Adult male student engaged in conversation

Software Development Online Bachelor’s Degree Program

can be completed in as little as

14 terms*

*2 terms per semester; each term is 7 weeks

Tuition

$335/credit

$1,005 3-credit course

Active Duty Military

truED Preferred Tuition

Credit Hours Required

Summer Term 1 Application Deadline

April 25

Upcoming Start Dates

Summer 1: May 6

Summer 2: July 1

Explore Software Development

Every online app, game on your mobile device, database and online shopping experience was created by a software developer, making it an increasingly in-demand and high-paying field, and an ideal career path for people with technical aptitude. Designed for working adults, Champlain's online bachelor's degree in software development will build upon your existing technical skillset and provide a new specialized body of knowledge with truly endless applications.

 

Build Your Career Future

Through an online software development degree program that emphasizes hands-on learning putting theory into practice, and working with cutting-edge technologies, you'll gain critical technical skills (including knowledge of over 23 key applications, platforms, and programming languages, listed below) in addition to valuable soft skills such as communication and leadership that will help you stand out as a well-rounded software development professional. You'll also have the opportunity to differentiate your software development bachelor's degree with a certificate in C++ Programming or Software Development, just speak with your advisor once you begin your program.

Fast Start Formula Career Bundle

Propel your career even further with our Fast Start Formula Career Bundle designed to get you noticed and get you hired. Gain access to the Fast Start Formula Career Course, the Landing A Job You'll Love Ebook, and live webinars with "hot seat" coaching by Executive Career Coach Jen Morris.

Take the next step

Academic Excellence and Recognition

US News & World Report Best Online Bachelor's Degree Programs

Champlain College Online is consistently ranked among the best online programs by US News & World Report

Ranked amount the most affordable online software engineering bachelor's degrees

Ranked among the Most Affordable Software Engineering programs

Ranked amount the best online software engineering bachelor's degrees

Ranked among the Best Online Colleges for Value for Software Engineering Bachelor's Degree programs

Intelligent.com ranks Champlain College Online among best schools with accelerated bachelor's degrees

Ranked among the best schools with accelerated bachelor's degrees by Intelligent.com

What Can You Do With A Degree In Software Development?

Software development occupations are projected to grow 22% between 2020 and 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations. The median annual salary for this in-demand field is over $110,140.*

Graduates of Champlain's software development degree online program will be prepared to work in a variety of industries, including computer systems design, manufacturing, finance and insurance, software publishing, and engineering.

*Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 2020; job titles: computerscience.org, 2020

Top Jobs for Bachelor's in Software Development Graduates

  • Computer Programmer
  • Computer Systems Analyst
  • Database Administrator
  • Quality Assurance Engineer
  • Software Developer
  • Software Engineer
Software development online bachelor's degree graduate collaborating with colleague in front of computer

Program Details

Learn more about Champlain's 100% online software development bachelor's degree, designed for working professionals.

Champlain's online software development courses encompass the top skills needed by today's software development professionals. Graduates of the program are required to complete the following courses.

Note: Some of the courses in this program are available in 15-week terms only. Please contact your advisor for details.   

Professional Courses (60 credits)

Technical Electives (12 credits)

General Education Courses (42 credits)

General Electives (6 credits) 

Note: Some of the courses in this program are available in 15-week terms only. Please contact your advisor for details.   

Professional Courses (60 Credits):

This course provides students with an understanding of the many different devices and technologies, from historical to emerging, that are required to design and build networks. In a broad survey of concepts and terminology, students will learn about topology, communications, protocols, and security, and to diagram basic networks to specification.

From day one, students in this course are problem solving, first in terms of algorithmic design and then as early as week two via programming in the latest version of Python, using PyCharm. Students begin by writing a program to have a conversation, having strings and numbers as input, and advance, by week seven, to building a working password saver program, capable of looking up, adding (and encrypting), and storing passwords.

