MVCC's Code Academy
Affordable, convenient, and innovative option to develop coding skills
This fall, Mohawk Valley Community College will offer the MVCC Code Academy, an affordable,
convenient, and innovative option for individuals looking to develop coding skills.
Students take two evening classes (6-10 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays) per semester
for two semesters in order to complete the Code Academy.
Unlike other coding academies, the MVCC Code Academy is presented in the evening in a structured classroom environment, complete with the support, guidance, and personal instruction the College is known to provide for all students. This micro-credential program is a designated sequence of four three-credit programming courses designed to help students quickly develop relevant skills to prepare them for entry-level employment and per-diem work. Students who complete the program and earn the credential are recognized by MVCC with a digital badge through Credly.
The curriculum and courses, which were developed with the guidance of local employers in the industry, will introduce computer programming methods and techniques of problem-solving with structured programming, including scripting with Python, object-oriented programming in C , the general-purpose JAVA programming language, and emergent web development technologies such as React. The sequence of courses is as follows:
- CI110Principles of Programming: Introduces computer programming methods and techniques of problem-solving using structured programming. Students analyze problems and organize effective solutions. Techniques of problem-solving include defining the problem, specifying required input and output, developing the algorithm, and testing the solution. Students also translate the algorithms to a high-level programming language.
- CI130C Programming: Provides a comprehensive study of C with an emphasis on sound structured programming principles, good style, and top-down method of program design. It covers the designing, coding, executing, and debugging of C programs to solve problems in a variety of fields.
- CI245Java Programming: Introduces the concepts of object-oriented programming (OOP) and the general-purpose JAVA programming language. Topics include data abstraction, data encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, class structures, software design with design patterns, application programming, data types, selection and loop structures, graphical user interface programming, exception handling, data streams, and cryptographic techniques.
- CI256Programming for the Internet: This course presents techniques to create interactive mobile and web applications. Students will learn how to develop a user interface (UI) that is required to make an effective and useful interactive application. The use of multiple programming languages and development libraries will be explored and implemented into a functioning app program. Students will develop their own working apps.
I had a great experience with the Code Academy. I had tried to learn programming on my own but only got so far. I joined the Code Academy and was quickly able to advance my knowledge and skills. The teachers were great and I was able to build all the foundational programming skills. I got an internship straight out of the Code Academy and immediately started working in the field. Now I'm working on building an independent game development company with my husband.
Melissa Brass-Maggio
The total cost for the MVCC Code Academy is $2,936, plus books. To learn more about
the MVCC Code Academy, contact Jake Mihevc, dean of the School of STEM - Transfer, Business, Cybersecurity, and Computer Sciences,
at 315-792-5653 or jmihevc@mvcc.edu.