Computer Systems

This communication course teaches practical business communication techniques for planning, organizing, selecting, writing, and presenting information in business or industry. It covers routine memos, letters, request and reply letters, and oral presentations. NOTE: Students do not need to submit transcripts for entrance to this course. BUT, in the case of formal or informal grade appeals or reviews they will be asked to show proof of their English requirements. Students scoring below "C+" in English 12 should take COMM 1106 instead of COMM 1103. Students who wish to confirm their English level are strongly advised to take COMM 0015.
Prerequisite(s): Students must have one of the following: 1) English 12 "67%" (C+) or equivalent (refer to BCIT's Admission page); 2) COMM 0015 score of 70 or better.

This communication course is designed for students needing additional assistance in meeting the language standards of a credit introductory business and technical Communication course. It teaches practical business communication techniques for planning, organizing, selecting, writing, and presenting information in business or industry. It covers the same content as COMM 1103, but has additional English language support and communication development. NOTE: Students do not need to submit transcripts for entrance to this course. BUT, in the case of formal or informal grade appeals or reviews they will be asked to show proof of their English requirements. Students who wish to confirm their English level are strongly advised to take COMM 0015.
Prerequisite(s): Students must have one of the following: 1) English 12 "50%" (PASS) or equivalent (refer to BCIT's Admission page); 2) COMM 0015 score of 50 or better.

Information technology professionals spend time each day communicating orally and in writing with their supervisors, colleagues and clients. As problem-solvers and entrepreneurs in industry, you need to communicate quickly, clearly, and effectively. This course will build on the skills you learned in first term to be an efficient and professional communicator at work. You will learn how to conduct an effective job search and write the accompanying resume and cover letter to support it. You will also write effective reports, deliver a persuasive oral presentation to your set, and participate effectively in meetings and group work. You will prepare a formal report and present it orally and in writing.
Prerequisite(s): COMM 1116 or COMM 1106 or COMM 1103

This course or equivalent knowledge is assumed for all other BCIT COMP courses in Computing Part-time Studies (PTS). Students focus on how a Personal Computer (PC) works and how to apply best practices to secure data and to manage files with Microsoft Window 10. Topics include: An introduction to PC hardware, functions of an operating system (OS), file and disk management, backing up and protecting data, troubleshooting, security, malware and firewalls. Windows 10 Power on self-test, BIOS settings, partitioning, the file system and formatting are also discussed. Hands-on exercises and labs include desktop navigation and using Windows 10 Admin to create user accounts and folder structures. Discussions also include the technical aspects of using Windows 10 in the set-up of a small PC network. There will be a brief comparison of Windows 10 to Windows 7, Linux and Macintosh OS. There are 6 week compressed delivery options for those students with some prior experience, otherwise the 12 week delivery is recommended due to the amount of homework. COMP 1002 is required for the Computer Systems Certificate (CSC), the Applied Computer Information Systems (ACIS), and the Applied Network Administration and Design (ANAD) Associate Certificates. Upon successful completion students will be able to use best practices in a Windows 10 networked environment.
Prerequisite(s): BC Grade 12 English or equivalent.

Comp 1113 is partially discrete mathematics, partially an introduction to linear equations. The purpose of this course is to give a strong foundation for future technical and programming courses. The course is divided into three parts: (1) Boolean algebra and design of logic circuits; (2) number systems and data representation; and (3) functions, linear equations, vectors and matrices.

COMP 1114 is partially discrete mathematics, partially an introduction to linear equations and assumes that students have a good understanding of Grade 12 Mathematics. The purpose of Mathematics for Computing is to give a solid foundation for follow-on technical and programming courses at BCIT. This course is divided in four parts; (1) Number systems and data representation; (2) Boolean algebra and design of logic circuits; (3) Exponential and logarithmic functions; and (4) Matrix methods in Linear algebra. COMP 1114 is equivalent to several full-time diploma courses; COMP 1113 –Applied Mathematics in Computer Systems Technology, CST; MATH 1310 -Technical Math for IT in Computer Information Technology, CIT; MATH 1320 –Mathematics for Computing in Full Stack Web Development, FSWD. Mathematics for Computing is also a required course in the Computer Systems Certificate, CSC and an elective in the Applied Computer information Systems, ACIS associate certificate. Upon successful completion of COMP 1114, students who achieve 60% may move on to the next level; COMP 2121 – Discrete Mathematics and COMP 2825- Computer Architecture.
Prerequisite(s): Math 12 (Pre-Calculus)