Learn the basics and more in this course on Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS) and SQL (Structured Query Language). Students propose a final project in the first module and then work, week-by-week, to design, create, and populate the database. Then, students learn to create queries and stored procedures.

Prerequisites

CMIT-135

From storyboard to form creation, students walk through the steps to create a basic four to five-page website to specification in this course that introduces HTML5 and CSS. Hands-on assignments reinforce skills development and best practices in design: navigation, column layout, image editing and usage, fonts and tables.

This course covers the fundamentals of systems analysis while emphasizing the role of communication and other soft skills needed in IT and in business overall to be successful. The topics are useful for anyone who is involved in developing software system requirements and architectures (e.g., users, technical managers, product managers, technical leads, programmers, other software project team members, and clients).

Prerequisites

CMIT-135, CMIT-200, MGMT-260

This course will introduce students to programming concepts, using a major industry programming language, C++. SDEV-240 covers the history of programming languages, the essentials of the C++ programming language, and how to write effective and efficient programs to solve a variety of real-world problems.

Prerequisites

CMIT-135

The focus of this course is to cover the robust and powerful features of C++ and Object Oriented Programming. These skills will serve as a foundation to transit to develop Client/Server, Database driven applications and simulations.

Prerequisites

SDEV-240

This course will introduce foundation subject matter and technologies that are critical to the multidisciplinary landscape of cybersecurity.

Prerequisites

Complete CMIT-130 and CMIT-135.

In this course, students will learn about correct, efficient data structures and algorithms, and how to design, analyze, and implement them in software applications. Various abstract data types including linked lists, stacks, queues, and trees will be covered in detail. Algorithms for searching, sorting, and implementing data structures will be examined using diagrams, animations, pseudocode, and C++ code.

Prerequisites

SDEV-340, MATH270

In this course, students must use previously acquired and new, advanced skills in SQL (Structured Query Language) to modify an existing database to the needs of a client. Students write stored procedures and common table expressions, and learn to debug, rollback and use system stored procedures.

Prerequisites

CMIT-200

Students will write scripts for a variety of Linux operating system functions that perform typical tasks. In addition to covering scripting syntax, efficient coding techniques and documentation will be addressed. Topics include Linux shell commands, file redirection, regular expressions, and shell programming in the Bourne Again Shell (BASH) language. Assignments will provide hands-on experience writing and executing shell scripts on virtual Linux computers.

Prerequisites

SDEV-240

Websites have three functions - to facilitate, enable and persuade - and are only useful if they can connect people and achieve definite goals. In this course, students learn to understand the concept of usability, and the roles of interaction, users, communication and collaboration as well as how to evaluate usability, and observe and test users.

Prerequisites

WEBD-215 OR SDEV-230

Cloud computing has become increasingly central to Information Security (IS) strategies both at the corporate and personal level. It unifies a variety of technologies to provide businesses a method to improve business efficiency and reduce costs. This course will cover concepts, protocols and implementation details for working with and implementing cloud technologies within an organization.

Prerequisites

Complete CMIT-130.

Through this course, students learn about what makes up an operating system and the various threats to that operating system and, by extension, the user. The focus of this course is on CentOS Linux and Windows Server.

Prerequisites

Complete CYBR-210.

SDEV 385 is about how operating systems work. Students study the main concepts regarding OS architecture, including memory management, Virtual management, scheduling and concurrency. The operational tools in this class are the Linux operating system and the C++ programming language.

Prerequisites

SDEV-345 and SDEV-310

Presents the basic concepts of differential and integral calculus. Topics include limits and the derivative, curve sketching and optimization problems; the product, quotient and chain rules; indefinite and definite integrals; integration by substitution and parts; and differentiation and integration of the exponential, logarithmic and trigonometric functions. Appropriate applications are considered.

Prerequisites

MATH-125 or high school equivalent

Students will learn the concepts, techniques, and structures of discrete mathematics necessary for the software engineer, including logic, sets, functions, relations, Boolean algebra, and combinatorics. The course also introduces the concept of mathematical proof.

