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Computer Science

Good morning.

Are you thinking of attending Okanagan College's Computer Information Systems diploma or degree program in September 2012? If so, you may submit your application Now !

We will be having three orientation sessions on

  • March 8
  • April 24
  • May 30
all from 1800 to 2000. Your acceptance letter will confirm when and where these orientations take place. Their purpose is to have your questions answered and hear about our expectations for you while you are in the program. Bring your parents and/or significant others!

For more immediate information, please contact the department chair .

To review the presentation we use at the orientation sessions, look at the Orientation presentation - PDF .

Why do people study computer science and other areas of information technology?

Because there are jobs in that field. Here are some recent reports showing strong demand in IT.

And the demand is not just for those working in IT. Computing skills are necessary everywhere, and are being taught everywhere. Consider these sites:

If you're wondering what courses you'll take in your first year in CIS or BCIS, click the link to the appropriate program on your left. The information is there.

Are you interested in the history of computing?

Consider the 5 MB hard drive or the laptop bag made from floppy disks .If you don't know about floppy disks, visit The Computer History Museum

Do you want to study computing as a subject on its own, or do you want to study it as a tool to use in some other subject?

You can do both at Okanagan College! The CIS diploma and BCIS degree give you a strong foundation in computing which you can supplement with study in other areas, or you can study other areas and supplement them with computing. It's up to you. Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?

Here are a couple of areas where computers are very useful, areas you may not have expected. First, hurricane forecasting , and second, plate tectonics . While interesting, both of these probably need more of a scientific background than our CIS and BCIS grads have. So, consider the university studies courses, particularly the Associate of Science degree we offer and continue your studies at a university.

Here is an interesting slideshow , showing some of the hottest degrees and diplomas. And here's an article describing a different perspective on what's hot and what's not. Hot! Look how many of these areas are offered at Okanagan College!

Positive reports on employment in IT.

"If you can code, you can get work". That quotation comes from this article .

And here are two other positive articles: from InformationWeek and from the Wall Street Journal .Similar trends are apparent in Canadian IT.

Here's an article from ITWorld Canada that lists the top ten Information Technology skills and careers . And here's an article from ComputerWorld that lists the 11 top skills for 2011 . See how many of them are applicable to many different industries! Here's a different article that identifies the fields that pay the most to graduates . Most are engineering, but two relate to software.

Here's a great New York Times article from 2009 pointing out how computing is used more and more in other areas of study . I love the picture of the nerdy little kid with the Van De Graff generator. It's even better than the picture of the nerdy adult the kid became.

Here's an article that reports that Smokey the Bear is studying computer science . I don't think that's exactly the situation, but it does point out the variety of areas in which computer science is being used.This is an example of what is being called Computational Thinking . This is a newish term and so the explanation is brief. For a longer explanation, look on the web for articles by Wing and Hemmendinger , among many others.

Here are the hot skills as reported by ComputerWorld Canada. The most frequently requested skill sets (SQL, Oracle, Java, .NET, and UNIX) are all part of our curriculum!

There are very few women taking advantage of the opportunities studying computing provides.

Why is that? Here's a study that offers some insights. Basically, women don't like being in an environment that proclaims its geekiness.

Do you want a good description of computer science? The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a bill describing the computing industry as "a transforming industry that drives technology innovation and bolsters economic productivity." This is a subject that is useful for itself and in conjunction with many other fields as well.

Still wondering why you should study computer science (the theory) and computer information systems (the practice)?

 What careers are available if you do? Most importantly, are there jobs available once you have a diploma or degree?

Yes, there are jobs!

This article speaks of 5.8 million new jobs worldwide by 2013. Where are these new employees? Many of them will be in groups currently under-represented in IT. Georgia Tech is one institution which is trying hard to attract such groups.

Here is a 2009 article in InfoWorld , that reports high-tech and healthcare are the best choices for college students seeking a career. This is based on a survey of human resource managers.

There is an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education a week later, 2009 08 31 , that states computational science is a major in which demand is increasing. The article defines computational science as the employment of computer modelling and simulation to advance other disciplines. A summary of the article is here .

The Communications of the ACM (May 2009) reports that "Computer science graduates on average earn 13% more than the average college graduate. ... Future job prospects for computer science graduates are higher than for any other science or engineering field."

There are many, many opportunities available for people in information technology. And more and more will become available. Here's a recent InfoWorld article that describes the opportunities available in a time of recession. Surprise! Tech is a safe career choice today .

Not only are there jobs, but people are returning to Computer Science classes. Here is an article that shows US enrolments are up between 6 and 8%. This is reflected too in the increase in applications for the CIS and BCIS programs we offer. If you are thinking of applying, start here (soon).

This article suggests that the financial difficulties may be good for computer science graduates.

This ITWorld Canada article reports on a need for those with new skills (Web 2.0 and .Net, for example) and those with older skills (like COBOL.) ITWorld Canada

Here's a report which states the demand for people in many areas of information technology is expected to be strong for at least the next decade.

And the jobs pay well! This article reports salaries are up from before the boom and bust in 2000. It's from eweek magazine, dated 2007-10-05. While it focuses on degrees and is several years old, I'll bet that it also applies to people who graduate with diplomas.

Here is a collection of articles, all relating to careers and the job market, from ITWorldCanada

There are many opportunities for graduates in computing. This article (from ITBusiness.ca) claims there are 8000 graduates a year to fill the 89000 vacancies which will appear over the next three to five years. And this article (from the New York Times) talks about the lack of women to fill those jobs. Computer Science is the only science in which the interest of women is declining!

Here is another article, this time from the Globe and Mail (in 2007), relating to women in computing, particularly the differences between the ways men and women view technology, IT can only improve when both sexes are involved

Consider this article, from the home of Cornell University.

With a quotation like,

“There is a tremendous hiring boom occurring,” said Ken Birman, computer science professor at Cornell. “The problem is that the students haven't understood that yet. The growth and job opportunities are as strong as it was in the dot-com period. The students haven't yet figured out what is going to happen next.”
how could you not read the article? Computer majors down to bits .

Look at the careers in demand, as identified by Yahoo .

Here is an article speaking to the decline of the number of women in computing. In many ways, women present different skills than men and the decline in the number of women will make it more difficult to produce the software customers want.

In conclusion

Now that you know there are many reasons to study computing, please use the menu on the left to learn about the Computer Science department at Okanagan College, the opportunities we offer, and how we can prepare you for your career in computing.

If you can't find what you are seeking, you can always send email to the chair of the department.