Master of Science, Major in Psychology with Concentration in Clinical Psychology

at San Jose State University USA

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 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

San Jose State University has an outstanding curriculum in molecular biology that includes courses providing a strong theoretical background as well as intensive hands-on laboratory experience. Graduates from this program typically pursue PhDs, MDs and other health science-related graduate degrees, or careers in the biotechnology industry. Biotechnology is one of the most rapidly growing industries in the Bay Area and the world with an accelerating need for employees with training in the biological sciences. Career opportunities for students with a concentration in Molecular Biology include teaching, research, drug development, marketing, management, and patent law.

The faculty in the Molecular Concentration were trained at prestigious institutions including UC Berkeley, UC San Francisco, the Salk Institute, and Stanford University, and their research is funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.  Students in our program have the opportunity to directly interact with their professors, an important advantage over programs at many other universities.

The BSAE curriculum is based on a strong core of mathematics, science, and engineering science and is designed to prepare students for professional careers in aerospace engineering fields, such as aircraft and space systems research, design, development, testing, and integration. It also provides excellent preparation for graduate study.

Modern laboratories, both physical and computational, support experimental work in aerodynamics, flight mechanics, dynamics, stability & control, aerospace structures, space systems engineering, aircraft design, and spacecraft design.

Opportunities exist annually to participate in national design-build-fly competitions (aircraft) under the guidance of industry experts as well as design-build-launch projects (spacecraft) under the guidance of NASA engineers. Students may join the student chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the national professional society for the advancement of aerospace technology. Top students in the AE Program are invited to join our local chapter of Sigma Gamma Tau, the aerospace engineering honor society.

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 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 Digital Media Art (DMA) program at San Jose State University is a multidisciplinary degree offering a digital art and design curriculum in the areas of computer graphics, web development, programming, physical computing, fabrication, prototyping, interactivity and computer games. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, the DMA program is dedicated to the advancement of contemporary technologies through research and experimentation at the intersection of art and science.

The BFA Concentration in Digital Media Art teaches technical, creative, and critical thinking skills to empower our students as problem solvers and innovators in the field of digital technology. Students graduating from the program develop real-world skills in graphics, programming, digital video, interaction design, and computer game design using a wide range of tools, technologies, and techniques. Our curriculum is hands-on, providing project-oriented learning in collaborative workshop environments.

DMA operates several labs including the CADRE Physical Computing Lab and the DMA Game Design Lab providing research based pedagogy in microcircuits, fabrication and prototyping, computer games and interactive programming. We offer fabrication facilities through our comprehensive wood and metal shops including laser cutters, CNC routers, and vacuform, in addition to metal and large-scale sculpture fabrication through the Spatial Art Program.

The undergraduate concentration in Creative Writing invites students to become involved in the creation of new literary art. Like all English majors, Creative Writing concentrators begin their studies with the three-course Transatlantic survey sequence, giving them a solid grounding in literary history. Later, they take writing workshops in various genres, including fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and scriptwriting. They are encouraged to work on the Department’s 150-year-old literary magazine, Reed, and to participate in other literary programming on campus, for example the readings and conversations with visiting authors sponsored by SJSU’s Center for Literary Arts.

The written word grounds the Master of Arts in English and Comparative Literature. Its students learn to analyze literature and to write on literary topics at an advanced level. Students complete a rigorous program of courses that introduce them to cutting-edge research while training them to understand a range of theoretical and literary-historical frameworks for understanding literature. Before students earn a Master of Arts in English, they pass a two-part comprehensive exam. They also may choose to write a thesis. Students have the option to engage in graduate study in rhetoric and to train as college-level writing teachers. The program also offers students pathways to prepare for doctoral work.

Program Learning Outcomes

• Students will demonstrate an appropriate level of expertise in literary history, literary theory, and rhetoric.
• Students will demonstrate high-level proficiency in literary research and in the synthesis of research.
• Students will demonstrate critical and analytical skills in the interpretation and evaluation of literary texts.
• Students will demonstrate a command of written academic English, including the abilities to a) organize and present material in a cogent fashion, b) formulate and defend original arguments, c) employ effectively the language of their discipline and d) write under time constraints.
• Students will demonstrate a reading knowledge of at least one foreign language.

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.