Prerequisites

Complete MATH-125 with a minimum grade of B- OR complete MATH-210

Project Management is the formal application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project-based activities to meet organizational requirements. Project management is accomplished through the use of processes such as Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing. Project managers can divide projects into these phases to provide better management control with appropriate links to the ongoing operations of the organization. Collectively, these phases, known as the project life cycle, form the foundation for the practice of project management and are guided by the Body of Knowledge from the Project Management Institute (PMI).

In Computer Architecture and Assembly, students learn how computing systems execute instructions at the machine level, how they manage different memory levels, how co-processors interact, and how different programming choices influence execution time. Students learn how to program with MIPS Assembly, a RISK-architecture Assembly Language, and use it to bridge theory with practice.

Prerequisites

SDEV-240

This is a course where students have the opportunity to integrate what they have learned in the other classes, through a self-direct project, where students apply concepts of business strategy, project management, and system analysis to create a fully documented product developed in C++, Java or Visual C#.

Prerequisites

CMIT-200 AND either SDEV-340 or SDEV-350. Must have 90 completed credits.

Written Communication

Complete the following two courses:

This course introduces students to the foundational concepts needed to communicate effectively in writing for academic study and professional development. Students will also learn to read critically to evaluate an author's message. Students will be introduced to rhetorical modes and their role in the development of written communication. Students will also learn how to use revision strategies to create written communication that meets its intended purpose for its intended audience

This course builds on students' proficiency in the writing process and rhetorical modes to introduce the use of sources in written communication. Students will practice information literacy as they learn to determine information needs from sources, develop effective search strategies, and incorporate sources in written communication, legally and ethically.

Prerequisites

Complete ENGL-100

Oral Communication

Complete the following course: 

This course draws on fundamental concepts of contemporary communication research to help students identify and develop strategies to become effective and versatile communicators across media and settings. Students will examine and respond to a range of interpersonal situations through the critical evaluation of the three essential components of all communication: its purpose, audience, and context. Students will leave the course with the ability to reflect on and adapt their strategies to successfully and consistently communicate for a range of purposes across diverse settings.

Collaboration

Complete the following course:

This course draws on fundamental concepts of contemporary group communication research to help students identify and develop strategies to communicate effectively in small groups and teams for the cooperative purpose of advancing common goals. Students will draw on listening and responding strategies learned in COMM-130 Interpersonal Communication and apply them to communicating as a leader or member of a small group. They will also learn how to recognize and manage the types of conflicts that can arise in small groups. Prerequisite: COMM-130 Interpersonal Communication

Prerequisites

Complete COMM-130

Inquiry & Analysis

Complete the following course:

Students will learn and apply critical inquiry skills to analyze persuasive communication created by others and to develop persuasive communication/arguments of their own to solve problems in professional, civic, social, and personal contexts. Specifically, students will learn to recognize fallacies in logic; apply inductive and deductive reasoning strategies to the interpretation and development of persuasive communication; evaluate the validity of sources; and develop logically sound persuasive communication. Students will explore the roles of self-awareness, empathy, and ethics in the context of critical inquiry and the development of arguments.

Prerequisites

Complete ENGL-110.

Technology Literacy

Complete one of the following courses, unless your program requires a specific course:

This course is an historical overview, and examination of the evolution of digital, film, and print media, and their functions. Students will identify and analyze contemporary problems of the media such as the legal, social, economic and psychological implications of their relationships with society. They also will examine the ways in which marketing and PR professionals utilize the mass media channels to reach their intended target audiences.

This course explores the complex and evolving relationship between human beings and technology. Through a multi-disciplinary approach that draws on fields such as sociology, psychology, philosophy, and history, students will examine the ways in which technology has shaped human culture, identity, and values, as well as how humans have influenced and continue to influence the development, adoption and use of technology.

Quantitative Literacy

Complete the following two courses:

Mathematical reasoning, when applied to everyday and professional lives, has two dimensions: logic for deterministic situations and probabilities for non-deterministic situations. This course aims to help students develop these mathematical reasoning skills.

