Master of Arts, Major in Biological Sciences

at San Jose State University USA

Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It attempts to answer fundamental questions such as, What is language? How does it work? How is it represented in the mind? What features do all human languages share in common? How do languages change over time?

Within universities, linguistics is often grouped together with other social and behavioral sciences such as anthropology and sociology. However, the concerns of linguistics also overlap with those of English, philosophy, and other humanities, with certain physical sciences such as acoustics, and computer science. And because language is ultimately situated in the brain, linguistics is sometimes considered one of the "cognitive sciences," along with psychology, philosophy, and artificial intelligence.

The linguistics faculty at SJSU offers expertise in many areas within linguistics, including

• Computational linguistics (computer processing of language)
• Morphology and syntax (the structure of words and sentences)
• Phonetics and phonology (the sounds of language)
• Psycholinguistics (language and the brain)
• Semantics (meaning)
• Sociolinguistics (language and society)

The History Department at San José State University offers a standard M.A. program with specializations, or primary fields of study, in United States history Modern European history, and World history. Many of the faculty hold advanced degrees from the nation's most prestigious universities and have distinguished publication records.

The History Department also offers an M.A. program with a concentration in history education, which is reserved for public and private middle and secondary school teachers, who already are teaching or have entered (or plan to enter) the social science teacher education program at SJSU. This program is specially designed for teachers who have, or will soon have, credentials. Since this is strictly a terminal degree, anyone intending to pursue a higher degree should enroll in the standard M.A. program.

The diverse participants in the M.A. program at San José State University include active and prospective teachers, Silicon Valley business people pursuing a personal interest or looking for a career change, and Ph.D.-bound historians. Because many of the approximately 75 actively enrolled M.A. students are working full-time, graduate courses are scheduled in the evenings (Monday–Thursday), and occasionally on Saturdays or in summer. Usually about five graduate-level courses are offered each semester. Some applicable upper division courses are also offered in the evening, as well as a few during summer sessions.

The department mission is to serve society, the public sector, and private industry by:

• Providing undergraduate and graduate civil engineering education that prepares students to apply engineering knowledge to the diverse issues of resources, infrastructure and the built environment;?
• Contributing to the development and codification of knowledge through faculty scholarship; and
• Meeting the needs of working professionals for continuing education.

The undergraduate program in Justice Studies provides students with an interdisciplinary curriculum that engages in critical analysis of justice issues. Core classes focus on theory and empirical research that addresses the relationship between law, justice, the justice system, and society. Electives address a number of more specialized and topical justice-related issues.

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the Bachelor of Science degree in Justice Studies in the Department of Justice Studies, students will be able to:

• Explain the major concepts, theories, and historical trends within studies of crime, law, and social justice at all levels, from local to global.
• Describe and apply ways to gather valid information and conduct research to answer questions about crime, law, and social justice issues.
• Understand and critically analyze individual, institutional, and societal responses to crime, law, and social justice issues.
• Employ interdisciplinary perspectives on systems of inequality and concepts of justice to
• propose grounded, informed, and sustainable solutions to social problems in communities
• and/or institutions.
• Articulate compelling, reasoned, and empirically-informed positions on issues of justice to
• diverse audiences. Students will value empirical evidence, tolerate ambiguity, act ethically, and recognize their role and responsibility as a member of society.

The MS in Computer Engineering program provides students with an educational experience that combines electrical engineering and computer science with the best of academia, the high-tech industry, and the Silicon Valley. The high-tech industry increasingly requires engineers to be equipped with both hardware and software development knowledge and skills. The program provides in-class theory with hands-on hardware design and software development exercises to give students the skills necessary to create contemporary microelectronic  products that are typically embedded computing systems containing both hardware and software. Graduates with an MS in Computer Engineering can expect to find significant opportunities in digital and computer hardware design and verification, system-level software development, and prototyping and testing as well as technical support and marketing.

