Some of the fastest growing and highest paying careers are those in the Information Technology (IT) sector, and more specifically, in cloud computing, a field that can lower technology costs and improve delivery, efficiency, privacy, and disaster recovery for companies and organizations.
Northwest Vista College (NVC) awards associate degrees and certificates in Network Architecture and Cloud Computing, and is currently working to expand that to the baccalaureate level.
In January 2023, the Alamo Colleges Board of Trustees approved Northwest Vista College to offer the Bachelor of Applied Technology (BAT) Degree in Cloud Computing, starting in Fall 2024. The BAT program, requiring 120 semester credit hours, will be 100% online.
Qualified community colleges and programs can offer technical bachelor’s degrees in high-demand careers as a result of Texas Senate Bill 2118, which was passed by the 85th Legislature in 2017.
NVC’s Academic Success team has already created the degree plan for the BAT, including several new upper-division courses. They are also working alongside college leadership to set up infrastructure to support the BAT program, including enrollment goals, budget, hiring faculty and staff, and preparing other support systems. In addition, the Computer Science, Technology, and Business department is working with Student Success and Marketing & Strategic Communications on advertising, marketing, communication, outreach, and recruitment.
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) is expected to approve NVC’s BAT degree plan on October 26. NVC is also seeking approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) on obtaining Level-II status to offer this bachelor degree.
The largest cloud computing provider in the world is Amazon, with over 500 Points of Presence, 32 Regions, and 100+ Availability Zones worldwide. As an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Academy partner, NVC will teach curriculum designed by our faculty and offer lab-based assignments from the AWS Cloud Platform, which means NVC has certified faculty with years of industry experience who possess the requisite education-level to teach at the baccalaureate level. NVC will offer complimentary access to the AWS educational curriculum that allows students to earn up to 16 micro-credentials for first-time in college students who start their BAT program by first enrolling in the Associate of Applied Science in Network Architecture & Cloud Computing.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the overall employment in computer and information technology occupations will grow much faster than the average for all occupations from 2022 to 2032. They further estimate an average of 377,500 job openings each year. Organizations such as PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) have noted the global Cloud Computing market size was valued at $545.8 billion in 2022 and it is projected to reach $1.2 trillion by the end of 2027, growing at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.9%.
Jobs in this field include maintaining a cloud infrastructure, designing cloud solutions, software engineering, data analytics, database management, cloud security, datacenter operations manager, and artificial intelligence/machine learning solutions. Salaries vary by education, job title, experience, and skill level. According to PayScale.com, an entry salary for an AWS Solutions Architect entering the cloud computing field is projected at $144,000 per year. For a software engineer, the pay is approximately $104,000, and $120,000 for a site reliability engineer. A machine learning engineer can earn $133,000 annually.
Locally, graduates of cloud programs are highly sought after by HEB, Lockheed Martin, Frost Bank, USAA, Accenture, Valero, Marathon Oil, NuStar Energy, iHeart Media, the US Military, and SWBC, among others.
NVC will award credit for prior learning in this field, including certifications, coursework, and job experience. Students who have completed an IT-related Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree within the Alamo Colleges District or from other accredited colleges and universities will be eligible for the program.
For more information about the BAT degree program, please see the website: www.alamo.edu/nvc/cloudbat/
If you have specific questions about the program, please contact Dr. John Grillo at [email protected].
