SFSU California Studies Program

Courses

AAS 300 Asian Americans in California, 3.0
Prerequisite: Upper division standing or consent of instructor, not open to students who have taken AAS 200. A critical survey of the Asian American participation in the building of California from the 1840s, to anti-Asian movements since the 1870s, to contemporary California public policies affecting Asian Americans in the 1990s.
This course fulfills part of Tier II of the Minor.
AIS 410 Perspectives of Native California Indians, 3.0
Prerequisite: Upper division standing or consent of instructor. Cultural and historical perspective of California Indians. Intensive survey of the contemporary problems, issues and developments involving American Indians, both urban and rural, in California.
This course fulfills part of Tier II of the Minor.
AMST 352 Peoples and Cultures of California, 3.0
Prerequisite: ENGL 214 or equivalent and junior standing or consent of instructor.. An interdisciplinary survey of the peoples and cultures of California, past and present. Ethnicity, race, gender, and class as factors defining the nature of California life and cultural expression. Also offered as ANTH 352.
This course fulfills Tier III (Behavioral & Social Science) of the Minor and the Segment III B requirement as a CESD course.
AMST 410 California Culture, 3.0
Prerequisite: None. Interdisciplinary study of the dynamics of California society and culture in recent times; California as world oasis, flawed paradise, lifestyle crucible, and creative milieu; California's function in American culture and Pacific relations. Also offered as HUM 450.
This course fulfills part of Tier I of the Minor and the Segment III A requirement as a CESD course.
ANTH 352 Peoples and Cultures of California, 3.0
Prerequisite: ENGL 214 or equivalent and junior standing or consent of instructor. An interdisciplinary survey of the peoples and cultures of California, past and present. Ethnicity, race, gender, and class as factors defining the nature of California life and cultural expression. Also offered as AMST 352.
This course fulfills Tier III (Behavioral & Social Science) of the Minor and the Segment III B requirement as a CESD course.
ANTH 356 Archaeology of California, 3.0
Prerequisite: None. Overview coverage of the prehistoric heritage of California's Native-American cultures studies in the comparative light of ethnohistoric and ethnographic data. Major emphasis is given to the archaeological focus on culture-history, economy, settlement patterns, ecology, political organization, and processual adaptation.
This course fulfills Tier III (Behavioral & Social Science) of the Minor and the Segment III B requirement as a CESD course.
BIOL 300 Nature Study, 3.0
Prerequisite: One course in college biology. Intended for non-biology majors. Identification, structure, adaptation, life history, habits, habitat, economic status, conservation of plants and animals. Designed for elementary teachers. Two all day field trips scheduled for two separate weekends. Classwork two units; laboratory and field work, one unit.
This course fulfills Tier III (Natural & Physical Science) of the Minor and the GE biological science and lab requirement.
BIOL 305 Marine Plants and Animals of the California Coast
Prerequisite: One course in college biology. Intended for non-biology majors. Identification, biology and conservation of the organisms of local beaches, lagoons, salt marshes, and tide pools. Classwork, two units; field work, one unit.
This course fulfills Tier III (Natural & Physical Science) of the Minor, Segment III C, and the GE biological science and lab.
BLS 312 Kalifia: The Black Heritage of California, 3.0
Prerequisite: Upper division standing or consent of instructor. Examination of the African American presence in the Golden State; the Black heritage in the establishment, development, and evolution of California from the Gold Rush era to the present.
This course fulfills part of Tier II of the Minor.
ECON 350 The Political Economy of the San Francisco Bay Area, 3.0
Prerequisite: Upper division standing. Economic, social, political and institutional analysis of the fifth largest and second richest metropolitan area in the U.S. Historic overview, institutional highlights, industries and occupations, demographics, migration and immigration, regional economic development, infrastructure, and educational policy.
This course fulfills Tier III (Behavioral & Social Science) of the Minor.
ENG 531 Selected California Literature, 3.0
Prerequisite: ENGL 214 or equivalent or consent of instructor. Survey of California literature from Indian Oral Traditions through Spanish occupation to U.S. acquisition and the Gold Rush to the first decade of the twentieth century.
This course fulfills Tier III (Humanities & Creative Arts) of the Minor and the Segment III A requirement.
GEOG 552 Geography of California, 3.0
Prerequisite: ENGL 214 or equivalent. Location and description of California's natural resources; influence of land surface, climate, natural vegetation, soils, and minerals upon California's present economic development, routes of commerce, and population distribution. California's current water problems.
This course fulfills Tier III (Behavioral & Social Science) of the Minor.
