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 hands-on course or equivalent knowledge is assumed for most COMP courses in Computing Part-time Studies. COMP 1002 focuses on how a Personal Computer (PC) works and how to apply best practices to use, manage and maintain a Microsoft Windows 10 computer system. Participants must provide their own current model PC with a minimum of an i5 or equivalent processor, 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB storage. High-speed internet access is needed for online sections and homework. Topics include: An introduction to PC hardware, functions of an operating system (OS), file and disk management, backing up and protecting data, troubleshooting, security, privacy, malware and firewalls. Networking, user management and Windows 10 configuration are also discussed. Hands-on exercises and labs include applied experience with all aspects of the course. There will be a brief comparison of Windows 10 to Linux and Macintosh OS, including hands-on practise with a Linux distribution. COMP 1002 is a required course for: Applied Computer Applications (ACA), Applied Computer Information Systems (ACIS), Applied Network Administration (ANAD) Associate Certificates, and the Computer Systems Certificate (CSC). Please Note: Attendance, participation in class and the BCIT Learning Hub are mandatory. There are 3 hours of class time for each lesson, plus significant reading and research as homework outside of class in the 12-week sections. The 6-week compressed delivery options have 2 classes and twice the homework each week, this faster delivery is aimed at students with prior Windows experience. Otherwise the 12-week delivery with 1 class per week is recommended for most students. Upon successful completion, students will be able to use best practices to configure, maintain a secure Windows 10 PC in a networked environment.
Prerequisite(s): ​Prior computer use and BC Grade 12 English or equivalent.

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)

Students with no prior computer programming experience are introduced to using Python to write simple programs. This hands-on introductory computer programming course is the foundation for all BCIT Computing PTS programming courses. COMP 1516 is not a Python development course, it is the first step in a series of three (3) applied programming fundamentals courses. Students must provide their own current model Windows capable PC, i5 or higher equivalent processor, 8 GB of RAM minimum, and 256 GB minimum storage. High-speed internet access is needed for online sections and for homework. 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. Participants will design, implement, test, and debug simple programs that incorporate: variables, expressions, assignments, I/O, conditional and iterative control constructs, functions, and parameter passing. Please Note: Attendance, participation in class and the BCIT Learning Hub are mandatory. Students may have an average total time commitment of 15 hours per week; 3 hours of class time, a 1-hour online component and 10+ hours of homework each week. COMP 1516 is required for the Applied Software Development, ASD and the Applied Computer Information, ACIS Associate Certificates, as well as the Computer Systems Certificate, CSC. Upon completion, successful students will have a basic understanding of computer programming and be prepared to move on to COMP 2501 –Programming Fundamentals Part 2.
Prerequisite(s): COMP 1002

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 or COMP 1114

This hands-on course follows on from COMP 1850 -Introduction to Web Development. Those 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. Students must provide their own current model PC, i5 or higher equivalent processor, 8 GB of RAM minimum, and 256 GB minimum storage. High-speed internet access is needed for online sections and for homework. COMP 2132 introduces web programming concepts, participants will create and use JavaScript variables, objects, functions, and arrays. 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. Attendance, participation in class and the BCIT Learning Hub are mandatory. In the 12-week sections, students may have an average total time commitment of 7+ hours each week. Please Note: The 6-week compressed sections may have twice the workload per week. This course is prerequisite for several follow-on advanced JavaScript courses: COMP 2052 Android and Mobile Application Development Tools, COMP 2909 Angular and Vue.js, COMP 3012 Back-End Web Development with Node.js, COMP 2913 React and Modern JavaScript and COMP 3015 Introduction to Web Applications with PHP. 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. Upon completion, successful students will be able to program Front-End and Back-End web sites, and develop significant web applications with JavaScript.
Prerequisite(s): COMP 1850 or COMP 1170 or COMP 1171

Students who already understand how to write simple programs in Python will focus on best practices in computer programming and explore problem-solving skills. This second-level computer programming course follows on from COMP 1516 - Programming Fundamentals Part 1 (Python). COMP 2501 introduces application programming interfaces (APIs) and how to transition from Python to Java. This is not a Java development course, it is the second step in a series of three (3) applied programming fundamentals courses. Students must provide their own current model Windows capable PC, i5 or higher equivalent processor, 8 GB of RAM minimum, and 256 GB minimum storage. High-speed internet access is needed for online sections and for homework. 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. Please Note: Attendance, participation in class and the BCIT Learning Hub are mandatory. Students may have an average total time commitment of 13+ hours per week; 3 hours of class time, and 10+ hours of homework each week. COMP 2501 is required for the Applied Software Development, ASD and the Computer Systems Certificate, CSC. Upon completion, successful students will be able to write robust computer programs. They will be prepared to move on to COMP 2511- Procedural Programming with C and/or COMP 2601- Programming Fundamentals Part 3 (Objects).
Prerequisite(s): COMP 1516

This intermediate-level course follows on from COMP 1451 or COMP 2501 and assumes significant prior knowledge of computer programming fundamentals. 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. Students must provide their own current model Windows capable PC, i5 or higher equivalent processor, 8 GB of RAM minimum, and 256 GB minimum storage. High-speed internet access is needed for online sections and for homework. COMP 2511 has two classes per week over ten weeks and uses the BCIT Learning Hub for quizzes, discussion boards, labs and assignments. Please Note: Attendance and participation in class are mandatory. Students may have an average total time commitment of 15+ hours per week; 6 hours of synchronous class time, plus 9-12 hours of homework each week. C Programming students will have improved application development abilities in other programming languages, as the C syntax is the basis for Java, C# and C++. This course is equivalent to COMP 2510 in the CST Full-time Diploma which has transfer credit to several universities. COMP 2511 is an elective in the Applied Software Development, ASD Associate Certificate. It is required in the Computer Systems Certificate, CSC and for the follow-on courses in C++ starting January 2022. Upon completion, successful students will be able to 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)

