Associate in Arts - English

at Foothill College USA

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.

The Communication Studies department offers a wide variety of courses and special programs to meet the needs of our students. Whether you aspire to become a communication specialist, enhance your marketability in the workplace, or improve your people skills, our faculty and advisers can help you identify the right program to meet your needs. Coursework involves collaboration, presentation, listening, cross-cultural understanding, rhetorical analysis, argumentation, and professional communication. The program includes application of these foundational principles in a collaborative and supportive environment.

The National Association of Colleges and Employers rated oral communication as the highest among attributes necessary in achieving professional success. More and more businesses and occupations prefer to hire employees who possess strong communication skills. When evaluating applicants, four-year universities look favorably upon students with strong backgrounds in communication. Effective communication skills assist in individual development and enhancement of human relations.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Students will be able to identify patterns of communication in a variety of contexts.
• Students will be able to utilize appropriate methods of communication in critical thinking and/or communication situations.

Respiratory Therapy is a dynamic and challenging healthcare profession. Therapists work with physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals in intensive care units and hospital floor care areas. They are involved in the treatment, management, and rehabilitation of patients with lung and heart problems. Respiratory Therapists manage the ventilation of critically ill patients, as well as provide care to patients with acute and chronic pulmonary disease. The Respiratory Therapy program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC).

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Graduates will have acquired the necessary knowledge, skills and values for the practice of respiratory therapy.
• Graduates will be able to demonstrate appropriate critical thinking skills, time management skills, communication skills and technical skills necessary to provide competent respiratory care in multidisciplinary care settings.

Philosophy is the oldest academic subject in the world and its concerns have given rise to nearly all other specialized academic disciplines. The primary motivation of philosophy is the same as the underlying motivation of all academic thought; the desire for knowledge and understanding. Philosophy is an attempt to understand our reality, our attempts at knowledge, our quest for a good and meaningful lives and most ambitiously, our construction of a society that might make these good lives possible.

Course work in philosophy will explore the major areas of the discipline. Logic and critical thinking courses will explore the methodology of philosophic discourse and academic discourse in general. The other core courses will explore the epistemological, metaphysical, ethical and political dimensions of philosophy. The philosophy program also offers courses exploring the history of philosophy from its beginnings in the ancient world through contemporary philosophy. The program also offers a collection of courses which explore the philosophic concerns manifested in the world's religions. If you have a curious mind and seek understanding, then philosophy may be the major for you.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Students will be able to critically analyze and evaluate arguments regarding issues of metaphysics and epistemology.
• Students will be able to critically analyze and evaluate arguments regarding issues of ethics and political philosophy.

Mathematics and related subjects play important dual roles in our culture. On the one hand, mathematics is a study in its own right; on the other hand it is an indispensable tool for expressing and understanding ideas in the sciences, engineering, and an increasing number of other fields.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• The student will be able to clearly communicate mathematical ideas through graphs, tables of data, equations and verbal descriptions.
• The student will be able to construct appropriate mathematical models of natural phenomena, develop those models with appropriate mathematical techniques and interpret results of those models.

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.

The Business Administration program has a dual mission (transfer and workforce) in providing students with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills to prepare for transfer to four-year institutions and to pursue a career or to develop their own businesses.

Students are provided the courses necessary to pursue studies in specialized business fields such as accounting, finance, advertising, marketing, management, banking, and business information systems. All students expecting to work in private or profit organizations or government are strongly urged to include business principles and other business specialized courses as electives.

Additionally, the department offers coursework and activities for increased professional proficiency, career changes, or new employment challenges, as well as for small business development. The Business department's small business entrepreneurship program is currently in redesign mode and will be refocused on the development of curriculum, activities, and community partnerships with the objective to address the "skills gap." Our initial emphasis will be on skill areas in leadership, communication, collaboration, project management, and innovation.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Students will demonstrate appropriate use of business terms and concepts across a standard breadth of business functions (R&D, Mfg, Sales, Mktg, Ops, IT, Acctg, Finance, etc.).
• Students will demonstrate appropriate use of analytical frameworks, methods, and skills in response to business questions, cases, and projects.

