Associate in Science - Environmental Horticulture and Design

at Foothill College USA

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 Associate in Science in Air Conditioning & Refrigeration 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 insure indoor air quality by servicing and repairing all types of refrigeration equipment in all sizes of buildings, complex air conditioning, heating and refrigeration units used in hospitals, skyscrapers, manufacturing facilities and research development laboratories. 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, electronic control systems, refrigeration and air conditioning systems, effective and safe tool use, material applications, electrical competency, related mathematics and science and storage. The Associate in Science in Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Technology degree builds on the Certificate of Achievement in Air Conditioning & Refrigeration 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 refrigeration, heating, air conditioning, and ventilation systems, including the appropriate electrical/electronic control systems.
• In compliance with applicable standards and codes, students will demonstrate ability to maintain, repair, extend, and/or alter refrigeration, heating, air conditioning, and ventilation systems, including electronic control systems.

The major in Biological Sciences is primarily intended for students who plan to transfer to a four-year institution to earn a bachelor's degree. This major prepares students for careers in the health professions, teaching, forestry, agriculture, environmental protection and conservation, wildlife biology, biotechnology, basic research and many other fields.

Students with an interest in biology who do not intend to transfer to a four-year institution and earn a bachelor's degree are encouraged to look into some of the other programs offered by the Biological and Health Sciences Division, which are: dental assisting, dental hygiene, diagnostic medical sonography (ultrasound), environmental horticulture, paramedic, pharmacy technician, radiologic technology, respiratory therapy, veterinary technology and/or veterinary assistant.

The department also offers a Certificate of Achievement in Bio-Health Diversity and Inclusion Leadership. Medical schools, healthcare employers, and biological research organizations specifically seek out candidates with an understanding of how issues of diversity impact their work. These organizations and employers understand that attending to diversity is critical for patient health and for excellence in research. This certificate provides a pathway for biology and health science students to gain certification in diversity, equity, inclusion, and service in their fields, such that students are more competitive for transfer and job applications. In earning the certificate, students will complete their major biology courses for their field alongside at least one service-learning course focusing on service in bio/health fields.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• The biology majors sequence prepares students to use the scientific method to formulate questions, design experiments to test hypotheses, interpret experimental results to draw conclusions, communicate results both orally and in writing, and critically evaluate the use of the scientific method from published sources.
• The biology majors sequence prepares students to apply evolutionary theory at the molecular, cellular, organismal and population levels to explain the unity and diversity of living things.

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.

The Humanities degree provides students with interdisciplinary perspectives on the existential questions of who we are as human beings, where we come from and where we are headed. This degree emphasizes the principles and concepts in interdisciplinary thinking and problem solving that will transfer across disciplines and enrich professional careers in areas as varied as lawyers, Public Relations managers, journalists, educators, systems analysts and Foreign Service employees. A Humanities degree enables students to better see the interconnectedness of all areas of knowledge, develop a global perspective as a result of having studied the ideas and cultural products of cultures throughout the world, clarify one's values by comparing and contrasting them to what others have thought and deepen one's sources of wisdom by learning how others have dealt with failures, success, adversities and triumphs.

Program Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to synthesize their critical thinking, imaginative, cooperative and emphatic abilities as whole persons in order to:

• Contextualize knowledge
• Interpret and communicate meaning in both written and oral form
• Cultivate their capacity for personal as well as social change.

The Sheet Metal trade is unique as it is one of the few crafts that starts with raw material, creates a component and installs and maintains the product. Using a combination of mathematics, layout tools, hammers, drills, plasma and laser beam cutting systems, computers, cutting, forming, seaming or welding machines, workers manipulate the material into the product desired. The maintenance sector includes preventive maintenance, repair, testing, balancing and sometimes certification of the installed systems. Items commonly fabricated and installed include HVAC systems, metal roofs, kitchen hoods, various flashings, gutters, decorative architectural features and many other items made of a variety of metals. It is an interesting and evolving field with exciting growth potential. The apprenticeship is an earn-while-you-learn program involving paid "full time" work and related classes.

Test, Adjust and Balancing (TAB) Technician is a registered apprenticeship program offered in partnership with Sheet Metal Local 104 and Bay Area Training Fund. This 5-year apprenticeship program provides students with 216 hours per year of day or evening class instruction and paid on-the-job training with a sheet metal contractor. This is a "green" construction field that is growing due to the need for indoor air quality and energy efficiency compliance. The type of work performed can range from pressure testing, adjusting and balancing of duct systems for energy efficiency to commissioning and completing documentation of HVAC systems in residential and commercial buildings. The work condition ranges from light physical activity to maneuvering into limited access areas with tools and equipment. Good communication skills are needed to interact with clients. Technicians are held to a code of conduct to assure quality measurements. The program offers a solid career opportunity with livable wages along with retirement and health benefits and provides highly trained and skilled workforce for students/apprentices in the HVAC industry. Per California Code of Regulations, this program is limited to students admitted to the Sheet Metal Local 104 & Bay Area Industry Training Fund's Test, Adjust, and Balancing (TAB) Technician Program.

The Air Conditioning Mechanic program is offered in partnership with Sheet Metal Local 104 and Bay Area Training Fund. This 5-year apprenticeship program provides students with in-class instruction and paid on-the-job training with a sheet metal contractor, in the service sector of the sheet metal and heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) industry. The students will perform scheduled maintenance and troubleshoot system problems while dealing directly with a variety of customers. The students utilize understanding of refrigerant, electronic and pneumatic controls, filtration and duct systems to maintain safe and efficient system performance. Mechanics use test equipment to verify conditions, research manufacturer's data, and then adjust, repair and replace components as needed. Sheet Metal Air Conditioning Service Mechanics work on residential, light commercial and more often, complex commercial systems. Upgrade training is common in this occupation as more advanced and "greener" equipment is produced. Per California Code of Regulations, this program is limited to students admitted to the Sheet Metal Local 104 & Bay Area Industry Training Fund's Air Conditioning Mechanic Program.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Students are prepared with the skills and expertise to detail, fabricate and install a variety of sheet metal products in compliance with applicable standards and codes, aiming for optimum environmental and energy efficiency. These highly demanded skills are acquired through on-the-job training and lead to employment in the construction industry. After five years of classroom and work experience students are recognized as journeypersons within the sheet metal industry.

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.

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.

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.

The History department offers courses that explore political, economic, social, and cultural themes of the past with a strong emphasis on global understanding and multicultural contributions. Courses cover the geographical globe from Eastern/Western Europe to Asia and the Americas.

Program Learning Outcomes:

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