustic mediums. Private composition lessons are at the heart of this degree program: each student is given individual time to be mentored by one of our distinguished faculty in the art of composing music. This degree program also offers group composition classes and provides many opportunities for students to hear their own works performed by other students and faculty members. Students in this program must complete both junior and senior recitals in addition to the regular course of study.

The Bachelor of Arts in Dance offers a well rounded education in dance technique, theory, choreography, and performance. With concentrations offered in modern and jazz, students are encouraged to pursue their own unique talents and grow as artists, supported by professionally active faculty and special guest artists. The BA program strives to challenge students with technical practice in various dance techniques, theoretical study in several areas, and ample performance opportunities.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes:

• Ability to effectively use grammatical structures in Spanish and to express oneself orally and in writing in different sociolinguistic milieus including formal and academic presentations.
•  Ability to appreciate literary texts of the Spanish-speaking world (Spain, Spanish America and the Hispanic U.S.) and to recognize stylistic elements in the literature.
•  Ability to develop and carry out research projects in Spanish, including term papers and bibliographical research.
•  Ability to analyze and develop texts other than literary: for example, informal and formal correspondence, (applications for school or jobs, a résumé, brochures, etc.) and to understand the use of appropriate academic and technical terminology.
• Ability to produce, analyze and rationalize the sounds of Spanish (phonology) as compared and contrasted with the sounds of English.
•  Ability to analyze morphological, syntactic and semantic components of Spanish

The MA Linguistics program provides students with an interdisciplinary education in the scientific study of language. Courses in general linguistics develop the ability to analyze data, to propose and refine theories about how language works. Elective courses in computational linguistics serve students interested in speech technology and natural language processing. Other electives in sociolinguistics, multilingualism, and applied linguistics emphasize the role of language in society, including in education, and language variation and change. Graduates in linguistics offer a set of highly specialized skills to IT companies and to organizations whose work places a premium on communication with linguistically diverse audiences. Many graduates pursue careers with companies specializing in these areas. Other graduates pursue teaching careers in language and linguistics in domestic and overseas institutions. A smaller but significant number of linguistics graduates enter PhD programs for more advanced study.

The Conservation and Organismal Biology Program at San Jose State University is designed to provide Biology majors with a diversified curriculum in conservation and wildlife management, entomology, zoology, and plant biology. Our students are provided with intensive, one-on-one attention from an outstanding faculty specializing in each emphasis. In addition, our students participate in several hands-on, field-oriented classes, which prepare them with practical experiences in the field. Destinations include Bodega Bay, Rancho Del Oso, Big Basin, the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Diablo Range, the San Francisco Bay Area Wildlife Refuge, the Central Coast, Death Valley, and the Sierra Nevada. We also provide students with opportunities to participate in research in Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Costa Rica, West Africa, Guatemala, Belize, and Japan.

• Students will demonstrate a high-level of ability to propose and complete a publishable, full-length work of literature in a primary genre concentration (fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, or scriptwriting).
• Students will demonstrate high-level of proficiency to write works of literature in a secondary genre concentration (fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, or scriptwriting).
• Students will demonstrate an appropriate level of knowledge of literary history, literary theory, and craft and theory of creative writing.
• Students will demonstrate critical and analytical skills in the evaluation and interpretation of literary texts.
• Students will demonstrate a command of written academic English, including the abilities to: a) organize and present material in a cogent fashion; b) formulate and defend original arguments; c) employ effectively the language of their discipline; d) write under time constraints.

The Master of Arts in Art History and Visual Culture offers a broad education in art history, including preparation for a Ph.D. degree program. It also prepares students for a graduate library degree with specialization in art history, as well training for a variety of positions including community college professor, researcher, museum curator, arts administrator, conservator, and visual resources librarian. Our program is especially strong in modern and contemporary art, architecture and design, and the art of the Renaissance. We also feature a variety of special-topic courses such as Art and Architecture of Islam, History of Photography, German Art, and “Fashionology.” Students have the opportunity to study with experts in these fields and to work within a dynamic department that includes a strong M.F.A. program located in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Besides featuring a wide array of courses we host a number of activities during the academic year. These include the Art History and Visual Culture Colloquium, the Art History Association Symposium, the Tuesday Night Lecture Series and a range of exhibitions in the Thompson Gallery. The department website offers information about our courses, faculty, facilities, and events.