GEOG 651 San Francisco Bay Area Environmental Issues, 3.0
Prerequisite: ENGL 214 or equivalent. Introduction to the mission and work of environmental management organizations. Managing our air, water, soil, wildlife, and aesthetic resources. Emphasis on land use and transportation concepts. Field projects are integral to the course. Classwork three units; laboratory one unit. Also offered as URBS 651.
This course fulfills Tier III (Behavioral & Social Science) of the Minor.
GEOL 272 Earthquakes and the San Andreas Fault, 3.0
Prerequisite: None. Earthquakes as environmental hazards with special emphasis on the San Andreas and other Bay Area faults. The relationship of earthquakes to plate boundaries, earthquake prediction, the inevitability of large quakes in California, and seismic safety procedures. Classwork, two units; laboratory and field work, one unit. Designed for non-science majors.
This course fulfills Tier III (Natural & Physical Science) of the Minor.
GEOL 350 Geology of the National Parks, 3.0
Prerequisite: None. Application of geologic principals to understanding and enjoyment of natural of natural environments of North America focusing on geologic history and landscape evolution of the National Parks. Emphasis on appreciating uniqueness of these natural regions and evaluation questions of preservation. Classwork, two units; laboratory and fieldwork, one unit. Designed for non-science majors.
This course fulfills Tier III (Natural & Physical Science) of the Minor and the GE physical science and lab requirement.
GEOL 356 Geology of California, 3.0
Prerequisite: None. The regional geology of California, with emphasis on the San Francisco Bay Area. Local field trips and extended excursions to areas of geologic interest (i.e. national and state parks) to be arranged. Classwork, two units; laboratory and fieldwork, one unit. Designed for non-science majors.
This course fulfills Tier III (Natural & Physical Science) of the Minor and Segment III C.
HIST 450 History of California, 3.0
Prerequisite: ENGL 214 or equivalent, upper division standing or consent of instructor. California through the Spanish and early American periods to the present. Satisfies the California state and local government requirement.
This course fulfills part of Tier I of the Minor, the Segment III B requirement as CESD, and the state govt. requirement.
HUM 376 Biography of a City: San Francisco, 3.0
Prerequisite: None. Investigation of San Francisco as a center of American intellectual, social and cultural life. Major emphasis is placed on specific areas of interest selected by students for individual research and exploration. Some sections offer field trips and tours.
This course fulfills Tier III (Humanities & Creative Arts) of the Minor.
HUM 450 California Culture, 3.0
Prerequisite: None. Interdisciplinary study of the dynamics of California society and culture in recent times; California as world oasis, flawed paradise, lifestyle crucible, and creative milieu; California's function in American culture and Pacific relations. Also offered as AMST 410.
This course fulfills part of Tier I of the Minor and the Segment III A requirement as a CESD course.
IAC 370 Art and Artists of San Francisco, 3.0
Prerequisite: None. An exploration of contemporary artistic issues and styles, with close attention to the arts and artists of San Francisco. Discussions with working artists, demonstrations of current techniques and practices in art, music, theater, film, video, and design.
This course fulfills the Tier I of the Minor, the Segment III A requirement, and is a CESD course.
METR 356 California Weather Events, 3.0
Prerequisite: None. Investigation of the basic meteorology of normal and abnormal weather events in California.
This course fulfills Tier III (Natural & Physical Science) of the Minor and Segment III C.
NEXA 398 John Steinbeck and "Doc" Ricketts: Literature and the Sea, 3.0
Prerequisite: None. An examination of science in general, marine biology in particular, and the life and work of the pioneer environmentalist Edward F. Ricketts in relationship to the physical underpinnings, the literary technique, and the characters in the work of John Ernest Steinbeck.
This course fulfills Tier III (Humanities & Creative Arts) of the Minor and Segment III A.
PLSI 473 California Government and Politics, 4.0
Prerequisite: Upper division standing. Study of policy making and exercise of power within federal framework. State and local institutions explored through field trips and intensive research project. Satisfies the California state and local government requirement.
This course fulfills Tier III (Behavioral & Social Science) of the Minor, Segment III B, and the state government requirement.
RAZA 315 La Raza in California, 3.0
Prerequisite: Upper division standing or consent of instructor. Survey of the La Raza experience in California from pre-Colonial to contemporary times. Special focus on the impact of social, cultural, political, and economic factors of the La Raza heritage in California.
This course fulfills part of Tier II of the Minor.
URBS 651 San Francisco Bay Area Environmental Issues, 3.0
Prerequisite: ENGL 214 or equivalent. Introduction to the mission and work of environmental management organizations. Managing our air, water, soil, wildlife, and aesthetic resources. Emphasis on land use and transportation concepts. Field projects are integral to the course. Classwork three units; laboratory one unit. Also offered as GEOG 651.
This course fulfills Tier III (Behavioral & Social Science) of the Minor.