Graduate Degrees and Specializations
Master’s Degrees
Economics Department
Applied Economics and Finance M.S.
The Master of Science in Applied Economics and Finance is a one-year, STEM-designated program focused on building practical experience and advanced technical skills in statistics and data analysis related to one of three areas of study: applied economics, finance, or general emphasis economics. Students learn to use economic, econometric, and financial models to support decision-making and to clearly communicate their findings. The degree helps prepare students for leadership in business, banking, consulting, government, and nonprofits.
Coastal Science and Policy Program
Coastal Science and Policy M.S.
The Master of Science in Coastal Science and Policy is a two-year program that prepares students to lead in advancing scalable and socially just solutions to coastal sustainability challenges. During the first year of the program, students take interdisciplinary courses on scientific and policy dimensions of climate resilience and coastal and ocean issues. During the second year students work full-time with a partner organization and faculty advisor on a capstone project to address a specific problem or opportunity in coastal sustainability.
Education Department
Education M.A. and Preliminary Teaching Credential Program
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut vel ante nec diam placerat vulputate. Fusce ut dui sagittis lacus rutrum tristique ut vitae leo. The Master of Arts in Education and credential program prepares the state’s next generation of teachers to provide equitable and effective education and to receive single or multiple subject teaching credentials in California. Master’s level courses help students develop a theoretical and research-based perspective on important educational issues, while mentored student teaching placements alongside seasoned educators in local schools allow students to build experience as they assume increasing levels of responsibility for instruction.
Environmental Studies Department
Geographic Information Systems, Spatial Technologies, Applications, and Research M.A.
The Master of Arts in Geographic Information Systems, Spatial Technologies, Applications, and Research is a two-year professional program designed to meet growing regional demand for geospatial expertise. Curriculum covers foundations like spatial modeling, advanced analytical methods, project design, remote sensing, and digital cartography, and students can then choose further emphasis in either development and programming or technical applications. The program culminates in a two-quarter capstone project that supports real-world research efforts.
Doctoral Degrees
Anthropology Department
Anthropology Ph.D.
The Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology offers specializations in either archaeology, cultural anthropology, or biological anthropology (depending on faculty availability). The program grounds students in the theory, methods, knowledge, and ethics of their chosen field and supports them in envisioning, conducting, and analyzing intensive independent research, in the laboratory or the field. The program is nationally respected for the creative scholarship it produces. Students and faculty interact closely, thanks to the small size of the program.
Economics Department
Economics Ph.D.
The Doctor of Philosophy in Economics trains students in cutting-edge economic theory, econometrics, and applied economics. While the program’s core emphasis is on international trade and finance, our students pursue transformative research in a wide range of fields, including monetary economics, experimental economics, environmental economics, and economic growth and development, as well as international economics. Our alumni push the frontiers of scientific knowledge in economics and pursue high-impact policy applications.
Education Department
Education Ph.D.
The Doctor of Philosophy in Education creates equity-minded scholars who conduct research focused on meeting the needs of diverse linguistic and cultural groups within our nation’s educational system. The program is uniquely interdisciplinary and provides abundant opportunities for community-engaged research. Students learn to apply theory and to conduct original research to critically examine educational practices in K-12 classrooms and other organizations and institutions that shape the schooling context.
Environmental Studies Department
Environmental Studies Ph.D.
The Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Studies integrates the natural sciences and social sciences to address complex environmental challenges related to conservation biology, global change ecology, agroecology, environmental policy, and the political economy of the environment. Students are admitted under a faculty sponsor, and academic and research goals are highly individualized to each student. The program prepares students to make substantial research contributions toward the understanding of an environmental problem.
Latin American & Latino Studies Department
Latin American and Latino Studies Ph.D.
The Doctor of Philosophy in Latin American and Latino Studies is a first-of its kind program that takes a transnational and interdisciplinary approach to understanding the dynamics of hemispheric change along cultural and geopolitical lines, with a strong focus on issues of social and environmental justice. Scholarship and research takes place in multiple languages, depending on a student’s area of focus. The program has a 100% placement rate, with students securing jobs in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, as well as in academia.
Politics Department
Politics Ph.D.
The Doctor of Philosophy in Politics allows students to dive into the historical, philosophical, cultural, and conceptual perspectives that shape politics. Our approach places politics in context and encourages interdisciplinary endeavors in learning, teaching, and research. Students take courses in political economy and institutions, as well as political and social thought and forces. We teach a broad set of methodologies and enable students to develop specialized skill sets according to their interests, setting them up to be leaders in academia and beyond.
Psychology Department
Psychology Ph.D.
The Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology admits students into one of three pathways: cognitive, developmental, or social psychology. Students conduct rigorous empirical research in their area of specialization and are offered admission with a designated faculty mentor, who serves as an academic advisor and research sponsor. Alumni often go on to research and leadership roles in academia, K-12 schools, health sciences, government organizations, nonprofits, and industry. The program does not offer courses, training, or supervision in counseling or clinical psychology.
Sociology Department
Sociology Ph.D.
The Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology curriculum provides a crucial grounding in sociological theory and methods as well as exposure to the Sociology Department’s five major areas of concentration: political economies and ecologies; space, place, and mobility; culture, knowledge, and power; public, policy, and law; and world building, political imaginaries, and alternative futures. Our students develop innovative pedagogical acuity and conduct leading-edge research, preparing them for both academic and non-academic careers.
Designated emphasis
A Designated Emphasis (DE) is equivalent to a doctoral “minor.” It includes adding coursework, training, and/or research work from another department or program in addition to one’s primary field of study. Designated Emphases generally requires students to produce a publication in connection to the additional discipline, as well as include one related faculty member on their dissertation committee. A Designated Emphasis is reported on student’s degrees and transcripts.
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