OCNews

Okanagan College is expanding its Bachelor of Computer Information Systems (BCIS) degree with three new options beginning in September 2026: Cybersecurity, Data Engineering and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and an Honours Degree. The additions give students a more direct path to some of B.C.'s fastest-growing and highest-demand technology careers.

The expansion responds directly to labour market signals. According to the B.C. Labour Market Outlook 2025, professional, scientific and technical services — which encompasses computer systems design — is the second-largest source of job openings in the province over the next decade, with over 162,000 projected positions and a sector growth rate of 4.2 per cent annually. That pace is nearly double the overall industry average.

“We recognize that the technology sector is changing quickly and so are the skills that employers are looking for,” said OC’s Associate Dean of Arts and Science, Steve Crema. “These new options are our response to what we are hearing from industry: that graduates with deep, specialized knowledge in cybersecurity and data engineering are among the most sought-after professionals in the country.”

For over 20 years, the BCIS degree at Okanagan College has prepared graduates for careers in software development, database administration, systems analysis and data science. The new Cybersecurity option addresses the sector's growing need for security-specialized professionals, with a curriculum that covers network forensics, zero-trust architecture, information system security and internetwork security. The Data Engineering and AI option equips students with advanced skills in data engineering, big data, database management, data warehousing, data mining and cloud infrastructure — core competencies as organizations across every sector integrate AI into their operations.

“Our BCIS students go beyond learning concepts in a classroom — they solve real problems for real clients,” shared OC Computer Science Professor and Department Chair, Dr. Youry Khmelevsky. “In our upper-level courses and applied research projects, students work with industry partners through capstone projects, and our Program Advisory Committee keeps curriculum aligned with what employers are asking for right now. By the time our graduates enter the workforce, they are ready to hit the ground running.” 
 

The Honours Degree option provides a pathway for high-achieving students — those maintaining an 82 per cent grade average across the program — to complete additional research-focused coursework and graduate with an Honours designation.

“An Honours designation tells an employer or a graduate school something about the student — that this person holds themselves to a higher standard and has done the work to prove it,” said Khmelevsky. “For students who want to push further, the Honours option can open doors to advanced roles and post-graduate study.”

In addition to the three new options, the existing Software Design and Development option continues to provide students with a focused track in software design and development, mobile and server-side development, and applied computing.

“If you are someone who wants to see results from your academic learning, the BCIS is a great program,” shared Keona Gagnier, a recent BCIS graduate. “It isn’t focused solely on theory in the first year and you get your hands on actual programming and development really early on. I just started a new role as a Business Intelligence Analyst and my classes in database administration, advanced database management systems and software engineering have already been, and will continue to be, useful to me in this role.”

"We are proud of what OC's BCIS graduates go on to accomplish,” said OC’s Provost and VP Academic, Dr. Samantha Lenci. “Across B.C. and Canada, they are working as programmers, software engineers, database management system developers and administrators, contributing directly to the kind of tech sector growth the B.C. government is targeting through its Look West strategy. And when ninety-six per cent of our graduates are employed and 84 per cent say their OC education is directly useful in their work, it tells us that the program is doing exactly what it should."

The BCIS program is available at Okanagan College's Kelowna campus, with diploma graduates from OC's Computer Information Systems and Infrastructure and Computing Technology programs eligible to enter directly at year three.

Applications for the September 2026 intake are now open. For program details and admission requirements, visit okanagancollege.ca/cis.