Associate in Applied Science - Applications (STEM)

at MSM Group - Spokane Community College USA

The associate in applied science degree in Natural Resource Management prepares students to work in the forestry area. This program is accredited by the Society of American Foresters. Two additional options are available: Parks and Recreation or Wildlife Fisheries. The Parks and Recreation option prepares students for park maintenance and/or interpretive positions.  The Wildlife/Fisheries option prepares students to perform field sampling as well as habitat restoration work.

All students must complete an internship of at least 400 hours to complete the degree.  Second year: Student may remain in the main program which is forestry based, or they may select one of the two options for an AAS degree which requires a total of 105 credits.

Learning Outcomes

• Identify selected forest trees, shrubs, and forbs native to the Pacific Northwest.
• Use various instruments to measure the height, diameter and age of trees and apply this data to volume, site and growth determinations.
• Identify species and habitat needs of common northwest freshwater fish, birds and wildlife.
• Operate hand compasses, level, global positioning systems, and electronic instruments in determining slopes, turning angles, running traverses, locating ownership boundaries, and determining locations.
• Utilize maps and aerial photographs in the management of natural resources, including through the use of geographic information systems.
• Recognize common diseases and insect pests of forest trees and assess their damage.
• Use the computer as a tool for solving natural resources problems.
• Apply field techniques to sample, measure, and monitor wildlife, birds and fish species and their habitat.
• Demonstrate human relationship skills and professional behavior needed for successful job performance.
• Parks maintenance and equipment.
• Recognize and apply the various silvicultural systems and techniques used in ecosystem management.
• Understand concepts of ecology, conservation and management for fish and wildlife species and their habitats.
• Understand concepts involved in soil science including soil management, conservation, and use of soils in forestry and agriculture.
• Maintain and safely operate a chainsaw.
• Write technical reports and give presentations.

This program prepares individuals for employment in medical offices. Spokane is a major regional center for medical care offering many opportunities for employment. Positions are available in medical clinics, medical insurance companies private physician’s offices, and many other healthcare settings.

Students completing the Medical Office Specialist degree also earn the medical Clerical Certificate and the Medical Reception Certificate, which are embedded in the degree.

Completion of two courses (MSEC 120 and MSEC 121) within the Medical Office Specialist degree allow students to earn and apply for the Peace Studies Certificate at SCC.

Learning Outcomes

• Receive patients and visitors.
• Appropriately manage telephone and electronic communications.
• Schedule appointments and procedures including office, diagnostic, and surgical procedures.
• Apply legal and ethical standards.
• Develop keyboarding skills and use of computer applications.
• Create and maintain patient records.
• File, rebill, and troubleshoot insurance claims for the medical office to include government, PPO, and HMO insurance.
• Code using CPT and ICD-10-CM coding systems.
• Perform typical medical office financial activities using applicable software.
• Correlate knowledge of general anatomy and medical terminology to perform administrative medical assistant duties, as above.

The Business Software Specialist degree is a two-year program with classes offered online or on-campus. This program combines training in information processing systems and office administration to give students the diversified training and background needed to hold positions of responsibility in business offices. Upon completion students will be prepared for administrative positions that require advanced spreadsheet, database, presentation, and project management software. This program provides students with one or more of the following additional areas: basic computer hardware troubleshooting, online collaboration, MOS certification, or basic network administration.

Learning Outcomes

• Acquire comprehensive knowledge of and ability to use Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Project, and Outlook software.
• Handle multiple deadlines and priorities in an office setting.
• Think critically and act logically to evaluate situations, solve problems, and make decisions.
• Handle a variety of internal and external business forms and understand their purpose.
• Compile and analyze data, prepare concise reports and presentations, use information processing technology and software.
• Demonstrate organizational, planning, and project management skills.
• Exhibit management initiative, dependability, and flexibility; follow directions; and take pride in quality work.
• Appreciate the scope of business operations and economics systems.
• Organize and plan office work and exercise leadership skills that make the employee a successful member of a dynamic team.
• Operate a variety of business machines, including computers, copy machines and scanners, transcribing equipment, facsimiles, printers, telephones, and calculating machines.
• Acquire a technical overview of office information systems, basic computer hardware, and network administration.

