Bachelor of Arts, Major in Philosophy

at San Jose State University USA

Students in the BFA program will have accomplished these objectives and will have produced a portfolio of work that will enable them to apply to graduate schools. The required BFA Seminar gives students an opportunity to consider contemporary and historical issues and allows them to evaluate their work and the work of others within a broader context. BFA students are required to complete a senior project that reflects a personal direction. They exhibit the resulting body of work that is then reviewed by a committee of faculty members.

The overall objectives of the Pictorial Art Area are as follows: Visual sensitivity in the pictorial art is developed in a number of ways. In Beginning Drawing students learn to translate the perceived world into two-dimensional constructs such as line and tone. While formal elements of composition are specifically addressed in 2-D Concepts, they remain an integral part of all pictorial courses. As students progress through more advanced courses, they engage in more sophisticated levels of visual thinking. This will be reflected in their work in the utilization of more complex formal means, both representational and abstract, and to express content. In critique sessions, students are encouraged to articulate visual ideas.

In Pictorial Art, students learn to conceptualize their ideas and execute them. This is true on every level from introductory courses to the most advanced. In some courses, such as Expressive Drawing, the emphasis is on the discovery of personal content through abstraction of the observed world or through the development of non-representational vocabulary. In other courses, such as Representational Drawing and Life Drawing, the emphasis is on perception and learning more traditional methods of rendering and depiction. In more advanced courses students are given the opportunity to choose the stylistic means of expression which best gives form to their visual ideas.

Students in Pictorial Art area are exposed to a wide variety of techniques and technical processes. This ranges from the simple and straight-forward use of pencil and charcoal in drawing through the slightly more complex techniques of watercolor, acrylic and oil painting to the more involved processes of hand-drawn and photo-generated serigraphy, as well as the chemical processes of lithography and intaglio printing. By the time they graduate students will be proficient in several of these areas. The Art History requirements for the major give the students a broad understanding of the major movements of the past and present in both the Western and non-Western worlds. In addition, slide lectures and books presented in the classroom put course work into a historical and cultural context.

The BA Mathematics is recommended for students who enjoy problem solving and would like to apply problem solving skills along with communication and analyzing skills in a future career. This degree also provides an excellent background for graduate work in mathematics and other disciplines including law and medicine as well as engineering and science.

Learning Outcomes

• Describe and explain how peoples and societies evolve across time and space demonstrating the importance of context (social, political, economic, cultural, environmental, ideological, and technological).
• Illustrate the complexity of historical causality and describe past events from multiple perspectives.
• Analyze the credibility of historical sources and arguments, revising interpretations as new evidence warrants.
• Conceive and carry out historical research, constructing persuasive evidence-based arguments using primary and secondary sources according to recognized standards of the historical discipline.

The Master of Science in Informatics degree program at the San José State University School of Information prepares graduate students for exciting careers focused on analyzing and managing data—and making that data secure and actionable for users within a specific field, such as health or cybersecurity.

The MS in Informatics program is ideal for students with technical and non-technical backgrounds who are interested in exploring connections between people and technology.

Program Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the MS in Informatics program, students will be able to:

• Apply technology informatics skills to solve specific industry data and information management problems, with a focus on usability and designing for users;
• Evaluate, manage, and develop electronic records programs and applications in a specific organizational setting;
• Demonstrate strong understanding of security and ethics issues related to informatics, user interface, and inter-professional application of informatics in specific fields by designing and implementing appropriate information assurance and ethics and privacy solutions;
• Identify user needs, ideate informatics products and services, prototype new concepts, and evaluate a prototype’s usability;
• Work collaboratively in teams and use project management practices effectively to solve user-centric information and data problems;
• Conduct informatics analysis and visualization applied to different real-world fields, such as health science and privacy.

The Masters of Science in Software Engineering program is one of several degree programs provided by the Computer Engineering department at SJSU. The program provides students with an educational experience that builds on traditional computer science and engineering, and then takes an integrative approach to software engineering. With the increased globalization of the software development workforce there is less programming being performed in the United States. Therefore it becomes increasingly important that graduates understand developing technologies and architectures and their influence on software engineering processes, where large-scale design is pre-eminent, and where component integration is the standard mode of development. The program offers a strong testing and quality assurance component.
The software industry increasingly requires those with a suitable engineering background for their cutting edge projects. Graduates with an MS in Software Engineering can expect to find significant opportunities in software development, management, and marketing.

A wide variety of computing equipment is available. Courses are usually conducted using the specialized equipment at the department, with a variety of sophisticated workstations and state-of-the-art software engineering tools.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Be able to demonstrate an understanding of advanced knowledge of the practice of software engineering, from vision to analysis, design, validation and deployment.
• Be able to tackle complex engineering problems and tasks, using contemporary engineering principles, methodologies and tools.
• Be able to demonstrate leadership and the ability to participate in teamwork in an environment with different disciplines of engineering, science and business.
• Be aware of ethical, economic and environmental implications of their work, as appropriate.
• Be able to advance successfully in the engineering profession, and sustain a process of life-long learning in engineer or other professional areas.
• Be able to communicate effectively, in both oral and written forms.