​This hands-on course is designed for those with no previous programming experience and is also appropriate for experienced developers who want to learn to use modern object-oriented programming (OOP) languages to build applications. Using an "objects first" approach, students receive an intensive introduction to OOP concepts. Topics include classes and objects and their relationship, primitive data types, constructors, methods, repetition and selection, collections, abstraction and modularization. Upon successful completion, participants will have a basic understanding of programming concepts and objects, and be prepared to move on to COMP 1451 Introduction to Software Development 2. PLEASE NOTE: COMP 1409 will be offered for the final time in May 2020 and is replaced by COMP 1516.
Prerequisite(s): COMP 1002 or equivalent knowledge.

​This hands-on introductory course replaced COMP 1409 and is the foundation for all Computing PTS programming courses. Students with no prior coding experience are introduced to programming concepts and how to use Python to write simple programs. This is a BYOD (bring your own device) course, participants must provide their own current model PC with an i5 or higher equivalent processor, 8 GB of RAM minimum, 256 GB minimum storage and high-speed internet access. COMP 1516 is the prerequisite for COMP 2501 –Programming Fundamentals Part 2 which is also required for the Applied Software Development, ASD Associate Certificate as well as the Computer Systems Certificate, CSC. Participation is mandatory and students can expect a minimum of 4 hours per week online in real time via the BCIT Learning Hub plus using two-way audio and video. Attendance is required during scheduled class hours and students should also plan for an additional 10+ hours homework per week in most weeks. Participants design, implement, test, and debug simple programs that incorporate: variables, expressions, assignments, I/O, conditional and iterative control constructs, functions, and parameter passing. COMP 1516 is not a Python development course, it is the first step in the study of applied programming fundamentals. Topics include: Data structures, data modelling, programming constructs, lists, strings, sets and maps. Labs and exercises focus on writing code for projects, assignments, and activities. Upon successful completion students will have a basic understanding of programming and be prepared to move on to COMP 2501 –Programming Fundamentals Part 2.
Prerequisite(s): COMP 1002

​​ This second level hands-on intensive course continues on from and requires the introductory object-oriented programming experience covered in COMP 1409 or COMP 1516. The language of example is Java, which is used to provide a solid foundation in current programming concepts and methodologies, with a focus on problem solving. Topics include: data abstraction, modularity, object-oriented programming concepts (encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism), testing and debugging. COMP 1451 is required in the Applied Software Development, ASD Associate Certificate and the Computer Systems Certificate, CSC. Successful participants will be prepared to move on to higher level programming courses. PLEASE NOTE: COMP 1451 is replaced by both COMP 2501- Programming Fundamentals Part 2 and COMP 2601- Programming Fundamentals Part 3 (Objects) beginning January 2021.
Prerequisite(s): 70% in COMP 1409 or 70% in COMP 1516

​This hands-on intermediate level course replaced COMP 1451 as of January 2021 and follows on from COMP 1516 - Programming Fundamentals with Python. Students who already understand how to write simple programs will now focus on the best practices and use problem solving to build fundamental skills in software development. This is a BYOD (bring your own device) course, participants must provide their own current model PC with an i5 or higher equivalent processor, 8 GB of RAM minimum, 256 GB minimum storage and high-speed internet access. COMP 2501 is the second-level programming fundamentals course required for the Applied Software Development, ASD Associate Certificate and the Computer Systems Certificate, CSC. Participation is mandatory and students can expect a minimum of 3 hours per week online in real time via the BCIT Learning Hub plus using two-way audio and video. Attendance is required during scheduled class hours and students should also plan for an additional 10+ hours homework per week in most weeks. Participants are introduced to application programming interfaces (APIs) and how to transition from Python to Java. COMP 2501 is not a Java development course, it is the second step in an in-depth study of applied programming fundamentals. Topics include: an overview of object-oriented programming constructs including introductions to: encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, and exceptions. Labs and exercises demonstrate problem solving; writing automated tests, and practicing design before implementation. Upon successful completion students will be able to write robust programs and be prepared to move on to the next level; COMP 2511- Procedural Programming with C and or COMP 2601- Programming Fundamentals Part 3 (Objects).
Prerequisite(s): COMP 1516

