Associate in Arts - Business Administration

at Foothill College USA

Computer programming, algorithms, data structures, and languages play an increasingly important role in academic, science and business careers. The Associate in Science degree satisfies the transfer requirements of many disparate 4-year colleges and universities. Our up-to-date curriculum is also valuable for enhancing the career opportunities of working professionals.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Students will be able to use standard software engineering tools to create reusable code.
• Students will be able to design a large program that takes advantage of existing code libraries.
• Students will be able to organize a complex program in a logical way, enabling the extension of the program.
• Students will be able to comprehend user requirements and produce code and documentation in an industry-accepted style that satisfies those requirements.
• Students will be able to develop software that solves problems in a variety of fields, including math, physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, business, and the Internet.

The General Electrician program consists of a comprehensive course of study necessary for career success as a General Electrician. This program is intended to meet the "whole program status" as required by the Department of Apprenticeship Standards. Graduates will have acquired the knowledge and skills needed to function as general electricians including foundation sciences, mathematics, safety, plan and code reading, as well as necessary job-based skills. Upon completion of required work experience and hours, graduates will be qualified to take the State certification examination and work as electricians. Career opportunities for qualified general electricians in the constructions trades are very diverse. Depending on the student's career interest and courses taken, graduates find employment as General Electricians in commercial, industrial, and residential areas, voice data video technicians, fire/life safety technicians, or non-residential lighting technicians.

The Residential Wireman program is offered in partnership with Santa Clara County Electrical Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee. This 3-year apprenticeship program provides students with paid on-the-job training and in-class instruction with no tuition fee. The students will learn how to install and connect electrical systems in homes, condos and apartments, and how to maintain basic electrical and power distribution systems within a residential environment.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Students gain hands-on experience as they work on electrical systems and component wiring to include: power distribution systems, electrical panels, wiring, conduit, piping, test equipment, transformers, motors, grounding, over-current protection, security, solar and home automation systems. These specialized skills are acquired through on-the-job training and classroom instruction and lead to employment in the construction and service industry. After five years of classroom and work experience, students who pass the state license exam are recognized as journeypersons in the electrical trades industry.
• Residential Wireman students will be able to identify the tools and the materials used in residential wiring, to calculate values using Ohm's Law in D/C series, parallel and combination circuits, to identify architectural and mechanical symbols on residential drawings, and to read and to analyze blueprints, diagram structured wiring systems.

The Social Science major is recommended for transfer students as it provides a basic foundation for subsequent specialization in many liberal arts fields of study. The value of the degree is now recognized by business and industry as it requires a variety of skills demanded in business, education, health, law and government, as well as the social services.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Students will be able to identify connections and linkages between specific fields of study, events and ideas and larger studies of specific themes, developments and topics in anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, and sociology.
• Students will be able to critically analyze a variety of primary and secondary sources in the fields of anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, and sociology and draw scholarly interpretations from them.

The Foothill College Theatre Technology program prepares theatre students for entry-level positions in professional and community theatre and for transfer to a four-year institution. A comprehensive two-year program, Theatre Technology offers the student an opportunity to explore the fundamentals of a variety of practical career opportunities.

Students interested in production and stage management, theatre design, and the creations of sets, props, costumes, lights, sound, and special effects are able to participate in both daytime lecture and laboratory classes and evening production experiences. The Theatre Arts department offers three major productions during the academic year and Theatre Technology students participate in the creation of technical elements for each of these productions.

Foothill College maintains direct contact with many Bay Area theatre companies and will assist advanced students in obtaining internships or employment.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Students will be able to explore further educational or workforce experiences in technical theatre with a minimal fundamental adjustment period.
• Students will function effectively in a variety of roles within a collaborative technical theatre environment.
• Students will develop skills for evaluating their own and others' contributions to successful outcomes in technical theatre.

