It is official. On May 5, the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges unanimously approved North Seattle College’s application to offer a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. The plan is to launch the program this fall.
“This is an important milestone in our efforts to meet the needs of our community and our region,” said Dr. Chemene Crawford, President, North Seattle College. “The demand for computer science graduates in today’s workforce is growing faster than traditional four-year colleges can keep up with. This demonstrates how community colleges can be an integral part of the solution.”
Dr. Crawford noted that offering the program at North Seattle College puts a bachelor’s degree in computer science within reach for many more students in Seattle and across the state.
“Two-year colleges in general attract a more diverse student body than many universities — about half of Washington’s community and technical college enrollees are students of color,” Dr. Crawford said. “And community colleges are more affordable and accessible than many options.”
A key aspect of the program is support from the public and private sector. Last July, Washington state legislation was passed authorizing the state’s community and technical colleges to offer four-year Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degrees. Then, in December, Amazon announced it would grant $3 million in support of that effort. That grant provides $1 million each to the Seattle Colleges Foundation (Seattle Colleges, which North Seattle College is part of, developed the program that is being administered by North Seattle College), State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, and Washington State Opportunity Scholarship program.
The new degree will cover a wide range of critical knowledge and skill-building areas, including the design and usability for software and computing systems, effective team collaboration, information technology leadership and preparation for advanced learning in computing, science, engineering, and other professional fields.
The program brings North Seattle College’s bachelor’s degree offerings to six. In addition to computer science, North Seattle College offers five Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degrees in Application Development, Early Childhood Education and the business programs Accounting with International Accounting, International Business and Residential and Commercial Property Management.
For more information on the new Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, visit the North Seattle College website.
Original source can be found here.
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