La Roche College and Gannon University Sign Software Engineering Agreement

PITTSBURGH, July 10 -- La Roche College issued the following news release:

La Roche College recently expanded its dual-degree programs in an effort to create well-rounded graduates in the fields of computer science and software engineering.

A new articulation agreement, signed this summer by La Roche and Gannon University, will enable students to earn a bachelor's degree from both institutions within five years. Effective immediately, the program is available to current and prospective students.

Under the agreement, students will complete all math, physics and computer science prerequisites listed in La Roche's software engineering curriculum guide. Students must combine the prerequisites with a La Roche major and achieve an overall QPA of 3.0 or higher.

After fulfilling all prerequisite courses, students must receive favorable recommendation from the La Roche Science Faculty Committee and the dean of students to insure that they have met all academic and conduct standards. Students then are accepted to Gannon University to complete a software engineering degree.

La Roche majors that best complement a software engineering degree are computer science, a bachelor of arts in mathematics or an interdisciplinary studies major.

Jane Arnold, chair of La Roche'sComputer Science Department and Natural & Behavioral Sciences Division, said, "The software engineering program will seamlessly work with La Roche's computer science major. We have already produced a semester-by-semester schedule to show how the two programs work together."

The dual-degree option with Gannon completes La Roche's technology offerings. Students now have access to five career paths: computer science, information technology, information science, computer engineering and software engineering.

The new offering also will expand La Roche's efforts in preparing students for a competitive, global marketplace. The existing computer science program, which now claims a 100 percent job placement rate, blends hands-on experience with the fundamentals of computer design, computer programming and information processing. Students who enroll in the new dual-degree option will gain a solid computing and math background, which they later can apply as software engineers.

"Combining a computer science degree with software engineering will result in students who possess a strong foundation in science and engineering, and as a result, be more valuable to employers," Ms. Arnold said.

In addition to the agreement with Gannon, La Roche offers a joint engineering program through the University of Pittsburgh for students to complete science and math prerequisites at the College and earn a degree from both institutions.

The College also holds health science agreements with Duquesne University for students to complete pre-professional science courses at La Roche and finish the professional phase of athletic training, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology and physician assistant studies at Duquesne.

Another recent agreement between La Roche and Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine enables students to pursue a science degree at La Roche for three or four years, which guarantees entrance into dental, pharmacy or osteopathic medical school.

To learn more, contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at [email protected] or 412-536-1272.

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