​This hands-on intermediate level programming course replaces COMP 2526 as of April 2021 and follows on from COMP 2501– Programming Fundamentals Part 2. Students who already understand how to write intermediate programs will now focus on object-oriented programming, OOP in preparation for higher-level language courses. This is a BYOD (bring your own device) course, participants must provide their own current model PC with an i5 or higher equivalent processor, 8 GB of RAM minimum, 256 GB minimum storage and high-speed internet access. COMP 2601 is the third-level programming fundamentals course required for the Applied Software Development, ASD Associate Certificate and the Computer Systems Certificate, CSC. Participation is mandatory and students can expect a minimum of 3 hours per week online in real time via the BCIT Learning Hub plus using two-way audio and video. Attendance is required during scheduled class hours and students should also plan for an additional 10+ hours homework per week in most weeks. Participants are introduced to debugging using intermediate-level programs with an OOP language. COMP 2601 is not a Java development course, it is the third step in an in-depth study of applied programming fundamentals with objects. Topics include: language syntax, data abstraction, with a focus on encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, and exception handling. Design Patterns and collections will be applied to appropriate problems. Labs and exercises demonstrate concepts of design, development, and testing. Upon successful completion students will be able to plan, write, and test object-oriented code, apply design patterns and be prepared move on to higher level application development courses in specific languages: Java, C# and C++.
Prerequisite(s): COMP 2501

​​Students continue to learn to develop applications with the Java language using the Object Oriented Paradigm. Focus is on problem solving, proper Object Oriented Programming techniques, and clear coding style. The three fundamentals of OOP are covered data abstraction and encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism with emphasis on the last two (inheritance and polymorphism). Data structures including Linked Lists, Queues, Stacks and Trees will be examined along with some common search and sort algorithms. Basic Java is explored including interfaces, exception handling, and user interfaces. Features of the latest Java Development Kit will also be examined. Several Java packages are examined including java.io, java.awt, swing, and others. PLEASE NOTE: COMP 2526 will be replaced by both COMP 2501 and COMP 2601 as of March 2021.
Prerequisite(s): COMP 1510 or (PTS equivalents COMP 1409 and COMP 1451)

User Experience (UX) encompasses a wide range of activities including User Interface (UI) design, Information Architecture (IA) and field research. Usability design and testing, tight integration and collaboration with software development processes are included in UX. This hands-on course is an introduction to UX/UI for those who are creating user interfaces for web sites, mobile applications, and information systems, as well as those who want a better understanding of the role of UX/UI. Students will follow an iterative and agile approach focusing on User-Centered Design (UCD) as the motivator for product direction. Skills learned in this course will apply to web and mobile applications as well as IT systems interface development. Participants will be expected to work within interdisciplinary teams, with emphasis on collaboration, brainstorming, and continued evolution of an interface concept based on UCD. Upon completion, successful students will be able to incorporate user-centered iterative design principles and processes into a wide variety of IT projects. Some students may want to complete COMP 1910 – Introduction to 3D Simulations and VR/AR concurrently with COMP 1011.
Prerequisite(s): COMP 1002 or equivalent knowledge of using a Windows PC and file management.

This intensive, hands-on course is the prerequisite for all advanced database courses in BCIT Computing programs. COMP 1630 is equivalent to the Full-time CST and CIT Diploma database courses and provides an introduction to relational database design concepts and industry standards. Students learn the tools and processes for data modeling in Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS) in a Windows PC lab environment. They also focus on the Structured Query Language, SQL to define and manipulate data. Topics include functional dependencies, normalization, database design methodologies, entity relationship modeling and the use of UML as a diagramming notation. Advanced topics include: an introduction to SQL, DDL- data definition language and DML- data manipulation language, views, security, transaction management, triggers and stored procedures. Current trends in database such as replication, object-relational DBMS, data warehousing, OLAP- online analytical processing and database uses web technology are discussed. Students in COMP 1630 are required to attend one face to face meeting each week, participate in group work, and an online component, plus complete reading and assignments outside of class. Upon successful completion, participants will be able to design and implement a database application and be prepared to move on to higher level database courses including: Data Warehouse, Data Quality, MySQL, MS Business Intelligence, MS SQL Server and Oracle.
Prerequisite(s): COMP 1002 or equivalent knowledge of a Windows PC and file management.

