Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python

Institution: Charter Oak State College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Country: United States

Applicant Eligible Countries: Worldwide

Type of Opportunity: Online Courses

Study Levels: Certificate Program

Subjects: Computer Programming

Duration: 9 weeks

Effort: 15 hours per week

Price: FREE. Add a Verified Certificate for $49.

Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Charter Oak State College offer an exciting new course titled “Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python.” This introductory computer science course teaches students how to solve real-world problems using Python 3.5. A self-paced course, it begins August 30, 2017.

The course will take approximately fifteen hours a week for most students, for around nine weeks total. It is a free course unless students wish to add a verified certificate of completion for $49. This certificate is instructor-signed and institutionally verified so that it can be added directly to a resume, CV, or LinkedIn profile. Students may also choose to pay $300 for three course credits through Charter Oak.

Students must have a background in high school algebra and an aptitude for mathematics. Although there are not course prerequisites, students without sufficient programming backgrounds will find that the course takes more time than necessary.

The course is the first in a two-step sequence, with the next step titled “Introduction to Computational Thinking and Data Science.” They are designed to help people without prior experience in computer science to begin to think computationally and write problem-solving program solutions. These courses can be used as a foundation before moving on to more advanced coursework. It briefly covers a wide range of topics with the goal of introducing students to as many topics as possible.

Coursework is both challenging and rigorous. It features updated lecture videos, exercises, and problem sets that use the new version of Python 3.5. Students will receive training in a notation of computation, the Python programming language, simple algorithms, testing and debugging, algorithm complexity, and data structures.

Courses are taught by Drs. John Guttag, Eric Grimson and Ana Bell through Charter Oak State College. Charter Oak is Connecticut’s premier online public college. The institution gives students the opportunity to earn college credits affordably and flexibly. For credit in this particular course, students must pass with a 65% or higher.