Child and Adolescent Development

This course will examine the major developmental milestones for children, both typically and atypically developing, from conception through adolescence in the areas of physical, psychosocial, and cognitive development. Emphasis will be on interactions between maturational and environmental factors within a culturally sensitive framework. While studying developmental theory and investigative research methodologies, students will observe children, evaluate individual differences and analyze characteristics of development at various stages.

In this course, students receive instruction in academic reading and writing, including writing processes, effective use of language, analytical thinking, and the foundations of academic research.

This course provides an exploration of intellectual, psychological, social and physical factors that impact lifelong learning, well-being and success. Topics include motivation and self-efficacy; critical thinking, academic integrity and active study strategies; health issues and lifestyle choices; relating to others as a global citizen; written and oral communication; time management; career exploration; and educational planning.

This course is an examination of the developing child in a societal context, focusing on the interrelationship of family, school and community and the influence of multiple societal contexts. It explores the role of collaboration between family, community, and schools in supporting children’s development, birth through adolescence. Studies of family systems in contemporary society as they impact children and their individual heritage, diverse culture, ability and language will be examined, highlighting at least three major American cultures (Latina/o American, African American, Asian American, Native American, and European American). The processes of socialization and identity development will be highlighted, showing the importance of respectful, reciprocal relationships that support and empower families.

This course is an introduction to statistical thinking and processes, including methods and concepts for discovery and decision-making using data. Topics include descriptive statistics; probability and sampling distributions; statistical inference; correlation and linear regression; analysis of variance, chi-squared, and t-tests; and application of technology for statistical analysis including the interpretation of the relevance of the statistical findings. Students apply methods and processes to applications using data from a broad range of disciplines.

This course is an introduction to psychology, which is the study of the mind and behavior. Students focus on theories and concepts of biological, cognitive, developmental, environmental, social, and cultural influences; their applications; and their research foundations.

In this course, students receive instruction in critical thinking for purposes of constructing, evaluating, and composing arguments in a variety of rhetorical forms, using primarily non-fiction texts, refining writing skills and research strategies developed in ENGL C1000 Academic Reading and Writing (or C-ID ENGL 100) or similar first-year college writing course.

ECE 46 highly recommended

See the full list: Required Elective Course from "List A" below

From a psychological perspective, this course traces physical, emotional, social and intellectual development throughout the lifespan from conception through aging and dying. Special attention is paid to the interaction of biological, environmental, and psychological factors on development. The way familial, cultural and socioeconomic influences impact the individual will receive special emphasis. Theories and research regarding physical, cognitive, personality, and social development are used as a foundation to understand lifespan issues, developmental problems, and practical implications at each stage of development.

POLS C1000 ( or POL SC 1) recommended

US History recommended

See the full list: Cal-GETC Area 3B Course (opens in new window)

An introduction to artistic practices by exploring the myriad manifestations of visual culture in our world through a cross-cultural thematic approach. This course examines themes in art like Religion, Power, Reproduction and Sexuality, and traces them across cultures and time periods. Emphasis will be placed on learning the language of visual culture both in terms of the formal elements of design as well as the content of style and subject matter and finding connections and differences. Students will explore the various media of art from drawing, sculpture, fresco, oil, photography, motion pictures, architecture to contemporary advertising and design and investigate how various cultures have used specific media and themes. This course is designed to introduce Fine Art and Art History simultaneously providing a unique opportunity to explore these fields as well as to prepare students for a course of study in Fine Art and Art History.

Cultural Anthropology is the study of human society and culture, analyzing both similarities and differences amongst cultural groups. This course will introduce students to important socio-cultural concepts used by cultural anthropologists including material culture, social organization, religion, kinship, ritual and symbolic systems, race, ethnicity, and language amongst others. Students will examine how cultural anthropologists understand the notion of culture in the study of human behavior in different regions of the world. The ethnographic method as a key methodology will be stressed throughout this course.

This general biology course is for transfer students who are not biology majors. Topics include basic molecular and cellular biology, genetics, the anatomy and physiology of plants, animals and humans, the diversity of life, evolution, and ecology. Current environmental issues and new developments in biological science are discussed. Laboratory experiences are integrated and stress scientific methodology and thinking. *Credit is allowed for one course from either Biology 3, 4, Botany 1. No UC credit given for Biology 3 if taken after Biology 21, 22 or 23.

Dance 5 offers an overview of dance in historical, cultural, political, and social contexts. This course covers the historical development of dance as a performing art through the periods of history from the pre-historic era through the 21st Century. This class investigates the origin, tradition, and development of theatrical dance styles, including ballet, modern, postmodern, jazz, tap, hip-hop, world dance forms and contemporary. Examining dance as a performing art as well as a medium of social, cultural, and individual expression is emphasized through the comprehensive study of dance works and dance artists.