The Medical Assistant is an Allied Health professional who assists physicians and other health care providers in their offices or other medical settings. In accordance with respective state laws, they perform a broad range of administrative and clinical duties. In the Medical Assistant program at Spokane Community College, students learn about the administrative duties of scheduling and receiving patients, preparing and maintaining medical records, performing basic secretarial skills and medical transcription, handling telephone calls, writing correspondence, serving as a liaison between the physician and other individuals, and managing practice finances. The clinical phase of the program is taught through intense training and hands-on application. Students learn to perform clinical duties, including asepsis and infection control, taking patient histories and vital signs, first aid and CPR, preparing patients for procedures, assisting the physician with examinations and treatments, collecting and processing specimens, performing selected diagnostic tests, and preparing and administering medications as directed by the physician. In the 4th quarter the students will have a 198 hour unpaid clinical externship in a medical office working directly with providers.

Learning Outcomes

• The program goals are to prepare competent entry-level medical assistants in the cognitive (knowledge), and psychomotor (skills), and effective (behavior) learning domains. This program is designed to prepare students for entry-level employment in medical ambulatory care settings.

The Marketing program is designed for students who want to specialize in fields involved with the distribution of goods and services from producer to consumer. Students take core business courses followed by marketing specialty courses such as marketing, retailing, advertising and international business. Students are also required to gain work experience as part of the program. There is opportunity for teamwork and leadership experience through participation in college DECA, international management and marketing organization.

All students graduating from this program must have a minimum grade of 2.0 on each of the management; accounting; economics; and general business required courses. Students must also have a 2.0 cumulative grade point average on all required courses in the program.

Learning Outcomes

• Understand the position of contemporary marketing within the economy and recognize how it fits into the global economy and the world of e-commerce.
• Analyze strategies and tactics to develop a balanced marketing mix to reach targeted market groups in both the consumer and business to business sectors in order to create satisfied customers.
• Analyze and understand the elements of the marketing mix, which includes having the right products/services in the right place at the right price with proper promotion to position a product/service to reach the targeted groups.
• Understand how the functions of marketing (buying, selling, transporting, storing, standardization and grading, financing, risk taking, marketing research) support the marketing mix.
• Understand and appreciate how outside environmental forces (technology, political legal, competition, social cultural, economic) influence changes in a firm’s marketing mix.
• Understand the need for market information systems, understand consumer/buyer behavior and market segmentation.
• Understand the need to support marketing goals with management skills, communication skills, human relation skills, and ethical behavior.

The Criminal Justice curriculum is made up of courses and a carefully selected group of general education requirements designed to prepare each student for a career in the field of criminal justice. These courses prepare students with theory and practical skills in the areas of criminal law, investigations, interview, communications, human relations, and other criminal justice topics.

Students in this field are encouraged to seek academic counseling. Only a portion of this two-year AAS degree is transferable to four-year institutions. Students interested in four-year degrees should inquire at the college to which they plan to transfer for specific information.

Credits from the police academy training can apply toward meeting the course requirements of this program.

Learning Outcomes

• Apply their knowledge and skill toward successful completion of any criminal justice related job screening process.
• Apply their knowledge and skill toward successful completion of basic training in the criminal justice service industry.
• Apply their knowledge and skill to efficiently and effectively complete criminal justice field work.

The software development program trains students in current web and desktop application development using diverse industry technologies. Software development is an evolving field of study requiring continuing education and the ability to adapt to constant change. Graduates from this program acquire problem solving skills, are encouraged to work independently and as a team, and be ethical in all interactions.

Learning Outcomes

• Learn programming concepts and techniques that enable students to be a lifetime learner as technology evolves.
• Understand and implement cost effective and efficient web sites.
• Understand how to properly create, store, and retrieve data from a normalized database.
• Solve problems while developing software or web sites.
• Communicate with clients while developing software or web sites.
• Demonstrate responsibility for meeting deadlines and addressing client needs.
• Understand how technology relates and impacts society.
• Design, develop, deploy and maintain software and web development projects specified by a client.
• Demonstrate professionalism and flexibility.
• Develop research skills and techniques.

