Is the Programmer's Lifestyle for You?

They are the tools of innovation and reinvention: Java, C++, and Visual Basic programming languages. They are the technology that fuels the Information Age. Like the enterprises that they support, these building blocks constantly evolve, and the people who use these languages must grow with them.

Programming is a career that requires a commitment to lifelong learning, and that practice is an intrinsic part of the curriculum and mission of IWU's Bachelor's degree in Business Information Systems.

Programming as a Career

Today, you have to do more than just learn Visual Basic Programming or C++. To have a successful programming career, you need to improve your abilities quickly. As a student in IWU's BSBIS program, you will learn how to add to your programming portfolio any new languages or technologies that the market demands. The program teaches you how to work diligently to expand your Java or Visual Basic programming skills beyond the introductory level. In addition, the program teaches you how to plan for future by setting goals to broaden your scope of knowledge to include web application development, business information systems, networking, and database development. Remember that staying current with the latest tools is a must.

Welcome to Enterprise Programming

While tradition holds that programming is a solitary pursuit, in truth the work is solidly a team-based occupation. In the corporate world, most programmers work in groups led by a senior programmer and on projects designed by a software engineer or a systems analyst. In addition, most programming job opportunities require you spend the majority of your time testing, debugging, and maintaining existing code rather than starting new projects from scratch. However, as you master your craft, job opportunities for team leads and project leaders are well within your grasp.

With the growing popularity of overseas outsourcing, the availability of low-skilled programming work is rapidly decreasing. As a programmer, you must face the undeniable: advanced programming skills (especially in object-oriented languages such as Java, C++, and Visual Basic programming) and the maintenance of large and mature information systems are the career growth areas.

Building a programming career has never been more challenging, but if you love to learn, the rewards have never been greater.