​This hands-on course provides an introduction to basic web technologies, including scripting with HTML5 and CSS3. COMP 1850 is the foundation for several advanced web courses in BCIT Computing. Students are shown how to hand code web pages according to W3C standards using HTML plus style text and content with CSS. In addition to learning the foundational web scripting languages, students receive an introduction to web interface design concepts. Information architecture, and basic interactivity using web forms will also be discussed. There is a brief introduction to JavaScript and the concept of the DOM (Document Object Model). Labs and exercises focus on how to build fluid layouts using CSS flexbox and grid. Students will also create mobile phone and tablet friendly websites using modern mobile-first responsive web development techniques. COMP 1850 is a required course for Web Development Fundamentals and several Associate Certificates including: Applied Web Development, AWD; Applied Computer Information Systems, ACIS; Applied Computer Applications, ACA; Technical Writing, some Business programs, as well as the Computer Systems Certificate, CSC. By the end of this course successful students will be able to design, develop, and deploy effective modern and responsive web sites. After completing COMP 1850 students are prepared to move on to the next level COMP 2132 -Web Development with JavaScript..
Prerequisite(s): COMP 1002 or equivalent knowledge of using a Windows 10 PC and file management on a network.

Discrete Mathematics concerns processes that consist of a sequence of individual steps. The ideas of discrete mathematics underline the science and technology specific to computer applications. The Discrete Mathematics course provides the mathematical basis and concepts for applications in computer science: elementary logic, the logic of quantified statements, methods of proof, set theory, discrete functions, relations, counting and probabilities, sequences and mathematical induction, recursion, graphs, trees, and Boolean algebra.
Prerequisite(s): COMP 1113

​This hands-on course replaces COMP 1950 and COMP 2015 as of September 2020. It follows on from COMP 1850 Introduction to Web Development. Students who already understand HTML5 and CSS3 will explore web development in more depth with JavaScript and jQuery and be introduced to programming for web sites and web applications. Labs, exercises and assignments focus on the theory behind client-side web scripting and how to manage interactive sites. Topics include: object/feature detection, DOM manipulation, event handling, functions (named and anonymous), closures, object detection, object creation and prototyping, event handling and callback functions, jQuery introduction, jQuery plugin usage, form validation, timers and simple animations. COMP 2132 is a required course for BCIT Computing Advanced Web Technologies; both associate certificates in Applied Web Development, AWD and Web and Mobile Application Development, WMA, as well as Web Development Fundamentals and the Computer Systems Certificate, CSC. This course is prerequisite for several advanced courses based on JavaScript including: COMP 2052 Android and Mobile Application Development Tools, COMP 2909 Angular and Vue.js, COMP 2912 Node.js, COMP 2913 React and Modern JavaScript and COMP 3015 Introduction to Web Applications with PHP. Upon successful completion of COMP 2132 participants will be able to program client-side web sites and move on to higher levels of web programming courses to build significant web applications.
Prerequisite(s): COMP 1850 or COMP 1170 or COMP 1171

​This hands-on intermediate level course assumes prior knowledge of programming as taught in COMP 1451 or COMP 2501. Students who have a solid understanding of programming concepts are introduced to procedural programming with C. COMP 2511 is BYOD course, participants must provide their own Windows 10 dual core laptop with a minimum of 8GB RAM and high speed internet in order to participate in this course. Topics include language syntax, common coding styles and idioms and the implementation of selected data structures and algorithms in C. Lectures and code examples are reinforced with hands-on labs, and assignments. This course has two classes per week over ten weeks and uses the BCIT Learning Hub for quizzes, discussion boards, labs and assignments. COMP 2511 is equivalent to COMP 2510 in CST Full-time. Upon completion, C Programming students will have improved their application development abilities in other programming languages, as the C syntax is the basis for Java, C# and C++. COMP 2511 is an elective in the Applied Software Development, ASD Associate Certificate and is required in the Computer Systems Certificate, CSC. Successful will be able to design, build and deploy modular multi-file C programs to industry standards.
Prerequisite(s): ​COMP 1451 or COMP 2501 or COMP 2526 or (Full-time CST: COMP 1510 and COMP 2522)

