Overview
The Computer Systems Technology Diploma in Part-time Studies (CST/PTS) continues on from the Computer Systems Certificate (CSC), and provides advanced software, and web development skills, with higher levels of computer science and mathematics.
CST/PTS Diploma is part of a series of laddered credentials leading to the Computer Systems Bachelor of Technology (CST BTech).
Program delivery mode: varies by course
- Please check the individual COMP course schedule pages for delivery and location details.
- Some courses in Computing Part-time Studies will be delivered online during COVID-19.
- Other courses will be physically face-to-face and may include some blended online activities.
- It may not be possible to complete a program entirely online; some courses may require attending the Burnaby or Downtown campuses.
- Your education is our priority, and we will continue to deliver the applied instruction, collaborative experience, and industry connections that you expect from BCIT.
Participants are introduced to solving object-oriented design problems and building applications in C++, along with using Algorithms, design patterns and higher-level computing skills.
Students work in teams and gain hands-on experience with security foundations, how to leverage data communications and operating systems in advanced software and web applications.
There is also a foundation of project management, and statistics along with an overview of the Canadian legal system applying to IT issues, copyright, trademarks and privacy.
Over 1/3rd of CST/PTS is made up of electives which parallel several options of the Full-time CST Diploma. Students choose from a variety of advanced application development courses in Java, .Net, Web, plus Linux, Agile, Amazon AWS, Database, Business Intelligence, Networking and Security.
The purpose of the CST/PTS Diploma is to provide advanced programming skills for application, web, and systems development in order to prepare students for intermediate Computing careers.
CST graduates may move on to the CST Bachelor of Technology (CST BTech).
The CST Diploma has helped thousands graduates to start rewarding IT careers across Canada.
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Entrance Requirements
The CST/PTS Diploma is 120 credits, 60 unique credits built on top of the 60 credits in the CSC.
Students must complete the majority of CSC including: Communications, Java, C, and Architecture before applying to the CST/PTS Diploma.
Please Note: CST/PTS Diploma requires a minimum of 2 years of study, with a maximum of 5 years to complete. Due to prerequisites and scheduling, it is not possible to complete this part-time program in a full-time delivery.
The absolute minimum time is 12 terms or 4 years to complete both the part-time CSC and CST/PTS Diploma programs.
For course and program planning prior to declaring CST/PTS Diploma, please contact the department via email: cstpts@bcit.ca
Entrance requirements
- Completion of the Computer Systems Certificate (CSC) program
- Prior to submitting your program declaration request, please ensure that you are currently registered in the final four (or fewer) courses in the CSC and have successfully completed the following courses:
- Complete the following form for submission with your program declaration:
Be sure that you have the required knowledge and skills before enrolling in any courses. You are also expected to have excellent command of English and math at a BC high school Grade 12 level or equivalent.
International applicants
This program is available to international students who currently have a valid status in Canada. A valid study permit is required prior to starting the program.
Program declaration
Declaring your Part-time Studies program ensures that BCIT is aware of your intent to complete a program as it is currently outlined and also provides you the opportunity to apply for transfer credit.
Read more about program declaration requests
To declare the part-time Computer Systems Technology Diploma program:
- Click on Declare Now
- Select Apply for a program and follow the prompts
- Choose Part-time Program Declaration when selecting entrance type
- Proceed with the declaration request
Declare Now
Upon approval, a program plan letter will be sent to you confirming your program of study. Please allow approximately eight weeks for processing.
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Costs & Supplies
This program is a course by course registration, there are approximately 36 individual courses in the entire series; ASD, ACIS, CSC, CST/PTS.
The average course tuition is around $550 per course depending on credits. Textbooks are generally required and may cost $150+ for each course.
Credit for the CST/PTS Diploma calculated on top of the 60 credits in the CSC.
CST/PTS Diploma students will not receive dual credit for any course used in the CSC.
There are approximately 18 courses (60 credits) in this CST/PTS diploma completion segment depending on electives chosen.
Please budget an additional $9,500 for tuition on top of the CSC cost to complete this follow-on credential.
A total of 120 unique total credits from ASD, ACIS and CSC is required to graduate from the CST/PTS Diploma.
The cost of tuition and books for this series of laddered part-time credentials is approximately $20,000 for Canadian residents.
