Associate in Science - Biological Sciences

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.

In this career-oriented program, students are trained in the interrelated fields of environmental resource management (sustainable multiple-use management of our fundamental environmental resources ? air, water, land, food and extracted materials) and pollution prevention. The training received is multidisciplinary, covering the areas of law/regulation, public health, economics and science and technology, and includes coursework covering a variety of practical management tools that employers look for. Upon completion, students are prepared for employment as entry-level environmental management/pollution prevention specialists in a wide range of positions and settings, including working for business/industry, government, and nonprofit organizations

Our Mission
The mission of DeAnza’s Environmental Studies Department is two-fold:

• Educate a broad range of students on both environmental science and environmental issues via our 10 General Education (GE) course offerings.
• Train the next generation of environmental leaders and professionals via our certificate and degree offerings in three key areas.
• With over 3500 students taking the nearly 200 class sections we offer each year, we are the largest environmental studies/science department in the California Community College system.

The interdisciplinary Facility and Sustainable Building Management degree align with the requirements set by the facility management industry for qualified facility management professionals. Students will be educated and provided actual on-the-job work experience. Students will understand the cross functional aspects of a successful facility manager and will be further educated on the roles facility managers play, the basics of building operations and maintenance, building sustainability, and work management within the facility manager job function. International Facility Management Association (IFMA) estimates the average age of practicing facility managers is more than 49 years old. IFMA also forecasts that 30 to 50 percent of practicing facility managers will retire within the next 10 years. This indicates a pending employment gap and a need for younger, well-educated and qualified facility management professionals. IFMA has turned to California community colleges to help fill this gap. The Facility and Sustainable Building Management certificates and degrees will prepare students for careers in building sustainability, space planning, environmental health and safety, energy efficiency, sustainable landscaping, real estate, property management, human resources and other business-related job functions such as marketing, sales and accounting.

Our Mission
The mission of DeAnza’s Environmental Studies Department is two-fold:

• Educate a broad range of students on both environmental science and environmental issues via our 10 General Education (GE) course offerings.
• Train the next generation of environmental leaders and professionals via our certificate and degree offerings in three key areas.
• With over 3500 students taking the nearly 200 class sections we offer each year, we are the largest environmental studies/science department in the California Community College system.

The Film/TV: Screenwriting A.A. degree provides a foundation for students interested in pursuing a career in screenwriting for film or pursuing a baccalaureate degree in Film/ Television. Students are exposed to the craft and business of screenwriting. In order to fulfill the major requirements, students take each course in the screenwriting series, courses in cinema studies and media theory, and basic production courses.

We live in the age of the image, in a world of large and small screens. The Film/TV Department provides students with the critical skills to analyze media and the practical skills to create compelling content for spectators and screens of all sizes.

Integrating theory and practice, the Film/TV program at De Anza includes a comprehensive curriculum in Media Studies, Screenwriting, Film and Television Production, and Animation. We prepare you to transfer to a four-year university or to enter the workforce. 

The A.A. degree program offers students the opportunity to study information security principles and theories that focus on asset protection. In this program, students learn network security basics, security policies and procedures, network monitoring, and risk analysis and assessment based on network security. Students in this program can pursue either a general course of study or a concentration in information security. Graduates find employment in general public or private management, federal or local government civil service, military service, law enforcement, and private security.

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 Intercultural Studies Department offers an interdisciplinary major leading to certificates, an A.A. degree, or transfer in Intercultural (Ethnic) Studies.  This major represents the joint commitment of the African America, Asian American and Asian, Chicanx/Latinx, Native American, and core Intercultural Studies areas, and provides a diverse curriculum whose educational objectives include the following:

• Develop a methodology emphasizing comparative analyses of the history, politics, social dynamics, and current  challenges and opportunities of historically marginalized communities of color;
• Develop the skills and capabilities to critically analyze information prevalent in the dominant  culture from the perspective of historically marginalized communities of color;
• Examine ethnicity theory, race relations theory, feminist theory, cross-cultural communications theory, peace/conflict/ reconciliation theory, healing and social transformation theory and practices, and explore the intersectional and multidimensional issues of racism, institutions, power as they relate to advocating for equity and social justice.

The major also examines the need for and role of multiracial alliances, economic class analysis, the role of healing in social change work, and provides expertise in areas that will allow students to develop the critical analysis, interpersonal capacities, and leadership and organizing skills to be responsive to the multidimensional needs of historically marginalized communities of color in the short term, and to also contribute to long-term systemic transformation for equity and social justice.

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.

This A.A. degree offers studies in overseeing and maintaining Windows systems as part of a network enterprise. Students become proficient in running administrative processes on a Windows operating system. Focus is placed on organization, security, and upkeep decisions as part of a larger business environment. It offers training in programming, network management, UNIX and Perl to aid in understanding more complex networking problems that occur in business enterprises.

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 Health Technologies Department developed the Medical Assisting A.S. degree to train students in the fundamental clinical skills of reading vital signs, assisting with minor surgery, performing routine lab procedures, administering medication, and the administrative skills of medical coding and medical records management. Students also participate in administrative skills externships in local clinical sites as part of the program.

Our department mission is to inspire, excite and prepare our automotive technology students to achieve a valuable place in our local and global community.

We serve a diverse student population – including career-oriented students, lifelong learners and those who choose our program to enrich their own knowledge base.

Our focus is on integrity, personal achievement, service to our community and excellence in all we do.