Course Descriptions

CALMAT regularly adds and revised course offerings to enhance the selection and impact of our courses. These online course descriptions represent the most up-to-date course listings.

For each CALMAT course, a descriptor followed by a number identifies a course. These descriptors include:

BUS: Business
CSIT: Computer Science and Information Technology
GS: General Studies
MFA: Master of Fine Arts

Course Number Prefix indicates the level of each course as follows:
Undergraduate courses correspond to class year: 100s (freshmen), 200s (sophomore), 300s (junior), 400s (senior)

Graduate courses start with 500 (advanced senior, beginning graduate), 600 (graduate) and 700 levels (advanced graduate)

Special Courses offered at each level, usually at 4.0 Credits of workload, these following course number are assigned to a set of special courses (x can be any number between 1 to 7, indicating the level of students learning):

MFA 600 ~ Prosem ~ 4.0 Credits
Entry point for the Master of Fine Arts program. Surveys the history and trends of the career field and their interactions with technology and management. Orientation to the University and the program will be covered.

Prosem(600)

A Professional Seminar or “Prosem” course is intended as an entry point for students new to the each degree program. It surveys the history and trends of the career field and its interactions with technology and management. Orientation to the University and the program will be covered.

Internship(x94)

Students work with practicing professionals in the community in a volunteer or paid internship that requires critical thinking and specialized telecommunication, multimedia, or applied computing skills. The amount of academic work completed, not total hours of internship commitment, determines the amount of academic credit. 1.0 to 4.0 Credits.

Special Topics(x95)

Studies a special topic not covered by regular courses. May be repeated for credit when topics vary. 1.0 to 4.0 Credits.

Directed Studies(x96)

Provides a framework for a substantial research and development effort: ideation, proposal writing, project management, presentation, documentation, and/or evaluation. Provides one-on-one guidance on students' research and development effort within the studies' focus of study. 1.0 to 8.0 Credits.

Independent Studies(x97)

Student and faculty member select topic of study which is not covered by regular courses. A learning agreement with learning outcomes, schedule and deliverables are required before registration. 1.0 to 4.0 Credits.

Capstone(x99)

A capstone contributes to the disciplines or the professions by adding to technical/professional knowledge or by providing an original application of technical/professional knowledge in the professional field. Examples include a field study, a project, applied research, or a professional article of publishable quality. 1.0 to 4.0 Credits.

Business Management Course Descriptions

Accounting Area

BUS 516~ Taxation Accounting ~ 4.0 Credits
This course is intended to develop students’ ability to understand and use the principles and practices of taxation in the USA. It is oriented toward the use of accounting data for taxation applications emphasizing the reconstruction of economic events from taxation planning and procesures.

BUS 550 ~ Financial Accounting ~ 4.0 Credits
Accounting principles and concepts essential to an understanding of the role of accounting in the collection, interpretation, use, and reporting of business data. While attention is given to the uses of accounting data by investors, emphasis is on the needs of management and the limitations and usefulness of accounting data for purposes of planning and controlling business activities. Students reflect on the ethical and compliance requirements for financial reporting.

BUS 552 ~ Managerial Accounting ~ 4.0 Credits
Explores the uses of accounting data. Covers budgeting and profit planning, cost-volume-product relationships, principles and purpose of accounting information systems, designing and using internal cost control systems, identifying and tracking product costs, cost standards and variance analysis, and management reporting and decision making. Students develop an understanding of both the creation and impact of accounting information systems on business decisions, ethics, and strategy.
Prerequisite(s): BUS 550

Decision Sciences Area

BUS 530 ~ Quantitative Methods ~ 4.0 Credits
This course provides students with the knowledge and skills to interpret the statistical results contained in business articles and how to apply those skills and methods to the analysis of research data sets. Topics covered are survey design; experimental design; statistical analysis of business data; descriptive methods in regression and correlation; inferential methods in regression and correlation; and multivariate statistical analysis such as analysis of variance, multiple regression, general linear model, factor analysis, and time series analysis.
Prerequisite(s): Undergraduate Statistics

Finance Area

BUS 510 ~ Finance ~ 4.0 Credits
Emphasizes the entrepreneur/manager raising funds at minimal cost and risk, and the allocation of those funds to increase shareholders' wealth and company value. Encompasses financial statements, time value of money, bond/stock valuation, cost of capital, and related subjects. Students review international aspects of financial management, and develop both the skills and ability to understand the impact of financial decision making to business and its stakeholders. This course stresses ethical financial reporting.
Prerequisite(s): BUS 550

BUS 651 ~ Entrepreneurship ~ 4.0 Credits
Examines venture formation and growth following completion of a business plan and focuses on ongoing marketing, decision making, accounting, and financial management. Students examine startup and growth management issues faced by real-life ventures and meet with entrepreneurs, small business lawyers, accountants, and investors. Students also receive assistance in approaching potential sources of capital and other resources.