Foothill College's Music Technology Program (MTEC) offers cutting-edge curriculum, instruction, and hands-on training in the areas of digital media content creation based on real-world industry standards. MTEC is an innovative educational program that integrates art and music with science and technology using a vocational strategy that enables students to realize a competitive advantage in an ever-evolving, digital-centric socioeconomic era. In addition to preparing students to pursue baccalaureate degrees at four-year institutions, the Foothill College MTEC program prepares students for diverse, productive careers in digital media content creation for music, technology, liberal and audio-visual arts, and communications.

The MTEC curriculum offers students the option to design their course of study to meet their needs. To augment their core courses, students may choose elective courses from music or related fields like media studies, photography, graphic design, and computer science. Because all these fields are very closely related, students can focus on areas that reflect their individual interests and goals. All musical styles and genres are supported and welcomed. Our goal is to give students the opportunity to succeed based on their talent, interest and hard work.

Program Learning Outcomes:
Students who complete the MTEC program will be able to:

• Demonstrate proficiency with various aspects of digital media content creation, including the use of hardware, software, digital asset management practices and other areas identified by the program's Board of Advisors.
• Apply concepts from audio engineering, acoustics, sound synthesis, music theory, computer literacy and team collaboration in practical situations to optimize digital media production workflows.
• Demonstrate proficiency with audio-video equipment including live content acquisition, microphones, video cameras, sound reinforcement, post-production editing, mixing, mastering, metering, and system troubleshooting.
• Evaluate merits of professional media productions with an understanding of technical and aesthetic considerations appropriate for various genres.
• Distinguish between related career paths associated with the discipline of Music Technology including digital media content creation, technical support, marketing, entrepreneurship and business administrative positions.

Geospatial technology is the unifying tool with which spatial phenomena is explored. Geospatial technology consists of Geographic Information Systems, Global Positioning Systems and Remote Sensing. The Geographic Information Systems Technology program at Foothill College provides opportunities for career preparation and lifelong learning by providing courses that meet workforce needs. Geographic information systems are collections of computers, software applications and personnel used to capture, store, transform, manage, analyze and display spatial information. The associate degree provides a solid technical background in geographic information systems concepts and applications including cartographic concepts, database design, programming and interdisciplinary applications of the technology. The outcomes of the associate degree align with the U.S. Department of Labor geospatial competency model for geospatial careers. The degree also includes general education and elective courses required for graduation. Completion of the degree requires practical work experience in geographic information systems. The Geographic Information Systems Technology degree prepares students for entry-level technician jobs.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Students will be able to apply cartographic principles of scale, resolution, projection, data management and spatial analysis to a geographic nature using a geographic information system.
• Students will be able to plan, evaluate and execute an original geographic information systems project.
• Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to communicate orally, in writing and graphically, the outcome of geographic information systems analysis.
• Students will be able to demonstrate an awareness of professional obligations to society, employers and funders and individuals as outlined in the Geographic Information Systems Professional Certification Institute Code of Ethics.

The Associate in Science in Steamfitting & Pipefitting Technology degree program is conducted in partnership with the Pipe Trades Training Center apprenticeship program. The apprenticeship program is five years in duration, requiring a minimum of 9,000 hours of on-the-job training. After 5 years of classroom instruction and paid work experience, students are recognized as journeypersons within the Pipe Trades industry and work to protect our environment by properly installing and maintaining piping and equipment for complex heating and air conditioning and special industrial piping systems.

The apprenticeship program, which includes coursework, lab work and on-the-job training, involves learning about the assessment, installation, maintenance, and repair of different types of pipe systems, effective and safe tool use, material applications, related mathematics, and science and storage. The Associate in Science in Steamfitting & Pipefitting Technology degree builds on the Certificate of Achievement in Steamfitting & Pipefitting Technology by adding requirements for general education courses and electives.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• In compliance with applicable standards and codes, students will demonstrate ability to install and remove piping and equipment for complex heating and air conditioning applications and special industrial piping systems, such as those used in semiconductor, biotechnology, and power generation facilities.
• In compliance with applicable standards and codes, students will demonstrate ability to maintain, extend, and/or alter piping and equipment for heating and air conditioning, and for special industrial piping systems, such as those used in semiconductor, biotechnology, and power generation facilities.