This program is designed to prepare students for employment in the specialized field of biomedical electronics in a hospital or in the medical electronics industry.
The curriculum has been planned to give comprehensive training in circuit analysis, laboratory techniques and the use of modern test equipment. A balanced study of peripheral subjects that make the biomedical equipment technician unique also is included. These subjects include fundamentals of physics, chemistry, physiology, medical terminology, hospital ethics and hospital safety. The curriculum provides special lectures and laboratories in repair, and preventive maintenance of medical electronic equipment.
Graduates are prepared for employment as entry-level biomedical equipment technicians. To qualify for graduation, the student must have successfully completed five quarters of basic electronics including the additional required courses (i.e., chemistry and physics) and the six and seventh quarter biomedical sequence. Entrance to each quarter of basics is contingent upon satisfactory completion of the previous quarter. Students may enroll fall and winter quarters only. The clinical practicum is available during summer quarter only.

The goal of the program is to provide the health care field with biomedical equipment technicians who have a thorough understanding of electronic fundamentals; a practical ability to design, construct and troubleshoot electronic circuits; and knowledge about the theory of operation, physiological principles, and the safe and practical applications of biomedical equipment.

Learning Outcomes

• State the characteristics of electronic components and circuits.
• Calculate circuit parameters.
• Demonstrate proper safety procedures.
• Construct electronic circuits.
• Use electronic test equipment to evaluate and troubleshoot electronic circuits and biomedical equipment.
• Explain career related regulatory requirements.

The Water Science program is designed to prepare students for employment in water resources, including water and wastewater operations, hydrology, and water quality for local, state and federal agencies, and private industry.

Learning Outcomes

• Install, operate and maintain instruments used in stream gaging and discharge measurement.
• Collect samples, complete field surveys, analyze, and report water quality parameters in the field and laboratory using standard chemical, biological, physical, and field survey techniques commonly utilized in water resource studies.
• Collect, recognize and identify aquatic organisms from invertebrate insects to fish species, relating what is found to the habitat and aquatic ecosystem conditions.
• Install, operate, and maintain instruments used in collecting hydro-meteorological measurements.
• Set up monitoring plans and schedules to collect, measure, analyze and report ground water levels and water quality parameters.
• Be familiar with restoration practices used to improve fish habitat and water quality, including techniques to stabilize slopes, recover degraded lakes and stream courses.
• Utilize, interpret and analyze maps and aerial photographs in the characterization and management of water resources, including through the use of geographic information systems (GIS).
• Operate a hand compass, level, global positioning systems (GPS) and electronic instruments in determining slopes, running traverses, locating ownership boundaries, and determining locations.
• Work safely in a variety of adverse conditions and environments, including obtaining 40-hour Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) certification according to the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.120.
• Have knowledge and understanding of Federal and State laws that pertain to water and the aquatic environment including a good working knowledge of water rights laws.
• Use the computer as a tool for solving water resources problems.
• Record, report, analyze and store data gathered according to established protocol.
• Write technical reports and give presentations.
• Demonstrate human relationship skills and professional behavior needed for successful job performance.

The Automotive Technology program prepares students for employment in many areas of the automotive field including dealerships, independent garages, fleet shops, service stations, and specialty shops which cover areas such as tune-ups and brakes. Students may enter the program only in the first quarter. The one-year certificate requires completion of any three quarters of the Automotive Technology program and the four related classes identified in footnote 1. This flexible schedule also enables students to receive short-term certificates while pursuing their degree. Students must complete all courses with a 2.0 grade or better before advancing to subsequent quarters.

Learning Outcomes

• Describe how an automotive heating, ventilation, and air-conditions system works.
• Discuss the refrigerants used and their impact on the environment.
• Explain airflow management and sensors and actuators used.
• Comprehend the refrigerant recycle importance and effects on the environment.
• Discuss engine constructions, energy and power of an engine.
• Discuss compression ratio, torque and horsepower.
• Discuss synthetic engine oils and their advantages.
• Discuss hybrids engine precautions.
• Learn theory and principles of computerized engine controls, automotive exhaust emissions, and fuel injection and ignition systems.
• Working knowledge of the brake system and component identification.
• Basic knowledge of the diagnostic process of the brak system.
• Working knowledge of the suspension system and component identification.
• Working knowledge of the alignment equipment and basic adjustments.
• Principles of late model automatic transmissions, transaxles and sub-assemblies.
• Operation of automotive manual transmissions and transaxles, differential, transfer case, drive line, and constant velocity joints.