Accurate and appropriate visual data representation is increasingly critical in today's work environments. Students will develop skills in data organization, manipulation and interpretation in a way that supports data-driven decision-making and effective communication of numerical data

Scientific Literacy: Natural Sciences

Complete one of the following courses, unless your program requires a specific course:

Introduces students to the biochemistry and physiology of nutrition and exercise. Emphasis will be placed on human body systems such as musculoskeletal, digestive, respiratory and circulatory, and their relationship to nutrition and fitness. Students will also study the biochemistry of energy conversion as it relates to exercise physiology. Laboratory sessions are designed to reinforce, by a hands-on approach, the principles discussed in lecture. Course includes two laboratory hours per week.

Students learn the biology, genetics, chemistry, and physics involved in the forensic investigation of crimes. A wide range of topics are studied including DNA, entomology, fingerprinting, trace evidence, serology (blood, saliva, and semen), blood spatter, and chemical analysis of drugs, alcohol, and other compounds. Students apply their new knowledge of forensic science through the use of case studies and laboratories. This course includes two laboratory hours per week.

Students will develop the ability to apply scientific methods to understand the natural world, to identify scientific aspects of daily life, and to evaluate the quality of scientific information based on its source and the methods used for its generation.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Global/Cultural Understanding

Complete the following course:

This course will introduce students to major streams of social justice thought, including historical social justice movements, theoretical problems having to do with social equality, personal freedom, marginalization, and stigmatization, and the ways in which civic and professional communities respond to these issues.

Arts & Humanities

Complete any two of the following courses, unless your program requires a specific course(s):

With pressure and release, a window opens and closes, recording light on a sensor. The simple action captures the instinct, judgement, and skill of the person behind the lens. This class will begin a study of the art and craft of photography. Students will develop their vision and their understanding of how to achieve it. Solid skills will be learned and many doors will be opened.

A survey of the continuing change experienced in art since the 15th century. Students will examine how an image is achieved as well as the significance of the subject represented. Individual inquiry concerning the nature of art is encouraged.

Students learn to appreciate films through the critical analysis of various elements of mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing and sound. The course introduces the conventions of classical Hollywood cinema, considers the work of one major director (auteur), and surveys selected international and independent films. Students view and discuss films each week.

Students in the course will explore the cultural history of the music genre broadly referred to as rock. Students will explore the social, economic and political contexts that are influenced by and that influenced each style in the United States. By listening, watching, reflecting upon, discussing and writing, students will explore how music takes on meaning, personally, and culturally. Topics and themes include the relationships between and among gospel, country, funk, folk, disco, rap and hip hop; the role of business and technology in those relationships, and political or transgressive elements of rock music.

Students will apply communication theory and research to address the particular challenges to communicating effectively in organizations. Students will learn how to identify organizational communication problems, analyze those problems, and generate effective solutions. Students will examine the relationship between organizational structure and specific communicative practices, and how communication practices by organizational members establish, maintain, or change organizational culture. They will also learn how to anticipate communication deficiencies in organizations, and use communication as a means to facilitate organizational development and innovation.

Prerequisites

Complete COMM-130

Specific application of common tools for writing in the working world. Students will be instructed in rhetorical strategies of professional writing including style, report formats, editing, document design, and integration of visual aids. Students will complete a semester-long writing project; oral and written reports associated with the process of problem-solving within the project will be included.

Prerequisites

ENGL-112 or COR-125

Students will learn how to create conditions for successful conflict engagement, a necessary skill for any professional. The course focuses on the foundational capacities to remain calm and connected with oneself and others. In this state students can access helpful ideas and responses and be their best selves regardless of environment. Improving facility for conflict creates stronger relationships and reduces fear. By the end of the course, students will understand that disagreement and difference can become a source of personal and interpersonal growth.

