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Certificate Programs in Computer Science

Program Manager

Xuzhou (Brady) Chen

The certificate programs in Computer Science are designed for those who work with computers at their workplace and wish to sharpen their skills in specific areas. All the courses are part of the undergraduate curriculum. In order to earn a certificate, a minimum grade point average of 3.0 must be maintained within the program. At least half of the courses must be completed at Fitchburg State College. The department must approve all other courses.

Computer Use and Applications Certificate

This certificate provides basic computer literacy skills in the usage of Internet, e-mail and a popular operating system. In addition, word processing, spreadsheets, databases and presentation graphics are studied in detail.

CSC 1050 Internet Communications 3 S.H.
CSC 1100 Computer Applications 3 S.H.
CSC 1300 Intro. to Spreadsheets and Databases 3 S.H.
Total for Certificate 9 S.H.

Web Development Certificate

The Internet plays a crucial role in the information revolution. It is used increasingly for personal and business communications, for commerce and exchange of ideas, and as a source of information and entertainment. This certificate provides the knowledge and skills needed to make the best use of what the Internet can offer and to create professional quality Web pages.

CSC 1050 Internet Communications 3 S.H.
CSC 1150 Basics of Web Design 3 S.H.
CSC 2150 Advanced Web Design with Scripting 3 S.H.
CSC 3250 Advanced Topics in Web Development 3 S.H.
Total for Certificate 12 S.H.

Applied Programming Certificate

This certificate introduces the programming languages that are used to program small and large businesses applications.

CSC 1000 Intro. to Programming 3 S.H.
CSC 1500 Computer Science I 3 S.H.
CSC 1550 Computer Science II 3 S.H.
CSC 2700 Business Programming 3 S.H.
Total for Certificate 12 S.H.

High Level Languages Certificate

This certificate introduces the high level programming languages, at the assembler level, at the structured programming level and at the object-oriented programming level.

CSC 1500 Computer Science I 3 S.H.
CSC 1550 Computer Science II 3 S.H.
CSC/MATH 1900 Discrete Mathematics 3 S.H.
CSC 2560 Systems Programming 3 S.H.
CSC 3500 Object Oriented Programming 3 S.H.
Total for Certificate 15 S.H.

Java Programming Certificate

Java is a very elegant and popular object oriented programming language. In addition, it is platform independent and simplifies programming for the Internet, distributed networking, database access, embedded systems and client/server computing. This certificate provides for building programming skills from very basic to advanced web programming with Java.

CSC 1500 Computer Science I 3 S.H.
CSC 1550 Computer Science II 3 S.H.
CSC/MATH 1900 Discrete Mathematics 3 S.H.
CSC 2560 Systems Programming 3 S.H.
CSC 3050 Web Programming with Java 3 S.H.
Total for Certificate 15 S.H.

Microsoft Foundation Classes Certificate

Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC) provides the Application Programming Interface (API) for creating applications for Win32 platforms. This certificate provides the knowledge and skills needed for creating Windows applications.

Note: Completion of this certificate also allows awarding of the High Level Languages Certificate.

Database Systems Certificate

Database systems have evolved for managing large-scale information securely and efficiently. This certificate provides in-depth knowledge of how databases work, where they are used and how to program databases for information storage and retrieval.

CSC 1000 Intro. to Programming 3 S.H.
CSC 1400 Computer Information Systems 3 S.H.
CSC/MATH 1900 Discrete Mathematics 3 S.H.
CSC 2400 Database Systems 3 S.H.
CSC 4550 Database Programming 3 S.H.
Total for Certificate 15 S.H.

Computer Hardware Certificate

This certificate provides the theoretical background in computer hardware needed for more advanced topics such as data communications digital signal processing and embedded systems.

MATH 1300 Precalculus 3 S.H.
CSC 1600 Intro. to Electronics 4 S.H.
CSC 1650 Digital Electronics 4 S.H.
CSC 2600 Computer Organization 4 S.H.
CSC 3300 Assembly Language 3 S.H.
CSC 3600 Microprocessors 4 S.H.
Total for Certificate 22 S.H.

Software Engineering Certificate

Software engineering is one of the fastest growing professions as we move from the industrial revolution to the era of information technology revolution. The graduates of this certificate not only acquire good programming skills, but also understand the life cycle of a software product and how to design software for efficiency, maintenance and upgrades.

Note: Completion of this certificate also allows awarding of the High Level Languages Certificate.