Computer Science
Certificate of Achievement Computer Science · Merritt College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Program Description
Graduates of the two-year Certificate of Achievement program in Computer Science will have the skills required for entry level employment in Software Development, Cybersecurity, or DevOps occupations. The Certificate of Achievement is the recommended program for students who already hold a baccalaureate or higher degree. It prepares students for further study in Computer Science as well as related areas such as Computer Engineering. The curriculum includes instruction in the fundamentals of problem solving and analysis, programming, data structures, and architecture. Additional requirements include Calculus, Physics and Discrete Mathematics. This program takes a contextualized approach to Computer Science through the choice of language, C++, and electives that can be aligned to facilitate High Performance Computing (HPC). It aims to develop skills in the design and implementation of software that operates correctly at extreme scale while leveraging emerging technologies in different industries.
This certificate program may require additional semesters depending on chosen electives. Completion of an elective sequence is not required to receive this certificate. The optional restricted electives prepare Computer Science graduates to enter specific software development workforce sectors and earn a corresponding salary premium. The Cybersecurity courses are part of state approved A.S. Degree and Certificate of Achievement programs and have been demonstrated to confer desirable workforce skills which command higher compensation when combined with the Computer Science software development skill set.
Students who are interested in continuing their studies after completion of the two-year certificate should consult with the departmental chair, read the “Transfer Information” section of the college catalog, and discuss their plans with their program advisor or counselor. If you wish to substitute one class for another because of specific requirements of the transfer institution you will attend, consult with your counselor. Four-year universities may have additional or different course requirements for completion of lower division courses. The website www.assist.org can provide additional information about applicable courses for transfer.
Career Opportunities
Career opportunities include entry-level positions as Application Software Developers (SOC 15-1132), Computer Systems Analysts (SOC 15-1121), Systems Software Developers (SOC 15-1133), Information Security Analysts (SOC 15-1122), and Network and Computer Systems Administrators (SOC 15-1142). Additional career opportunities include entry-level jobs in the fields of software development, cybersecurity (secure software development), DevOps – the use of software to automate operations, blockchain services and mobile applications, high performance computing, data science, and artificial intelligence.
Learning Outcome(s)
- Select the appropriate design and implementation to solve a problem within given constraints.
- Analyze computer architecture to formulate estimates of performance
- Explain the fundamentals of problem solving and analysis.
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses: | 31-32 | |
| Core Courses: | 27 | |
| CIS 11 | Discrete Structures and Logic | 4 |
| CIS 33 | Software Architectures and Algorithms | 4 |
| CIS 78 | Digital Architectures for Computation | 4 |
| MATH 003A | Calculus I | 5 |
| MATH 003B | Calculus II | 5 |
| PHYS 4A | General Physics with Calculus | 5 |
| Choose One: | 4-5 | |
| CIS 6 | Introduction to Computer Programming | 5 |
| CIS 7 | Control Structures and Objects | 4 |
| OPTIONAL: Select ONE group of Major Electives for 12 -17 units from the list below: | ||
| Group A: Cybersecurity - Secure Software Development | 12 | |
| CIS 71 | Introduction to Information Systems Security | 3 |
| CIS 59 | Applications in Information Security | 3 |
| CIS 56 | Secure Coding in Java and .NET | 3 |
| CIS 57 | Web Application PEN Testing | 3 |
| Group B: Cybersecurity - DevOps (Dev/Sec/Ops) | 17-20 | |
| CIS 55 | Hacker Techniques, Exploits & Incident Handling | 3 |
| CIS 60 | Computer Forensics Fundamentals | 3 |
| CIS 247 | Information Systems Skills Challenge | 1-4 |
| CIS 52 | Cloud Security Fundamentals | 3 |
| CIS 53 | Intrusion Detection In-Depth: Compliance, Security, Forensics and Troubleshooting | 3 |
| CIS 178 | Build Automation for DevOps & QA | 4 |
| Group C: Blockchain Services and Mobile Applications | 12 | |
| CIS 66 | XML Documents and Applications | 2 |
| CIS 93 | Cross Platform Mobile Application Development | 4 |
| CIS 100 | Introduction to Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies, and Identity | 3 |
| CS 43 | High Performance Web Applications and Services | 3 |
| Group D: DevOps - Software Engineering Automation and Continuous Integration | 17 | |
| CIS 51 | Introduction to Information Technology Project Management | 4 |
| CS 20 | Python Application Programming | 3 |
| CS 80 | Software Engineering | 3 |
| CIS 178 | Build Automation for DevOps & QA | 4 |
| CIS 179 | Agile Software Management and Project Automation | 3 |
| Group E: High Performance Computing (HPC), Data Science, and Machine Learning | 17 | |
| CIS 98 | Database Programming with SQL | 4 |
| MATH 3E | Linear Algebra | 3 |
| CIS 8 | Introduction to Parallel and Cloud Programming | 4 |
| CS 60 | Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning | 3 |
| CS 20 | Python Application Programming | 3 |
| Group F: Swift Software Development | 13-16 | |
| CS 25 | Swift Application Programming | 4 |
| CS 26 | Swift Data Structures and Algorithms | 4 |
| CS 27 | Swift Universal Framework Applications | 4 |
| CS 247 | Swift Multi-Platform Application Development | 1-4 |