My name is Dylan Ray Goelz and I am a student at Neumont University. Since I will be writing articles I thought it would be a good idea to write a short biography about myself so that anyone who reads my articles will know a little more about me.
I was born 18 1/2 short years ago and have not always been the best student. After graduating a year early from high school I went into the Air Force for a month and a half when I was discharged for a heart murmur. I then found myself in the middle of Las Vegas, Nevada after a 12 hour greyhound ride from Flagstaff, Arizona. I quickly found a job and got myself a nice place to live, after living with my aunt and uncle who were a great help to me. After a good friend of mine persuaded me to enroll at Neumont University I was excepted and started school at the institution here in South Jordan, Utah. I was enticed by the figures of starting salaries for most graduates and the accelerated program of which I will be taking part in.
... We look forward to Dylan's posts. Have any questions you'd like Dylan to answer? Submit them here.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
A Coder's Day
The alarm goes off at 6:30 A.M. and I get out of bed. I go through my morning routines of eating breakfast and brushing my teeth as the morning drowsiness slowly wears off. At 7:30 A.M I have finally woken up completely and I head out the door to get onto the shuttles that will take me to Neumont University. Every day I look forward to this due to the vast amounts of information taught through the experienced and intellectual teachers at this school. There isn’t a day that goes by where I do not learn something.
I get to school at 7:45 A.M. or so and I head up to my first class of the day. I pass a few friends in the halls, converse in the elevator’ s with a few students, and I eventually get to my final destination. The day goes on, and after a few gripping classes I get my lunch break and while at lunch I take this opportunity to do some work that is due in a few days. I sit down at a table with my computer and a plate of food that was just purchased in the commons area. After checking a few emails from teachers and staff I begin cracking down on some code I need to get done for one of the many coding classes offered here. Two hours later I look up and realize that I have class in 20 minutes and wonder where the time went. After writing a few more lines of code I set off to my afternoon classes.
The routine is to sit down, unpack your laptop, plug it in, and get any documents you need open to be open and ready for when the class starts. After a few lectures and a few team work assignments we finish the class and it hits 5:00 P.M. I say goodbye to everyone for the night and head home to work on the homework assigned to me throughout the day. I get home and make myself a cop o’ noodles which is one of my favorite meals. I sit down and put on some headphones to listen to my favorite bands while doing the work and I get cracking. A couple of hours later I am finished, so I call up some friends from home and chit chat for a while all while a few other students at Neumont are running problems with code against my head so that I may help them figure it out.
At a regular college this would be all that I do. At Neumont they strive to provide activities whether student sponsored or not. Every day consists of new challenges and new experiences. Every morning I can guarantee I will wake up and learn something that day or do something that will teach me what to do or what not to do. Well I can guarantee that throughout the week but on the weekend I can’t guarantee anything but me sleeping in until 12:00 P.M. and playing some great LAN games with some fellow Neumont students.
Dylan Ray Goelz
DRG
Microsoft Challenge you Could Win 25 Thousand Dollars
Microsoft is holding yet another of their Imagine Cup competitions this year. This year they have three categories to compete in. The categories are as follows: Software Development, Game Design, and an IT Challenge. There is a reward of 25 thousand dollars and participation is open to anyone who would like to dip their hands in this wonderful opportunity. The following was sent to Stacy Hughes and goes as follows. Also if you would like to know more about this then please email Stacy at Stacy.Hughes@neumont.edu
Microsoft’s Imagine Cup competition is one of the world’s largest student technology competitions, and while the dust is still settling from last July’s record-breaking World Finals in New York, I am happy to announce that the 2012 United States Imagine Cup competition has started and is bigger and better than ever. In 2012 the US is hosting its own Software Design, Game Design, and IT Challenge competitions in Redmond, WA, and the World Finals will be held in Sydney, Australia. In addition to travel, prize money, great PR, and a life-changing experience for your students, we have expanded the $25,000 departmental team sponsor prize to include both Software Design and Game Design (more details below) winners.
Some of last year’s finalists developed solutions that helped partially-blind students take notes in class, screen blood samples for malaria using a mobile phone, and help students with asthma manage their symptoms by playing a video game that requires breathing through a special tube. Some projects were developed just for the competition and others were developed for research or to fill a course requirement and then were entered as a secondary objective. Many of our winners were undergraduate students, but a couple great projects came from graduate research and labs.
The United States runs two Imagine Cup competitions per year to better align with the academic calendar; one in the Fall and one in the Spring. The Fall competition historically has about the half as many competitors than the Spring competition, and finalists are chosen from both so there is a big advantage for competing in the Fall. Fall finalists are announced by the end of November, so teams that are selected in Fall get about 4 months to polish their projects. Spring winners are announced in March and will have less than 6 weeks to polish and complete their projects, so the advantages of competing in Fall are almost overwhelming if you can get your team formed and plans submitted by the Fall Round One deadline of October 14th. Teams that are not selected as finalists in the Fall are allowed (and encouraged) to keep working on their projects, incorporate judging feedback and resubmit them in the Spring.
