Program Mission

The Computer Programming program (CPIT) is one of the oldest programs which is offered within the School of Computing and Technology. The medium of instruction is English. It is a two-year program awarding an associate degree in Computer Programming.

The main objective of the Computer Programming Program (CPIT) is to produce graduates who can:

• Install personal computers and computer systems.
• Write small-scale applications programs for businesses.
• Carry businesses to the world wide web.
• Work as part of a software development team.

With the help of the disciplined yet flexible educational approaches, a suitable environment is created to enable students to develop professional as well as social and personal skills needed for a successful career. Some of these qualities that we encourage students to develop are as follows:

• A solid background in computer programming and Information Technology (IT)
• State-of-the-art knowledge in practical IT applications
• Project related practical experiences
• Life-long learning skills and a will to adapt to the changing IT world
• Sufficient knowledge and understanding of business

About the Program

To keep pace with changes in Information Technology, the curriculum of the CPIT program is regularly revised and a fine balance between theory and practice is maintained.

• All IT-related courses in the department have 2 hours of lecture and 3 hours of laboratory session to emphasize the practical side of the field.
• The students gain and develop independent learning skills by use of the problem-based learning approach in all courses.
• Case studies are discussed under the guidance of the instructor.
• Staff members with industry related experience and connections transfer their experiences.
• The students are required to complete a summer training practice in an IT-related industry after the first year to gain experience prior to graduation.

Opportunities Offered

The following facilities are provided to accomplish our objectives:

• 12 multimedia classrooms/labs fully equipped with modern educational technologies.
• Latest version software programs/case tools installed in all labs to facilitate specific requirements of each course.
• Each student is assigned an Academic Advisor in the freshman year. The academic advisor guides the student in course selection processes and also provides a link between the student and the department.
• An International Student Advisor is available full time to assist international students in both academic and non-academic concerns.
• A Software House student club has been established by the department to foster an environment where IT students can exchange information and views based on their IT development experience. A faculty member is appointed as the mentor of the club to guide the students.

Quality of Graduates

Graduates of the program may find employment opportunities in different business sectors besides IT as they have very diversified backgrounds. Because of the practical and up-to-date curriculum, the highly qualified graduates may require no further training when they start working. Furthermore, graduates of the program who wish to advance their education may pursue their BS degree in the IT department of School of Computing and Technology or in other universities.

Job Opportunities

Some of the positions that CPIT graduates may find in IT fields are:

• Programming in various current languages
• Web design/programming
• Computer maintenance
• Desktop publishing
• Network maintenance
• Small scale systems development
• Small scale Database development