The new program, which was made possible after a 2021 change to state law on community college degrees, aims to meet the rapidly growing demand for college-educated computer science workers.
According to the state Legislature, Washington had over 24,000 job openings in the technology sector in 2021. However, the National Center for Education Statistics reports that universities in the state only gave out 2,826 bachelor’s degrees in computer science in the 2020-2021 school year.
School staff say the new program will help close that gap while also giving more students access to potentially high-paying jobs.
“This degree makes computer science and tech careers accessible to all, academically and financially,” said Harry Brewster, dean of instruction for STEM programs. “LCC as an institution is committed to serving out community, and this degree is one of the ways that we can provide a ladder up into really strong, long-term careers.”
A NEW DEGREE FORMAT
Senate Bill 5401, which passed in 2021, adds an exception allowing them to offer a full four-year bachelor’s degree in computer science if they can meet quality standards and demonstrate need for the program in their area.
LCC currently offers three bachelor’s degrees in nursing, teacher education and organizational leadership and technical management. Because they are all two-year programs, students must complete an associate’s degree or have the equivalent credits before they can enter.
Students will be able to enter the computer science degree as freshmen without needing previous experience. The program will also have entry points for students in higher years that want to transfer in, Brewster said.
The computer science degree will also have a less rigid schedule, said Michaela Jackson, director of new program development.
LCC’s existing bachelor degrees operate on a cohort system where a limited number of students are admitted each fall, who are then expected to progress at the same speed as their classmates. In contrast, students will be able to enroll in the computer science program during any semester and take classes at their own pace.
“It really is a very different model for LCC than what we’re used to with our current bachelor’s degrees,” Jackson said.
The computer science program will be housed in LCC’s new vocational center, along with the IT program and several other trades courses. LCC is scheduled to hold a ground breaking ceremony on the center May 30, but construction is not set to start until November.
The school plans to open construction bids in July, with an anticipated grand opening in September 2027. Before the center is completed, the new computer science program will be held in the current vocational and applied arts buildings.
POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS
Based on feedback from focus groups that included local industry representatives, the curriculum will focus on project- and work-based learning and branch out from traditional coding into topics like cybersecurity, data science and app development.
“The community really built the curriculum,” Jackson said. “Cybersecurity was huge, but they also wanted a pretty strong emphasis on communication. ... They wanted a pretty big emphasis on those soft skills or 21st century skills.”
Part of the goal for the new degree is to expose students to the different areas in which they can use computer science skills. The work is frequently remote, but local industries are also interested in workers with a computer science degree, Jackson said.
A feasibility study that LCC completed as part of its preparation for the new major found job openings spread across many different industries, the majority of which were within a 60-mile radius.
“When we build out our program, they can stay in their community and stay connected to our local industry partners,” Brewster said.
©2025 The Daily News, Longview, Wash. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
