Master of Arts in Communication Studies

at San Jose State University USA

Chicana and Chicano Studies is an interdisciplinary program focusing on the racialization, experiences, issues and cultural productions of Chicanas and Chicanos. Chicana and Chicano Studyists examine social realities faced, experienced, and created by Mexican Americans from diverse perspectives. The Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies offers a Master's Degree with three areas of emphasis: Education, Policy and Comparative Ethnic Studies. Students considering this program are encouraged to contact the Graduate Advisor to discuss requirements, options, and opportunities.

The MFA graduate program in Digital Media Art at the CADRE Institute reflects the innovative atmosphere in Silicon Valley. Academic programs emphasize artistic experimentation within a context of historical, cultural, and theoretical study. The program is intended for students with interest in contemporary research. CADRE's diverse community of faculty and graduate students produce artworks involving visualization, simulation, hypertextuality, information, mapping, telepresence, networks, and interactive systems. Candidates for the MFA in Digital Media Art must demonstrate strong artistic accomplishment in a relative field of endeavor. Applicants must provide a statement of intent indicating conceptual orientation and proposed direction of study.

The MFA is a 3 year program of study including seminars, art history, studio courses and independent study. Student progress is monitored through a series of open faculty reviews and exhibition of works. A final exhibition in the University Art Gallery is also required. Students are encouraged to take courses outside of the School of Art and Design as may be appropriate to their development. SWITCH, the on-line electronic journal of the CADRE Institute, dedicated to Digital Media Art discourse, provides a unique opportunity to engage in a significant publishing endeavor. Technical facilities include a wide range of computing resources. Students work across the boundaries of computer visualization, animation, digital video, multimedia, electronic sculpture, sound and virtual reality. CADRE supports its own networking environment and offers unparalleled opportunity to produce internet based artworks.

This degree program is recommended for students who wish to pursue a career in statistics. This program also prepares a student for graduate study in probability and statistics.

The concentration in statistics is appropriate for students pursuing a career involving the collection and analysis of numerical data, the use of statistical techniques to predict population growth or economic conditions, the use of statistics to analyze medical, environmental, legal and social problems, or to help business managers make decisions and carry out quality control. The statistics concentration also provides a solid foundation for students who plan to become actuaries.

The Bay Area needs well-trained technical writers and editors. The high-tech companies of Silicon Valley require people who are able to write quality manuals, reports, and web updates; write clear business reports and promotional materials; communicate effectively both with consumers and within the company; and understand each step of the publication process.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that demand for technical writers will continue to increase for the foreseeable future, especially in regions of the country like ours. Download more information about the demand for technical writers. [pdf]

So what is Professional and Technical Writing (PTW)? Simply put, PTW is writing done in a workplace environment designed to persuade, inform, or instruct. While “professional” generally applies to business writing and “technical” generally applies to writing about technical topics, most professional writers would find the distinction superficial because they are frequently required to do both.

The MA in Biological Sciences, offered by the Department of Biological Sciences, offers students broad training in areas of science that may include general biology, plant biology, cell biology, ecology, entomology, genetics, microbiology, immunology, systems physiology, toxicology, zoology, or, under special circumstances, marine biology. Students with an MA in Biological Sciences go on to careers in research, biotechnology, medical and health sciences, and teaching.

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.

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.

The M.A. in Kinesiology with no concentration is designed to accommodate students who desire an interdisciplinary program of study in Kinesiology. Students work directly with their academic advisor to select a set of courses that will aid them in meeting their specific academic goals. This degree option is well-suited for students who wish to acquire greater breadth to their knowledge in Kinesiology, or students who simply want a generalized program of study.

The Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a concentration in Computer Network System Management is designed to prepare students for employment opportunities in the field of Computer Network System and Management.

You will gain knowledge, skills and practical experience in network systems, operations, administration, and management.

Computer Network System Management is a diverse and expanding field which leads to careers including telecommunication and network services. The graduates of this concentration could design, implement, and maintain computer and information networks such as Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), Internet/Intranet/Extranet, Data Communications Network, and Computer Security to protect from cyber-attacks. Graduates of the Industrial Technology in Computer Network System Management will be able to:

• Use a broad understanding of network and communications technologies to solve challenges in wireless networking and communications.
• Use current programming languages and methods to solve problems in business and industry.
• Solve network and electronic systems problems in analytical and creative ways.
• Apply analog and digital communication techniques to a variety of problems in industry.
• Use computer-aided design and simulation for the development of electronic systems, printed circuit boards, and integrated circuits.
• Develop and implement software systems for control of industrial processes in electronics and communications.
• Integrate the processes of instrumentation and automation in the electronics industry.
• Use skills and knowledge in the control of electronics and networking manufacturing processes, production scheduling and testing.
• Apply networking and telecommunications theory and management.
• Design and analyze electronic circuits and systems.

The Master of Science in Bioinformatics at San José State University features  an interdisciplinary curriculum in bioinformatics, biology, computer science, and mathematics. Questions in many areas of biology, including genomics, molecular biology, neuroscience, physiology, microbiology, ecology, and evolution, must now be answered using mathematical and computational methods. New techniques allow the acquisition of many thousands or millions of biological measurements, and the field of bioinformatics has developed to address this need. The MS Bioinformatics program will provide students with an understanding of biological questions, a background in mathematics, and the computational skills necessary to address complex problems in the biological sciences. Students will also gain experience utilizing these skills to answer biological questions, including those with biomedical applications. The goal of the MS in Bioinformatics program is to prepare students for careers in the growing field of bioinformatics both in academia and in the biotechnology industry.