Courses

Course Descriptions

Non-Quality Assurance Courses

BIO 102 • General Biology (3 Units)

Representative topics in modern biology, emphasizing the present state of knowledge and the major means whereby this knowledge is being expanded. Three hours of lecture per week. 

CHE 108 • Introduction to College Chemistry (5 Units)

Measurements, units, unit conversion, scientific notation, chemical stoichiometry, mole concept, structure of atoms and molecules. CR/NC grading. Three hours of lecture and six hours of laboratory per week. 

MAT 131 • Elementary Statistics and Probability (3 Units)

Prerequisites: Quantitative Reasoning Placement Level 2 or completion of any of MAT 105, MAT 151, MAT 153, or MAT 191.
A practical course in probability and statistics including such topics as the binomial and normal distributions, confidence intervals, t, F, and chi-square tests, linear regression and correlation, and conditional probability. Satisfies the General Education Quantitative Reasoning Requirement. 

MAT 153 • Pre-Calculus with Trigonometry with Lab (4 Units)

Prerequisites: Math Placement Category Level 2 or completed GE Quantitative Reasoning.
Topics include functions and their graphs; linear, quadratic, rational, exponential, and logarithmic functions; composition, transformation, and arithmetic of functions; inverse functions; inequalities; right-triangle trigonometry and circular motion; and applications to contextual problems. This course is supported with Supplemental Instruction. Preparation for MAT 191: Calculus.

PHY 120  • Elements Of Physics I (4 Units)

Prerequisite: High school or college algebra.
Motion, energy, waves and heat treated from a non-calculus point of view. Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per week.

PHY 122 • Elements Of Physics II (4 Units)

Prerequisite: PHY 120.
Electricity, magnetism and light. Nuclear radiation. Quantum phenomena. Atomic structure. Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per week.

SMT 310 • Science and Technology (3 Units)

Prerequisite: Completion of lower division General Education.
An assessment of the interrelationships of Science and Technology. Study of the development of technological advances and the scientific principles behind them. 

Offered Fall Spring Summer

SMT 312 • (EAR 312) Natural Disasters (3 Units)

Prerequisite: Completion of lower division General Education.
Impact of natural events on human activities and vice versa. Mankind's uneasy relationship with atmosphere, oceans and not-so-solid Earth. Will include study of earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, landslides, tsunamis, climate change, hurricanes, tornadoes and wildfires. 

SMT 314 • Introduction to Cosmology (3 Units)

Prerequisite: Completion of lower division General Education.
An introduction to the major theories of the origin and structure of the universe and the evidence for them, with attention to the way earlier ideas have been incorporated in modern thought. The Big Bang Theory will be examined in depth. 

Offered Fall Spring

Quality Assurance Courses

QAS 200 • Fundamentals of Quality (3 Units)

A study of the fundamentals of Quality with an emphasis on the current international standards, planning, organizations, methods and tools. Emphasizes the works of leading international Quality theorists, especially Juran and Deming. 

Offered Fall Spring Summer

QAS 220 • Introduction to Measurement Science (3 Units)

Prerequisite: MAT 131.
Introductory overview of the fundamentals of measurement with emphasis on application of measurement science concepts to quality management. Upper Division 

Offered Fall Spring Summer

QAS 312 • Interpretation of Technical Documentation (3 Units)

Prerequisites: MAT 153, QAS 200, QAS 220.
Interpretation of basic engineering drawing concepts, including all related common symbolism and formatting. Emphasis on dimensions, tolerances, and configuration management. Introduction to Military and Federal Specifications/Handbooks, ANSI, IEC, and ISO documents, specifications and recommended practices issued by private organizations. 

Offered Spring

QAS 325 • Technical Communications (4)

Prerequisites: ENG 110, THE 120.
Technical communications, written and oral, and how they differ from non-technical writing and speech. Emphasizes methods for the positive and unambiguous transfer of technical ideas so that they can be clearly understood by the reader or listener. 

Offered Summer

QAS 330 • Statistical Quality Control and Inspection (3 Units)

Prerequisites: MAT 131, QAS 200, QAS 220.
Introduction to the application of statistical methodologies to the analysis and solution of quality and management problems (including probability concepts, control charts, and sampling). Focus will be on application of these tools to the inspection process. 

Offered Fall

QAS 331 • The Manufacturing Process (3 Units)

Prerequisite: QAS 312.
Introduction to the fundamentals of manufacturing, where the conversion of raw materials and sub-assemblies into more useful entities adds value to the converted materials in the most efficient manner, using the least amount of time, money, space and manpower. 

