![Female Computer Science student standing in front of the Centre for Dialogue.](/sites/default/files/styles/story_landscape/public/2020-06/HERO-4.jpg?h=e03b8152&itok=xdj-_SU5)
Diploma in Computer Information Systems
The opportunity to have some real-world experience has helped me to gain a lot of perspective on what we have been learning.
Q: Where is your hometown?
A: I grew up in a town called Bearsden which is a suburb of Glasgow, Scotland.
Q: Why did you decide to move to Canada?
A: I had just graduated from my university program and decided to spend a year in Canada travelling and working before finding a permanent job. However, I ended up starting a family and moving here permanently.
Q: What brought you to ÎüʪÊÓƵ? Why did you come study here of all places?
A: Once my son was old enough to begin elementary school, I wanted to focus on my own career again and decided that the CIS Diploma program would be a good option to help me find a job in the technology sector.
Q: Did you bring any other post-secondary education/training with you when you came into your current program?
A: I had already got a bachelor's degree from Edinburgh University in Scotland before I moved to Canada. This made the two-year diploma perfect for me in terms of making a change in direction for my career without having to start over with a whole new degree.
Q: How has your experience been so far at OC?
A: I have enjoyed the experience for the most part and got what I was looking for out of the program. I like that there are small class sizes and I have found that most of the instructors are accessible, friendly and happy to help outside of class hours.
Q: What do you like the most about the Kelowna campus?
A: The location is very convenient, walking distance for many students and easily accessible by bus.
Q: What do you like the most about your program/area of study?
A: I have really enjoyed learning computer programming and have found it a great way to build on the skills I already learned in my Math and Physics degree. Coding skills are so valuable in so many jobs at the moment and I’m so happy that I now get to do something for work that I have so much fun doing.
Q: What has one of your favourite moments or achievements been so far in your program?
A: I have really enjoyed the opportunity to compete for the college in both the IEEExtreme Programming contest, which was a 24-hour online contest, and the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest, which we travelled to Vancouver to compete in against mostly universities from Canada and the U.S.
Q: In your program, have you had the chance to apply your learning from OC?
A: During my second year at the college, I have been working part-time at a local software company. This does not qualify under the co-op program, but I have found that the opportunity to have some real-world experience has helped me to gain a lot of perspective on what we have been learning as well as putting me in a great position for finding a full-time position after graduation.
Q: What do you have planned for your future academic or career goals?
A: I am planning to begin a full-time position as a software developer for a local company after graduation. I have been working there part-time already and really like the company and the work that I do there.
Why study Computer Science?
Bursting with start-ups and innovative technology firms, the Okanagan's $1.67-billion tech sector is home to more than 693 tech companies, employs more than 12,000 people and is constantly growing.
What do you learn?
Master technical aspects of computer information systems, including software development, database systems and systems analysis. Learn to develop software for computers, websites and mobile applications. Collect and manage data to design models for technological solutions. Perform systems and object-oriented analysis, and collaborate with a team of students on real-world projects and challenges.
Careers
- Software Developer
- Systems Analyst
- Database Administrator
- Quality Assurance
- Analyst Data Scientist
- IT Consultant
ÎüʪÊÓƵ
Choose from a four-year bachelor's degree, two-year diploma or two-year associate degree that will help you easily transfer to university.
- Bachelor of Computer Information Systems
- Computer Information Systems Certificate
- Associate of Science Degree