Ethics refers to accepted standards of right and wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do in various contexts, typically in relation to rights, obligations/duties, benefits to society, fairness, consequences, and virtues. In this course, students will explore both theoretical and practical dimensions of ethics in order to 1) define ethics and identify ethical positions and principles, 2) critically reflect on how ethics impacts individual and collective responsibility, decision-making, and action, and 3) apply ethics to the personal, civic, and professional contexts.

Prerequisites

ENGL-110

This course introduces students to the fundamental elements of technical writing (clear, concise, and targeted)that are common among seven forms of technical communication: email correspondence, editing,employment communication, proposals, long, formal reports,oral communication, and inventions. Through peer reviews and writing workshops, students develop the ability to write and edit text that precisely targets its audience. This course emphasizes deepening and broadening students' writing, speaking, and thinking abilities in a non-lecture-based, hands-on, discussion-centered classroom.

Prerequisites

ENGL-112 or COR-125

Social Sciences

Complete any two of the following courses, unless your program requires a specific course(s):

Provides a comprehensive analysis of the fundamentals of substantive criminal law. Students will learn the essential elements of crimes and the rationale underlying criminal law. The nature of jurisdiction, the criminal act, the criminal state of mind and matters affecting responsibility for criminal conduct are included.

This course focuses on the rules and procedures governing how the American criminal justice system must process individuals suspected, accused, and convicted of law violations.

This course provides students with a broad overview of the history, theory, and fundamentals of criminal investigation. Students are introduced to the basic responsibilities of investigators and protocols for report writing, evidence collection, and preparation of cases for trial. They also learn specific investigative techniques for different types of crimes, such as crimes involving violence and property, terrorism, and hate crimes, and, where appropriate, compare investigative protocols from other legal cultures.

Prerequisites

Take CRIM-120, CRIM-121.

Principles of Economics introduces the fundamental concepts of economics - the study of how people manage resources, and how they react to scarcity. This course focuses on both microeconomics (the behavior of consumers and companies) and macroeconomics (large-scale economic factors such as employment and interest rates), so that you'll gain a broad understanding of how a modern market economy functions, how decisions in business settings are informed by economics, and how economics applies to your everyday life.

Students will study important themes in the social history of the United States since the Civil War. This course allows students to expand their critical thinking skills through an examination of primary and secondary sources. Themes might include: the evolving status of women; the immigrant experience; the concept of the American dream; the paradox of freedom vs. slavery; the minority experience; the tensions between social classes. Students will be evaluated primarily on writing assignments.

In this course, students will explore broad, foundational knowledge in psychology, including its history, major theorists and a survey of psychology subfields such as developmental, cognitive and social psychology. Students will also describe and assess the role of ethics and social responsibility in the study and application of psychological theory and practices.

In this class, students will explore how social relationships, groups, societies and culture develop and change over time. From a sociological theory foundation and employing the sociological imagination, students will examine the impact of social structures, institutions, and systems on individual lives. Students will apply sociological research methods to investigate sociological phenomena in their own lives.

Graduates of the software development bachelor's online degree program will demonstrate the following industry-specific skills, knowledge, and competencies:

  • Analyze stakeholders’ needs in order to design, construct, test and maintain software that is user friendly and efficient.
  • Write, test and maintain computer programs and/or web applications or web-enabled applications in at least three languages, making use of the computational environment associated with that program, including cloud services, taking into account security, networking and hardware interfaces, concurrent processing, embedded systems and multi-threading.
  • Create and operate database and database management systems to organize, store and retrieve data to support the needs of other programs and applications and to meet the needs of the client or customer.
  • Manage software development projects to deliver products created collaboratively and be able to articulate the developer’s role, both horizontally and vertical, as part of the development community and of society.

Earn a specialized certificate in a concentration of your choice as you pursue your degree, so you can build credentials as you go. Just be sure to discuss your plan with your academic advisor as soon as you begin your program, so they can help you with the proper steps. 