Students who already understand how to write computer programs will focus on object-oriented programming, OOP in preparation for higher-level software development courses. This third-level computer programming course follows on from COMP 2501– Programming Fundamentals Part 2, replacing COMP 2526. COMP 2601 introduces debugging intermediate-level programs with an OOP language specifically Java. This is not a Java development course, it is the third step in in a series of three (3) applied programming fundamentals courses. Students must provide their own current model Windows capable PC, i5 or higher equivalent processor, 8 GB of RAM minimum, and 256 GB minimum storage. High-speed internet access is needed for online sections and for homework. 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. Please Note: Attendance, participation in class and the BCIT Learning Hub are mandatory. Students may have an average total time commitment of 13+ hours per week; 3 hours of class time, and 10+ hours of homework each week. COMP 2601 is required for the Applied Software Development, ASD and the Computer Systems Certificate, CSC. Upon completion, successful students will be able to plan, write, and test significant OOP programs. They will be able to apply design patterns and prepared move on to higher level application development courses in specific languages: Java, C# and C++
Prerequisite(s): COMP 2501

This hands-on introduction to UX/UI is aimed at those who want to experience the development of user interfaces for applications, web sites, mobile applications, and information systems. COMP 1011 follows an iterative and agile approach focusing on User-Centered Design (UCD) as the motivator for product direction. Participants are expected to work within interdisciplinary teams, there will be an emphasis on collaboration, brainstorming, and the continued evolution of an interface concept based on UCD. User Experience (UX) encompasses a wide range of activities including User Interface (UI) design, Information Architecture (IA) and user research. Usability design and testing, tight integration and collaboration with software development processes are included in UX. COMP 1011 is required in the Computer Systems Certificate, CSC and is an elective in several other Computing programs. Upon completion, successful students will be able to incorporate user-centered iterative design principles and processes into a wide variety of IT projects.
Prerequisite(s): COMP 1002

​​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.
Prerequisite(s): (COMP 1113 or COMP 1114) and (COMP 2522 or COMP 2526 or COMP 2601)

Business Analysis and Systems Design is the study of concepts, processes and tools that professionals use to plan and develop information systems to industry standards. COMP 2831 continues the established Systems Analysis tradition and provides the foundation for all BCIT Computing development credentials. This course assumes that all participants have strong English communication and interpersonal skills. Students must provide their own current model PC, i5 or higher equivalent processor, 8 GB of RAM minimum, and 256 GB minimum storage. High-speed internet access is needed for online sections and for homework. Beginning with an introduction to the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), students work in teams to initiate the system process, analyze problems, discover requirements and create a logical design. Participants will work in groups to ask implicit questions in order to make better decisions. They will then document detailed communication plans prior to developing an information system. 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. Please Note: Attendance, participation in class and the BCIT Learning Hub are mandatory. Students may have an average total time commitment of 13+ hours per week; 3 hours of synchronous class time, a 1-hour online component, plus 9+ hours of homework each week. Participants are required to work in groups, to provide detailed written materials and to make presentations of their designs. COMP 2831 is the prerequisite for COMP 2833 Agile Methods and the Scrum Framework. Both courses are required in the Agile Development Associate Certificate and the Computer Systems Certificate, CSC. Upon completion, successful students will be able to use industry standard tools and methods to analyze, design, document, present and implement information systems.
Prerequisite(s): ​COMP 1516 or COMP 1630; Note: Computer Systems Certificate, CSC students must 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 practice how to implement primary agile methods and within the scrum framework. COMP 2833 assumes that all participants have strong English communication and interpersonal skills. This course helps students prepare to challenge the Professional Scrum Master, PSM certification exam from a third party (for an additional cost). Students must provide their own current model PC, i5 or higher equivalent processor, 8 GB of RAM minimum, and 256 GB minimum storage. High-speed internet access is needed for online sections and for homework. In class exercises include: self-directed teams, writing of user stories, Agile estimating with relative sizing, co-location, metric reporting and test-driven development. Topics include: Scrum, Extreme Programming, Lean/Kanban, Dynamic Systems Development Method, and Feature-Driven Development. Participants will experience the roles of Scrum Master, Scrum Product Owner, and Developer, both real-time in class and also online with a dispersed agile team. Please Note: Attendance, participation in class and the BCIT Learning Hub are mandatory. Students may have an average total time commitment of 13 hours; 3 hours of synchronous class time, a 1-hour online component, plus 9+ hours outside of class each week. COMP 2833 is a required course in the Computer Systems Certificate, CSC and an elective in the Applied Software Development, ASD Associate Certificate. It is a required prerequisite for COMP 2836 -Agile Business Analysis and Project Leadership in the Agile Development Associate Certificate and Computer Systems Technology, CST/PTS Diploma. Upon completion, successful students will have gained significant experience to prepare for the PSM certification exam, and to work on agile teams.
Prerequisite(s): COMP 2831, or equivalent. Computer Systems Certificate, CSC students should complete COMM 2216 prior to COMP 2833.