WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY
IT Events
At Western Governors University's College of Information Technology (COIT), we aim to give you the skills and training you need to be marketable in the information technology field. We offer high-quality online degree programs in Computer Science/Software Engineering, Cybersecurity, Data Science, and IT/Cloud. We also provide top industry certifications, included in our tuition.
Boost your résumé with the valuable online information technology degree and certifications you need to impress employers and be prepared for a successful career.
Choose from these virtual events to connect with industry leaders live and in real-time or to learn about the program offerings and the unique competency-based model:
Key Statistics for WGU's College of IT
94% full-time employed graduates
65% of graduates plan to pursue another degree or certification
31,000+ current graduates
Computer Science / Software Engineering
Western Governors University’s College of Information Technology (COIT) offers robust computer science and software engineering degrees specifically designed to meet the fast-pace of change almost every organization faces in today’s hi-tech environment. Graduates are ready to seamlessly enter the workforce and increase their productivity and expertise. WGU is a pioneer in career-relevant, competency-based education. We remain the only institution offering competency-based degrees at scale, creating a model other colleges and universities are increasingly striving to replicate. WGU's Computer Science degree delivers in-demand skills such as logic, architecture and systems, data structures, Artificial Intelligence, and computer theory. WGU's Software Engineering degree offers scripting and programming skills, web development, mobile app development, user experience design, and software quality assurance. With over 4,000 graduates and 8,000 active students in these programs, we are setting the new standard in aligning workforce readiness to employer-needed skills in critical areas like financial tech software, real-time software, Internet of Things, gaming, etc.
Meet the Hosts:
Sesh Murthy, Ph.D.
Vice President and Dean of Computer Science and Software Engineering (CS/SE), WGU
Host of CS/SE Open House and Fireside Chat
Mike Peterson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of Computer Science and Software Engineering (CS/SE), WGU
Host of CS/SE Open House
Virtual Open House for Future Software Engineering Students
Dr. Sesh Murthy and Dr. Mike Peterson will be hosting a webinar to discuss the new software engineering program. You will have an opportunity to ask questions and hear from a software engineering panel, which includes a recent software graduate. The panel will feature our Vice President and Dean of Software Engineering, Associate Dean, a course instructor, a program mentor, a career advisor, and an enrollment counselor. In addition to the bachelor’s degree in software engineering, you will learn how WGU supports your journey from enrollment to graduation and beyond!
Registration will open soon for the next event!
Dean’s Fireside Chat:
Computer Science and Software Engineering
Dr. Sesh Murthy, Vice President and Dean at WGU's College of IT, hosts a recurring fireside chat series featuring thought leaders and experts across the country in the field of Computer Science and Software Engineering.
Register Today for Episode 3:
Wednesday, June 7th at 6pm MT
Join us for our third episode of the Dean's Fireside Chat: Computer Science and Software Engineering Series. This 30-minute conversation, plus time for Q&A, between Dr. Sesh Murthy and Dr. Andi Simon, founder, and CEO of Simon Associates Management Consultants (SAMC) will focus on valuable insights and practical strategies to empower women in IT companies. The discussion will focus on factors that contribute to success, overcoming barriers, actionable advice and gaining confidence in the industry. You'll also learn about WGU's initiatives and resources dedicated to helping women and underserved communities pursue degrees in Software Engineering and Computer Science.
Guest Bio:
Dr. Andi Simon is an accomplished corporate anthropologist, published author, and speaker with over 20 years of experience helping organizations solve complex business problems. She is the founder and CEO of Simon Associates Management Consultants (SAMC), a management consulting firm that uses the principles of anthropology to help organizations understand their culture, adapt to change, and innovate for the future.
Throughout her career, Andi has worked with a diverse range of clients across various industries, including healthcare, finance, education, and nonprofit organizations. She has helped these organizations tackle a range of challenges, from improving employee engagement and retention to developing new products and services to meet changing customer needs.
In addition to her work at SAMC, Andi is a sought-after speaker and has delivered keynotes and workshops for organizations such as the American Bankers Association, the National Speakers Association, and the TEDx conference. She is also a published author, with several books to her name, including "On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights" and "Rethink: Smashing the Myths of Women in Business."
Andi holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from the New School for Social Research and a B.A. in Anthropology and English from Bernard College. She is a member of the American Anthropological Association, the National Speakers Association, and the Authors Guild. Andi is passionate about helping organizations unlock their potential and thrive in today's fast-paced business environment, and she brings a unique perspective to every engagement she undertakes.
