Associate in Arts - Journalism

at De Anza College USA

De Anza's Art Department emphasizes the teaching of strong technical skills and nurtures each individual's originality in order to prepare students for global inclusiveness through creative engagement.

The Graphic and Interactive Design program emphasizes the elements and principles of design in combination with the use of computers, software and other design peripherals to produce graphic design projects. Focus is placed on the creative integration and selection of type styles and images as they relate to the printed page, film/video output, web-based design, user interface design, and multimedia applications. The Graphic and Interactive Design program is designed to prepare students for the workforce.

The biology department is known for its excellence in preparing students for transfer to four-year colleges and professional health care certification programs. The biology program also equips students to succeed in other programs at De Anza, such as Environmental Studies, Nursing and Health Technology.

Why Study Biology?
A major in biological sciences can prepare you for

• Advanced academic work.
• A career in civil service, industry or teaching.
• Further professional training in such fields as biotechnology, public health, nutrition, laboratory, and field research, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and veterinary medicine.

Designed primarily for students who plan on transferring to the University of California or California State University, the associate degree in Liberal Arts represents the completion of a broad area of study with an emphasis in one of the following four areas: Arts and Letters, Business and Computer Information Systems, Science, Math and Engineering and Social and Behavioral Sciences. The degree allows the student to develop a broad set of essential life/work competencies such as: communication, critical thinking, problem solving, quantitative reasoning and multicultural skills.

The Global Studies A.A. degree is an interdisciplinary program that prepares students to be well-versed in world history, global issues and perspectives, geography, and cultural competence as well as proficient in a foreign language. Elective options direct students to a course of study focused on world history, international business, globalization issues, language and culture, and the arts and humanities in the global environment. Students can take electives within one area of study, or mix electives from the various areas. The program prepares students for careers as citizens of the world and to navigate and communicate in a global environment.

Our programs are designed to assist you in developing a sophisticated knowledge and critical understanding of the multiple definitions and elements of culture, including the psychology, history and sociology of language, politics, and power dynamics in human relationships at the individual, interpersonal, and institutional or systemic levels.

This A.A. degree provides a comprehensive foundation in the areas of design, color theory, multiple painting processes, and professional software/hardware used by artists and designers. Students gain the skills and experience necessary to demonstrate a complete understanding of aesthetics, techniques and philosophy in the creative process.

De Anza's Art Department emphasizes the teaching of strong technical skills and nurtures each individual's originality in order to prepare students for global inclusiveness through creative engagement.

Our program is designed to train future vocational and avocational artists in the ability to communicate creative expression through craftmanship, concept and design lexicon. Our instructors are practicing professionals whose work reflects a dedication to the development of creative and conceptual styles, as well as abilities.

The A.A. degree in Corrections/Probation provides the foundational education required for an individual's career entry into the criminal justice field, specifically correctional operations and probation/parole case investigations. The courses range from concepts of criminal law, evidence, investigation and reporting to criminology, aspects of social change, and corrections investigations.

The program has a proud history: It has been offered at the college since De Anza was established in 1967. Today, our classes cover the latest advancements in methodology and technology.

Our instructors have extensive professional experience as judges, police officers, correction and probation officers as well as attorneys. Our graduates are working for public and private agencies throughout the Bay Area and beyond.

The Film/TV: Screenwriting A.A. degree provides a foundation for students interested in pursuing a career in screenwriting for film or pursuing a baccalaureate degree in Film/ Television. Students are exposed to the craft and business of screenwriting. In order to fulfill the major requirements, students take each course in the screenwriting series, courses in cinema studies and media theory, and basic production courses.

We live in the age of the image, in a world of large and small screens. The Film/TV Department provides students with the critical skills to analyze media and the practical skills to create compelling content for spectators and screens of all sizes.

Integrating theory and practice, the Film/TV program at De Anza includes a comprehensive curriculum in Media Studies, Screenwriting, Film and Television Production, and Animation. We prepare you to transfer to a four-year university or to enter the workforce. 

The Journalism Department supports De Anza's core competencies in the following ways:

• Communication and expression: Students learn new rhetorical strategies and use their First Amendment rights to create and publish La Voz News, social media (@lavozdeanza) and videos.
• Information literacy: Students study and practice media literacy.
• Physical/mental wellness and personal responsibility: Students work cooperatively under deadline situations and take on leadership roles in a structured environment that prepares them for many media workplaces.
• Civic capacity for global, cultural, social and environmental justice: Students learn to: a) tell stories that show the diversity of De Anza College and the world, b) interpret cultural and environmental issues and c) present their ideas clearly.
• Critical thinking: Students analyze ideas, create and test models, solve problems and evaluate alternatives as they work hands-on to produce print, digital and video content.

The ways in which we communicate contribute significantly to the quality of our lives. Our Communication Studies Department faculty seek to create a stimulating and supportive learning environment and to meet the diverse and changing needs of our students, our department, and the college. We are here to help students gain greater knowledge and skill in Communication Studies as a means to developing their own potential. In our classrooms we celebrate our students diverse cultures, traditions, perspectives, voices, and goals. We are constantly updating our courses, exploring new ideas, and sharing information to foster our own professional growth and to provide the best possible opportunities to our students.

Our Goals:

• Value every student as an individual with his/her needs, goals and learning styles.
• Challenge our students with a spirit of inquiry, discovery, dialog and reflection.
• Create an environment where diverse cultures, abilities, and needs are respected and where differences offer productive opportunities for learning and personal fulfillment.
• Develop a dynamic curriculum that reflects both traditional and emerging schools of thought in our discipline.
• Provide every student with opportunities to simultaneously acquire knowledge and develop skill through practice.
• Help students become critical and independent thinkers and problem solvers by providing opportunities to work in self-regulated teams in order to develop small group collaboration skills, listening, deliberation, conflict management, argumentation, problem solving, and decision-making.
• Remain faithful to our task of promoting personal integrity.
• Provide opportunities for students to successfully use technology for research and developing presentations.
• Prepare students to use effective communication skills in their personal and professional lives.
• Raise consciousness of our global interdependence and responsibility.

Our department mission is to inspire, excite and prepare our automotive technology students to achieve a valuable place in our local and global community.

We serve a diverse student population – including career-oriented students, lifelong learners and those who choose our program to enrich their own knowledge base.

Our focus is on integrity, personal achievement, service to our community and excellence in all we do.