A Degree for Your Tech-Sector Career

Our bachelor's degree in computer & data science prepares you to design and program software, master complex data analysis, and solve complicated problems—just like you'll be asked to do throughout your career.

You'll also learn how to collaborate with a team of your peers and gain hands-on experience with local software developers through our internship program. And, build a foundation of programming skills and machine learning, pitch a product to our tech incubator, or pursue independent research to design programs or solve problems of your own.

Central Pennsylvania has a wealth of career opportunities in software development, and our graduates have a near-100% job offer rate. You'll be well prepared for a world that needs you—and flexible enough to learn new skills as the tech sector evolves.

Discover Your Degree Pathway

• Apply to our bachelor's degree in computer and data science for first-year undergraduates.
• Tailor your degree to your interests and career goals by pursuing a related program, like mathematics, actuarial science, digital communications, or interaction and experience design.
• Master your degree requirements, from programming to machine learning and data analytics.

Software Development and Machine Learning

Unlike other computer & data science degree programs that emphasize statistics, our graduates focus on software development and data analysis, so that you will make important contributions to the industry right away.

Throughout your foundational courses in math, programming languages, and machine learning, we emphasize how to read critically, break down technical information, and present your ideas—it's the winning formula that makes LVC students so irresistible to our internship and employment partners.

In your junior year, gain hands-on experience in software development that could lead to a job offer after graduation. Develop software at local companies like WebFX or work on a commercial program focused on providing LTE service via satellite at Lockheed Martin.

Because we prepare our students to present their ideas with panache, collaborate in small teams, and dissect technical details with skill, our graduates are highly sought-after in Central Pennsylvania and throughout the region. You'll be able to immediately apply the knowledge you gain in the classroom out in the real world.

What Makes Computer & Data Science at LVC Special?

• Award-winning faculty who support student innovation and tech entrepreneurship.
• An emphasis on real-world skills, like data analysis, software programming, and machine learning.
• Real-world experience with local employers in actuarial science, IT, and software development, as well as extensive job preparedness training.

Build and Design

We know you want to build and design programs—that's why we'll put you in small teams to solve big problems throughout your computer & data science degree program. Whether you want to build an app, a game, or develop a program, we teach you the skills you need to succeed in a growing and competitive industry.

Thanks to our new tech incubator, students in our computer & data science major can pitch a proposal and learn how to bring a product to market. Our first product, the Metz Culinary app, was built by a team of students from computer & data science and digital communications. This small team mirrors real-world, cross-discipline collaborations that develop products with practical application.

Follow Your Passions

• Solve a problem by building an app or program through our tech incubator.
• Conduct independent research with the help of a faculty advisor to explore programming or data analysis on your own.

What You Can Do with a Computer & Data Science Degree

From data analysis to machine learning to software development, computer & data science is a growing field, and LVC graduates are in high demand. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there could be as many as  300,000 unfulfilled jobs in software development by 2026—jobs you'll be prepared to conquer.

While a few of our students pursue graduate education, most jump right into their careers in software development or data analysis. Our emphasis on foundational skills in math and data analysis prepares graduates to work across fields, and our students pursue careers in actuarial science, industry, prototyping, marketing, and web development. About 80% of the internships our graduates pursued during their time at LVC led to a job offer—and nearly 100% of our graduates are employed a year after graduating.

In addition to finding professional support from the Breen Center for Graduate Success, jump-start your career by attending our Actuarial Science Career & Networking Day or presenting your research findings at our annual conference, Inquiry.