Regents approve Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science

The main entrance of the Engineering Building

The newest bachelor’s degree program at UCCS will prepare a workforce needing graduates proficient in software development and computer applications. The Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science received approval by the CU Board of Regents in regular session April 2.

“This new degree will make a computing degree accessible to a larger population of students, equipping them to effectively apply knowledge of computing to multiple areas of modern knowledge-based and computer-intensive society and workplace,” said Jugal Kalita, professor and chair of computer science. “This will be a flexible program so graduates can apply these computing skills into rapidly expanding workforce needs in computing technology. Although we start with three tracks, there is limitless potential for students to concurrently develop expertise in traditionally non-computing fields which can benefit enormously from competence in software development.”

The degree will include tracks in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and machine learning, game design and a general computer science track made up of selections from the other three areas. The program will have separate admissions requirements than the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Innovation degrees in computer science, which will continue to focus on the science and engineering of computing. The program will be submitted for approval by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts a 37 percent increase in computer science occupations from 2016 to 2026. The mean salary in the industry is $102,000.

“UCCS has a long tradition of excellence in computer science and we are pleased to offer our next degree, the Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science,” said Don Rabern, dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science. “This degree is an applications focused degree that will help fulfill workforce needs in the region and enable a broader group of students to pursue topics in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and game design.”

The College of Engineering and Applied Science enrolls more than 1,600 students and offers 12 bachelor’s degrees, two types of master’s degrees with nine options, four doctoral degrees, one undergraduate and seven graduate certificates. The college is a Department of Homeland Security / National Security Agency Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense and works closely with the National Cybersecurity Center and with more than 250 aerospace and defense, information technology and cybersecurity, and engineering organizations in the Pikes Peak region.