Biomedical engineering is an inherently interdisciplinary field that lies at the intersection of engineering and the biological and health sciences. Biomedical engineers use the principles of engineering to develop solutions for a wide variety of products and technologies that improve the quality of life. Students majoring in biomedical engineering will have the satisfaction of being actively engaged in a discipline that has human health and welfare as its primary focus.

The BS Biomedical Engineering program has been designed, in consultation with potential employers, to prepare graduates for the wide variety of emerging careers that include biomedical devices, bioelectronics and instrumentation, imaging, bioinformatics, and manufacturing, among others. The coursework has been designed to prepare students to function effectively in a U.S. Food & Drug Administration-regulated environment. This program also incorporates the soft skills,such as communications skills and team work,necessary for professional success in the global marketplace and lifelong learning. Development of the ability to address and deal with ethical issues, which are of paramount importance in biomedical engineering, and communications skills are integrated into the classes throughout the curriculum.

The Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW) curriculum is based on a basic liberal arts foundation obtained through guided coursework from general education approved courses. This liberal arts foundation provides students the necessary knowledge and skills to engage in critical thinking about social problems and develop an understanding of the social structures of American society. Foundation social work courses meet the primary program goal of preparing students with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for beginning social work practice. In addition to the core social work curriculum, electives are offered to expand interest in various areas such as child welfare, family welfare, alcoholism and the family, and social work with the aging. Unlike many of their counterparts in other disciplines, BASW graduates are required to undertake as part of their education extensive agency field internships to prepare them for practice upon graduation.

BASW graduates are employed in many different work settings under public and private agencies and programs that may include: family service agencies, children and youth services, juvenile justice agencies, elementary and/or secondary schools, ethnic oriented service agencies, residential treatment programs, substance abuse programs, domestic violence programs, homeless shelters, mental health services, aging services, nursing homes, hospices, hospitals, home care agencies, mental retardation/developmental disabilities services, vocational rehabilitation services, public health agencies, community action agencies, child and adult day care centers, income maintenance programs, and legal services agencies.

The B.S. Recreation Degree Program offers a specialized concentration in Recreation Therapy. This concentration prepares students to work as a Recreation Therapist in medical and non-medical settings. Graduates of the program are prepared to become nationally and state certified through the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) and the California Board of Recreation and Park Certification (CBRPC) exams. Recreation therapists provide treatment towards improved health of body, mind, and spirit in a variety of organizational settings including clinics, nonprofit and for-profit healthcare, nursing homes, pediatrics, forensics, and parks and recreation agencies.  Recreation Therapy curriculum is comprised of 38 units of core classes, 13 units of recreation therapy classes and 13 units of courses in support of the major. The curriculum culminates in a semester-long internship (14 weeks) under the supervision of a faculty member and mentorship of a Recreation Therapist.

Philosophy is an adventure of the mind. Philosophy majors read and discuss ideas generated by some of the greatest thinkers in history, putting these ideas in conversation with each other and with contemporary concerns. Philosophy students also learn to look at theoretical and practical problems from a philosophical perspective.

Because the study of philosophy develops a student's ability to analyze ideas and arguments, to think critically, and to write well, a major in philosophy provides skills that are valued by many kinds of employers and serves as appropriate pre-professional preparation for various fields, including law, medicine, psychology and theology. Additionally, the major provides preparation for students interested in obtaining a background for graduate work in philosophy.

The philosophy major is made up of three parts:

• Three lower-division courses consisting of a year-long sequence in the history of philosophy and a logic course;
• Seven upper-division courses that offer deeper exposure to different areas in philosophy; and
• One upper-level seminar that provides an opportunity to engage deeply with the works of a particular philosopher or philosophical tradition.

Are you currently working in the area of tax and want to gain a greater understanding of the rules, improve your research skills, become a better tax planner or broaden your career opportunities? Or maybe you’re an accounting undergraduate or working professional in need of an additional 30 units to become a CPA.

Our Master of Science in Taxation is a unique and flexible program designed to serve both working tax professionals and those pursuing a new career in tax. For a quick overview of the advantage of earning an MST at SJSU, watch this short video.

Having “MST” after your name is a high distinction in the tax world. It indicates that you are well versed in the area of taxation, skilled at tax research and able to deal intelligently with the complexity of today’s tax rules. MST is a 30 unit program which allows you to enroll full-time and complete the degree in 12 months or part-time and be finished in 24­?36 months. Our classes are scheduled to work around the busy tax season.