Computer science degree program in the works at Skagit Valley … – goskagit.com
A bachelor’s degree program in computer science is in development at Skagit Valley College following state legislation authorizing community colleges to offer the degree.
The legislation was passed in 2021 in order to address the state’s growing technology sector and provide low-income students and students of color with the opportunity to secure the “high-demand jobs of the future,” according to the Legislature.
The degree will be the first true four-year bachelor’s degree at Skagit Valley College, according to Kenny Lawson, the college’s vice president for instruction.
The other bachelor’s degrees the college offers come after the completion of an associate degree.
Lawson said once the new computer science program is up and running students will be able to begin working toward the degree as freshmen.
Skagit Valley College is working with other community and technical colleges to develop curriculum for the program, said Lynnette Bennett, associate dean of workforce education at the college.
The curriculum being developed is comparable to what’s offered at four-year colleges, she said.
Students will learn basic programming techniques and software development, take general courses, complete capstone projects and seminars, and gain hands-on experience through internships or community partnerships, Bennett said.
Accessibility is a central focus of the new degree.
Classes will be offered in in-person, hybrid and fully online formats; tuition will be more affordable than at four-year universities; and for students in Skagit, Island and San Juan counties, the in-person locations will be more accessible, Bennett said.
In an effort to make the degree more accessible, there will be fewer math classes needed to complete the degree compared to most computer science programs at the university level, Bennett said.
“Skagit Valley College still has an open access mission. While we do have some programs that have an application or are based on different criteria to get in, they are set at an entrance criteria that makes it as accessible as possible for students to still be successful in the program, and so that will continue with this degree,” Bennett said.
The program will aim to address gaps in the local workforce and create opportunities for graduates to obtain living wage or “even high wage” jobs, Lawson said.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for students interested in … computer technology fields to have some more options in our local community that are accessible, and we are excited to be one of the first few colleges able to do this,” Bennett said.
— Reporter Benjamin Leung: bleung@skagitpublishing.com, 360-416-2156, Twitter: @Benjoomi
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