Diagnostic Medical Sonographer is a professional qualified by professional credentialing, academic and clinical experience to provide diagnostic patient care services using ultrasound. The scope of practice includes those procedures, acts and processes permitted by law, for which the individual has received education and clinical experience, has demonstrated competency and has completed the appropriate credentialing which is the standards of practice. Coursework includes use of sonography relevant to gynecology, obstetrics, abdominal subjects, superficial structures and vascular applications.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Students will demonstrate the necessary knowledge, technical skills, analytical skills, interpersonal skills and diagnostic ability within the scope of practice for diagnostic medical sonography.
• Students will demonstrate the necessary knowledge and values pertaining to professional demeanor, including the implementation of confidentiality and privacy for the practice of diagnostic medical sonography.

Economics is the study of how society allocates scarce resources (land, labor, capital) in an attempt to satisfy unlimited wants. It is broadly divided into two branches: Macroeconomics and Microeconomics. Macroeconomics is concerned with the workings of the economy as a whole. It is the study of broad measures of economic performance: Gross Domestic Product (GDP), unemployment, and inflation. Given these measures, it considers the role of the government in guiding the macroeconomy. Microeconomics focuses on the role of individual decision-makers--consumers and firms--and analyzes the efficiencies and failures of a market system. The potential role of government to wholly or partially correct market failures is then considered. The two branches approach the fundamental questions of resource allocation from opposite sides: one from the perspective of the economy as a whole (macroeconomics) and one from the perspective of the individual agents in the economy (microeconomics).

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Have a working understanding of the role of prices in a market economy, trade, economic growth, competition, market failures and the economic role of government.
• Employ economic reasoning and logic to explain the world and make better decisions.

Environmental Horticulture & Design is a broad field encompassing the functional, aesthetic, and environmentally sound creation and care of our landscapes. Students learn to combine principles of environmental design, construction and maintenance practices for urban, rural and natural landscapes. The green industry is one of the largest employers in the United States.

The Environmental Horticulture & Design department offers an Associate in Science degree and two Certificates of Achievement. Students may also take courses in preparation for transfer to four-year institutions where they may continue their studies in horticulture, landscape architecture, and other related disciplines. We also encourage people currently working in the field to attend classes to supplement or update their knowledge and to work toward certification in the field. For the homeowner or the landscape professional, short courses from two to four weeks are available.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Students will demonstrate skills necessary to design residential landscapes.
• Students will be able to identify plant material.

The Art History program offers an Associate in Arts degree and a Certificate of Achievement and provides students with an awareness of art, economic, political, religious and social history. Students leave the program with an increased sensitivity to art-related issues and the ability to think critically about art and art history. Knowledge of art history engenders a heightened understanding of history, a familiarity with the major issues in human cultural development and the exposure to the artistic expression of varied cultures and civilizations. This guided program assists students in developing specialized art theory necessary to apply and transfer to art programs at local universities.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Students will be able to collect and assess primary and secondary source information and successfully analyze and comment on that information in the form of a reasoned term paper.
• Students will be able to demonstrate in written form a strong awareness of the political, social, religious, and technological factors that influence cultures and change in those cultures.

The Art program offers an Associate in Arts degree and a Certificate of Achievement and provides beginning through intermediate level studio art and art history classes with an emphasis in practical techniques, artistic expression and art theory. This guided program assists students in developing specialized artistic techniques and skills necessary to apply and transfer to art programs at local universities. The program offers a range of ceramics, drawing, painting, color theory, digital arts and art history classes. We offer art classes on weekdays, weeknights, weekends, on-campus, hybrid or online to fit students' needs.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Students will be able to create two- and three-dimensional artwork and designs using appropriate tools, materials, methods and techniques.
• Students will be able to analyze and critically evaluate two- and three-dimensional creative projects using the current principles and language of art and design.

Accounting is the language of business. Accountants measure business activities, process that data into reports and communicate the results to decision-makers. The accounting curriculum focuses on preparing students to transfer to four-year institutions, sit for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam and seek employment. Areas of study include accounting for decision making, accounting for internal and external use, financial statement analysis, review of financial accounting standards, payroll and business taxes, individual and advanced taxation, computerized accounting software, auditing and forensic accounting, governmental and not-for-profit accounting and ethics in accounting.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Students will be able to explain accounting terminology, concepts, principles, and frameworks.
• Students will be able to perform accounting-related calculations and demonstrate the ability to use methods and/or procedures to solve accounting problems.