Offered Fall

QAS 332 • Electrical Metrology (3 Units)

Prerequisites: MAT 131, PHY 122, QAS 200, QAS 220.
Electrical measurement concepts, circuits and devices; applications to DC and AC measurements. Theory of coupled circuits in magnetic and capacitive environments, and electrical laboratory practices, with analysis, construction, and troubleshooting of circuits. Documentary control procedures for calibrations and other measurements. 

Offered Spring

QAS 335 Quality Auditing (3 Units)

Prerequisite: QAS 200.
The fundamental principles for preparing and planning, conducting, reporting and closing quality audits. Quality audit tools and techniques are introduced, with an emphasis on generally-accepted quality audit practices that support business performance. 

Offered Fall

QAS 340 • Measurement Uncertainty (3 Units)

Prerequisites: MAT 131, MAT 153, QAS 200, QAS 220.
Theoretical versus actual measurements. Probability and statistical concepts to define accuracy, precision, error, uncertainty, and bias. Differences between measurement accuracy and measurement error; random and systematic error; uncertainty interval; tolerance limits; accuracy ratio; relative errors; and propagation of measurement errors. 

Offered Spring

QAS 347 • Dimensional Metrology (3 Units)

Prerequisites: PHY 122, QAS 200, QAS 220.
Measurement of length, angularity, relative position, flatness, parallelism, concentricity, squareness, and threads. Lasers and optical tooling in large-scale measurements; also gauges, comparators, and measurement machines. Measurement uncertainties pertinent to dimensional metrology; sources of error; the effect of the measurement environment. 

Offered Infrequently

QAS 350 • Physical Metrology (3 Units)

Prerequisites: PHY 122, QAS 200, QAS 220.
Theoretical and practical applications of measurement principles as applied to various physical properties. Measurement of pressure, mass, force, torque, temperature, humidity, flow, and rotational motion. Identifying sources of error, techniques to minimize errors and maintaining measurement traceability. 

Offered Infrequent 

QAS 355 • Safety and Reliability (3 Units)

Prerequisites: MAT 131, MAT 153, QAS 200, QAS 220.
Reliability, maintainability, and safety technology with practical industrial applications. Basic models; metrics; testing; methods of implementing improvements; accelerated life testing. Failure mechanisms for chemical, electro-chemical, electronics, electro-mechanical and opto-electronic systems. Introduction to software reliability. Focus on qualification for ISO 9000. 

Offered Spring

QAS 360 • Lean Manufacturing (3 Units)

Prerequisites: QAS 200, QAS 220.
Deals with the strategies and practices of lean production, as well as areas of waste, interrelationships among the various components of a system, theories of leadership and management of people, and process variation. 

Offered Spring

QAS 427 • Quality Improvement (3 Units)

Prerequisites: QAS 200, QAS 220.
Quality factors involving customer satisfaction demonstrating that meeting quality needs requires an active role by all the major sectors of an organization. Operational and statistical techniques most often used to monitor, control, and improve the quality of products or services. 

Offered Fall

QAS 445 • Systems Failure Analysis (3 Units)

Prerequisites: QAS 200, QAS 220.
Integrates Quality, Manufacturing and Procurement efforts to identify and eliminate the root causes of failures in systems, sub-systems and components, emphasizing fault tree and Pareto analyses. Hardware and statistical analysis, design of experiments, and technical data package evaluations.

Offered Fall

QAS 450 • Value Based Quality (3 Units)

Prerequisites:  QAS 200, QAS 220, and consent of instructor.
Used value received, as perceived by the customer, as the primary measure of quality in the development of cohesive enterprise-wide quality management systems. A systemic approach to establishing the correct things to do and a measurement-based process for implementation.

Offered Spring

QAS 496 • Internship in Quality Assurance (3 Units)

Prerequisites: Completion of all 300-level courses in the major.
Assignment in an off-campus internship with a cooperating organization, to be selected in consultation with the program coordinator. Emphasis on the role of professionalism and ethics in the life of the Quality professional.

QAS 498 • Directed Research in Quality Assurance (3 Units)

Prerequisites: Completion of all 300-level courses in the major.
Directed research on one or more topics to be selected in consultation with the program coordinator. Emphasis on the role of professionalism and ethics in the life of the Quality professional.

Offered Fall Spring

QAS 499 • Senior Project (3 Units)

Prerequisites: QAS 496 or QAS 498.
A capstone project focusing on the role of leadership in relation to professionalism and ethical standards in the field of Quality Assurance.

Offered Fall Spring

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