Spring 2010 MALAS Courses
MALAS 600 D Monday nights from 7 to 9:40pm
HIP HOP AESTHETICS: MUSIC, CULTURES, SPIRIT, MIND
...with the one and only ROY WHITAKER running the show...
 Hip-Hop
is one of the most important and misunderstood cultural expressions of
the past 40 years. For instance, this movement has been widely
appropriated by urban and suburban youth; however, it’s been
viewed as a pseudo-art form with little relevance for academic
reflection. This course examines this core problem and many other
criticisms leveled against Hip-Hop – e.g. use of the N-word,
homophobia, misogyny, materialism, and hedonism. To be sure, Hip-Hop is
a panoply of sorted issues that concerns critical thinkers in
post-modernity like democracy, empire, capitalism, feminism, hegemony,
and internationalism. Topics covered in this class will include:
commercialization of Hip-Hop; Hip-Hop movies; Hip-Hop and women; rap,
politics, and resistance; Hip-Hop Chicano/a; global dimensions of
Hip-Hop; Hip-Hop as mediated narrative; Hip-Hop and graffiti; just to
name a few.The course’s title –
“Hip-Hop Aesthetics” – indicates the larger concern
that frames the class discourse: the nature of artistic expression in
an inhumane world. “Hip-Hop Aesthetics” pushes the boundary
of what is considered “great works” and what is not.
Furthermore, since Hip-Hop is a global phenomenon, this class utilizes
and encourages a multidisciplinary approach to this subject matter
– e.g. sociology, politics, economics, communications theory,
American studies, musicology, cultural studies, and film studies.
MALAS 600 C Wednesday nights from 7 to 9:40pm
GLOBALIZATION
with Jeroen Pinckaers at the helm... description is ON THE WAY!
Spring 2010 MALAS-approved courses (in other departments)
ENGL 563.2
Drugs, Sex, Rock & Roll
with MALAS Director, Bill Nericcio, in Hepner Hall 210, aka 'the HOUSE of Love' from 9:30am to 10:45 Tuesdays and Thursdays
Do
please consider making English 563: Drugs, Sex, & Rock'nRoll:
Seductive Hallucinations of Film, Photography, Art, Music, and
Literature part of your Spring repertoire each Tuesday and Thursday
from 9:30am to 10:45am. Though designed for lit and film junkys, the
class is open to all majors! In particular, cinema, art, theatre,
music, and television addicts are strongly encouraged to add this
vice-focused class to your menu of dynamic courses from SDSU! Texts
will include CONFESSIONS OF AN ENGLISH OPIUM-EATER by Thomas De
Quincey, REQUIEM FOR A DREAM by Darren Aronofsky, A BIGGER BANG by The
Rolling Stones, JUNKY by William Burroughs, art by Tara McPherson
(work, opposite), Banksy, Magritte, & Remedios Varo. List of works
tentative--more to come.
History 680
Genocide in the Twentieth Century
with Professor Lawrence Baron
Mondays 1800 2040 AL 566
The
perpetration of genocide by states intent on eradicating ethnic,
indigenous, racial, religious, or socio-economic groups that
purportedly pose a threat to their colonial control, national security,
political unity, or racial homogeneity has increased in both efficiency
and frequency during the course of the 20th Century. This seminar
will examine a variety of disciplinary explanatory models for why
genocide occurs and test their validity by applying them to genocides
against indigenous peoples, the Armenian genocide, the
Holodomor famines in the Ukraine, the ìRape of Nanking,î
Nazi euthanasia, the Jewish Holocaust, the Gypsy Porajmos, the
Cambodian genocide, the Mayan genocide in Guatemala, ethnic
cleansing in Bosnia, the Rwandan genocide, and the current crisis in
Darfur. It also traces the development of modern international
law to punish genocide, treaties to prevent it, and reconciliation
commissions to provide political closure to post-genocidal
societies.
 ENGL 528
Investigating Shel Silverstein
with Professor Joseph Thomas
New
seminar investigating the life & work of Shel Silverstein offered
this Spring, 2010: ENGL 528. Perfect for MALAS students, this course
engages Silverstein's diverse artistic output: his short plays, screen
writing, comic strips, cartoons, picture books, poetry, music, fiction,
travel writing (for Playboy magazine, no less), & of course, his
lifetime project of living the life of the unrepentant, iconoclastic
wag, Shel Silverstein. The professor, SDSU English professor
Joseph
Thomas, author of the award-winning book Poetry's Playground: The
Culture of Contemporary American Children's Poetry, is currently
working on a book-length study of Silverstein, tentatively titled The
Devil's Favorite Pet: Shel Silverstein, American Iconoclast. Join him
in investgating one of the U.S's most inventive & popular artistic
& literary figures.
