Siena College now offers a bachelor of science degree in software development, in addition to its more general degree in computer science.
Students may enroll effective immediately.
According to Dr. Eric Breimer, associate professor of computer science and department chair, “The field of computer science has evolved greatly over the past 30 years, and we want to offer a degree that is specific to this well-established sub-discipline.”
Dr. Breimer said it will apply the principles of engineering to design software that is secure and can easily be extended to meet future needs.
He explained that many potential students are interested in software development, but most high schools don't offer courses in it.
“The great thing about the new degree program is that students can come in as freshmen with no experience and learn all the fundamentals,” he said.
The department already offers a year-long software engineering course; the new program expands this topic into a whole degree. Software design will still be part of the existing computer science curriculum, which has broader applications.
“The goal of the new program is to prepare graduates for careers in software engineering, where they will design software to meet a variety of needs and interests,” said Dr. Breimer. “This is what the vast majority of our computer science grads are already going into, and they are working for companies such as Google, Amazon and Transfinder.”
