COURSE CURRICULUM

The undergraduate programs at San José State University across fields such as Nursing, Nutrition Science, Packaging, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, and Public Health are all structured around a 120-unit degree framework that combines general education, major preparation, upper-division major coursework, and university electives, but each discipline develops distinct academic and career-focused competencies. Health-related programs like Nursing, Public Health, and Nutritional Science emphasize biological sciences, statistics, and applied clinical or community-based learning, preparing students for careers in healthcare systems, hospitals, community health organizations, dietetics, or public health agencies. Nursing focuses heavily on clinical practice, patient care, and licensure pathways through the NCLEX exam, while Public Health emphasizes epidemiology, biostatistics, health policy, and population-level interventions, and Nutrition Science integrates food systems, metabolism, and dietetics training with options such as clinical nutrition, applied nutrition, or food management. In contrast, Physics and Packaging are more technical and science-driven programs; Physics builds strong foundations in calculus, mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum theory, and computational methods for careers in research, engineering, or graduate study, while Packaging combines engineering, materials science, design, and manufacturing principles for careers in product development across industries like food, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods. Social science and humanities programs such as Psychology, Political Science, and Philosophy emphasize critical thinking, communication, and analytical reasoning. Psychology focuses on human behavior, mental processes, and research methods, preparing students for graduate study or careers in mental health, education, or applied behavioral fields. Political Science examines government systems, international relations, and policy-making, preparing students for careers in law, public service, or government, while Philosophy develops advanced reasoning, logic, and ethical analysis applicable to law, education, and graduate studies. Across all majors, students follow structured roadmaps with specific grade requirements and prerequisites, ensuring academic progression and competency. Despite differences in subject matter, all programs are designed to build foundational knowledge, specialized skills, and applied learning experiences that prepare graduates for professional careers or further academic study in their chosen fields.