Associate in Science - General Studies - Science

at Foothill College USA

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.

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 Child Development Program is an academic and vocational training program that prepares students for future work as early childhood educators in diverse early childhood settings. Courses and certificates are designed to meet entry-level requirements for the level of work chosen and/or meet the requirements needed to obtain a California Child Development Permit to become an Assistant Teacher, Associate Teacher, Teacher, Master Teacher and/or Site Supervisor in state-licensed, publicly funded, center-based child care and development programs. Students planning to transfer to a four-year university as a child development or related major may be able to apply some child development units toward the lower division major preparation requirements or qualify for the AS-T in Early Childhood Education. Please see a Foothill counselor for more information.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the needs and characteristics of children from birth through middle childhood, and the multiple influences on their development as related to the high-quality care and education of young children.
• Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of ethical standards and professional behaviors that deepen knowledge and commitment to the field of early care and education as related to National Association for the Education of Young Children Code of Ethical Conduct.

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.

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.

Political Science as a social science discipline is the systematic analysis of political power. Informed by theory and the scientific method, political scientists examine a variety of social and political phenomena including but not limited to social and political behavior, public policy, and institutions. Major areas of specialization in the discipline include American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory, public policy and political economy.

The value of a political science degree is recognized in both the public and private sectors as it demonstrates development of critical, analytical and research skills demanded by higher education institutions and the labor market.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Students will be able to demonstrate critical, analytical, research and writing skills in political science and its sub-fields using basic scientific tools underlying modern social science.
• Students will be able to analyze the major theoretical formulations and concepts of political science and its sub-fields and the philosophical basis of those formulations.

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.

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.

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 Associate in Arts degree in Music is a comprehensive course of study preparing the student to transfer to a four-year institution in music or a music-related field, or to enter the music industry or a related field upon completion. Foothill's Music Department offers a wide variety of courses to satisfy the diverse interests and needs of its students. In addition to core courses in comprehensive musicianship and history/literature, the department also offers courses such as Music of American Cultures, the Music of the Beatles, and many others. The department's award-winning faculty are active as composers, authors, performers, arrangers, and publishers in the Bay Area and throughout the U.S. The department has some of the newest and most comprehensive facilities in the country. Our performance facilities have been newly renovated and all of our classrooms are equipped with Steinway pianos and/or top-of-the-line sound reinforcement/multimedia delivery systems. The Interdisciplinary Electronic Arts Center has many new features such as a new media classroom with MIDI keyboard stations fully equipped with the latest in recording and sound production design.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Through the study of music history/literature, students examine music masterpieces from multiple eras and cultures, synthesizing information and making judgments as they evaluate how music reflects individual composers' lives, as well as the contemporary social/historical context in which the compositions were created and performed.
• Through music theory/composition, students analyze the structure of music and learn to create their own original works satisfying specific and complex compositional requirements.
• Through music performance, students learn how to apply and express their historical, theoretical, and artistic understandings in a presentation addressing an appropriate audience.
• Using this three-lens framework, students increase their community/global consciousness as they learn to appreciate how music is a potent tool for understanding individual and cultural uniqueness within the larger context of our common humanity.