Associate in Arts - Music

at De Anza College USA

The Music Department offers a wide variety of courses to satisfy the diverse interests and needs of its students.  The department serves music majors as well as the general student population.  All students benefit from the Music Appreciation courses for both work towards a music degree and GE transfer.

All students may join a number of high quality performance ensembles, such as Concert Band, Chamber Orchestra, Chorale (large chorus) and Vintage Singers (chamber chorus). 

This A.A. degree program provides a foundation in music for students interested in a career in the musical entertainment industry or pursuing a baccalaureate degree in Music. Students are encouraged to take private instruction (not provided by the college) each term along with classes in their specialization.

Designed primarily for students who plan on transferring to the University of California or California State University, the associate degree in Liberal Arts represents the completion of a broad area of study with an emphasis in one of the following four areas: Arts and Letters, Business and Computer Information Systems, Science, Math and Engineering and Social and Behavioral Sciences. The degree allows the student to develop a broad set of essential life/work competencies such as: communication, critical thinking, problem solving, quantitative reasoning and multicultural skills.

The A.S. degree teaches students the fundamentals of conventional and CNC machine tools. Students learn to set up safely and operate manual mills, lathes, surface grinders and CNC equipment, including vertical and horizontal mills, lathes and rotary multiaxis components. They also learn to produce word address programs with CAD/CAM software. Students are taught to dimension and inspect parts using various inspection methods, and to analyze materials and processes used in manufacturing. Upon completion, students are prepared for employment working closely with engineers in a research and development environment.

Learn high-demand, high-wage skills, using the latest equipment!

We have experienced instructors and courses developed by industry experts to meet employers' needs in these areas:   

• Computer-Aided Design (CAD) – including Creo, SolidWorks, Siemens NX, Autodesk Inventor and AutoCAD
• Machining and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) – including CNC Five-Axis Mill and CNC Lathe Y-Axis Tooling
• Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM)
• Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T)
• Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM)
• 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing

The Journalism Department supports De Anza's core competencies in the following ways:

• Communication and expression: Students learn new rhetorical strategies and use their First Amendment rights to create and publish La Voz News, social media (@lavozdeanza) and videos.
• Information literacy: Students study and practice media literacy.
• Physical/mental wellness and personal responsibility: Students work cooperatively under deadline situations and take on leadership roles in a structured environment that prepares them for many media workplaces.
• Civic capacity for global, cultural, social and environmental justice: Students learn to: a) tell stories that show the diversity of De Anza College and the world, b) interpret cultural and environmental issues and c) present their ideas clearly.
• Critical thinking: Students analyze ideas, create and test models, solve problems and evaluate alternatives as they work hands-on to produce print, digital and video content.

The A.A. degree prepare students for an entry-level position in the database field to work as a data analyst, business analyst, database project coordinator or database engineer.

De Anza's Computer Information Systems (CIS) department has been a leading educational institution in Silicon Valley since the college was founded. Over the years it has developed a rich and diverse series of courses in many areas. Our courses meet the needs of both the transfer student and the industry professional. Students who take courses and earn degrees in the CIS department often go on to transfer to four-year universities in majors such as Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science and many other majors that required CIS courses.

The English major at De Anza College offers students the opportunity to study language, literature, creative writing and composition and to deepen critical thinking, communication skills and aesthetic awareness. The English major also prepares students for further study leading to employment and internships in fields such as education, business, law, editing and writing. The program further prepares students to become effective communicators and broadly literate members of the community.

Language is one important means of expressing ideas, communicating them to others, and articulating them to oneself. Being able to use language in this way is a crucial part of being a citizen of a democratic society and a participant in the modern world.

Our goal in the English Department is to help students develop reading, writing, research and critical thinking skills that they may use in other classes at De Anza – as well as at four-year universities, in their careers and throughout their lives.

The De Anza College Paralegal Studies Program was among the first paralegal studies programs to be initially approved by the State of California in 1984. Since then the program has continually provided a quality educational course of study that incorporates basic legal instruction along with practical training that graduates will need to successfully enter the work force. Our graduates are employed in private law offices, public agencies and corporate law offices.

The Paralegal Studies A.A. degree programs prepare students to work in the legal field as paralegals under the supervision of attorneys. Paralegal duties include performing factual and legal research, drafting legal documents and correspondence, interviewing clients and witnesses, assisting attorneys in pretrial work, including document discovery and analysis, and at trials and hearings, organizing and maintaining case files and coordinating the use of technology in legal work.

This A.A. degree offers a foundation in lower division courses enabling students to pursue a B.A. or B.F.A. in sculpture or design at a four-year institution. The degree prepares students to transition successfully into a university environment. Their acquired knowledge may be transferred into areas such as teaching, studio art production, product design, museum work, architectural design and model making

De Anza's Art Department emphasizes the teaching of strong technical skills and nurtures each individual's originality in order to prepare students for global inclusiveness through creative engagement.

Our program is designed to train future vocational and avocational artists in the ability to communicate creative expression through craftmanship, concept and design lexicon. Our instructors are practicing professionals whose work reflects a dedication to the development of creative and conceptual styles, as well as abilities.

The A.A. degree in Private Security provides the foundational education required for an individual's career pathway into the private security field. The courses range from the concepts of criminal law, evidence, investigations and reporting to patrol procedures and criminology.

The program has a proud history: It has been offered at the college since De Anza was established in 1967. Today, our classes cover the latest advancements in methodology and technology.

Our instructors have extensive professional experience as judges, police officers, correction and probation officers as well as attorneys. Our graduates are working for public and private agencies throughout the Bay Area and beyond.

Designed primarily for students who plan on transferring to the University of California or California State University, the associate degree in Liberal Arts represents the completion of a broad area of study with an emphasis in one of the following four areas: Arts and Letters, Business and Computer Information Systems, Science, Math and Engineering and Social and Behavioral Sciences. The degree allows the student to develop a broad set of essential life/work competencies such as: communication, critical thinking, problem solving, quantitative reasoning and multicultural skills.