General Area

BUS 595 ~ Special Topics in Business Management ~ 1.0 to 8.0 Credits
Studies of a particular topic in the major. This course may be repeated for credit when topics vary.

BUS 596 ~ Independent Study ~ 4.0 Credits
Graduate level independent study under the direction of a faculty member. The student must prepare a study proposal approved by the appropriate faculty member and graduate advisor prior to registration.

BUS 597 ~ Internship and Project ~ 4.0 Credits
Internship under the direction of a faculty member. Faculty members assist students in clarifying internship learning outcomes, identifying potential candidate organizations within which to conduct the internship, and structuring and negotiating internship agreements with the host organization. The faculty member also acts as a hands-on mentor throughout the internship. The student must prepare an internship application and an approved learning outcomes proposal before registering.

BUS 600 ~ Prosem: Foundations of Business Management ~ 4.0 Credits
This course serves as an overview of the CALMAT MBA curriculum and also an orientation to the CALMAT MBA program. In about 12 weeks, we will go through a journey that covers all the fundamental knowledge areas the MBA program will cover. You will learn not only the ten areas of business management, you will practice how to learn effectively in the CALMAT way: collaborative, engaging, project oriented and technology infused.

BUS 699 ~ Graduate Capstone Research ~ 1.0 to 4.0 Credits
A capstone contributes to the disciplines or professions by adding to technical/professional knowledge and by providing an original application of technical/professional knowledge in both management and information technology disciplines. Examples include a field study, a project, applied research, or a professional article of publishable quality. Students also master basic principles of strategic planning, including stakeholder management.

Management Area

BUS 520 ~ Leadership and Organizational Behavior ~ 4.0 Credits
Explores individual and organizational behavior in the context of the environment, including structures, processes, and systems. This course includes communication, personality, group dynamics, organizational change and development, conflict and conflict resolution, multiculturalism, ethics, leadership, decision making, and motivation. Students learn and apply communication, decision making and problem solving skills, teamwork, handling ambiguity, taking initiative, and interpersonal sensitivity including an understanding of cross-cultural differences.

BUS 521 ~ Operations Management ~ 4.0 Credits
Emphasizes the continuous interrelationships between operations, marketing, and finance. Major topics covered include decision making, strategy in a global environment, product/service design, capacity planning and production, Juran and Deming quality concepts (including impacts on stakeholders), statistical process control (SPC), human resources, J I T, inventory control, and MRP. Students organize into teams to write and present a semester case study on a contemporary topic.
Prerequisite(s): BUS 530

BUS 522 ~ Human Resources Management ~ 4.0 Credits
Examines human resource management challenges confronting decision making in a rapidly challenging global environment. Focuses on motivation, cross-cultural communication, ethics, recruitment, selection, compensation, benefits, health and safety in the workplace, legal requirements and limitations, affirmative action, and career development.

BUS 523 ~ Strategic Management ~ 4.0 Credits
Explores business strategies (cost leadership, differentiation, tacit collusion, strategic alliances), corporate strategies (vertical integration, diversification, merger and acquisition, and globalization strategies), and economic theories of competition and corporation. Includes case studies of firms which have successfully or unsuccessfully employed a variety of strategies.
Prerequisite(s): BUS 521, BUS 540

BUS 524 ~ Business Process Management and Improvement ~ 4.0 Credits
This course provides graduate students with an understanding of how to use Business Process Management and Improvement (BPM&I) to help their organization improve organization agility, employee satisfaction, and bottom line performance. Course topics include establishing a work environment supportive of BPM&I defining business processes and related roles and responsibilities, establishing and utilizing process measures, the process of process improvement, and understanding and improving an organization’s process network. Case examples and in-class working groups will be used to help to achieve the courses learning goals.

