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Computer Information Systems, BSBA (Area 1: Software Development)

CIS Degree - Software Development Area

If you’re interested in becoming a software developer, you’ll likely find many programs that focus on teaching you the skills needed to enter the field. The University of Central Missouri gives you that knowledge — and takes it to the next level. In the ABET- and AACSB-accredited Computer Information Systems BSBA - Software Development area program, you’ll blend theory and practice. Our courses provide you with a strong technical background as well as the business understanding to be a leader in the field.

What’s more, you’ll learn from expert faculty who keep abreast of industry trends and topics and ensure their courses are up to date on the latest practices and theories. Current faculty research includes work on timely topics such as software development methodologies, IT security, managing data and databases and enterprise resource planning. 

Career path of a software developer

As you pursue the career path of a software developer, you’ll get skills and competencies from your UCM education that will set you apart from others seeking similar work in the field. With UCM’s CIS degree, you’ll be able to walk into your career from day one with knowledge of how businesses work and what they need to succeed. That means you’ll understand how your work fits into the larger picture as you solve real-world business problems.

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#1 value in Missouri by College Factual

AACSB logo

AACSB- and ABET-accredited program

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17:1 program student-to-faculty ratio

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Top 15% CIS programs in the U.S.

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Ranked #17 in the U.S. for value

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100% hiring & grad school admission rate

 

 

What you will study

As a Software Developer major, you’ll learn numerous CIS software development languages and information systems software and technology, including:

  • Java
  • Local area networking
  • Management information systems software
  • Microsoft SQL Server
  • Microsoft Visual C# 
  • Python
  • Systems analysis

As part of the UCM difference, the career path of a software developer involves learning how to apply that technology to solve business problems in courses on business communication, statistics, the principles of finance, operations management and more. 

In addition to the core CIS program classes, you’ll take courses specific to Software Developer majors, including:

  • Applications Development Using Visual C#
  • Business Application Development with Java
  • Data Resource Management
  • User Experience Design

 

Excellence in CIS Software Development

  • Top 4%: Most Focused Colleges for Computer & Information Sciences (College Factual, 2022)
  • #1: Most Popular Master’s Degree Colleges for Computer & Information Sciences in Missouri (College Factual, 2022)
  • #1: Most Popular Colleges for Computer & Information Sciences in Missouri (College Factual, 2022) 
  • Top 3.5%: Most Popular Colleges for Computer & Information Sciences (College Factual, 2022)
  • Top 15%: Best Value Colleges for Computer & Information Sciences (College Factual, 2021) 
  • Top 15%: Most Popular Colleges for Computer & Information Sciences (College Factual, 2021)
  • #1: Best Computer Information Systems Colleges for the Money in Missouri (College Factual, 2019) 
  • Top 15%: CIS software programs in the United States (College Factual, 2019)
  • #17: Best Value Program in the United States (College Factual, 2019)
  • One of only 13 information systems software programs in the United States accredited by both the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)

 

Unique learning opportunities in the CIS Software Development BSBA program

As a CIS Software Development major at the University of Central Missouri, you’ll have a variety of opportunities to enhance your Software Developer degree and prepare for your career:

  • Internships: Benefit from UCM’s proximity to the Kansas City metro area. Past Software Developer majors have interned with Cerner, T-Mobile and a variety of small- to medium-sized local companies with connections to UCM’s CIS program.
  • CIS capstone course: Every CIS student takes the Systems Architecture and Development capstone class. This course pairs you with CIS students in other concentrations to develop an end-to-end system that solves a business problem with skills from each of your specialties. You’ll learn how all components of the system interrelate — as well as how important each is to the whole. Additionally, you’ll benefit from the feedback you’ll get from industry professionals who come to campus to judge the projects. Select projects have even been implemented in real businesses to improve operations.
  • Student life: Meet with other students who share your interests in becoming a software developer in the CISAO student group and attend guest speaker lectures. Past speakers have included leaders from companies such as Microsoft who present current and relevant topics in software development such as data mining, where the educational technology field is headed and more.

 

What can you do with a Software Developer degree from UCM?

After you graduate, you could pursue exciting careers in software development, cloud and system administration, database development and administration, enterprise resource planning and more. Past Software Development majors have worked for local and national companies, including:

  • Cerner
  • Evergreen
  • Hallmark
  • H&R Block
  • T-Mobile

You could also pursue a graduate degree to better prepare you for a leadership role in the industry and further deepen your technical expertise. In fact, many Software Development majors stay at UCM to pursue an MS in Computer Information Systems and Information Technology. No matter their path, graduates of the CIS Software Development program have experienced a 100% job or grad school placement rate within six months of graduation.

Software Developer degree jobs

The interactive tool below will help you explore job possibilities in software development.

 

 
 


 

Financial assistance options for your CIS Software Developer degree

We don’t want a lack of funding to be a barrier between you and your goal of becoming a software developer. That’s why the University of Central Missouri provides a number of ways to help you finance your college education, including grants, financial aid and scholarships. In fact, some scholarships are set aside specifically for students focusing on a CIS and Software Developer degree. Those scholarships include: 

  • Alexander Gladkov Memorial Scholarship
  • Boeing Company Scholarship for Computer Information Systems
  • Chelsoft Solutions Company – CIS & IT Scholarship
  • Computer Information Systems & Analytics Scholarship Fund
  • Helen Louise Campbell Richards Memorial Scholarship
  • Pennzoil Student Scholarship
  • Richard and Gertrude Innes Scholarship
  • Trevor Shoemaker CIS Memorial Scholarship

You can learn more about program-specific scholarships with the UCM Scholarship Finder.

 

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Take your degree further.

After graduating with your Software Developer degree, you can continue to a UCM master’s program to further develop your skills and open up additional job opportunities:

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Make yourself more marketable.

Adding another undergraduate program of study to your UCM bachelor’s degree can help you stand out to future employers and give you a more well-rounded skill set:

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Explore programs related to software development.

If you’re interested in software development, information technology, information systems software and similar topics, check out these other bachelor’s degree programs:

 

CIS Program Mission

Program Mission Statement:

The primary mission of the program is to offer outcomes-based, assessment driven, academic programs to prepare students for careers in information systems and information technology.  The program also serves the community by providing technology-related service courses to fulfill the needs of the 21st century workforce.

Program Educational Objectives

Program Educational Objectives

Within a few years of graduation, graduates from the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a major in Computer Information Systems (CIS) are expected to:

  1. Successfully apply their analytical and problem-solving skills to develop technical solutions in a variety of domains.
  2. Demonstrate appropriate leadership using workplace professional and ethical expectations.
  3. Update their knowledge and skills for professional growth and to meet the needs of industry.

Adopted 12/31/2021 

CIS Program Student Outcomes

CIS Program Student Outcomes
Graduates of the program will have an ability to:

1. Analyze a complex computing problem and to apply principles of computing and other relevant disciplines to identify solutions.

2. Design, implement, and evaluate a computing-based solution to meet a given set of computing requirements in the context of the program’s discipline.

3. Communicate effectively in a variety of professional contexts.

4. Recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles.

5. Function effectively as a member or leader of a team engaged in activities appropriate to the program’s discipline

6. Support the delivery, use, and management of information systems within an information systems (IS) environment. 

 

Annual Enrollment And Graduation Data

Program Accreditation


Abet Loto

The BSBA in Computer Information Systems - Sotware Development option is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET. 


 

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