Computer Science: Software Development

Program code: CSSD-AS

Locations: Gateway, Housatonic, Norwalk

Program Description

The curriculum includes a foundation of core courses in database development and programming languages, and permits students to select major electives that are best suited to their career goals and interests. This flexibility will enable the College better to prepare students for employment in a fast-moving field.

The Associate of Science in Software Development provides a solid general education as well as a thorough coverage of the topics and skills supporting the dynamic information technology field. Programmatic goals relate to the mission in the following manner:

  • provide students with skills needed to gain entry level or higher employment;
  • provide students with appropriate educational experiences that give them the written, verbal, and interpersonal skills necessary to function as a team member in the IT environment as well as transfer to higher level institutions;
  • provide students with course work and experience that improves on existing skills or develops new ones; and
  • work in partnership with business and industry in responding to the employment and training needs in the field of information technology.

The program serves both traditional first-time students as well as professionals currently working in the field. The curriculum is flexible enough to meet the needs of students who wish to transfer to a baccalaureate institution and students preparing for immediate entry into the workplace.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this degree graduates will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of connections between various platforms and programming languages;
  2. Work with and study the underlying technologies that support the internet;
  3. Demonstrate the ability to use an IDE (integrated development environment);
  4. Demonstrate the use of OOP (object-oriented programming) techniques in program design and development;
  5. Demonstrate writing, compiling and executing code in Object Oriented programming languages;
  6. Test programs and troubleshoot simple problems;
  7. Understand relational database design methodology and be able to use database software to build, modify, and query relational databases; and
  8. Produce logical software solutions to problems.

Degree Requirements

General Education Courses
ENG 1010Composition3
MATH 1600College Algebra (or higher)3
Elective ARHX - Arts & Humanities Course3-4
Elective SCKX - Scientific Knowledge Course or Elective SCRX - Scientific Reasoning Course3-4
Elective HISX - Historical Knowledge Course or Elective SBSX - Social / Behavioral Science Course3
COMM 1301Public Speaking3
CCS 1001College and Career Success3
Program Courses
CSC 2276XML for the Worldwide Web4
CSC 2232Database Development II4
CSC 1201Introduction to Programming4
CSC 1231Database Development and Design I4
Technical Directed Electives - Any CSC, CST courses, or MATH 2000-level or higher9-12
Unrestricted Electives - Any course 1000 or higher9
Two-Semester Programming Sequence
Choose one programming sequence:6-8
Object Oriented Programming
and Data Structures and Algorithms
Programming Mobile Devices I
and Programming Mobile Devices II
Web Development and Design II
and Web Development and Design I
Total Credits61-68