GEOG 575
GEOGRAPHY OF
RECREATIONAL LAND USE
with Professor Diana Gauss Richardson
 Geography
of Recreational Land Use examines the importance of location and
environment in the use, management, and quality of recreation
areas. The significance of recreation in the human psyche is
reviewed through a historical context and carried through to current
trends. Socioeconomic variations among regions and populations
are considered in the analysis of established and proposed recreational
land uses. Land use policies and political influences are
included in the examination of the establishment of areas set aside or
used for recreation. Field trips are required, and consist of
local (San Diego) trips to city/county/regional, state and federal
recreational areas, as well as a 4-day trip to Yosemite National Park.
  Intoxicatingly
disturbing and visionary novels! Mesmerizingly evocative cinema!
That's what's on the menu in this peculiar seminar where, among other
things, we will explore the notion of a perfect society: a Utopia. Good
old Webster's reassures us with its notion of the term: "Utopia n.
[NL., fr. Gr. utopia not + a place.] 1. An imaginary island,
represented by Sir Thomas More, in Utopia, enjoying the greatest
perfection in politics, laws, and the like; hence, any place or state
of ideal perfection." But literary history and world cinema is awash in
what may be thought of as Utopia's "other"--books and films, that is,
bearing the distinct aroma of Utopia's nemesis: Dystopia. From January
to May 2010, we will hang out in both Utopias and Dystopias.
The
tentative list of texts include Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, Daniel
Clowes's Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron, George Orwell's 1984, Terry
Gilliam's Brazil, Alfonso Cuarón's Children of Men, Phillip K.
Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, and Orson Welles's
Touch of Evil--we will also delve into my own deathless prose tome
Tex[t]-Mex in the last part of the semester as we turn to the verge,
the US/MEXICO, that MOST dystopic of geocultural enigmas, rich in
tradition, conflict, etc. The class is open to all MALAS and English/
Comparative Literature students, but all other interested parties from
history, philosophy, political science and the like are welcome to tag
along as well.
 RS581
Sex and the Sacred
with Dr. Mary Kelly
Depts. of Religious Studies and Women’s Studies
Spring Semester 2010 Tuesday 4-6:40 AH3130
A
course exploring how religions and sexualities are interrelated
Students from any department or program welcome! Ever wonder: Why there
are so many religious rules regarding sex? Does God have a sex?
Does God have a gender? Is there sex in heaven? Is heterosexual
monogamy the norm in all religions? How and why do people alter their
bodies for religious purposes? Why are monks and nuns celibate? Why are
so many religions led by men? How do religions regard same-sex
sexuality? How are transgendered people treated in various
religions and cultures?
 ENGL 700:
Seminar: Virginia Woolf
with Professor Bonnie Kime Scott on Mondays 3:30-6:10, CSQ 208
Contact: bkscott@mail.sdsu.edu
This
course approaches the major novels and essays of Virginia Woolf from
selected literary and cultural angles. These include
Woolf’s association with modernist authors and their experimental
work, her contributions to the emergence of feminist writing and
theory, her reflections on the politics of imperialism and war, her
expressions of sexuality, and ways that she performs today as a
cultural icon and a staple of the literary canon. We will
accompany the primary works with art, media, and scholarship
allowing students to develop various analytical approaches.
Students will have a substantial role in planning these readings and
the accompanying discussion. Texts include the novels The Voyage
Out, Jacob’s Room, Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, The Waves,
and Between the Acts, as well as selected essays and her germinal study
of women writers, A Room of One’s Own.
 Chicana/o Studies 596.
The U.S.-Mexican Border Region: Development, Environment, & Sustainability
4 to 6:40 on Mondays with Paul Ganster, Ph.D. at the helm!
This
course examines the historical development of the U.S.-Mexican border
region and the interaction of human and natural systems. It discusses
the environmental effects of this economic development and analyzes the
long term sustainability of the region.
|
Admissions! Come Join Us!
Requirements
- satisfy the basic requirements for the Master's Degree described
in the Graduate
Bulletin;
- possess
an acceptable baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution;
- have
earned a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in the last 60 units
of study;
- have
an acceptable Graduate Record Examination (GRE) combined general
test score (quantitative and verbal sections).
Open University
Persons who are not matriculated as students at SDSU may enroll for
GIS/MALAS courses on a space-available basis with approval of the
instructor. Please consult the Extended Studies Schedule.
GRE
You may take the
GRE at the Test
Office here at SDSU. The fee is $115; GRE fee waivers are available.
Consult the GRE Bulletin for more information.
When taking the GRE, fill in the SDSU institution code (R4682) so
that your GRE scores will be sent directly from your testing site
to SDSU admissions.
If you have taken the GRE within the last 5 years,
you may request your scores be sent to SDSU using the institution
code. Please also send an unofficial copy of your score (if available)
along with the rest of your admission materials.