BUS 525 ~ Building High Performance Organizations ~ 4.0 Credits
This course provides knowledge that will enable graduate students to manage changes that will help achieve high performance levels.  Topics covered include establishing a strategic planning process that has wide organizational support, designing a systematic organizational change system, establishing an organizational performance measurement system, understanding organizational culture and the ways cultures change, barriers to performance improvement, improving human capabilities, and organizational learning.  Case studies and in-class working groups will be used to help achieve the course’s learning objectives.

BUS 526 ~ Business Law ~ 4.0 Credits
Examines aspects of domestic and international commercial law which include selection of a form of organization and legal creation of that type of organization; powers, responsibilities (including ethically and socially responsible governance), and potential liabilities of corporate shareholders, board directors, and officers; accounting requirements; contracts, joint ventures and other agreements; mergers and acquisitions; issuance of securities; and taxation. Aspects of international commercial law include international accounting standards, international tax planning and management, and legal aspects of international financial and capital markets.

BUS 528 ~ Project Management ~ 4.0 Credits
This course is designed for graduate students majoring in Business or Engineering who wish to improve their project management skills. Project management and productivity are closely related from the industry practice and business environments. Project management processes are: Define, Organize, Execute, Control and Close. Topics covered are: project management growth, organizational structures, staffing, management functions, conflicts, planning, scheduling, pricing and estimating, cost control, risk management, trade-off analysis and project close.

Marketing Area

BUS 540 ~ Marketing Principles ~ 4.0 Credits
Market opportunity identification, market and competitive analysis, consumer behavior measurement and analysis, usage of marketing tools, strategic market planning and program development, organization and management of marketing and the distribution value chain, product management, ethical and legal aspects of marketing in conjunction with corporate social responsibility, and applications of internet marketing are studied.

BUS 541 ~ Negotiation ~ 4.0 Credits
This course introduces principles and practices in business negotiations. Students will learn to become successful negotiators across marketing and professional contexts. Topics to be covered include bargaining models and strategies, communication skills, cultural influences, and intervention. Different situations encountered range from negotiation in sales, customer relationships, and employee management. Professional career growth and management will also be discussed.

BUS 542 ~ Business Communications ~ 4.0 Credits
Develops academic and business writing skills as well as presentation skills. Builds language competencies through multiple draft written assignments involving critical analysis, reasoning, and research. Builds oral proficiency through self-critique and extensive instructor feedback. Includes formal debates, mini-case study analyses, interviewing/shadowing a professional in the community, news reporting, and class discussions of current business issues. Heavily integrates business ethics and etiquette.

Computer Science and Information Technology Course Descriptions

Prerequisites

CSIT 170 ~ Discrete Mathematics ~ 4.0 Credits
Includes sets and sequences, elementary logic, relations, induction, counting principles, discrete probability, Boolean algebra, logic networks, matrices, graph theory, and trees. Applies these topics to real life and branches of science, particularly computer science.

CSIT 231 ~ Introduction to Programming (Java preferred) ~ 4.0 Credits
Introductory course that develops problem-solving techniques while examining numerical and non-numerical problems from various disciplines. Students design solutions and learn to program in the Java language.

CSIT 238 ~ Data Structures and Object Oriented Design (Java) ~ 4.0 Credits
Usually taken as a second semester programming course that introduces data structures using programming languages such as C++, Java, or Visual Basic to assist students in learning basic object-orientated programming concepts, recursion, lists, queues, searching and sorting algorithms, and asymptotic notations.

CSIT 537 ~ Computer Architecture and Networking ~ 4.0 Credits
In-depth study of the instruction set architecture and hardware design of a specific CPU. Introduction to pipelines, input/output and multiprocessors. Computer abstractions and performance measurements. The student will understand the following: computer organization, architecture and design as applied to MIPS processors, the principles of computer performance measurement and assembly programming.

CSIT 350 ~ Internet Fundamentals ~ 4.0 Credits
This course teaches beginning techniques of how to use Internet tools, resources, and basic hardware and software components to enhance job skills, goals, and efficiency. Topics include: the structure of the Internet; hardware, software and service provider components; Internet resources for the achievement of specific goals; features of popular browsers; and beginning techniques for integrating Internet resource materials into the workplace.

