Despite major layoffs in Big Tech, the demand for computer scientists is growing at a much faster pace than all other jobs in the U.S; employment of computer and information research scientists is projected to jump 21% between 2021 and 2031, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Between 2021 and 2022 alone, job postings for software development engineers skyrocketed by nearly 140%, while systems engineer and software engineer job postings jumped by more than 31% and 28%, respectively, according to research by tech job platform Dice. These workers, on average, bring home paychecks of $120,000-plus, Dice data shows.
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But not just anyone with a bachelor’s degree can land these in-demand, high-paying computer science jobs. In fact, people typically need at least a master’s degree in computer science or a related field to land one of these roles,, according to the BLS. In step with growing industry demand, the University of Colorado—Boulder announced earlier this month it is launching an online master’s degree program in computer science.
“We expect that this degree will enable students who are in computing careers already to be able to advance and get new opportunities in those careers, and that it will enable students who have not been in computing careers before to be able to move into computing positions,” Bobby Schnabel, computer science department external chair and professor at CU Boulder, tells Fortune. “These students are likely to work in applying computing to a vast array of economic sectors.”
The school decided to launch the online computer science program to offer a “high-quality, inexpensive master’s in a crucial technical area,” Schnabel adds. The program costs $15,750 and has a pay-as-you-go model that only charges students for those classes in which they’re currently enrolled. By comparison, other top online master’s in computer science programs charge up to $2,200 per credit, with most program requiring 30 credit hours.
About CU Boulder’s new online master’s in computer science program
CU Boulder’s online master’s in computer science is hosted on online learning platform Coursera, which also offers free online courses in computer science for people who may want to tiptoe into industry studies. CU Boulder’s program is specifically targeted to working professionals who are seeking career advancement in software and systems engineering, web development, and a newly hot sector—artificial intelligence.
Students will be able to start the 30-credit program in August 2023 and will take core computer science courses as well as have the choice to take interdisciplinary electives in electrical engineering, engineering management, or data science. CU Boulder also offers online master’s degree programs in data science, electrical engineering and engineering management.
Instead of a traditional admissions process, prospective students for CU Boulder’s new computer science program must take three preliminary courses. Admissions won’t be based on an applicant’s prior academic history, and a bachelor’s degree isn’t required.Rather, prospective students choose a “pathway” in either algorithms or software architecture and must earn at least a “B” in the three courses associated with that pathway before they can qualify to enroll in for-credit courses. However, “pathway courses are part of the required curriculum, so you make direct progress toward your degree as you work toward degree admission,” according to CU Boulder.
The program offers flexible start dates and includes self-paced coursework. For-credit courses have six start dates per year, so you can start the program when it best suits you.
Check out all of Fortune’s rankings of degree programs, and learn more about specific career paths.
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