Master of Arts in Linguistics

at San Jose State University USA

Economics is a general program, flexible enough to allow for a variety of student objectives. The BA program has over 21 units of open electives. These elective units give students the flexibility to supplement the thinking skills developed in economics with technical skills developed in such fields as finance, marketing, and public relations. A bachelor degree in economics serves as an excellent springboard to an MBA or law degree.

This degree is recommended for students who wish to work in the research and development area of industry. This program also prepares a student for graduate study in applied mathematics, numerical analysis, or operations research. The concentration in applied and computational mathematics provides a solid foundation in classical applied mathematics as well as computational mathematics, which could be informally described as "how to employ mathematics on computers wisely." A graduate could seek direct employment assisting a group of scientists with the formulation and solution of problems. There is a great need in local and national technical industries for people with sufficiently strong mathematical knowledge to participate on such teams. For example, modern techniques for solving partial differential equations are very sophisticated; the best method in a given situation depends on the properties of the model. Once a numerical approximation has been formulated, the techniques to solve that, and the commercial software available to do it, again require informed decisions.

Spatial Art is an interdisciplinary program that encompasses a broad range of media including Ceramics, Glass, Installation Art, Metal Fabrication and Casting, Multimedia, Performance Art, and Sculpture. It provides excellent facilities and resources for students who wish to realize their ideas in three-dimensional form. The area is guided by a faculty with varying philosophical approaches and technical expertise and a common concern for spatial issues.

Technical facilities include well-equipped shops in a variety of areas. The jewelry lab allows for smithing and casting of small metal works. The large ceramics facility has complete clay mixing capacity and fifteen kilns which can serve almost any purpose, including a fifty cubic foot gas kiln. The glass area is a modern lab with heat recuperative furnaces, as well as slumping and casting facilities. A large foundry and outdoor sculpture yard provide for the realization of ideas in cast and fabricated metal, stone and mixed media, including large scale work, with all the major welding equipment, vacuum casting capability, two 285 lb casting crucibles, a 140 cubic foot burnout kiln, and a fork lift. The wood shop is fully equipped for furniture making and construction of sculpture in wood, foam and plastics. The machine shop has mills and lathes, and metal-cutting bandsaws. Other shop facilities include a laser cutter, plastic vacuum former, spray booth, sandblaster, and sheet-metal working machines.

Many Spatial Arts students work in the area of installation. There are seven galleries of varying size within the Art building that can be used on a weekly basis for such projects. There are also two brand new shipping containers, known as the Freight and Cargo Galleries, for installation projects. Students also have access to University and School digital and video equipment that may be needed as a part of installation work. Graduate students are encouraged to explore and utilize any and all of these facilities as resources. As they grow in their abilities to visualize and express the form and content of their ideas in three-dimensional terms, they may see each concept dictating its own technique and material. The resources of the Department of Art and Art History faculty and laboratories offer rich critical and technical support.

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 in Art General Studio Practice Concentration allows students to pursue a general study in the visual arts, or to create their own curriculum combining studies in visual arts with other fields. For students preferring a broad art background instead of an intense specialization, this program provides students with a variety of art experiences.

Students enrolled in the Studio Practice concentration are not necessarily preparing for a career in art or design, although many use the program as preparation for graduate level studies. The required studio work is intended to intensify awareness of visual art forms and introduce a variety of technical processes and theoretical approaches. Concentrations and emphases are designed to offer opportunities to study digital media art, photography, pictorial art and spatial art. Studio Practice also provides a basic program leading to a teaching credential in art.

Teaching is a way for artists to develop and encourage creative ability in others and to increase awareness of the importance of art in our lives. The Art Teacher Preparation Program (ATPP) is vital to the future of Silicon Valley, because it trains the teachers who will teach aesthetics, problem solving and critical thinking skills to future citizens of the region and state.

Our RTVF major program offers training and experience in radio, television, film, and multimedia production as well as courses in history, research, and aesthetics of these media. The department operates a full time 24-hour a day radio station, KSJS 90.5 that provides entertainment, sports and community service to the Bay Area. The department also creates feature films through SPARTAN FILM STUDIO as well as other faculty, staff and student production projects.

San José State University recognizes the need for an interactive and productive education in the field of the arts. RTVF students are given multiple opportunities to perform, write, and direct their own works in preparation for a successful career in the Hollywood arts.

Over the past 30 years, our nationally recognized program has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the most comprehensive photography programs in the West. Located within the School of Art & Design, the Photography Program at San José State University is the largest in the California State University system and one of the largest in the Western United States. Our curriculum engages students in a diverse range of contemporary practices in the medium, from traditional silver-based photography and historic alternative photo processes, to innovative approaches to digital and video imaging.

In addition to our emphasis in photography as a fine art, our program also includes a strong commercial photography component, a feature that makes our undergraduate program unique. Covering a full spectrum of technical, aesthetic, conceptual, and theoretical issues, one of our primary objectives is to enhance the student's ability to conceptualize an idea and gain the ability to visually articulate concepts.

Throughout its 150-year history, photography has served as a powerful means of self-expression, a catalyst for cultural change and a medium for social commentary. We encourage students to produce thoughtful artwork that deals with meaningful issues. We also recognize the increasing interdisciplinary nature of photography, and encourage interested students to explore related media including installation, film and video, and electronic media.

Anthropology is the study of humankind's past, present, and future. Our department provides students with an integrated anthropological experience through coursework in archeology, cultural anthropology, and physical anthropology. This broad training prepares our students for a wide range of careers in diverse fields including project management, health care, education, immigrant services, heritage management, museum curation, business and industry, and much more. Anthropology majors learn many useful skills including cultural competency, critical thinking, research design, and professional writing--skills that are increasing in demand in private, public, and non-profit organizations. In fact, USA Today recently rated anthropology as one of today's best science careers. There's never been a better time to be an anthropologist!

The Master of Science in Meteorology prepares students for high-level professional responsibility, independent research, and continued graduate work in atmospheric science. Graduate-level theoretical and applied meteorology courses and a substantial research project lead to the preparation of the master’s thesis, the culmination of the degree plan of study. Departmental opportunities for financial support include research and teaching assistantships.

The Department of Meteorology and Climate Science has one of the most active research programs at SJSU. The meteorology faculty has a wide range of expertise and supports a broad range of research activity. Their areas of specialization include Weather Analysis and Forecasting, Fire Weather, Urban Meteorology and Air Pollution, Atmospheres of Other Planets, Tropical Meteorology, Radar and Satellite Remote Sensing, Cloud and Aerosol Physics, Atmospheric Dynamics, Meteorological Data Processing, Data Communications, and Data Acquisition and Display.

The Masters Program prepares graduates for research and policy positions in government and business. Our teaching and research stress the importance of markets and institutions on political and socioeconomic outcomes. Although this program emphasizes general economics, it also guides students in the rigorous preparation necessary for doctoral programs.