Graduate Core Courses

CSIT 511 ~ Computer Networking ~ 4.0 Credits
Survey of telecommunication and data communications technology fundamentals, local area networks, wide area networks, internet and internetworking protocols including TCP/IP, network security and performance, emerging industry trends such as voice over the network and high-speed networking. Designed as a foundation for students who wish to pursue more advanced telecommunications studies including certificate programs. Includes hands-on networking labs that incorporate Cisco CCNA module 1 as a lab component.

CSIT 534 ~ Operating Systems ~ 4.0 Credits
An operating system such as Windows, Linux, or Mac OS X is a fundamental part of any computing system. It is responsible for managing all the running processes as well as allowing the processes to safely share system resources such as the hard drive and network. This course is a general introduction to the design and implementation of modern operating systems. The subjects to be covered include historical development of operating systems, concurrency, synchronization, scheduling, paging, virtual memory, input/output devices, files, and security.

CSIT 552 ~ Web Scripting ~ 4.0 Credits
Students learn and apply the technical skills required to create dynamic websites using webscripts, such as PHP, and databases, such as MySQL. Covers HTML; CSS; creating dynamic web pages using scripting; creating databases using open source software; and producing websites that allow users to insert, delete, and update records in a database. Students learn the programming fundamentals of an open source scripting language.

CSIT 563 ~ Database Management Systems ~ 4.0 Credits
Examines relational database theory, design, implementation, and management. Covers logical and physical database design, SQL, 3-tier architecture, database administration, and distributed databases. Students develop their own database to solve a real-world problem.

CSIT 600 ~ Prosem: Foundation of Computer Science and IT ~ 4.0 Credits
Entry point for the Master of Science in Computer Science and Information Technology program. Introduction to advanced computing topics and trends, information technology for businesses, and research methodology.

CSIT 638 ~ Software Engineering ~ 4.0 Credits
Prepares students for large-scale software development using software engineering principles and techniques. Coverage includes software process, requirements analysis and specification, software design, implementation, testing, and project management. Students are expected to work in teams to carry out a realistic software project.

CSIT 699 ~ Capstone (usually taken during the last semester) ~ 1.0 to 4.0 Credits
A capstone contributes to the discipline or profession by adding to technical/professional knowledge or by providing an original application of technical/professional knowledge in the professional field. Examples include a field study, project, applied research, or a professional article of publishable quality.

Electives

CSIT 570 ~ Analysis of Algorithms ~ 4.0 Credits
An advanced, in-depth study of the design and analysis of algorithms. Topics include models of computation, sorting, data structures, graph algorithms, matrix multiplication, polynomial arithmetic, pattern matching, and analysis of computational complexity.

CSIT 594 ~ Internship ~ 4.0 Credits
Internship under the direction of a faculty member. Faculty members assist students in clarifying internship learning outcomes, identifying potential organizations within which to conduct the internship, and structuring and negotiating internship agreements with the host organization. The faculty member also acts as a hands-on mentor. The student must prepare an internship application and an approved learning outcomes proposal before registering.

CSIT 610 ~ Information System Analysis ~ 4.0 Credits
Focuses on analysis of the acquisition, development, and evaluation of a web-based information system. Formal methodologies are introduced to improve the system planning, analysis, and architecture design. Usability test of the system and human-computer interaction issues are examined.

CSIT 611 ~ Advanced Computer Networking ~ 4.0 Credits
Introduces management tools, skills, and information to design, implement, and manage telecommunications and data communications networks. This course also includes network design, monitoring, and security.
Prerequisite(s): CSIT 511

CSIT 613 ~ Cyber Security ~ 4.0 Credits
A study of the fundamentals of cyberspace and cybersecurity. Topics include cyber architecture, cyber services, protocols, algorithms, hardware components, software components, programming languages, various cybersecurity mechanisms, business continuity planning, security management practices, security architecture, operations security, physical security, cyber terrorism, and national security.
Prerequisite(s): CSIT 511

CSIT 624 ~ Research Methods ~ 4.0 Credits
Students develop an understanding of both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies and techniques. Students develop and implement research plans evaluating an aspect of their capstone project. Students learn to distinguish between qualitative and quantitative research reports, select and evaluate appropriate techniques in education research, and examine methodological approaches to designing research.

