MOSES LAKE - Big Bend Community College will expand its computer science program this fall, adding a software and web development option. Registration for all classes is open now, with fall quarter beginning Sept. 23.

Students can start the computer science curriculum during any quarter, the program's instructional designer, Mary Shannon, said.

The new program's offerings include website design, web application design and development, web graphics (Photoshop programming) and database design and programming. Web design has its own language and students learn how to navigate a number of them, including JavaScript, HTML, PHP, C++, C# and MySQL.

This is the second phase in reestablishing the computer science program, which was discontinued in 2009 and reopened in fall 2012. The new software development option adds space for 40 students, Shannon said.

Software and web development is a growing field, Shannon said, because of the need for mobile technology applications and software development. She said she's also talked to many young people who are interested in game development. "This is how you learn those skills," she said.

There are local job openings for web programmers, web designers, software technicians and software testers, she said. Companies in Quincy and Moses Lake are looking for qualified workers; "they're really struggling to find people," she said. Software and web developers are in high demand for jobs statewide, Shannon said.

The web development option will offer a two-year associates degree in applied science, Shannon said, and a transfer associates applied science degree. "It's a two-year tech degree, but there is a pathway to transfer," she said. "That's the key. There's a path to continue on."

There's also a web development and design certificate option, she said.

Prospective students in the computer science program need basic computer skills, Shannon said. Students should have an interest in coding and programming.

People who want more information about classes and the computer program can check the college website, www.bigbend.edu/computer science, or contact Shannon, 509-793-2056