Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

at San Jose State University USA

Our Photography Graduate Program supports and encourages a wide range of traditional, conceptual and interdisciplinary approaches to lens related imaging. Philosophically, the program is committed to addressing the breadth of contemporary issues and practices while realistically preparing you for a career in the field. The faculty is comprised of artists/photographers with national and international careers whose work ranges from conceptual installation and new genres to traditional and commercial. There is no pervasive aesthetic trend at SJSU; the faculty has been carefully selected to offer a wide range of aesthetic and technical possibilities to the students. Our program welcomes and promotes diverse styles and viewpoints. We encourage students to produce thoughtful artwork that deals with meaningful issues, and our faculty is here to help you refine your direction and create your best work.

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.

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 Bachelor of Science degree in Software Engineering (BSSE) goes beyond programming to include engineering methodologies and hands-on project experience. The program prepares students to become qualified engineers for IT leading companies in Silicon Valley and international engineering market by providing them with state-of-the-art engineering methods, emergent technologies, team work experience, and solutions so they are capable to address design, coding, validation, and measurement issues for the construction of large-scale computer systems and software applications in the real world.

Program Educational Objectives
The educational objectives of our program is to ensure that the graduates are fundamentally solid, practical, dependable, collaborative, and professional. Specifically, three to five years after graduation, the successful graduates will have

• Engaged in successful professional practices in their chosen discipline
• Demonstrated professional and personal leadership in their workspace and the society
• Demonstrated effective collaboration and communication in the work environment and beyond
• Utilized formal and informal learning opportunities to maintain and enhance technical excellence and professional growth

Student Learning Outcomes

To prepare the students for a successful professional and personal life, the BS Computer/Software Engineering program is designed to produce computer/software engineering graduates who have attained the following student learning outcomes at the time of graduation:

• An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
• An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
• An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
• An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
• An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
• An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
• An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

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.

The M.A. in Applied Anthropology is designed to help students develop skills in applying or using anthropological knowledge which can be used across a wide range of careers. Specifically, its mission is to enable students to build on their knowledge of cultural anthropology, physical anthropology and archaeology to address real world problems and issues. The program seeks to provide a structure through which students can develop as practitioners by working closely with faculty on projects that are often done in collaboration with regional organizations. Graduates of our program have secured positions in public, private, and non-profit organizations as researchers, designers, administrators, and program developers. The M.A. program is built around three broad sets of research skills: (1) ethnographic methods for understanding how social systems, including organizations and communities, function in the regional environment; (2) assessment and evaluation skills, especially those based on qualitative methods that complement quantitative methods; and (3) the planning and design of programs, organizations, services, and artifacts.

Students graduating from this program should:

• Understand a range of anthropological research methods and be able to conduct research relevant to problem solving in various settings and for different clients or partners
• Know basic models of applying anthropology in different settings and have the skills to be able to function as practitioners in several
• Be knowledgeable about (a) the discipline of anthropology in general and how it contributes to understanding and improving contemporary society; and (b) a particular field of anthropology in greater depth
• Be able to function effectively in at least one content area or domain of application
• Understand personal, political, and ethical issues inherent in research and application
• Develop professionally as practitioners with skills in contracting, project management, and budgeting, as well as the ability to communicate about project goals and findings and the discipline of anthropology to diverse audiences
• To be knowledgeable about the region as a social and cultural system with complex state, national, and global interconnections

Students in the MSAE Program can specialize in sustainable aviation concepts, aerospace structural design, astrodynamics, space systems engineering, hypersonics or propulsion.  They have opportunities to work with AE faculty and NASA engineers to design, build, test, and launch microsatellites like the TechEdSat, participate in the design, building, and testing of our brand new hypersonic facility, learn how to use machine/deep learning for structural health monitoring, optimize spacecraft trajectories or explore the potential of electric and hybrid propulsion systems for general aviation, commuter, and large air transports.  In addition, students can participate in exciting extra-curricular projects, such as the High-Altitude Rocket Project (HARP). MSAE students present their work in professional conferences such as the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics SciTech, the International Planetary Probe Workshop, and the International Symposium on Sustainable Aviation.

Students select a faculty advisor who helps structure a program of study that meets individual needs and addresses areas of interest. While working closely with a faculty advisor, each student completes a thesis or a project that results from an in-depth study of a particular research topic of interest.

The BS Industrial and Systems Engineering program prepares engineers for a broad scope of systems analysis and design challenges that deal with improving the overall performance of an organization or system.

ISE's focus is on productivity improvement, with concern for the human aspects of work as well as with finding the right combination of resources to ensure that the organization performs at its best. Using the latest computer-based analytical and modeling technologies, ISE bridges the gap between management and operations, applying organizational development, continuous improvement, Total Quality Management, ergonomics and production systems expertise.

The goal of ISE is to assure that the organization's systems are efficient, productive, safe and will not lead to cumulative injury, and that they incorporate the right tools and equipment. An industrial and systems engineer may be employed in almost any type of industry, business or institution, from retail establishments to manufacturing plants to government agencies to hospitals. The program prepares students to enter the profession immediately or to go on to graduate school.

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.

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.