USC launches new minor in applied computing
Posted on: October 15, 2013; Updated on: October 15, 2013
By Jeff Stensland, stenslan@mailbox.sc.edu, 803-777-3686
Getting a competitive edge in today's job market increasingly depends on specialized
computer skills once available only to a few. That's why the University of South Carolina
has created a new degree option that offers current students a flexible, practical
path to gaining the knowledge top employers are looking for.
Applied Computing is a new multidisciplinary minor available to Columbia campus students. The minor consists of nine separate tracks and allows students from a variety of majors to master high-demand computer skills that complement their fields of study. The tracks include:
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media arts,
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information science and architecture,
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security and privacy,
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graphic information systems,
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e-commerce for tourism,
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web development,
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networking,
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project management,
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and database technology.
All students will take two core courses — Introduction to Computer Concepts and General Applications Programming.
The Applied Computing minor is offered through a unique partnership with Columbia College, Benedict College and Midlands Technical College. The four institutions developed the minor in consultation with Midlands business leaders as way to ensure students have the skills employers want. The citywide initiative to promote the programs at all four institutions is called “course power.”
“There is a large nationwide need for people with knowledge of and skills in computing and students graduating with this minor will help to fill this need,” says Michael Huhns, chair of USC's Department of Computer Science and Engineering who helped create the minor.
Huhns says understanding how to use technology will give students in any discipline an edge in the marketplace: Nurses will understand how to use electronic health records, creative writers will learn how to produce blogs, investigative journalists will learn how to mine civic and corporate databases and retailers will learn how to leverage global supply chains.
For information about the Applied Computing Minor, students are encouraged to speak to their academic adviser, contact their school’s Office of Student Services or visit the Applied Computing website.
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