International students who are approved into CSC and CST/PTS will pay 3x standard tuition and need to budget over $60,000 for tuition and books.
Scheduling of COMP PTS courses typically does not allow students to attempt more than 3 courses simultaneously.
Students should not expect to complete the CST/PTS Diploma series in less than 4-5 years part-time.
Part-time Studies is market-driven course by course delivery and not all PTS courses are available every term.
Please attend a program specific information session for more details.
Tuition fees
Part-time Studies tuition is charged on a course-by-course basis. Please see the Part-time Studies Tuition & Fees pages for more information:
Financial assistance
Financial assistance may be available for this program. For more information, please contact Student Financial Aid and Awards.
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Courses
Program matrix
Check current availability of courses for this program.
1. Completion of the BCIT Computer Systems Certificate (60.0 credits): | |||
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The PTS Computer Systems Diploma requires completion of a minimum of 60.0 credits on top of the 60.0 credits in the Computer Systems Certificate (CSC) for a total of 120.0 unique credits to graduate. |
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2. Required Courses (38.5 credits): | Credits | ||
BLAW 3205 | Internet and IT Law | 3.0 | |
COMP 1288 | IT Project Management Fundamentals | 1.5 | |
COMP 3015 | Web Application Development with PHP | 3.0 | |
COMP 3603 | Application Development with C++* | 4.0 | |
COMP 3704 | Applied IT Security Fundamentals | 3.0 | |
COMP 3725 | Data Communications for CST | 5.0 | |
COMP 3761 | Algorithm Analysis and Design | 4.0 | |
COMP 3832 | Object Oriented Software Design | 2.0 | |
COMP 4603 | Advanced C++ Application Development | 4.0 | |
COMP 4731 | Operating Systems | 5.0 | |
MATH 1060 | Statistics for Data Analysis | 3.0 | |
MATH 1061 | Computer Simulations for Statistics | 1.0 | |
*Check Computing PTS Course and Program Changes for equivalents. | |||
3. Complete a minimum of 21.5 credits from the following list of electives: | Credits | ||
Unless previously completed in the Computer Systems Certificate (CSC), the following courses must be taken as electives (7.0 credits): |
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COMP 1011 | UX/UI Development | 3.0 | |
COMP 2833 | Agile Methods, the Scrum Framework and PSM | 4.0 | |
The remainder of the 21.5 elective credits must be selected from the following: If COMP 2617 was completed as part of CSC, an additional 4.0 elective credits are required. Courses completed as part of the CSC may not be re-taken or counted for credit in this diploma. This credential is built upon the CSC and requires 60.0 additional, unique credits. Only one of COMP 1910, COMP 1950, or COMP 2010 may be completed for credit toward this diploma. |
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COMM 7840 | Technical Presentations | 1.5 | |
COMP 2010 | MS Office Applications | 3.0 | |
COMP 2052 | Android and Mobile Application Development Tools | 3.0 | |
COMP 2252 | Crystal Reports | 3.0 | |
COMP 2156 | Introduction to Microsoft Power BI | 1.5 | |
COMP 2256 | Introduction to Visual Analytics with Tableau | 3.0 | |
COMP 2629 | Enterprise Networking Fundamentals | 4.0 | |
COMP 2766 | Introduction to Linux | 4.0 | |
COMP 2767 | Linux Administration | 3.0 | |
COMP 2836 | Agile Business Analysis and Project Leadership | 4.0 | |
COMP 2909 | Angular and Vue.js Fundamentals | 1.5 | |
COMP 2913 | React and Modern JavaScript | 1.5 | |
COMP 3012 | Back-End Web Development with Node.js | 3.0 | |
COMP 3215 | AWS Academy Cloud Architecting | 3.0 | |
COMP 3601 | Application Development with Java | 4.0 | |
COMP 3602 | Application Development with C# | 4.0 | |
COMP 3617 | Android and Mobile Applications in Java | 3.0 | |
COMP 3700 | Microsoft Windows Server Administration | 3.0 | |
COMP 3771 | PowerShell Scripting | 3.0 | |
COMP 3829 | Quality Assurance and Software Testing | 3.0 | |
COMP 3839 | Data Quality Improvement | 1.5 | |
COMP 3841 | Introduction to Data Warehouses with Big Data | 1.5 | |
COMP 3912 | iOS Mobile Application Development | 4.0 | |
COMP 3916 | Docker for DevOps | 1.5 | |
COMP 3973 | ASP.NET Core MVC for Web Apps | 3.0 | |
COMP 4613 | Advanced Java Web Development | 4.0 | |
COMP 4656 | Java Enterprise Edition Programming | 4.0 | |
COMP 4669 | Advanced Web Applications | 3.0 | |
COMP 4677 | Microsoft SQL Server Administration | 4.0 | |
COMP 4678 | Microsoft SQL Server 2016 Development | 4.0 | |
COMP 4679 | SQL Server Reporting Services, SSRS for Business Intelligence | 4.0 | |
COMP 4681 | SQL Server Analysis Services, SSAS | 4.0 | |
COMP 4704 | Applied Network Security | 3.0 | |
Check Computing PTS Course and Program Changes for prior course equivalents. |
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Total Credits: | 120.0 |
Check current availability of courses for this program.
