Program Description

The IT - Software Development Specialist Technical Diploma program prepares learners to design and develop desktop and web software using leading object-oriented programming languages and related technologies. Graduates will be proficient in C#, ASP.NET, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery and SQL, and will be prepared for success in any contemporary software development language/environment. Graduates will be able to support the software development needs of businesses in a wide variety of industries including healthcare, manufacturing, insurance, finance and software publishing. As an Embedded Technical Diploma, this program ladders fully into the IT – Software Developer Associate Degree program.

Found in These Career Fields:

Approximate Program Cost

$4,454
Tuition & Fees: $4,234
Books & Supplies: $220

Starting Salary

$36,670–$48,000
Average, based on the NTC Graduate Outcomes Report

Financial Aid

Available
Total financial aid offered may not exceed the estimated Cost of Attendance (COA).

Available

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An aerial view of NTC's Wausau Campus main entrance on a sunny summer day. Trees and greenery frame the spacious side walks that lead up to the light-brown brick building.

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Availability

Courses for this program may be available at a variety of campus locations through multiple modes of delivery if you meet the admission requirements and prerequisites.

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at Wausau
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at Antigo
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at Medford
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at Phillips
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at Spencer
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at Wittenberg
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at Online

* Campus and online availability of courses and programs may be subject to change.

Outcomes

Graduates will be able to…

  • Write and use web and cloud-based services
  • Write secular, modular, scalable, testable and maintainable applications
  • Design databases and create data-driven applications
  • Incorporate best practices of the Agile software development methodology
  • Participate effectively within a software development team
  • Apply existing knowledge to learning new languages and tools
  • Write software in object-oriented languages

Careers

Some of the potential careers graduates can pursue are:

  • Systems Analyst
  • Programmer/Analyst
  • Web Developer
  • Software Developer
  • Programmer

Courses

The IT-Software Development Specialist Technical Diploma is a 26 Credit program. The following is a typical semester breakdown of the courses within the program.

First Term

Data Concepts A 1.00
IT Development and Design Fundamentals 1.00
Programming Concepts C 1.00
Programming Concepts B 1.00
Programming Concepts A 1.00
Web Design 1 B 1.00
Web Design 1 A 1.00
Data Concepts C 1.00
Data Concepts B 1.00
Web Design 1 C 1.00
College 101 1.00

Second Term

Database Design And SQL A 1.00
Collaborative Application Development 3.00
Object-Oriented Programming C 1.00
Object-Oriented Programming B 1.00
Object-Oriented Programming A 1.00
Database Design And SQL C 1.00
Database Design And SQL B 1.00

Third Term

Advanced .NET Programming: Security And Optimization 1.00
Software Architecture 3.00
Advanced .NET Programming: Web Services 1.00
Advanced .NET Programming: The CLR 1.00

Credit for Prior Learning Available

View All Detailed Course Information

Pathways

Pathways are a series of connected programs that enable you to advance over time to better jobs and higher levels of education and training. By earning one degree, you could also be completing several courses of a related program in a pathway, bringing you one step closer to an advanced degree.

Completing the IT-Software Development Specialist Technical Diploma Earns You:

Cost of Attendance

2024–2025 Estimated Academic Year Budgeted Cost of Attendance

The estimated Cost of Attendance (COA) is a budget that includes categories of expenses that a student can expect to incur while attending college. The COA does not reflect actual charges. It is an average based on the estimated living costs typical of our region. In determining the cost of attendance, Northcentral Technical College uses the budget established by the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Financial Aid Budget Work Group. This budget is used to determine financial need for all students who apply for financial aid. A student's cost of attendance is composed of all educational expenses that can be included for financial aid purposes that a student may accrue while pursuing their education for the year (or semester, if enrolled less than a year). A student's financial aid cannot exceed their cost of attendance. Schools are required to provide a fuller picture of what it may cost students to pursue their degree, not just what they will owe in tuition/fees and books/supplies.

Please Note: this COA budget estimate assumes full-time attendance for two semesters — Fall 2024 and Spring 2025.
Expenses Student Living With Parents (Home) Student Living on Own (Other)
Full-time Tuition (based on a total of 30 credits, 15 credits fall and 15 credits spring)
In-State Tuition & Fees
$4,844*
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees
$7,127*
In-State Tuition & Fees
$4,844*
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees
$7,127*
Living Expenses (Housing & Food) $3,008 $9,147
Books / Supplies $1,465 $1,465
Transportation $4,017 $4,017
Personal Expenses $3,608 $3,608
Loan Fees $85 $85
Total Estimated Cost Of Attendance
In-State
$17,027
Out-of-State
$19,310
In-State
$23,166
Out-of-State
$25,449

* Tuition listed is based on approved rates for the 2024–2025 academic year. Rates are approved each March by the Wisconsin Technical College System Board and estimated budgets are updated at that time.

For the 2024–2025 academic year, the Wisconsin Resident tuition rate is $149.50 per credit and Out-of-State resident tuition is $224.25 per credit.

For the 2024–2025 academic year, Student Fees include: a minimum $5.00 material fee and a $13.15 per credit activity fee. A $4.00 per semester insurance fee will be assessed to students taking at least one course which has a scheduled session on campus.

Students awarded Federal Direct Loan(s) also have an average of the mandatory loan fees automatically added to their COA.

Students with disability-related expenses may contact the Financial Aid Office to have their additional expenses considered. Disability-related expenses include but are not limited to: personal assistance, equipment, and supplies. The Financial Aid Office may potentially include disability expenses in the COA that are not provided by other assisting agencies.

NTC also offers a Net Price Calculator to help estimate costs.

For more information regarding billed tuition and fees visit https://www.ntc.edu/admissions/tuition-fees

We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about how the financial aid process works. Please feel free to reach out for more information.

NTC Financial Aid Office

715.803.1647
financialaid@ntc.edu

Admissions Process

Our application process takes just a few minutes to complete, but we want to make sure you have the things you’ll need on hand to complete the application. We’re here to help if you have any questions while submitting your application.

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What’s Next?

We’ll review your application and let you know if we need anything else. If you’re all set, your acceptance letter will be emailed to you.