Graduate Certificate in Computer Science Education

Information Session

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Requirements and Overview

This certificate is primarily aimed at high school teachers in need of credentials to teach "dual credit" courses in their schools as well as AP Computer Science instructors. To meet the needs of the program the courses must be (1) online; (2) taught in the summer; and (3) taught in a condensed or hybrid format.

The graduate certificate in Computer Science Education is comprised of six 3-credit courses for a total requirement of eighteen credits, aimed at preparing for teaching high school Computer Science. The certificate program will be offered online starting Summer 2022. The courses are selected for their content which covers the essential, core concepts of Computer Science, and how to teach them.

Required Courses

  • CSCI 641:Introduction to Computer Science Education (3 Credits)
    The course offers an overview of the main areas of Computer Science Education. The Active-Learning-Based Teaching Model; Research in Computer Science Education; Teaching Methods in Computer Science Education; and Lab-Based Teaching.
  • CSCI 642:Problem Solving in Computer Science Education (3 Credits)Introduction of essential Computer-Science concepts related to problem solving through a study of several different approaches. Specific problem-solving techniques such as Sequential Logic, Decision Logic, Looping Logic, and popular data structures are studied in detail. The course will focus on algorithms development and modeling techniques that can be applied to many programming languages.
  • CSCI 643:Introduction to Computer Programming (3 Credits)
    Introduction to computer science including problem solving, algorithm development, and structured programming in a high-level language. Emphasis on design, coding, testing, and documentation of programs using accepted standards of style.
  • CSCI 644:Data Structures and Algorithms (3 Credits)
    This course introduces data structures and algorithms used in in a contemporary programming language. Students will be introduced to linear and hierarchical data structures including arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues and binary trees.  Emphasis will be placed on computer science problem-solving, algorithm development and algorithm analysis.

Elective Courses

Students must choose two of the following:

  • CSCI 605:Principles in Cyber Security (3 Credits)
  • CSCI 650: Cloud Computing (3 Credits)
  • CSCI 713: Software Development Processes (3 Credits)
  • CSCI 773: Foundations of the Digital Enterprise (3 Credits)
  • Others (please discuss with your advisor)

Digital Portfolio

As part of the Graduate Certificate Program every student will prepare a Digital Portfolio with artifacts of accomplishment that is shareable. This Digital Portfolio will document the information necessary to teach any Computer Science course needed in the high school. The following should be developed as part of the portfolio:

  • Develop Course syllabus (with course outline) for the proposed class/topic. Document course description, objectives, textbook/ software/ hardware support, course learning goals, educational practices, and assessment criteria.
  • Document with the set of home assignments, in-class problems, quizzes, and exams, with specific grading criteria such as what factors will be graded, how they will be weighted, and how they will be translated into the overall grade.
  • Develop a set of problems and solutions for every topic. Develop grading Rubrics for every project.
  • Portfolios will be used to evaluate students and bolster accreditation.

Program Objectives

The Graduate Certificate Program in Computer Science Education will focus on the following:

  • Fundamental topics providing a broad background in Computer Science.
  • Be flexible enough to allow students from varied backgrounds and different points in their working career to enter the program with a minimum of pre-requisite work.
  • Be flexible enough to allow students currently pursuing advanced degrees in computing related disciplines to join the program and readily add the Graduate Certificate to their credentials.
  • Provide the necessary 18 credit hours for high school teaching credentials while presenting a course offering schedule to allow students to complete the program in fifteen months.
  • Gain a broad background and knowledge in Computer Science Education through a fixed set of core courses.

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