Here's the second episode of the Dean's Fireside Chat: Computer Science and Software Engineering Series as Dr. Sesh Murthy meets with Dr. Ram D. Sriram, Chief of the Software and Systems Division, Information Technology Laboratory, at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. In this episode, we will discuss the value of a Computer Science and Software Engineering degree.
Guest Bio:
Dr. Ram D. Sriram currently serves as the Chief of the Software and Systems Division in the Information Technology Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Previously, he led the Design and Process group in the Manufacturing Systems Integration Division, Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory, where he researched standards for interoperability of computer-aided design systems. Prior to joining NIST, he was a member of the engineering faculty at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) from 1986-1994, where he played a key role in establishing the Intelligent Engineering Systems Laboratory.
Dr. Sriram has authored or co-authored nearly 300 publications, including books and videos. He was a founding co-editor of the International Journal for AI in Engineering. Dr.Sriram has received numerous awards, including the NSF’s Presidential Young Investigator Award (1989), ASME Design Automation Award (2011), ASME CIE Distinguished Service Award (2014), the Washington Academy of Sciences’ Distinguished Career in Engineering Sciences Award (2015), ASME CIE division’s Lifetime Achievement Award (2016), CMU CEE Lt. Col. Christopher Raible Distinguished Public Service Award (2018), and IIT Madras Distinguished Alumni Award (2021).
Dr. Sriram is a Fellow of AAIA, AIBME, ASME, AAAS, IEEE, INCOSE, SMA, and the Washington Academy of Sciences. He is also a Distinguished Member (life) of ACM and a Senior Member (life) of AAAI. He holds the distinction of being an Honorary Member of IISE, which he shares with Lee Iacocca (Chrysler chairman), Von Braun (Rocket pioneer), and Herbert Hoover (U.S. President). Dr. Sriram earned a B.Tech. from IIT, Madras, India, and an M.S. and Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA.
Cybersecurity
WGU’s Cybersecurity programs are highly respected by both employers and learners. Our M.S. Cybersecurity program is ranked #3 by Fortune.com and has been recognized as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) by the National Security Agency (NSA). We deliver three high caliber programs in the security sector:
- B.S. in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance
- B.S. in Network Engineering and Security
- M.S. in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance
We offer constantly updated and relevant courses in Secure Systems Analysis & Design, Web and Cloud Security, Hacking Countermeasures and Techniques, Network Engineering, Operations, and Network Security Management skills. We remain the only institution offering competency-based degrees at scale, creating a model other colleges and universities are increasingly striving to replicate. With over 13,500 graduates and 18,000 active students in these programs, we are setting the new standard in aligning workforce readiness to employer-needed skills in critical cybersecurity disciplines.
WGU Cybersecurity Series
WGU Studios and WGU's Cybersecurity Department have teamed up to create a series of captivating, informative, upbeat, and energetic broadcasts to address current, trending topics and issues in the world of cybersecurity.
Registration will open soon for the next event!
Meet the Host:
Paul Bingham, CISSP, CPA, CFE
Vice President and Dean of Cybersecurity, WGU
Host of Cybersecurity Series
Jeff Dooley and David Lewis are our guests speakers for Episode 2.
Jeff has 18 years of experience in the technology industry. He is a Security Specialist for Cisco/Duo focused on the government and education verticals. He has helped establish security programs with education, government, and commercial customers throughout the United States. His experience includes disaster recovery, data center migrations, advanced services, virtualization projects, and creating cybersecurity strategies. Jeff is excited to work with customers as they start their multi-factor authentication journey. He enjoys the outdoors and family time. His hobbies include mountain biking, skiing, podcasting, and travel.
David is an International keynote speaker and global advisor for Cisco/Duo. With over 20+ years of cyber security experience, David brings a unique view to the industry and the impact of a changing world on how we train and prepare future cyber security leaders.
Data Analytics
Our data management and analytics degrees prepare graduates to serve as analytical change agents across a variety of industries & market sectors. Learners will master programming, math, and business influence skills in both our B.S. in Data Management and Data Analysis (BSDMDA) and our M.S. in Data Analysis (MSDA). Scripting, data management, data wrangling, Python, R, machine learning and math skills, data science techniques, communication and critical thinking are all valuable skills that make our graduates high-value employees in almost any organization. With over 2,500 graduates and 3,000 active students our data analytics programs are expanding analytic skill sets that are critical to most any organization in today's high tech world.
