Skip to content

Studies & Degrees in Computer Programming

Computer programming is the writing, testing and maintenance of the code that makes software work. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics describes programmers as people who write, modify and test code and scripts so that software and applications function properly, turning the designs of software developers and engineers into instructions a computer can follow. Software engineering is the wider discipline around that work: analysing what a program must do, designing it, building it in a team, testing it and keeping it running.

Students learn at least one general-purpose language in depth and usually several more, together with data structures and algorithms, databases, object-oriented design, web and mobile development, testing and version control.

Qualifications and levels

Programming is taught at every level of post-secondary education, and few universities offer a degree with "programming" in its name. Most students who want to become programmers enrol in computer science, software engineering or information systems and choose programming-heavy courses within it.

  • College diplomas and associate degrees. Computer Programming at Conestoga College in Ontario is a two-year programme that leads to an Ontario College Diploma. It uses Microsoft, Java and open-source software to develop business and web applications, and graduates can continue to a Bachelor of Computer Science with advanced standing. In the United States, Northeast Community College in Norfolk offers two-year associate degrees of 63 to 68 credit hours, with a Computer Programming and Data Analytics concentration that includes programming in Java and C++.
  • Vocational training in Spain. The higher vocational qualification Técnico Superior en Desarrollo de Aplicaciones Multiplataforma lasts 2,000 hours, includes a training period in a company and covers databases, programming, interface development and programming for mobile devices. According to the Spanish ministry's TodoFP portal, holders can go on to a university degree and may have some modules recognised.
  • Bachelor's degrees. The Bachelor of Computer Science at Western Sydney University takes three years full time and has a Systems Programming major; the university states that it is designed for students with little or no programming experience and teaches C/C++, with Java and Python available in other subjects. In Spain an official bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits.
  • Master's degrees. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that some employers prefer developers who hold a master's degree.

Some programmes add paid work placements. The School of Computing at the University of the Fraser Valley in Canada, for example, offers co-op work terms of four, eight or twelve months with a local company.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 85 active schools for computer programming. The United States has the most (14), followed by Canada (9), the United Kingdom (5), Spain (5) and New Zealand (3). Australia, Cyprus, China, Bangladesh, Germany, France and Azerbaijan have two each. The list ranges from community colleges such as Northeast Community College and Laramie County Community College to universities such as Masaryk University in Brno, the University of Latvia in Riga, the Universidad de Guadalajara in Mexico and Makerere University in Kampala. In Spain it includes CESINE in Santander.

Most of the listed schools are in English-speaking countries and teach in English. Elsewhere the language of instruction depends on the programme, so check it for each course before applying. When comparing programmes, look at which programming languages and platforms the curriculum uses, how much project work it contains, whether a work placement is included and whether the qualification gives access to further study.

Careers

Graduates work as programmers, software developers, web and mobile developers, testers and database developers, in software companies and in the IT departments of banks, manufacturers, public bodies and other organisations. Spain's TodoFP portal lists business management software, general-purpose applications, and entertainment and mobile applications as the fields of work for the multiplatform development qualification.

The outlook differs by role. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, computer programmers held about 110,800 jobs in the United States in 2025 and their employment is projected to decline 7 percent from 2025 to 2035, partly because companies are expected to use technologies such as artificial intelligence to automate repetitive programming tasks. The much larger group of software developers, quality assurance analysts and testers, with about 1.9 million jobs in 2025, is projected to grow 10 percent over the same period, and web developers and digital designers 5 percent. These figures describe the United States only; other countries publish their own statistics.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a university degree to work as a programmer?

Not always. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics says programmers typically need a bachelor's degree, but also that some employers hire people with other degrees or with experience in specific programming languages. For web developers it reports requirements that range from a high school diploma to a bachelor's degree.

What is the difference between computer programming and computer science?

Programming is the practical skill of writing and testing code. Computer science is a broader degree subject that also covers algorithms, systems, networks and theory, and most university students learn programming inside a computer science or software engineering degree.

Which programming languages will I learn?

It varies by school. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that most programmers specialise in several languages. Among the examples above, Conestoga College works with Microsoft and Java technologies, Northeast Community College teaches Java and C++, and Western Sydney University uses C/C++ alongside Java and Python.