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Course Descriptions

The 2008-2009 program is underway and is no longer accepting registrations Single courses may be available Next program starts: Autumn 2009 Details will be posted in Spring Program location: Bellevue Sign up to receive e-mail updates >> Contact a program representative >>

There are four required courses in the certificate program: C Programming: Introduction, C Programming: Intermediate, C Programming: Advanced, and C Programming: Data Structures and Algorithms.

Interested in taking a single class? Some courses (designated by a below) may be open on a space-available basis to professionals who are not seeking the certificate. See Single-Course Enrollment for details.

Autumn Course

C Programming: Introduction

Instructor: David Nielsen

This course is an entry point into the certificate program for students with the following qualifications:

• High school diploma or GED
• PC or Mac literacy (e.g., use of e-mail and directories, and understanding of operating systems)
• Working knowledge of a high-level language (e.g., Fortran, Basic, Pascal, Cobol, Smalltalk, Java, Ada)
• Familiarity with compilers
• Experience having written at least one computer program

Course Objectives

• Ability to write operational, understandable, modifiable programs in C
• Ability to use acceptable coding styles and program documentation
• Ability to use fundamental C programming constructs in programs (variable usage, expression evaluation, control constructs, simple terminal I/O, modular design using functions, basics of pointer operations)
• Ability to use many of the standard library routines that are packaged with C, and to use and understand the usefulness of, and documentation describing, other C routines in the standard library

This course is offered in a computer lab. Homework assignments give students the opportunity to practice effective writing techniques and good programming style.

Winter Course

C Programming: Intermediate

Course Objectives

• Ability to write programs in C using more advanced resources, including file resources, bit manipulation, dynamic memory allocation, and more advanced use of pointers
• Ability to write programs using simple data structures. This knowledge prepares students for Data Structures and Algorithms in the certificate series
• Ability to choose a solution algorithm that takes advantage of the efficiencies of the C language, this comes as a result of understanding the close relationship between the C language instructions and the machine operations that carry out those instructions

This course is offered in a computer lab.

How to sign up for individual enrollment in this course

Spring Course

C Programming: Advanced

Brings together all elements of the C language, with the often conflicting demands of real-world development tools and application requirements. All aspects of the design and development process are covered, from initial specification through testing.

Course Objectives

• Understanding of all components of C, including the C language, the C Preprocessor, and the C Standard Library
• Understanding of some advanced practical issues, including memory management, testing and debugging, complex declarations and expression evaluation, building and using libraries, and evaluating tradeoffs, such as size vs. speed and speed vs. complexity
• Ability to write C code and create and manipulate linked lists

How to sign up for individual enrollment in this course

Summer Course

C Programming: Data Structures and Algorithms

This applications-oriented course offers practical examples of the major classical data structures and algorithms, complemented by theoretical analyses.

Course Objectives

• Ability to write C programs according to a project specification
• Ability to properly create C program modules according to standard industry practices
• Ability to properly design data structures, and algorithms to transform them

How to sign up for individual enrollment in this course