Waiving the GRE
The GRE
may be waived for holders of accredited advanced degrees. International
students should contact the International
Student Center and the Graduate
Bulletin for additional university requirements and information.
For more
information, vist the Graduate Admissions website.
To Apply:
To SDSU, submit your graduate application electronically.
Application deadline is July 1 for admission to the fall semester and November 1 for admiision to the spring semester.
To the MALAS Program, submit:
1. Two letters of recommendation
2. A "Statement of Purpose" essay
- minimum of 500 words
- stating your goals in applying for this program
Mail the materials directly to:
Admissions
MALAS program MC 4423
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-4423.
Recommended but not
required: an interview. Contact
the MALAS office to arrange an appointment. You may reach us at 619.594.8033 or
by email at mattingl@mail.sdsu.edu.
Faculty and Staff
Administrative Staff
- Director: William Anthony Nericcio, Ph.D.; Professor and Chair, English and Comparative Literature
- Program Coordinator: TBA
Adjunct Faculty and Lecturers
- Jeroen Pinckaers, M.A., Liberal Arts & Sciences, Economics
- Mary Kelly, Ph.D., Women's Studies and Religious Studies
Participating Faculty
- Lawrence Baron, Ph.D., Abraham Nasatir Chair in Modern Jewish History
- Susan E. Cayleff, Ph.D., Professor of Women’s Studies
- Patricia J. Geist-Martin, Ph.D., Professor of Communication
- Dipak K. Gupta, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science
- D. Emily Hicks, Ph.D., Professor of English and Comparative Literature and Chicana and Chicano Studies
- Linda D. Holler, Ph.D., Professor of Religious Studies and Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Letters
- Alan E. Kilpatrick, Ph.D., Professor of American Indian Studies
- William A. Nericcio, Ph.D., Professor of English and Comparative Literature
- Steven L. Barbone, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Philosophy
- Jung Min Choi, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Sociology
- Stephen A. Colston, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History
- Elizabeth A. Colwill, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Women’s Studies
- Sarah S. Elkind, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History
- Ellen Quandahl, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Rhetoric and Writing Studies
- Sthaneshwar Timalsina, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Religious Studies
- Sandra A. Wawrytko, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Philosophy
- Kathy S. Williams, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology
- Joseph Thomas, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of English and Comparative Literature
- Roy Whitaker, Ph.D (ABD), Lecturer, Religious Studies
- Jeroen Pinckaers, MA, Lecturer, MALAS
- Diana Richardson, MA, Lecturer, Geography
Information for Students
Student Bios
We are in the process of creating a Current Student Bio page. Please email us:
- a short biography (maximum of 100 words)
- attach a photo, if available, a small head shot
- in the email's subject line, indicate "Student Bio"
Study Abroad
The GIS/MALAS program offers opportunities to earn credit towards the master's degree through several exchange programs:
For
nominee guidelines to San Diego State University's international
student exchange and more general information about studying abroad,
please visit SDSU's International Student Center.
Courses & Curriculum
The Master of Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences is a 30-unit
graduate program. Of the required 30 units, 15 are taken within the
program. These are the core courses. The remaining 15 units may be
taken either within or outside the department. These courses comprise
the student's individual theme of study.
Core Course Offerings
MALAS core courses consist of 4 topics courses and 1 thesis or
project course for a total of 15 units. The topics covered include, but
are not limited to:
- Interdisciplinary Thinking
- Globalization
- Science and Technology
- Culture/Media Studies
Core course requirements:
- 3 units MALAS 601: Introduction to Interdisciplinary Thinking
- 9 units MALAS 600 A-B-C-D: Interdisciplinary Study in the Liberal Arts and Sciences (choose three out of four).
- 3 units from MALAS 799A Thesis or Project
Sample Core Courses
Theme of Study
MALAS Theme of Study courses consist of 5 courses of the student's
choosing. These courses should be in the student's area of interest and
be focused toward developing a thesis or project topic.
Certain restrictions apply:
- only 6 units from each discipline
- only 6 units of special studies
Consult the Course Catalog for further details.
Contact Us
Mailing Address:
MALAS--The Master of Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Dr.
San Diego, CA. 92182-4423
Program Director/Advisor
William A. Nericcio
Director, Master of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences
Professor, English and Comparative Literature
Editor, San Diego State University Press
bnericci@mail.sdsu.edu
Office Location: Arts and Letters 226
Office hours: by appointment
Phone: 619-594-1524
Fax: 619-594-4998
Program Coordinator
David "McHank" McHenry
Nasatir Hall 223
(619) 594-6057
|
Offering
a variety of evening courses, the program accomodates adult learners
pursuing graduate study on a part-time basis
while remaining committed to professional and personal
responsibilities. However, the program is also open-ended enough to
cater to the intellectual desires of ambitious students seeking
full-time
graduate study. 
