iCarnegie Curriculum

The iCarnegie Curriculum

The iCarnegie curriculum at Newport Business Institute is rooted deeply in the traditions of Carnegie Mellon’s School of Computer Science, which is consistently ranked among the top programs in the world. The successful blend of principle and practice found in the iCarnegie coursework means that students are building significant software applications, based on the modern computing practices found in today’s working environments.

The Training
Students of this program receive training that enables them to immediately add value to the workforce, and they possess strong principles for life-long learning and adaptation as technologies change. Assignments include:

Simulation Projects: Students start their iCarnegie experience by building a simulated environment. In the introductory iCarnegie course, they create an artificial lake and then program the behaviors of organisms that live in the lake, including fish, crocodiles, and algae. They will also learn how different configurations, such as weather, affect the outcomes of each simulation.
Online Auction Systems: Students will learn to design, build, and test an online auction system that includes capabilities for listing items, bidding, enabling user interactions, and determining the final outcomes for auctioned items. This puts to use new skills in web development, object-oriented design, and user-centered design.
E-Commerce Systems: In the ambitious database course, students will create an e-commerce bookstore that must catalog items, enable search functionality, allow for order taking, monitor order status, and complete the purchase. This exercise further develops skills in advanced Java, data structures and algorithms, web programming, and database system development.
Real-Time Calendars: Developing a networked calendar system that allows multiple users to propose meetings, invite attendees, and modify schedules is not a trivial matter. iCarnegie courses teach students how to build multi-user, collaborative, real-time systems like calendars that reside on a network.

Attending Classes:
The iCarnegie curriculum is delivered at Newport Business Institute through an innovative “blended” approach:

Web-based content delivery: iCarnegie course design and technology experts provide best-in-class course content, homework, exams, and interactive features via a secure web-based system, accessible at any time and from any place. This accommodates the flexibility needed by students. Further, the web-based component allows iCarnegie to monitor student achievement and data in order to continuously improve the system.
In-person instruction – Online learning alone is not as effective as when accompanied by instructors in classrooms. Therefore, Newport Business Institute provides the faculty, classroom space, computers, and Internet connectivity to facilitate face-to-face teaching and ensure student achievement.

The result? Newport Business Institute is a key resource for producing students that are among the best prepared for Knowledge Worker careers – meaning the graduates can support and develop today’s distributed, Internet-based computing environments and possess the broad-based skills that can adapt to changing technologies.

Detailed Background of the iCarnegie Curriculum Program:
There is a steady demand for skilled software development personnel – particularly those who know more than just basic programming and have the training that allows them to rapidly learn new technologies. Employers have an increasing need for “Knowledge Workers” in the form of software engineering and application design talent. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that computer employment represents the fastest-growing profession through 2010, with 1.4 million new IT jobs becoming available in the U.S. alone.

Carnegie Mellon Heritage: iCarnegie has a unique educational affiliation with Carnegie Mellon, leveraging the knowledge of their faculty and academic leaders to develop and continuously refine the course content. iCarnegie was founded by key faculty members of Carnegie Mellon’s computer science program, which has been consistently ranked by places like the U.S. News & World Report as being among the top schools in the field for both graduate and undergraduate studies.

Combination of Practical Experience and Strong Education Principles: The focus of the iCarnegie curriculum is to successfully blend principle and practice. That means the program appropriately combines practical experience and academic theory to produce the most qualified professionals for employment. Because the courses are very “hands on” from the beginning, students practice designing and testing a variety of real-world software applications – from database-driven e-commerce systems, to online auctions and networked applications. The training gives students the confidence to tackle the challenges they will face in today’s working environments. Why are the academic principles important? In the computing industry where technologies and vendors change rapidly, a top-qualified professional is one that knows more than just one particular programming language or piece of technology. iCarnegie teaches a broad-based view of the field so that the students can become lifelong learners and contributors.

A Close Connection to Employers’ Needs and Modern Technologies: iCarnegie ensures the most relevant curriculum for training workforce-ready professionals. Through annual content updates, the courses reflect changes and trends in software engineering, technologies, and workforce needs.

Internationally Recognized High Standards: iCarnegie course graduates and certificate holders have a highly credentialed education that is competitive on a global scale. Through iCarnegie’s worldwide network of partners, students emerging from this program are part of a new, exciting talent pool for employers.