In the first year of this two-year program, you’ll learn the basics of computer programming and gain experience using industry-standard programming languages. Exit after year one with a Computing Science Certificate or an Academic Foundations Certificate depending on the electives you choose. You can also complete your diploma at Douglas College in one of two streams: game development, or the general information technology stream.

Game Development stream

Create the video games you love to play. With the Game Development stream, you’ll learn to write code for computer games using industry-standard game development tools. You’ll also develop entire games from initial design to implementation for both computers and virtual reality (VR) devices. The gaming industry employed 7,300* people in British Columbia in 2019 compared to 5,900 people in 2018 – which means in one year alone, 1,400 new video game jobs were created in B.C. Vancouver is also home to big name video game companies such as Capcom, EA, Next Level Games and Microsoft’s Black Tusk Studios. Plus, the average salary of game developers in Canada is around $120,200* per year, making it a lucrative career.

General Stream

With the General Stream, you’ll get the skills and knowledge in software development, programming and information analysis you need to launch your career as a software engineer, information security analyst, IT manager, database administrator and more. close to 12,620 programmer jobs are expected from now until 2031 in B.C., with workers earning an average salary of $87,595 per year.

The Computing Science Diploma is eligible for co-op, so you can get paid to work for real companies and organizations before you graduate. This experience will give you a leg-up over the competition once you begin applying for jobs.