WGU is a pioneer in career-relevant, competency-based education. We remain the only institution offering competency-based degrees at scale, creating a model other colleges and universities are increasingly striving to replicate.
Meet the Hosts:
Joe Dery, Ph.D.
Vice President and Dean of Data Analytics, WGU
Host of Data Analytics Open House and Fireside Chat
Eric Lagally, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of Data Analytics, WGU
Host of Data Analytics Open House
Virtual Open House for Future Data Analytics Students
Dr. Dery and Dr. Lagally will be hosting this webinar to explain WGU's competency-based model of education and to discuss the analytics programs offered by WGU.
Register Today for the Next Open House:
Monday, June 12th at 6pm MT
Dean’s Fireside Chat:
Data Analytics
Joe Dery, Dean of Data Analytics at WGU's College of IT, hosts a recurring fireside chat series featuring thought leaders and experts across the country in the field of analytics.
Registration will open soon for the next event!
Interviewer Bio:
WGU Student, Alicia Crowder, is in her final year of the Data Analytics and Data Management Bachelor's Degree Program. She also works full-time as an IT Architect at Genesis Energy and is a Udemy course instructor.
Guest Bio:
Amanda Dery is an accomplished digital transformation champion & data scientist with a proven track record of driving measurable business impact. She is a passionate and committed change agent, skilled at identifying opportunities for improvement and creating solutions that deliver results. Her ability to translate complex data into actionable insights has made her a trusted advisor to executives and key stakeholders. With expertise in business process optimization, predictive analytics, and data-driven decision-making, Amanda has played a pivotal role in transforming HR processes at Dell. Her current focus is on designing end-to-end workforce planning and employee-to-job skill-based matching solutions. Amanda also served as the lead Data Scientist at Virgin Pulse, where she collaborated with Sales & Marketing leadership to create data-driven sales stories. She has analyzed health outcomes, identified drivers of change, and developed strategic recommendations for clients. Amanda began her career at EMC in the Business Operations Leadership Development Program where she spent several years supporting Sales through Data Science initiatives.
Guest Bio:
Joe Dery joined Western Governors University’s College of IT as the VP & Dean of Data Analytics in summer, 2022. At WGU, Joe is working to help more than 3,000 currently enrolled analytics students learn how to effect change in their professional roles – surgically balancing a combination of mathematics, programming, and business influence skills. Prior to joining academia full-time, Joe spent much of his corporate career working for EMC – and later, Dell Technologies – where he joined as a "hands-on-keyboard" Data Scientist in 2011. Joe went on to hold leadership positions in Dell’s Sales, Finance, and Supply Chain organizations driving efforts in Data Science, Business Intelligence, Digital Strategy, and Digital Transformation. Across these domains, Joe’s efforts touched a wide variety of business problems, including ML-driven sales quota allocations, sales forecasting & opportunity prioritization, customer cross-sell/whitespace targeting, addressable marketing opportunity sizing, sales territory optimization, supply chain planning optimization, data/analytics literacy training, and self-service BI. Building from his experiences, Joe is often invited to speak on the crucial role of decision intelligence frameworks, change management, and “improv” in bringing analytics solutions to life. Joe holds a PhD in Business Analytics from Bentley University.
IT / Cloud
Western Governors University’s College of Information Technology (COIT) offers robust Information Technology and Cloud Computing degrees specifically designed to meet the fast-pace of change most every organization faces in today’s hi-tech environment. Graduates are ready to seamlessly enter the workforce and increase their productivity and expertise.. WGU is a pioneer in career-relevant, competency-based education. We remain the only institution offering competency-based degrees at scale, creating a model other colleges and universities are increasingly striving to replicate. WGU's B.S. and M.S. IT degrees deliver in-demand skills such as scripting and programming, networking and security, systems and services, sources and planning, solutions development, and project management. WGU's Cloud Computing degree offers learners the choice of detailed Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Multi-Cloud degree options that all come with industry certifications built into our tuition model. With over 12,000 graduates and 8,500 active students in these programs we are setting the new standard in aligning workforce readiness to employer needed skills in critical areas like financial tech software, real time software, Internet of Things, gaming, and many more.