  • BASH
  • C++
  • CentOS Linux
  • CSH
  • CSS
  • GEdit
  • GNU Emacs
  • HTML5
  • Java
  • Linux
  • Object Oriented Programming
  • OS Architecture
  • POSIX
  • PyCharm
  • Python
  • Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS)
  • SQL (Structured Query Language)
  • SED
  • Structured
  • Unix
  • VI
  • Windows Server

Students who have earned the CISSP Certification are eligible for transfer credits toward this degree. Please speak to an admission representative or your academic advisor for details. 

Champlain College Online's software development faculty, led by Program Director Richard Pickering, are expert practitioners in the field. Their industry expertise ensures that our software development curriculum is aligned with the needs of employers, and reflects the skills today’s software development professionals need for success. Classes led by our seasoned experts will give you real-world insight into the field, and create a rich community of career-focused learning.

Alumni of the Champlain College Online bachelor's in software development program work in corporations, small businesses, government organizations, and nonprofits nationwide, including:

  • AT&T
  • Cisco Systems
  • Department of Defense (DOD)
  • GE Healthcare
  • Geometry Global
  • IBM Corporation 
  • New York Air Brake 
  • Precision Interconnect
  • Railterm Corporation
  • Red Hat, Inc. 
  • SymQuest
  • TYCO
  • United Wireless
  • Vermont Department of Education 

 

Titles our alumni hold include:

  • Advisory Software Engineer
  • Operations Manager
  • Quality Assurance Analyst
  • Senior Engineering Technician 
  • Senior Software Developer 
  • Senior Systems Administrator
  • Software Engineer 
  • Software Technician
  • Solutions Architect 
  • SQL Report Writer
  • System Administrator
  • Web Developer 

Many students come to us seeking ways to get noticed at their current employers or to get hired in a new field. Given that, we are hyper focused on increasing the career mobility of our students and that's why we developed the Fast Start Formula Career Bundle, a suite of career offerings designed to help our students get noticed, get hired and land jobs they'll love.

Valued at over $1,000, the career bundle is offered to Champlain College Online students and includes:

  • Fast Start Formula Course: The Fast Start Formula Course for getting noticed and getting hired is taught by Jen Morris, an executive career coach that we've developed a partnership with to support our students in their job search journeys. This course is online, self-paced and full of tips and tricks to land a job you'll love.
  • Live Webinars: Log-on to ask your specific job search questions, get live “hot seat” coaching and gain valuable insights from leading career coach, Jen Morris.
  • Landing A Job You'll Love Ebook: Download this ebook full of tips and tricks for standing out from the competition. From how to optimize your LinkedIn profile, to insider information on how recruiters work and bypassing the automated application websites, you’ll be sure to learn how to rise to the top.

Upon enrollment in a degree or certificate, your access to the Fast Start Formula Career Bundle will made available to you.

Tuition & Costs

Online Undergraduate Tuition Fall '23 - Summer '24

$335 per credit
$1,005* per course
$290** per credit for alumni who earned a degree from Champlain, on-campus or online
$250 per credit for military service members (family members see truED tuition)
$150 One-time graduation fee

*Based on a 3-credit course; cost will vary if course is a different number of credits

** Starts Summer 2024, not retroactive 

See the undergraduate cost of attendance and fees here

What To Expect at Champlain Online

Expect Convenience

Go to school wherever and whenever is best for you, on the device of your choice.

Expect A Career Focus

Relevant and immediately applicable coursework gets you ready for your next career move

Expect Support

Your dedicated academic advisor provides the support you need to meet your academic goals

Expect Superior Faculty

Learn from practitioner faculty working in the field, with real-world experience and knowledge.

Why Champlain

Shane Dalziel, Bachelor's Degree in Computer & Information Systems

Flexibility

"I chose Champlain because it gave me the flexibility I needed. The accelerated format offers a great way to reach your goals faster, and makes earning your degree or certificate a realistic achievement that truly is obtainable."

Shane Dalziel Bachelor Degree in Computer & Information Systems
Director of Operations, VIP Media Co.

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