​Computer architecture and computer organization are fundamental topics for computer programmers and computer systems developers. This applied course is a study of the rules and methods used to describe the functionality and implementation of computer systems. The hierarchy of computer levels and functions are discussed and analyzed in detail. Through exercises and labs students evaluate modern computer system hardware architectures. They are shown how to build performance into their software applications and computer systems. Topics include pipelining, error-correcting code in theory and in practice, performance enhancement, hard-disk drives and solid-state drives, cache and main memory, addressing, microprogramming the CPU, registers and circuits. Additional topics include the ALU and data path, logarithms, bus clocking, bus arbitration, and address decoding. COMP 2825 is required for the Computer Systems Certificate, CSC in PTS and it is equivalent to COMP 2721 in the full-time CST Diploma. Upon successful completion students will use software at the hardware level to optimize how code is managed by the datapath inside the CPU. They will have skills to evaluate and recommend the appropriate computer system architecture for specific applications. PLEASE NOTE: COMP 2825 will be offered in the January and April terms.
Prerequisite(s): COMP 1113 and COMP 1451 or COMP 2522 or COMP 2526

​Business Analysis and Systems Design is the study of concepts, processes and tools that professionals use to plan and develop computer information systems to industry standards. COMP 2831 continues the established Systems Analysis tradition and provides the foundation for all BCIT Computing development credentials. Students learn how to ask implicit questions, to create and document communication plans and to make better decisions prior to creating an information system. Beginning with an introduction to the SDLC, Software Development Life Cycle, students work in teams to initiate the system process, analyze problems, discover requirements and create a logical design. Topics include: techniques used in the discovery of business requirements, traditional approaches to data and process modelling. There is an overview of Object Oriented Modelling techniques using the Unified Modelling Language (UML) as well as an introduction to Project Management. Agile frameworks including XP, Extreme Programming, and SCRUM are also introduced. Students learn to work in groups to provide detailed written materials and make presentations of their designs. By the end of this course, successful participants will be able to use industry standard tools and methods to analyze, design, and implement information systems. This course is deemed equivalent to the full-time diploma courses COMP1712 and ACIT2831 Students who complete COMP 2831 will be prepared to move on to COMP 2833 Agile Software Development with Scrum and the Agile Development Associate Certificate.
Prerequisite(s): ​COMP 1516 or COMP 1630; Note: Computer Systems Certificate, CSC students must also complete COMM 1103 or COMM 1106 prior to COMP 2831.

​This hands-on course follows on from COMP 2831 and begins with an in-depth overview of the goals of Agile, followed by hands-on Scrum implementations. Students learn to implement primary agile methods and the scrum framework. Topics include: Scrum, Extreme Programming, Lean/Kanban, Dynamic Systems Development Method, and Feature-Driven Development. COMP 2833 assumes that all participants have very strong English communication skills. In class exercises cover agile practices including self-directed teams, writing of user stories, agile estimating with relative sizing, co-location, metric reporting and test driven development. Participants discover how to implement Scrum and how to scale large multiple team projects, measuring progress at both a micro and macro level to go through release planning. Working in groups all students are required to participate in an actual project consisting of building a real product from initiation to a team implementation. Students will practice Scrum Planning Sessions, Sprint Planning Meetings, daily Scrum Meetings, Sprint Reviews, Backlog Grooming Sessions, and Sprint Retrospectives. Each student will experience the roles of Scrum Master, Scrum Product Owner, and "The Scrum Team" both in class face to face and online with a dispersed agile team. COMP 2833 students will be prepared to move on to the follow on COMP 2836 Agile Business Analysis and Project Leadership in the Agile Development Associate Certificate and the CST/PTS Diploma. Upon successful completion participants will be able to form agile teams that complete projects in less time and under budget compared to traditional methods.
Prerequisite(s): ​COMP 2831; Note: Computer Systems Certificate, CSC students must also complete COMM 2216 or (COMM 2002/2003) prior to COMP 2833.