FAQ

Yes. Communications and Academic Writing, Logic and Critical Thinking, and four electives outside the computing field broaden your studies.

Elective offerings may include humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, languages and Indigenous cultures and ways of knowing; actual choices depend on availability.

The admission pathway described for mature applicants is for students who are at least 19 at the beginning of the program and have completed at least one full-time term of postsecondary study (a minimum of five concurrent courses in an academic program).

The Grade 12 U English and Mathematics requirements, or accepted equivalencies, must also be met.

Previous postsecondary courses may be assessed under Algonquin’s credit transfer policies.

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) may also be available for eligible learning, subject to College policy, for up to half of the program’s hours.

Yes. The program follows a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) approach. Week 1 of the first term, students must bring with them a capable laptop for classes, labs and projects.

See the published Computer Programming BYOD requirements for the current term.

No. You begin with Introduction to Computer Programming and learn programming fundamentals before moving to object-oriented programming, data structures, full applications and advanced software systems.

A solid mathematics background is useful, and Grade 12 university-level mathematics is an admission requirement.

Domestic applicants use the Ontario Colleges application system at ontariocolleges.ca.

International applicants apply through Algonquin College’s International Education Centre.

Confirm current application dates and requirements through the College.

This program builds on programming fundamentals and extends into degree-level software architecture, algorithms, cloud computing, AI and machine learning, secure development, distributed systems and performance optimization. It also includes broader academic study, two co-op terms and a substantial final-year capstone.

Computer Science degrees often devote greater attention to theory and research. The BAC emphasizes applied software development and the practical work of building, testing, deploying and maintaining software, while retaining the mathematics, data structures, algorithms and design principles on which professional software development depends.

Algonquin’s Co-op & Career Centre provides job-readiness training, résumé and interview support, job postings and coordination of recruitment activities.

Students must meet co-op eligibility requirements, actively participate in the job search and successfully complete each placement.

Employers provide progress and final evaluations; students also prepare a work-term report linked to learning goals.

Graduates of the Computer Programming diploma program from Algonquin College, or another Ontario college offering the diploma under the provincial program standard, may qualify for entry at Level 4.

Applicants require a minimum GPA of 3.0 and successful completion of MAT8003 Mathematics for Programming as a bridging course.

The pathway has three academic terms remaining; applicants should confirm assessed transfer credits and applicable co-op requirements.

Yes. Algonquin College lists the Bachelor of Applied Computing among its PGWP-eligible programs for Fall 2027.

This is especially relevant to prospective international students.

Listing a program as eligible does not guarantee that an individual graduate will receive a permit: applicants must satisfy the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) criteria in effect for them, and immigration policies may change.

See Algonquin College’s list of PGWP-eligible programs and review the current IRCC rules before making study or immigration decisions.

Applicants normally need an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, with six Grade 12 University (U) or University/College (M) courses averaging at least 65%.

These must include Grade 12 U English and Grade 12 U Mathematics, with a minimum grade of 65% in each.

Other requirements may apply to applicants with international credentials.

Potential career directions include software and application development, web and mobile development, quality assurance and test automation, cloud application development, DevOps, back-end and distributed-systems development, and AI-enabled software development.

These skills are relevant to software companies and public- and private-sector organizations that build or maintain digital services.

Applicants with international transcripts may need to demonstrate English language proficiency. The program admission criteria specify:

• IELTS: Overall 6.5, with at least 6.0 in each band.
• TOEFL iBT: Overall 88, with at least 22 in each skill.
• Duolingo English Test: Overall 120, with Literacy at least 120 and no score below 105.

Applicants should confirm the published requirements applicable when they apply.

Domestic applicants with international transcripts may require a credential evaluation through ICAS or WES.

The BAC is a three-year degree program emphasizing the design, development, deployment and maintenance of software. It combines six academic terms with two paid co-op terms and a team-based capstone project spanning the 2 terms of the final academic year.

Across Capstone Project 1 and 2, a team investigates an industry-sourced problem, assesses feasibility, defines requirements, plans and prototypes a solution, then implements, tests and deploys it.

Teams prepare user and technical documentation and demonstrate their final work to a professional audience.

A problem encountered during co-op may provide a possible project starting point.

Each year incorporates AI use to differing degrees. Earlier years focus on algorithm thinking, problem solving and analysis skills.

Second-year study introduces machine learning methods and AI, including data analysis, model development and responsible use.

Third-year work focuses on integrating AI models into back-end systems through data pipelines and APIs to enable predictions, recommendations and automation in functioning applications.

The first intake is planned for Fall 2027 at Algonquin College’s Woodroffe campus in Ottawa.

After the fourth academic level, students complete two consecutive terms, normally May–August and September–December, before returning for the final two academic levels.

Depending on available roles and program arrangements, you may work with one employer or with different employers.

The curriculum begins with Python, SQL, Git and development and testing tools, then introduces object oriented programming with Java, client- and server-side web development, mobile frameworks, Linux and scripting, cloud technologies, containerization, distributed systems and machine learning frameworks.

Exact products and versions vary by course and are reviewed as technologies evolve.