Software Development Certificate

The Graduate Certificate in Software Development prepares a student for a position as a software developer or for completing a Master’s degree in a computer-related discipline. This certificate is relevant for students that do not have an undergraduate degree related to computer science (CS), or for a student who completed a computing degree many years ago. The certificate includes graduate versions of foundational CS courses to allow students to develop their knowledge and skills of developing software applications.

Professional skill development:

  • Object-oriented programming
  • Software application design and implementation
  • Software development methods including Agile Methodologies
  • Database systems and database application integration

The graduate certificate may act as a standalone graduate option for post-baccalaureate and post-master’s students, or may be pursued concurrently with a related graduate degree program at UNC Charlotte. The 15 credit hours in the certificate program may be applied to the graduate programs in the Department of Software and Information Systems with approval of the department Graduate Program Director.

All requirements must be completed within five years of studies, starting from the time when the first course for the certificate is taken. Coursework taken for one graduate certificate may not be counted towards a second graduate certificate.

Admissions Requirements:

Applicants must meet the general Graduate School requirements for admission to Graduate Certificate programs. Applications must include all of the materials listed by the Graduate School as typical for Graduate Certificate application submissions.

Admissions requirements follow the general admissions requirements of a graduate certificate at UNC Charlotte. This includes:

  • A bachelor’s degree, or its equivalent, from a regionally accredited college or university.
  • GPA of at least 2.75 (based on a 4.0 scale) on all previous work completed beyond high school.
  • An online application through the Graduate School’s application system
  • A statement of purpose
  • Unofficial transcripts of all college course work attempted
  • Official and satisfactory scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), if English is not the applicant’s native language and he or she has not earned a post-secondary degree from a U.S. institution

Certificate Requirements:

The Certificate requires 15 credit hours of coursework.

ITIS 5101 Foundations of Programming
ITIS 5135 Web-based Application Development
ITIS 5166 Network-based Application Development
ITIS 6112 Software System Design and Implementation
ITIS 6120 Applied Databases

Certificate Total = 15 Credit Hours

Grade Requirements:

A cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required, and at most one course with a grade of C may be allowed towards the certificate.