Applied Computing
Bachelor of Applied Science
Quick Facts
Top 3%
Online Bachelor's
Program in the Nation
- U.S. News & World Report, 2025
TOP 25
Public Flagship
University
- U.S. News & World Report, 2024
Develop core skills to propel your career in the field of applied computing. Choose from one of six areas of emphasis to specialize your degree: Software Development, Information Management, Network Operations, Applied Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing and DevOps.
Learn to use computation and technology as universal tools to solve problems and design and build computer-based systems and digital artifacts. This knowledge will prepare you to advance your career across a wide range of government, private, and public organizations including military, finance, retail, education and manufacturing.
This program features state-of-the-art online technologies to engage students in interactive assessments and exercises. Coursework is designed to maximize your ability to learn by doing. This hands-on learning provides real-world experience that will set you apart in a competitive job market.
*Residents of some U.S. Territories may not be eligible. Please see our Eligibility & State Authorization page for more information.
The curriculum for this program includes:
Receive an introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics, as well as data complexity, uncertainty and variation in information age. Discuss techniques for interpreting the data.
Explore basic programming and techniques used by computing professionals in a variety of application areas. Topics include computation, programs, algorithms, programming languages, and complexity, as well as how these concepts and techniques are used to solve problems in computing.
Gain an introduction to cyber security policy, doctrine and operational constraints. A broad survey of cybersecurity concepts, tools, technologies and best practices will be presented. Use hands-on activities to become familiar with and practice cybersecurity techniques and procedures.
Explore computing concepts in hardware, software, networking, data processing, and other emerging technologies. Topics cover information representation, relational databases, system design, web development, and cutting edge technologies for CPU, operating systems and networks.
Outcomes
Skills
Earning your Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Computing will build core skills, including:
- Agile methodology
- Application development
- Code review
- Computer science
- Data analysis
- Debugging
- Information systems
- Language programming
- Markup languages
- Object-Oriented Programming
- Operating systems
- Scalability
- Scripting
- Security operations development
- Software engineering
- Systems engineering
Potential Career Paths
Graduates of the Applied Science BAS program will be prepared to pursue the following careers:
Areas of Emphasis
In the Software Development emphasis, you will build a strong foundation in computer programming, web development and application development that will prepare you to increase your earning potential. Upon graduation, you may choose to pursue careers including software and web developer, data engineer, mobile app developer and data analyst.
Specialized courses in this emphasis include:
In the Information Management emphasis, you will develop your understanding of database systems, web design, programming and data visualization and analysis. These skills will help prepare you to pursue careers in high-demand fields ranging from database administration, data analysis and engineering, web development and information architecture.
Specialized courses in this emphasis include:
In the Network Operations emphasis, you will learn the engineering and operational activities required to create, operate and defend networks. This advanced program will challenge you to merge theory, understanding and practice. The curriculum includes operational labs, modern network architecture, advanced routing and switching, systems administration, cloud computing, network defense, wireless networking and network security.
Specialized courses in this emphasis include:
The Applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) emphasis focuses on AI algorithm development and applying AI to approach practical application problems. In this emphasis, you will master concepts and tools including machine learning, statistical analysis and data analytics in applied computing. This emphasis will prepare you to pursue careers such as AI Specialist/Developer, Data Engineer and Security Programmer.
Specialized courses in this emphasis include:
This course will lay a foundation for understanding how to process, analyze and visualize data. Topics include data collection and integration, exploratory data analysis, statistical inference and modeling, machine learning, and data visualization. The emphasis of the course topics will be placed on integration and synthesis of concepts and their application to solving problems.
This course is an introduction to Artificial Intelligence from a computer science perspective. The main focus of the course is knowledge representation and reasoning techniques in the design and implementation of intelligent systems. Topics include problem formulation, problem-solving and search, knowledge-based systems and inference, and machine learning. You will be expected to identify and analyze real problems in the world around us that might benefit from AI and to design and implement possible solutions.
In this course, you will be provided with advanced practical applications of Python programming to support offensive and defensive cybersecurity operations. A crosscut of Python concepts, tools, and techniques will be presented. Use interactive programming activities to master and create advanced Python tools to support common cybersecurity tasks.
This course is an in-depth examination of how the Python scripting language can be used to support advanced analysis in offensive and defensive security operations. You will use hands-on scripting exercises to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of automated tools to solve complex security-related problems, practice creating and using Python-based algorithmic solutions, and gain a technical understanding of how to apply the existing Python libraries to support common security-related tasks.
In the Cloud Computing emphasis, you will become familiar with the complicated infrastructure related to virtualization, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. The course outline provides a baseline on virtualization technologies, introduction to cloud technologies, as well as courses focusing on Amazon and Microsoft, with advanced discussion topics on cloud computing.
Specialized courses in this emphasis include:
This course introduces the theory and application of virtualization. You will delve into advanced virtualization concepts including containerization, microservices, software-defined architectures and virtualization security. Topics cover the basics of virtual machines, containers and microservices; CPU, memory, storage and network virtualization; paravirtualization, hardware virtualization, and OS-level virtualization (containers); hardware features supporting virtualization and nested virtualization. Actual virtualization software will be used to provide hands-on experience with virtualization.
The theory and application of cloud computing, including Cloud Computing network design and connectivity, server management, best practices, security, and provider service level agreements, will be covered in this course. Case studies of industry examples are used as applications to reinforce the discussed theories. Hands-on laboratory exercises in Amazon AWS or Microsoft Azure are used to complement the instructional material.
This course develops technical expertise in cloud computing architecture, design and implementation using Microsoft Azure. This course will address designing Azure computer infrastructures, including virtual machines, web applications, serverless and microservices. It will address designing effective network implementations in Azure as well as designing data implementations using different data services, relational database storage, and NoSQL storage. It will include practical hands-on experience solving real-world cloud computing problems with Azure.
This course develops technical expertise in cloud computing architecture, design and implementation using Amazon Web Services (AWS). This course will address applying AWS business and technical tools and architecting and designing cloud solutions using AWS. We will address how AWS can help meet compliance, governance, and regulatory requirements. It will include practical hands-on experience solving real-world cloud computing problems with AWS.
The DevOps emphasis teaches core principles of Applied Computing, enabling you to develop a solid foundation in statistics, programming, networking and cybersecurity. Courses focus on the development and application of DevOps to approach practical application problems in secure computing. In this emphasis, you will gain hands-on, interdisciplinary experience alongside peers and expert faculty.
Specialized courses in this emphasis include:
This course is an in-depth analysis of Linux and Unix security issues. This includes configuration guidance using industry standards and benchmarks and implementation through practical, real-world examples. The course will examine how to mitigate or eliminate general problems that apply to Nix like OSs, including vulnerabilities in passwords and password authentication systems, virtual memory system, and applications most commonly run.
Gain foundational knowledge of the Windows Operating System and securing Windows environments including learning PowerShell scripting, host hardening and active directory scripting, smart tokens and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), protecting admin credentials, and thwarting hackers inside the network. You will use hands-on labs and exercises to secure Windows systems, networks, applications and data.
This course provides an introduction to database management concepts including definitions of data elements, basic data structures, data modeling and systems architectures. Topics also cover some of the leading database management products and design tools currently in use.
This course focuses on in-depth coverage of current risks and threats to an organization's information including methods of addressing the safeguarding of these critical assets. Coverage includes the theoretical and historical background necessary to understand the various risks and hands-on techniques for working in the security field.
This course covers the theory and application of system administration from a UNIX and Windows perspective, including installation, management, optimization and security. Case studies of industry examples are used as applications to reinforce the discussed theories.
