For the 2019-20 academic year, boot camp courses start June 24th and end September 12th. The certificate program runs for an entire academic year. Fall quarter courses start September 25th, Winter quarter starts January 6th, and Spring quarter courses start March 30th. Students who complete the certificate during the 2019-20 academic year will be eligible to start the MSCS program in Fall 2020. For more information on exact dates, visit the Registrar's page
The certificate is designed to be a part-time program, meeting twice a week. Currently there are two sections, with courses offered from 3:45-6:25pm or 6:00-8:40pm. The entire certificate consists of 18 credits. There are a total of six courses, with two courses offered each quarter (Fall, Winter, Spring).
The certificate is comprised of 6 three-credit courses. Students will enroll in two courses every quarter.
See the university catalog for detailed course descriptions.
The February 20th deadline is for early admission. All applications received by this date will be considered. Well-qualified students will be admitted during the early admission phase, receiving notification of their admission by March 31st. All other applications will be moved to the regular decision pool. During the regular admissions phase, all applications received by May 20th will be considered, along with those received prior to the February 20th early deadline. Students will hear about admission decisions by June 10th.
Information regarding admission requirements may be found on the Admission Requirements page and in the university catalog.
In addition to the application requirements for the certificate, international students are required to submit an agency evaluation of their transcript, a declaration of finances, and demonstrate English proficiency. Please contact the International Student Center for more info.
In the event that the number of qualified applicants exceeds the capacity of the program (as has been the case in the past), a waitlist will be created at the end of the admissions process. Students will be taken off the waitlist on a rolling basis as space becomes available when admitted students decline admission or do not confirm by the deadline.
The certificate courses are organized sequentially and are only offered once a year. As a result, only Summer and Fall start terms are available.
Students who have completed Programming I, II, and Data Structures may apply for Fall quarter admission. All other students should apply for summer and are required to take the programming boot camp courses or the equivalent. Individual cases may be discussed with the program director, Sheila Oh (ohsh@seattleu.edu).
The programming boot camp condenses programming I, programming II, and data structures courses into a 12-week summer session. The boot camp consists of 3 courses, each worth 3 credits. Classes are held Monday through Thursday with class meetings offered from either 3:30-5:35pm or 6:00-8:05pm. Visit the Programming Boot Camp page for more information.
Students who have not completed programming I, II, and data structures must complete these prerequisites before the certificate courses start in the Fall. It is possible to fulfill these courses either by enrolling in the programming boot camp (available to all admitted certificate students) or at a local college or university. Please note that non-accredited, non-credit courses are not considered equivalent prerequisite courses.
Students will not be able to apply specifically to the programming boot camp. Admitted students who confirm their admission will be offered the boot camp as a way to fulfill the certificate prerequisites. If a student is able to confirm completion of equivalent coursework, they may pass out of one or more boot camp courses.
Due to the condensed time frame of the boot camp, students are expected to complete 20 hours of work outside of class per week. This is more intense than the part-time expectations of the certificate program itself. Therefore, attending the boot camp while working full-time is not recommended.
If you are already working in the software industry, please contact the computer science fundamentals certificate program director, Sheila Oh (ohsh@seattleu.edu) to discuss your options.
Once admitted to the program, you will receive an email from Graduate Admissions, welcoming you to the program, and asking you to confirm your admission to the certificate program. You have two weeks to confirm your admission. If you do not confirm by that deadline, your space in the program may be given to a student on the wait list. If you have any questions on confirming your admission, you may contact Graduate Admissions.
You must confirm your admission to the program before you’re able to register for classes. Boot camp class registration will be handled by the department (a survey will be sent out where you can indicate your class time preference). Registration for fall (and the remaining certificate courses) are the responsibility of the student and will completed via SU Online. Please note that confirmation in the program guarantees a spot in the boot camp and certificate courses.
International Students: To maintain full-time status (F-1 visa), you will need to enroll in 9 credits per quarter. Since certificate courses make up 6 credits, students will need to take 3 additional credits to maintain full-time status. After confirmation of your application, you will receive suggested courses, but students may also take courses outside the department. Please contact the International Student Center for more info.
All admitted students are invited to attend a new student orientation that will take place mid-to-late-May. This will allows you to get familiar with the campus, buy books at the bookstore, and ask any outstanding questions regarding enrollment. An additional graduate orientation will take place the week before Fall quarter courses start. This orientation is required for all graduate students. All CS graduate faculty will be in attendance and program expectations will be addressed.
All courses in the program are 3 credits, totaling 9 credits for the boot camp and 18 credits for the certificate courses. Tuition is billed per credit. Tuition information may be found on the Graduate Admissions page. Both the boot camp and certificate courses are eligible for financial aid. Financial aid information may be found on the Registrar's page page.
The application deadline for a certificate is the first week of the term in which you plan to complete the coursework for the certificate. For most students, this is by (or before) the first week of Spring quarter. This application can be completed via SU Online:
Once you have submitted your Application for Graduation, a Student Academic Specialist will audit your records and work with your academic advisor to clarify the remaining requirements you need to complete your degree. You will receive notification of your final graduation requirements via email.
You will apply to receive the certificate by the first week of the term in which you plan to complete the coursework for the certificate. Based on successful completion of the certificate courses, your certificate will be mailed to you during the following quarter.
Most certificate students apply for the MSCS program during Winter or Spring quarter. Students will need to maintain a B average in the certificate courses to qualify for the MSCS program.