Areas of Interest

Areas of Interest

Graduate waves to his family as he walks across the stage during the graduation ceremony.

Each of Moorpark College’s programs listed below is grouped under eight broad ‘Areas of Interest’ in the college’s Guided Pathways framework. Each program’s Area of Interest is listed alongside it; click on the relevant Area of Interest links below for more information on the program, including data on the careers within the program, the “program mapper” outlining the sequence of courses needed for the program, and the names of the Student Success Team members who are there with further information and to help you.

Below are the links to the eight Areas of Interest:

Art, Media, & Entertainment

The Arts, Media, and Entertainment Pathway explores and expands artistic interests as students develop creative and critical thinking, inspire change, and transform culture. Creators combine their passion with industry-level skills to pursue further education or begin sustainable careers. For additional information on these programs, please email MCsuccessteamAME@vcccd.edu

  • Animation Basics
  • Art
  • Art History
  • Dance
  • Design (Laser Cutting Engraving, Screen Printing, Vinyl Cutting and Printing)
  • Exotic Animal Training Management
  • Film, Television, and Media
  • Game Design
  • General Studies: Arts & Humanities Emphasis
  • Journalism
  • MakerSpace
  • Music
  • Photography
  • Theater Arts
  • Web Design

Business, Information & Technology

Majors offered in the Business, Information, and Technology pathway are designed to benefit students who are career bound as well as to further advance to a four-year institution. Students will acquire leadership, technical, interpersonal, communication, and critical thinking skill-sets, preparing them for hands-on careers. Students will have an opportunity to develop and enhance existing knowledge, relevant for success in today’s economy, and will be prepared to join an existing organization or start their own business, positively impacting local, state, national, and global competitiveness. For additional information on these programs, please email MCsuccessteamBIT@vcccd.edu

  • Accounting
  • Biotechnology
  • Business Administration
  • Computer Network Systems Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Cybersecurity
  • Data Science
  • Economics
  • Global Business
  • Hospitality Management
  • Web Design

Communications & Languages

The Communication and Languages Pathway explores perspectives on critical thinking and expression in a variety of contexts, organizing and conveying ideas in written and oral forms. Students will be equipped with the most sought-after skills in the 21st-century professional landscape. This pathway opens opportunities for employment in fields from business to the public sector as well as serving as a foundation for graduate studies in a wide range of disciplines. For additional information on these programs, please email MCsuccessteamCL@vcccd.edu

  • Communication Studies
  • English
  • General Studies: Humanities Emphasis
  • Journalism
  • Philosophy
  • Spanish

Education & Teaching

The Education & Teaching Pathway includes:

  • Child Development (CD)
  • Education (EDU)
  • Registered Behavior Technician (RBT).

These pathways combine the study of developmental science and education with the hands-on application needed for university transfer and entrance into careers in child development, education, or social services. These careers include but are not limited to the following:

  • Preschool
  • Transitional Kindergarten
  • Kindergarten
  • Elementary School
  • Special Education (preschool & elementary)
  • Child, Family & School Social Workers
  • Child Care Workers
  • Teacher Assistants
  • Education Administrators
  • Early Interventionists
  • School Psychologists
  • Speech and Language Pathologists
  • Occupational Therapists
  • Music Therapists
  • College Instructors
  • Instructional Coordinators
  • and Family Child Care Owners.

Some of these career options require more than two-years of college study. This pathway prepares students for an AS or AS-T in Child Development, an AS-T in Child and Adolescent Development, and for completion of four certificates of achievement:

  • Child Development
  • Child Development Associate Teacher
  • Transitional Kindergarten (TK), and
  • Registered Behavior Technician (RBT).

If you are interested in a teaching career in elementary education this program is right for you. The Education Program is designed as a pre-professional program leading to completion of the first 2 years of teacher education preparation. The program is designed to ensure students transfer to bachelor’s degree programs with a strong subject matter background, introductory teaching experience, and content preparation.