This course provides an in depth analysis of the physical, social, emotional and cognitive development of infants and toddlers in the context of family. Further, it explores the crucial role that parents and family play in the day to day experiences that promote this primary relationship in a child’s life. Content covered will include assessment measures and direct observations of infants and toddlers which assist teachers and parents in the early identification of children with special needs including making appropriate referrals and providing culturally consistent care.

The course provides an introduction to the laws, regulations, standards, policies, and best practices related to health, safety, and nutrition in care and education settings for children birth through middle childhood. The key components that ensure physical health, mental health, and safety for both children and staff will be identified, along with the importance of collaboration with families and health professionals. Course discussion includes the teacher’s role in prevention strategies, nutrition and meal planning, integrating health, safety, and nutrition experiences into daily routines, and overall risk management.

This course is designed to explore and develop approaches to, and perspectives of, healthful living. Topics include but are not limited to: dimensions of wellness, stress management, nutrition, physical activity and exercise, behavioral health, aging, and strategies for establishing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

This course surveys world history from the rise of humanity to 1500, addressing human impact on the physical environment, the domestication of plants and animals, and the establishment of complex cultures. A thematic and chronological approach is used to examine the major civilizations of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Americas, and Europe in terms of their political, social, economic, intellectual, and cultural development and their inter-regional relations.

This course is a survey of music in Western Civilization from Antiquity through Baroque (approximately 800 BC to 1750 AD). Emphasis is placed upon the principal composers and their works related to the history and philosophy of each stylistic period and interrelationships with the arts and humanities in general. The stylistic periods covered include Greco-Roman, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque. The course is designed for the music student, but open to all.

This course is a survey of music in Western Civilization from the Rococo Period (about 1720) to the present. Emphasis is placed upon the principal composers and their works related to the history and philosophy of each stylistic period and interrelationships with the arts and humanities in general. The stylistic periods covered include Rococo, Classical, Romantic, Impressionist, and the diverse directions of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The course is designed for the music major but open to all.

This course is designed for the non-major. It utilizes a broad approach to musical literature, primarily of the sixteenth through twenty-first centuries, and its place in the cultural development of Western Civilization. It provides the tools for a basic understanding of music, an awareness of the primary musical styles, comprehension of the building blocks of music, and the development of an attentive style of listening.

This course is a philosophic examination of major ethical debates in contemporary American society. Topics may include capital punishment, abortion, euthanasia, racial and sexual equality, affirmative action, sexual morality, pornography, "victimless crimes," bio-medical research, animal rights, and environmental issues. Preparatory to those investigations, time is devoted to studying some of the most important moral theories and various types of moral reasoning.

This course introduces the study of society and human social interaction. Both macro and micro sociological theory are discussed, as well as methods of sociological inquiry, culture, socialization, deviance, social change and social stratification--particularly in the areas of social class, race and ethnicity, and gender. Students are highly encouraged to complete Sociology 1 prior to enrolling in other sociology courses.

By relying heavily on the instructional method of service-learning, this course introduces the study of society and human social interaction. Both macro and micro sociological theory are discussed, as well as methods of sociological inquiry, cultural development, the process of socialization, social structure, social stratification--particularly in the areas of social class, race and ethnicity, and gender--and social change. Students are highly encouraged to complete Sociology 1 or 1s prior to enrolling in other sociology courses. This course requires students to engage in learning outside the classroom in conjunction with various community-based organizations.

This course is an examination of the family as a social institution. Emphasis will be placed on relationships between the family and other social institutions from American and cross-cultural perspectives. Theories of family development in society as well as pertinent research will be studied.

This course involves the critical examination of patterns, practices, and relations among racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Particular attention will be given to problems of ongoing discrimination, prejudice, assimilation and cultural pluralism, and power differences between groups. Interconnections between race, ethnicity, social class, gender, and other systems of inequality will be emphasized. Social movements organized within and among racial and ethnic groups that address institutional inequalities in this society will be analyzed.

This course provides the student with a general knowledge of theatre and its influence on modern society. Historical growth, basic vocabulary, skills, and crafts of theatre are emphasized. Attendance of theatre productions for which students must purchase tickets is required.

Introduction to the study of women and men in society, covering comparative issues of social, political, and economic position in the workplace, family, cultural institutions; historical basis of gender based subordination; the female experience; the male experience; relations between women and men; intersections of ethnicity/race, class, sexuality and gender; violence against women; cultural images of women and men; social roles of women and men, LGBTQ identities and movements for social change.