Visual Basic Programmer
Certificate
Curriculum code 1457
Course Requirements                    Information Management Systems Web site

This program prepares students with programming skills that will, when combined with a degree, provide the background for entry-level or trainee positions or enhance an information technology professional’s versatility and career advancement potential.

Visual Basic is considered to be one of the easiest-to-learn programming languages and it boasts the largest community of software developers worldwide. Visual Basic provides developers with a tool they can use to rapidly deliver desktop, PDA, and data-driven web applications using state-of-the-art object-orientated techniques. Within this certificate’s courses you will learn the latest in software design and development methodologies while gaining hands-on experience with the latest versions of Visual Basic.

Nature of Work—This program is designed to qualify you as an entry-level Visual Basic .NET programmer by learning object-oriented programming concepts. Computer programmers write, test, and maintain the detailed instructions, called programs, which computers must follow to perform their functions. Programmers also conceive, design, and test logical structures for solving problems using the computer. The complexity of problems can range from those that can be solved in a few hours to those that need to solve enterprise level problems and may require more than a year of work.

Related Job Titles—Programmer I, Junior Programmer, Junior Software Developer, Junior Test Engineer, Junior Web Developer, and Junior Desktop Support.

Employment Outlook—Employment of programmers is expected to grow more slowly than the average for all occupations through the year 2014. Sophisticated computer software now has the capability to write basic code, eliminating the need for many programmers to do this routine work. The consolidation and centralization of systems and applications, developments in packaged software, advances in programming languages and tools, and the growing ability of users to design, write, and implement more of their own programs mean that more of the programming functions can be transferred from programmers to other types of information workers, such as computer software engineers.

Earnings—The U.S. Department of Labor—Bureau of Labor Statistics reports median annual earnings of computer programmers were $62,890 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $47,580and $81,280 a year. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $36,470; the highest 10 percent earned more than $99,610. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of computer programmers in May 2004 are shown below: According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, starting salary offers for graduates with a bachelor’s degree in computer science averaged $50,820 a year in 2005.

For job listings and job placement assistance, contact the Job Placement Center in the Center for Contemporary Technology, T904, (708) 974-5737, www.morainevalley.edu/jpc.