Transfer credit
Do you have credits from another BC/Yukon post-secondary school? Do you want to know if they transfer to courses here at BCIT? Check out BCIT's Transfer Equivalency Database to find out.
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- Next up Program Details
Program Details
The Computer Systems Technology Diploma in Part-time Studies (CST/PTS) requires 60 unique credits on top of the 60 credits in the Computer Systems Certificate (CSC) for a total of 120 credits.
65% of CST/PTS Diploma required courses include: C++, IT Security, IT Law, Advanced Web Applications, Data Communications, Object-Oriented Design, Algorithms, Operating Systems and Statistics.
35% of the CST/PTS Diploma comprised a variety of advanced application development courses in Java, .Net, Web, Linux, Agile Development, Amazon AWS, Advanced Database, Business Intelligence, Data Analytics and Network Security.
The CST/PTS Diploma is course by course registration and designed to be delivered one course at a time. It is aimed at those who are working full-time. Due to prerequisites and scheduling it is not possible to complete the CSC and CST/PTS Diploma in any less than 4 years.
Timelines:
Most CST/PTS students typically complete 1-2 courses per term over a period of 3-4 years. Some students who are not working full-time may consider 3 PTS courses per term and potentially complete this second half of the CST/PTS Diploma in 2 years.
Note to Full-time CST Students: CST/PTS parallels the second year of the Full-time CST Diploma, Level 3 and Level 4. Students who drop full-time CST may have credit if they want to complete the CST/PTS Diploma.
Please read the CST/PTS Diploma “Program Entry” section and the Computing PTS Student Guide before registering for any COMP courses.
For course and program planning prior to declaring CST/PTS Diploma, please contact the department via email: cstpts@bcit.ca
Computer hardware and Internet requirements
Students must provide a current model PC desktop or laptop with a webcam, microphone and have high-speed internet access. COMP courses may use two-way audio and video as well as group work outside of class.
The curriculum may be modified in accordance with industry trends. Programs and courses are subject to change without notice.
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Graduating & Jobs
Graduate employment outcomes
The BCIT student outcomes report presents summary findings from the annual survey of former students administered by BC Stats one to two years after graduation.
The reports are organized into three-page summaries containing information on graduates’ labour market experiences and opinions regarding their education. More detailed information can be accessed at the BC Student Outcomes website.
Apply for graduation
Upon successful completion of all program requirements, complete an Application for BCIT Credential [PDF] and submit to Student Information and Enrolment Services.
Allow approximately six to eight weeks for processing.
All financial obligations to the Institute must be met prior to the issuance of any credential.
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- Next up Faculty, Advisors & Staff
Faculty, Advisors & Staff
Computing Part-time Studies / Industry Training
- Karen Lee, PA
- Gustavo Montemor, PA
- Joanne Atha, PTS Coordinator
- Kevin Cudihee, Program Head
- Aaron Hunter, Acting Associate Dean, BCIT Computing
Computing Curriculum Committee (CC)
Advisory committee
BCIT is well-respected by employers for its ties to the industry. In Computing, this connection is formalized through a Program Advisory Committee (PAC) comprised of experts in a range of roles from a cross-section of companies. The department consults regularly to ensure program currency and relevance.
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