INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT
Choose a different kind of IT degree — one that’s hands-on, convenient, & taught by industry professionals.
The BAS ITAD program builds on your technical background to delivar an industry aligned pathway into modern software engineering. Through the collaboration of our staff and advisory board the program has been updated for emerging AI software careers. The program pairs foundational software design with hands on application developement in AI, cloud computing, and full stack data systems.
- Software & Data Engineering: Master discrete math, relational/NoSQL databases, CI/CD pipelines, and enterprise API integrations.
- Cloud and Emerging Tech: Deploy serverless architectures onAWS, build cross-platform mobile apps, and explore embedded/hardware systems.
- AI & Machine Learning: Implement supervised and unsupervised learning models, learn to integrate LLMs and generative AI into applications, and more.
- Portfolio Capstone: Solve a real-world software problem from inception to production deployment to show prospective employers.
What Sets Us Apart
- A Highly Specialized Industry Advisory Board: Guided by working leaders from top tech enterprises and institutions, our program is designed to meet today's real world hiring needs.
- Instructors with Real World Experience: Learn directly from expert instructors who bring years of academic and industry experience from leading tech companies like Microsoft and Meta.
- Hands-On Experience: Dive into practical projects covering database models, mobile applications, cloud computing, and machine learning from day one. By graduation, you will have a complete professional portfolio ready for job applications.
- Flexible Learning: Attend classes in-person or online. Whichever format you choose, you will receive the exact same high-quality instruction and assignments. Plus, most classes meet just twice a week from 6-8 p.m. to fit your busy schedule.
- Career Opportunities: Our graduates are prepared for roles in software and application development, with a particular emphasis on positions where AI integration and data-informed decision making are central to the work. This includes roles such as application developer, software engineer, AI-Enabled Productg Developer, and Data Aware Systems Developer, amongst other information technology positions.
- Continous Curriculum Improvement: Through our advisory board and analysis of the market we strive to remain aligned
with current industry demand and embrace emerging technologies, such as with our addition
of a dedicated AI Application Developement course.
The Best of Both Worlds: Degrees and Certifications
When it comes to landing an IT job, some employers prioritize industry certifications, while others require a formal academic degree. In the BAS-ITAD program, you don't have to choose—you get both. Throughout your coursework, you will have the opportunity to earn highly sought-after certifications in Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and more.
What Does This Degree Look Like?
- Length of Program: Two years for the upper-division ITAD sequence.
- Total Credits: 180 credits total. A student coming in with a two year degree in Computer Information Science should expect to have 90 credits of lower division requirements completed before starting the program.
- Schedule: Weekly meetings that start at 6 p.m. with either an In-Person, Hybrid, or fully online modalities for class attendance.
- Incorporating AI in all our classes: All of our courses help students practice the efficient, responsible, and safe use of AI by incorporating assignments specifically designed to be completed to some degree using AI. In addition, we've introduced one course entirely dedicated to AI, and revised another our Introduction to Machine Learning course to incorporate foundational AI concepts such as neural networks and embeddings.
Faculty
Dr. Zahir is an electrical engineer and data scientist with over 25 years of experience.
He has been a startup co-founder and has worked with tech giants like Microsoft, Meta,
and Nortel Networks, as well as top academic institutions including the University
of Washington and the University of Ottawa.
A Computer Science educator and Software Engineer with MS in Information Systems from
Northeastern University, Pallavi Deogade has experience working in the tech industry
as well as in academia. She has contributed as a Computer Science Instructor with
the Microsoft TEALS Program, supporting diverse learners in computing. She currently
serves as Associate Faculty at Edmonds College, where she teaches and designs industry-aligned
computing courses.
Dr. Takbiri is an AI/ML expert with a strong passion for technology and its real-world
impact. He is equally driven by teaching, helping others learn and apply complex concepts
in a simple, practical way. Dr. Takbiri has received his PhD from Louisiana State
University Advisory Board
Our Advisory Committee brings together experienced professionals from a range of leading companies and academic institutions, giving us access to diverse expertise across industry and education, strengthening the guidance and credibility we can offer.
Faye Farhang-Hutsell is the Vice President of Product Marketing at TensorWave AI Cloud,
where she leads the product marketing charter, strategically crafting and executing
go-to-market campaigns that define the value of AI infrastructure for builders. Drawing
from her experience at Microsoft and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, she excels at architecting
positioning frameworks, value narratives, and market engagement that enable AI pioneers
to achieve scalable growth. Committed to modernizing infrastructure and simplifying
the cloud journey, she champions the strategic needs of AI builders. Farhang-Hutsell
holds a Bachelor’s in Cellular Biology from the University of Washington and an MBA
from Syracuse University’s Whitman School, anchoring her leadership in both vision
and execution.
Dr. Shoresh Shafei, a Kurdish Iranian, received his Bachelor of Science in physics
from the University of Tehran. He continued his academic journey at Washington State
University (WSU), where he earned his Ph.D.
Dr. Ernst Henle earned his Ph.D. in biophysics from UC Berkeley, where he applied
physics, chemistry, and mathematics to medical research and investigated free radicals
and aging at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He transitioned into software
and machine learning by building computational models to interpret his experimental
data, steering him from academia into Silicon Valley.
Taylor Papke is an educator and technologist focused on applied computing, project-based
learning and workforce development. He teaches application development and leads project-based
initiatives that integrate AI, data systems and real-world industry collaboration.
His work focuses on preparing students with practical, workforce-ready technical skills.
Byungcheon Ko serves as faculty for the Application Development BAS program at North
Seattle College, where he focuses on technical instruction and project-based learning.
As an educator, he is committed to workforce development and empowering students from
diverse backgrounds.What Do I need Before Applying?
Many of our students have completed an Associate in Applied Science - Transfer (AAS-T), or equivalent degree, in Computer Science Information or Web Application and Cloud Developer.
If you have an Associate of Technical Arts (ATA), or similar, in a similar field of study to the one listed above, we encourage you to consult with the ITAD Program Manager to discuss whether additional courses are needed before applying.
College credit may be granted for prior learning assessment, such as passing a valid industry-recognized certification.
Have questions about eligibility? Talk with us!