• Founding member of the national Cybersecurity Research Center (TRUST) and of the NISA Center
• World finalist team in the Microsoft Embedded Systems Challenge
• Supported by Intel, Cadence, Xilinx, Cisco, Oracle, Sun, BEA, IBM, Microsoft, and more

Program Learning Outcomes

• Be able to demonstrate an understanding of advanced knowledge of the practice of computer 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 engineering or other professional areas.
• Be able to communicate effectively in both oral and written forms.

The Theatre Arts Major emphasizes a strong foundation in acting, directing, writing, design and entertainment technologies. Theatre Arts students study the history and practices of theatre with a particular emphasis on the interrelationship between theatre and contemporary performance cultures.

Theatre Arts' production program gives students a wide range of performance opportunities from professionally-oriented mainstage productions, to experimental and new-play production workshops, to feature-length film, broadcasting, web and site-specific performances.

The distinguished faculty and alumni of SJSU Theatre Arts play significant roles in the cultural life of the Bay Area, as well as the broader entertainment industry, as performers, designers, directors, writers, and administrators. In this way SJSU Theatre's network connects our students directly to the professional world and to a wide range of career opportunities.

The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program curriculum is designed for students who have earned a baccalaureate degree in a discipline other than occupational therapy. It enables the student to obtain the education and degrees necessary to be eligible to practice as an occupational therapist. This program is offered primarily on the San Jose State University campus but students will also have fieldwork and practicum experiences off campus. Once the Master of Science degree in occupational therapy is completed, the student is eligible to sit for the national certification examination. Successful completion of the examination qualifies the candidate to apply for national certification and state licensure.

The Master of Arts degree in Spanish offers students the opportunity to pursue studies in Hispanic literature, linguistics, and culture. The program prepares students for doctoral studies and for careers in the teaching of Spanish, bilingual education, international business, social and governmental services, and other related areas.

The mission of the department is to be a recognized leader in translational biomedical research; to provide hands-on education focused on solving real world biomedical problems; and to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in the service of human well being.

The Master's Program is designed to produce graduates who:

• Are able to solve complex engineering problems and tasks, and use engineering, science and statistics principles to justify recommendations.
• Are able to evaluate the impact of their work on society, including ethical, economic, global and environmental aspects.
• Can deliver effective presentations of engineering results in written and oral formats.
• Have life-long learning skills and are able to apply their engineering knowledge to critically evaluate relevant literature and new technologies or systems.
• Are effective leaders, capable of working in diverse environments.
• Are able to apply their engineering education to a variety of career paths.

The MS Biomedical Engineering program has been designed, in consultation with potential employers, to prepare graduates for the wide variety of emerging interdisciplinary careers at the interfaces between engineering and the life sciences. The coursework has been designed to build upon the student’s background in engineering, biology, chemistry or physics.  Students will take courses that uniquely prepare them to function effectively in a Food and Drug Administration-regulated global environment in which they will develop health-related medical products and techniques that improve the quality of life.  Technical elective courses may be taken from the list of electives provided on the department website, with approval of the academic advisor.  The electives, in combination with the required thesis or project research, will enable the student to develop depth in one of the many areas that biomedical engineering encompasses.

In order to ensure good command of fundamentals and uniformity in the capabilities of the MS Biomedical Engineering program graduates, a list of transition classes has been determined.  Applicants who have not completed all of these classes may be admitted to Conditionally Classified standing, with the outstanding classes listed as “conditions”.  These classes can be taken at SJSU after being admitted; some may be taken at community colleges.  All transition courses classes must be completed before the student’s status can be changed to Classified standing.

If you see your future career as a call to adventure, the International Business concentration may be for you. The concentration provides a broad base of business courses and additional coursework focused on global business. As a graduate, you will be well prepared for a career with a global business or organization. Your further marketability will depend on your personal characteristics, your life experience, and your academic performance in the International Business concentration. Employing companies or organizations then provide further training necessary for the job. An undergraduate degree in International Business is not a professional degree or one that targets a specific job. Rather, it is an excellent base on which to build.