Associate in Science - Environmental Horticulture and Design

at Foothill College USA

The Graphic & Interactive Design Program offers training for careers in the exciting, dynamic fields of graphic design, UI/UX design, web design, game design, and illustration. Students enrolled in this program develop basic and advanced skills in the important processes of design while learning professional graphics applications. Students receive a balance of instruction that includes visual arts and general education courses that are designed to produce a well-rounded, highly-trained graduate with sufficient expertise to be employable in an ever-expanding job market.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Students will understand the design process from sketching to final product.
• Students will be able to create unique graphic designs that communicate ideas to others.

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.

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.

The Women's Studies major offers both male and female students opportunities to study the experiences, history, contributions and cultural images of women domestically and internationally, with a strong emphasis on global understanding and multicultural contributions. Courses from a variety of traditional disciplines, including sociology, history, psychology, communication and art, are included within the major.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• The student will be able to identify connections between specific people, groups, events and ideas and larger sociological, psychological, historical and gender studies specific themes, developments and topics.
• The student will be able to critically analyze a variety of primary and secondary sources and draw valid sociological, psychological, historical, and gender studies interpretations from them.

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 Associate in Science in Plumbing 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, working to protect the health and safety of the community by piping pure water to commercial and industrial buildings for drinking, cooking, washing, cleaning, manufacturing or personal use, and removing wastewater after it has served its purpose. Labor market analysis indicates increased employment opportunities in the Pipe Trades through 2020. Students earning an associate degree increase their marketability and employment opportunities.

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. Students will learn to read blueprints, apply layout and install, as well as estimate and repair both supply and wastewater systems. The Associate in Science in Plumbing Technology degree builds on the Certificate of Achievement in Plumbing 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 plumbing systems such as drain waste and ventilation systems, systems for various industrial fluids, public or private water systems and gas piping systems.
• In compliance with applicable standards and codes, students will demonstrate ability to maintain, extend, and/or alter plumbing systems, including drain waste and ventilation systems, systems for various industrial fluids, public or private water systems and gas piping systems.

This program prepares students to design, administer, maintain and troubleshoot networks of all sizes. Skills gained include specification preparation, network management, network design, equipment and system sales and software development. Laboratory courses provide students with hands-on experience to demonstrate the principles of Enterprise Networking. Courses provide learning opportunities for students new to the field, as well as those who are experienced professionals. Specialized courses are also available to help the student prepare for certification exams, including: Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), VMware Certified Professional - Data Center Virtualization, and the Certified Wireless Administrator (CWNA).

Program Learning Outcomes:

• The student will be able to design a network infrastructure to support specific user and business requirements.
• The student will be able to design, implement and maintain appropriate security services for network systems.
• The student will be able to select the components to create a virtual infrastructure.
• The student will be able to optimize the performance, reliability and availability of network services.

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.

The Foothill College Veterinary Technology program is an academically challenging two-year, AVMA-accredited course of training that prepares the student for employment as a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT). The program focuses on building competency in essential skills through hands-on training and personal attention to students. Graduates receive an Associate in Science Degree in Veterinary Technology and are then eligible to sit for the Veterinary Technician National Examination to become licensed.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• The student will demonstrate entry-level competency in the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the practice of veterinary technology in a wide range of practice settings.
• The graduates will demonstrate entry-level clinical skills competency in accordance with accreditation requirements.

Due to our increasingly technology-driven society, chemistry graduates will find an impressive array of opportunities for exciting careers in a wide range of fields. A chemistry degree can provide preparation for careers in areas such as basic research, pharmaceuticals, environmental protection, instrumentation, new product and process development, and education.

There is an increasing need for technical expertise in expanding fields such as nanotechnology, biotechnology, forensic science, clinical chemistry, food science, occupational safety and alternative fuels.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Students will have knowledge of current theories and applications in the field of chemistry.
• Students will have an enhanced ability to research, assess and evaluate topics of interest.
• Students will have an enhanced ability to communicate effectively using the language of chemistry.
• Students will have facility in the safe handling of chemicals and the execution of common laboratory techniques.