A new accelerated computer science program at Bellarmine allows students with a bachelor鈥檚
degree in another field to earn a
Bachelor of Science in Software and Data Engineering in just one year. The online-only program is specifically designed for those who
want to make a career change into a rapidly growing field, said Dr. Robert Kelley,
the program director. (Kelley, an assistant professor of Computer Science, can relate
to that鈥攈is first
bachelor鈥檚 degree was in English.) The 40-credit-hour program consists of three semesters,
each divided into two sessions of approximately eight weeks. Students will learn modern
software development, including JAVA, C#, HTML, CSS, Javascript, Python and SQL, as
well as machine learning
and database management. 鈥淚n one year, you鈥檒l be ready for an entry-level job,鈥� Kelley
said. Regionally, the median salary for software developers is $87,610; nationally,
it鈥檚 $107,515. In keeping with Bellarmine鈥檚 mission to improve the human condition,
students will also take two courses focused on the social and ethical implications
of technology on society: Theology 200 (Ultimate Questions) and Philosophy 434 (Technology,
Ethics
and Society). The online courses are all asynchronous, but unlike many asynchronous
models, 鈥渨e won鈥檛 be turning stuff on at the beginning and saying, 鈥楽ee you at the
end of the road,鈥欌�� Kelley said. Students can鈥檛 work ahead and
won鈥檛 want to lag behind, because solutions to online assignments will be released
regularly. Every professor is required to have two hours of live office hours each
week so that students can ask questions in real time. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to lose that
human connection,鈥� Kelley said. Software and data engineering provide the means for
companies to do new things鈥攂ut should they do them? That鈥檚 the prompt behind the Technology,
Ethics and Society course, which was designed by Dr. David Scott, assistant professor
of Philosophy,
especially for this degree program. 鈥淧art of the course will be bringing the new technological
abilities we have in line with our existing moral understandings, which are predicated
maybe on older technological possibilities, more limited ones,鈥� Scott said. Topics
to be covered include privacy; intellectual property issues; the potential for nefarious
uses of technology, such as deep fake videos; the implications of automation; and
diversity concerns, such as pulse oximeters, which use light to function
and were not designed for dark skin. 鈥淚 think most students who enter the course
will have some general sense already鈥攖hey don鈥檛 have to take an ethics course to recognize
what鈥檚 ethically questionable in the major issues of the day concerning technology,鈥�
Scott
said.
鈥淏ut they might not have as precise a moral vocabulary for determining what they think
about whether an innovation is morally permissible or not. And even when they are
pretty confident about the right answer, a lot of times they might not be
adept at convincing others. This class will equip people with the tools to be effective
in both of those ways.鈥�
For more information, visit Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Software and Data Engineering degree.
