While Silicon Valley is not having the best of luck with colleges and universities, its culture may end up influencing higher education in ways that we cannot now predict. In the past few years, the number of high-tech companies in San Francisco has grown by leaps and bounds, yielding an ever-increasing demand for employees with technical skills. To meet that need, San Francisco Bay University will start this fall offering one-year, four-course “micro degrees.” At a modest cost of $1,500 each, the micro degrees are intended to be completed within six months. The courses needed for most degrees can be taken at night or on weekends.
Types of Degrees
Big Tech companies need people who understand how to apply their technology to real-world problems. Therefore, they are looking for people with a strong technical background who also have business sense and can communicate effectively. The following are the types of degree programs that students will be able to study:
Business and Technology Management
These degree programs focus on the development and management of technology in a business environment. Courses cover digital marketing, entrepreneurship and innovation, financial statement analysis, qualitative and quantitative analysis, and dynamic modeling with spreadsheets.
Legal Studies
The legal studies degree provides students with a broad understanding of law in today’s society. Students learn about intellectual property, health care and regulation, consumer, business, and employment law. They also learn about legal research and writing as well as effective communication strategies for lawyers.
Computer Science
Coding and computer science skills are highly sought after in Big Tech, and the computer science degree offers courses designed to teach students how to apply these skills in business settings. Courses include:
- iOS application development.
- Introduction to software design.
- Programming languages and paradigms.
- iOS app development with Swift 2.
- Object-oriented software engineering using C#.
- Cloud computing technologies.
- Digital forensics.
Information Technology
The information technology degree provides the technical foundation students need to get a job in Big Tech. Courses include information security, computer networking, telecommunications, database systems using Microsoft SQL Server, cloud computing, UNIX operating system fundamentals, and ethical hacking.
Immersive Technologies
In addition to traditional classes taught online or on campus, San Francisco Bay University offers “immersive” learning environments. These immersive courses combine lectures, readings, and online or in-person study sessions led by a live instructor who facilitates group activities. They also incorporate video presentations created specifically for the course to introduce new concepts and reinforce key points throughout the program.
Data Science
Data science involves the discovery and mining of patterns in large data sets. The degree focuses on several data analysis methods that students can apply to practical problems, including predictive modeling, machine learning, statistical modeling and inference, optimization, simulation, time-series analysis, text mining, and natural language processing.
Getting Hired
Once they have completed their degrees, graduates will be prepared for careers in Big Tech. As the demand for data scientists has grown, salaries have skyrocketed. As a result, students who choose the right educational track will have an advantage in the job market.
