As Pittsburgh continues to develop into a major national tech hub with a demand for qualified technology professionals, the need for an academic program focused on coding and testing has emerged. Waynesburg University and Rivers Agile have developed an accelerated training opportunity, the Professional Software Development Program, which will prepare participants to enter the rapidly growing tech field in under a year.
Unique to the Pittsburgh region, this partnership enables students to benefit from a traditional higher education institution as well as a cutting-edge technology company. Participants will learn directly from senior-level experts on real-world projects while building their résumés and engaging in the classroom.
“Inspired by our involvement with the Allegheny Conference and wanting to help with the projected regional needs identified in their Inflection Point study, we are excited to partner with Rivers Agile to mesh their technology expertise with our leadership and business context expertise to create a pool of software development professionals ready to fill the demand,” said Mary Cummings, senior vice president of graduate programs at Waynesburg University.
Open Houses will be held for interested individuals Wednesday, July 26, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Thursday, August 3, from 5 to 7 p.m., at Waynesburg University’s Southpointe center, located at 6000 Town Center Boulevard in Canonsburg. The Open Houses will provide the opportunity for interested applicants to meet the instructors and learn more about the program.
“Rivers Agile has been proud to provide an alternative path to education in the technology field across the Pittsburgh area through our Code School,” said Ben Wilson, Founder and CEO at Rivers Agile. “We’re excited to expand our offering through this partnership with Waynesburg University, since Pittsburgh continues to face a large gap in qualified web developers and quality assurance professionals to meet the thriving local demand. This program will arm students with the skills necessary for entry-level roles.”
The Professional Software Development Program’s curriculum has three areas of concentration, including quality assurance, web development and organizational leadership. Students who complete the two-semester coursework will be able to quickly transition from the classroom into the workforce to fill entry-level positions such as software engineer or quality assurance analyst.
Designed to immerse students into an intense curriculum through an accelerated evening format, classes will meet at Waynesburg’s Southpointe location on Monday and Wednesday evenings, beginning this fall. The program will take approximately nine months to complete, split into four 8-week sessions with a break over the Christmas holiday.
For more information or to apply, visit www.waynesburg.edu/psdp.