Teacher Education Preparation programs vary widely in the required lower division preparation necessary for admission to specific campuses. Careful course selection is essential for successful transfer in a timely fashion. Students are encouraged to see a counselor and visit www.assist.org for assistance in developing an educational plan that will identify the lower division major preparation and general education coursework that corresponds to the intended transfer institution requirements. For additional information on these programs, please email MCsuccessteamET@vcccd.edu

  • Child Development
  • Elementary Teacher Education
  • Early Childhood Education
  • General Studies: Emphasis in Liberal Studies
  • Transitional Kindergarten
  • Registered Behavior Technician

Exploratory

If you have looked at the Areas of Interest but have not decided which the best fit is for you, you might consider the Exploratory area which is designed to provide additional assistance to all students who have not yet declared a major. Deciding on a course of study that is right for you can be challenging.

We have identified reasons that students have not declared their major:

  1. You may still be unsure about what you are good at and what fields you might enjoy working in.
  2. You may know what interests you, but are unsure about the careers that align with those interested or what education is needed to successfully get a job in that industry.

Whatever the reason, we are here to help you learn about yourself, explore your options, and make the best decision for your future. With guidance, this Area of Interest gives you opportunities to explore your options and interests and select a specific program of study. For additional information on these programs, please email MCsuccessteamEX@vcccd.edu

  • CSU General Education Certification
  • IGETC Certification
  • Undecided/Liberal Arts

Health & Wellness

In the Health & Wellness Pathway, you will learn from professors who are passionate about their subjects – and your future. Health & Wellness Pathway degrees and certificate of achievement programs provide strategies, knowledge and skills for a rewarding career as a health or wellness professional of the 21st century. Health & Wellness Pathways will continue to be in great demand and new technologies will only increase demand for skilled workers who embrace creativity and innovation. The pathway is designed for students to have hands-on experience, develop problem-solving skills, and provide industry standard experience. Through education and experience learned in the Health & Wellness disciplines we can help produce students who are committed to being culturally and socially responsive, fostering integrity, and promoting healthier lives. Students who want to enter the workforce directly can earn industry related certificates, and/or students can continue their education through transfer to a four-year university. For additional information on these programs, please email MCsuccessteamHW@vcccd.edu

  • Biological Sciences
  • Biology
  • Biotechnology
  • Emergency Medical Technician
  • Exercise Science
  • Fitness Specialist
  • Health Sciences
  • Kinesiology
  • Nutrition & Dietetics
  • Nursing
  • Paramedic Studies
  • Psychology
  • Radiologic Technology

Human Behavior, History, & Society

In the Human Behavior, History & Society Area of Interest, students learn about themselves, their community, and the world. With a focus on past and present theory and research, this pathway helps students explore human behavior through a variety of lenses including the examination of historical events, individual agency/actions, biological factors that affect behavior, legal and moral ethics, economics, politics, traditional and nontraditional media effects, societal shifts and cultural changes and insights into the factors that contribute to differences in the ways individuals perceive and understand the world. Students in this path can expect to develop their critical thinking and writing skills while they seek to answer the question ‘what drives human behavior’? For additional information on these programs, please email MCsuccessteamHBHS@vcccd.edu

  • Administration of Justice
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Asian Studies
  • Child Development
  • Criminal Justice
  • Cybersecurity
  • Early Childhood Education
  • Economics
  • Fundamentals of Law
  • General Studies: Emphasis in Social & Behavioral Sciences
  • History
  • Law, Public Policy, & Society
  • Philosophy
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Social Justice
  • Social Work and Human Services
  • Sociology

Science & Math

If you enjoy science, math, technology, medicine, and having a global perspective on how your studies and career path will impact society, then you are in the right place! In this pathway, you will be fully engaged in collaboration, rigor, and critical thinking opportunities with your classmates and professors to level up your learning experience. For additional information on these programs, please email MCsuccessteamSM@vcccd.edu

  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Astrophysics
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Computer Network Systems Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Engineering (Electronics Engineering Technology, Environmental Engineering Technology, Mechatronic Engineering)
  • Environmental Science
  • Environmental Studies
  • Exercise Science & Fitness Specialist
  • Exotic Animal Training Management
  • General Studies: Emphasis in Natural Sciences/Math
  • Geography
  • Geology
  • Kinesiology
  • Mathematics
  • Nursing
  • Nutrition & Dietetics
  • Physics
  • Radiologic Technology
  • Veterinary Technology