Associate in Arts - Photography

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.

Sociology is the scientific or systematic study of human groups and societies and patterns of interaction in real life settings. It uses a variety of research and theoretical perspectives to analyze and explain human social behavior and social change. As all human behavior is essentially social, sociology students examine a wide range of human interactions.

This program includes a range of courses that analyze sociological topics and enable students to develop and apply a Sociological Imagination or the ability to examine the broader connections between personal life, public issues and the social structure.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Students will be able to demonstrate a working knowledge of the core concepts of sociology: social structure, culture, social stratification and inequality, race, ethnicity, and gender and globalization.
• Students will be able to apply their understanding of sociology to their professional, personal and civic lives.

Psychology stands at the intersection of the biological sciences and the humanities because of its study of mental processes, cognition and behavior of individuals and social groups. To further understanding, psychology is involved in research with both animals and people. The psychologist is interested in how the brain and nervous system function, how perception evolves from sensation, how we learn and remember, and what it is that motivates us.

Psychology covers the total life span to learn more about how individuals function in family, community and society. To this end psychologists research what can go wrong in development and how it can be changed, and how to resolve organizational, personal, international, and family conflict. It is a dynamic field in which advanced research methods lead to new understandings of human behavior, which can be applied in practical situations in the lives of individuals.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Students will be able to recognize the diversity of behavior of various populations and be able to explain, interpret, apply, and evaluate a broad base of concepts in the different fields of psychology.
• Students will be able to apply critical thinking skills and psychological theories to real-world situations, and to be able to apply research methodology and data analysis in the process of answering questions about human behavior.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sports Medicine is a multi-disciplinary educational experience. Instruction emphasizes injury prevention, emergency care and rehabilitation through the principles of anatomy, physiology, pathology, biomechanics and psychology. Hands-on experience is available to the student intern through the Athletic Treatment Center from an array of Sports Medicine professionals. Students interested in medicine, athletic training, physical therapy, chiropractic, nutrition or other allied health fields are candidates for this program.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Students will demonstrate entry-level knowledge and skill in a variety of sports medicine disciplines, including athletic training, physical therapy, strength and conditioning and emergency medical care.
• Students will be able to provide quality medical care for Foothill College intercollegiate athletic teams.

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.

Engineers apply the theories and principles of science and mathematics to practical technical problems. The engineering major provides a solid foundation in what is normally referred to as the "engineering core" at most colleges and universities. Mathematics, physics, chemistry and introductory engineering courses such as circuit analysis and statics make up the bulk of this core. The major is intended to provide, in most cases, all of the basic subjects necessary for a smooth transfer to the candidate's chosen college or university.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Students will be able to formulate logical problem-solving approaches, generate solutions, and assess the reasonableness of the solutions for engineering-type analysis problems.
• Students will be able to design, construct, and produce creative solutions to engineering problems by applying the engineering design process and identifying pertinent design parameters based on the fundamental physics governing a system.
• Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the fundamental knowledge necessary for the practice of, or for advanced study in, engineering, including scientific principles, rigorous analysis, and problem-solving.
• Students will be able to demonstrate clear communication skills, responsible teamwork, professional attitudes and ethics.
• Students will be able to demonstrate a preparation for the complex work environment and continuous learning.