CSIT 630 ~ Project Management in IT ~ 4.0 Credits
Following the Project Management Institute model, with a focus on IT-related
projects, this course covers basic project frameworks such as scope, time, cost, quality, human resources, communications, risk, and procurement; as well a discussion of management skills required to lead a team to successful project completion. Students apply the business enterprise model to architectural design and to project, program, and product management; and receive hands-on practice with industry-level PM software and several case studies.

CSIT 634 ~ Advanced System Administration ~ 4.0 Credits
Focuses on UNIX Systems Administration and is designed to be a sequel to the CSIT 334 Unix and X Windows course. Covers advanced topics related to setup, configuration, and maintenance of UNIX servers, including system security, Perl scripts, and server backups.

CSIT 636 ~ User Interface Design ~ 4.0 Credits
Stresses the importance of good interfaces and the relationship of user interface design to human-computer interaction. Other topics include: visual coherence and cohesion, interface quality and methods of evaluation, interface design examples, dimensions of interface variability, dialogue genre, dialogue tools and techniques, user-centered design and task analysis, prototyping and the iterative design cycle, user interface implementation, and prototyping tools and environments.

CSIT students may also take other graduate and undergraduate courses for elective
credit, as approved by their advisers.

Master of Fine Arts Course Descriptions

MFA 515 ~ Visiting Artists Forum ~ 1.0 to 4.0 Credits
Provide CALMAT MFA students and faculty—as well as the wider Silicon Valley public—with direct access to major practitioners and theorists of contemporary global art and culture. The Visiting Artists Forum is an open forum through which MFA students are challenged both to go beyond basic canonical approaches to the study of art and to discover a global perspective that is enabled by, and further encourages, conceptual and comparative approaches.

MFA 550 ~ Seminar: Contemporary Issues ~ 4.0 Credits
Examines the writing and digital media discipline from 1950 through the present, exploring communication and arts trends, styles, periods, and leading writers and designers.

MFA 551 ~ Fine Art and Interdisciplinary Studies ~ 4.0 Credits
This course welcomes students of all practices, especially those that advance a collective understanding of what art is and what art can be. Students and faculty members in the program form a vibrant community of artists in an egalitarian, cooperative, and exploratory learning environment to cultivate artists with an original vision, refined expressive and technical skills, and experimentation of new artistic directions on a topic that reflects modern, technology-infused societies, especially in Silicon Valley. The program also welcomes students of practices that are not traditionally part of the Western art tradition.

MFA 555 ~ Seminar in Art Theory and Criticism ~ 4.0 Credits
Under the guidance of a faculty mentor in the genre, each student researches and completes a substantive critical project (25-30 pages, including bibliography) in one of the following areas of emphasis: craft of writing, literary theory/criticism in the genre, or creative writing pedagogy.

MFA 594 ~ Internship ~ 1.0 to 8.0 Credits
Students work with practicing professionals in the community in a volunteer or paid internship that requires critical thinking and specialized telecommunication, multimedia, or applied computing skills in the context of their MFA studies. The amount of academic work completed, not total hours of internship commitment, determines the amount of academic credit.

MFA 596 ~ Directed Studies ~ 1.0 to 4.0 Credits
A crucial part of the MFA program is to select a topic relevant to the student’s emphasis and study closely with a faculty member or other accomplished artist. Typically taken three times by an MFA student, once per semester before starting capstone project, a tangible deliverable (i.e.,a digital media or writing work) will be included.

MFA 600 ~ Prosem ~ 4.0 Credits
Entry point for the Master of Fine Arts program. Surveys the history and trends of the career field and their interactions with technology and management. Orientation to the University and the program will be covered.

MFA 699 ~ Graduate Capstone ~ 1.0 to 8.0 Credits
An advanced, culminating course in the MFA program. Each student will be responsible for planning, producing, completion, evaluating, documenting and presenting a substantial, professional-level work in the domain of arts s/he emphasizes. As there are no scheduled class meetings, students will work independently while periodically seeking the assistance and approval of their thesis/capstone committee. The committee must approve the proposal, milestones and budget. Failure to seek the approval of the committee may result in a no-pass mark. Enrollment contingent upon the successful completion of 24.0 credits of course work and the approval of the student’s committee. Course may be repeated for credit.