Software Development Essentials
Certificate Computer Science · Antelope Valley College · 2026-2027 Catalog
A student completing the Software Development Essentials Certificate will gain a solid grounding in the basic principles that underlie Computer Science. This certificate provides both academic preparation for and a pathway to internships. When combined with further study, it will lead to the Computer Science Associate in Science Degree (AS), Computer Science Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T), and/or transfer. This certificate is intended for students that would like to develop their programming skills in a specific language. Students who successfully complete the certificate requirements may apply for entry-level positions in software development support, programming support, web and application development support, quality assurance testing, and other junior computing-related roles.
Program Requirements
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses: Complete all of the following | 14 | |
| Calculus I Option | 5 | |
| MATH 150 | Calculus and Analytic Geometry | 5 |
| MATH 150H | Calculus & Analytic Geometry Honors | 5 |
| Programming I Options | 3 | |
| CS 120 | Programming and Algorithms in C++ | 3 |
| CS 121 | Programming and Algorithms in Java | 3 |
| CS 122 | Programming and Algorithms in Python | 3 |
| Programming II Options | 3 | |
| CS 130 | Data Structures using C++ | 3 |
| CS 131 | Data Structures using Java | 3 |
| CS 132 | Data Structures using Python | 3 |
| Program Elective | 3 | |
| CS 110 | Introduction to Programming Concepts and Methodologies | 3 |
| CS 140 | Assembly Language and Computer Architecture | 3 |
| CS 230 | Advanced Programming and Algorithms in C++ | 3 |
| CS 231 | Advanced Programming and Algorithms in Java | 3 |
Recommended Pathway
Software Development Essentials Cert
Term 1 (8 units)
- CS110 - Introduction to Programming Concepts and Methodologies (3)
- MATH150 - Calculus and Analytic Geometry (5)
- MATH150H - Calculus & Analytic Geometry Honors (5)
Term 2 (3 units)
- CS120 - Programming and Algorithms in C++ (3)
- CS121 - Programming and Algorithms in Java (3)
- CS122 - Programming and Algorithms in Python (3)
Term 3 (3 units)
- CS130 - Data Structures using C++ (3)
- CS131 - Data Structures using Java (3)
- CS132 - Data Structures using Python (3)