The Competitions
Software Design – Round One Deliverables
- Team Registration
- Draft Business Plan
- Due October 14th at 5pm
Game Design – Round One Deliverables
- Team Registration
- Draft Game Storyboard
- Due October 14th at 5pm
IT Challenge – Round One
- Pass quiz on website with score of 15 or higher
- Due TBD
As you can see it is easy to get started. The good news is that Round One for Software Design and Game Design is a project milestone date and is not judged. You can literally form a team, write a storyboard or business plan draft and submit an entry in under an hour. Your Round One entry shows your intent and automatically advances your team to Round Two. For the IT Challenge, you can take the tests as often as you like; score above 15 and you automatically advance to the next round.
The Software Design and Game Design competitions are team competitions; students can form teams of up to four students plus a faculty mentor. The IT Challenge is an individual competition that aligns with Microsoft’s IT Certifications.
Software Development – Round Two Deliverables
- Updated Business Plan
- Beta Code
- 3-5 minute video presentation (think infomercial)
- Due November 14th at 5pm
Game Design – Round Two Deliverables
- Playable game executable (at least one complete level)
- Written game summary
- Game instructions
- 3-5 minute game demo video
- Due November 14th at 5pm
IT Challenge – Round Two
- Case Study
- Due TBD
The Rewards
Ten Software Design, Twenty Game Design (ten in each category) and Ten IT Challenge Competitors will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the Imagine Cup US finals in April 2012 at the Microsoft Redmond Campus. First, Second and Third place teams will receive cash prizes. The winner of the US Software Design competition also will represent the US at the Imagine Cup World Finals at Sydney, Australia in July 2012. Mentors in Software Design and Game Design are also given paid travel to support their teams.
Imagine Cup competitors also get invaluable experience that is highly valued by recruiters. Many Imagine Cup competitors get interviews and job offers from Microsoft. Even if a student team doesn’t get selected as a finalist, they can add their experience to their resumes and may qualify for honorable mention, which can add important differentiation in today’s challenging job market.
Last year the first-place team in the Software Design category not only won a cash prize for the team members, they also won a $25,000 prize for their mentor’s department. This year, we are expanding the departmental sponsor grant award to include both Software Design and Game Design winners.
Resources
Thankyou for reading.
Dylan Ray Goelz
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Neumont University Game in a Day Challenge at Geex Expo in Salt Lake City, Utah
Event Details:
Friday October 14, 2010
10:00 AM – Theme Announcement and Game Idea Pitches, the contest theme is announced and participants pitch their ideas for games using the theme
11:00 AM – Team Organization, participants break into teams to work on the game ideas they like best
12:00 PM – Teams Start, the game making frenzy begins! Work continues until 9:00 PM that night.
Saturday October 15, 2010
12:00 PM – Teams Stop, hours of hard work come to an end, teams hand in their games along with screenshots or video
1:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Show Off, games are demoed and votes are cast
5:00 PM – Judging, the audience casts the final votes for their favorite games
6:00 PM – GEEX Award Ceremonies, winners are announced and awards presented
Monday, September 26, 2011
Fall events at Neumont University for prospective students
What:
Come explore the ins and outs of the Neumont project-based learning experience. TechTopia is where those with a passion for technology try their hand at what it takes to become an innovator in the growing world of computer science, yes it’s challenging, but not as challenging as lifting an X-wing out of a Dagobian swamp.Find out more
WHEN:
Friday, November 18, 2011, 4:00 PM - 10:00 PMWhere:
Neumont University campus10701 South River Front Parkway, (700 W. )
South Jordan, Utah
SCHEDULE:
4:00 PM - Arrive and Check-In
4:30 PM - Get your team assignments, your project challenge, and your equipment, then get to work
6:00 PM - Working dinner (we'll provide the pizza, just keep those nimble fingers buzzing across the keyboard, you've got a deadline)
9:30 PM - Presentations, judging, and prizes
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Neumont University to Host ACM Regional Competition
Neumont University is excited to host the 2011 Rocky Mountain Regional ACM Contest.
About ICPC
The ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) is a multitier, team-based, programming competition operating under the auspices of ACM and headquartered at Baylor University. The contest involves a global network of universities hosting regional competitions that advance teams to the ACM-ICPC World Finals.Participation has grown to several tens of thousands of the finest students and faculty in computing disciplines at almost 2,000 universities from over 80 countries on six continents. The contest fosters creativity, teamwork, and innovation in building new software programs, and enables students to test their ability to perform under pressure. Quite simply, it is the oldest, largest, and most prestigious programming contest in the world.
Friday, October 28:
3:00-6:00 Early check in (by appointment only)
6:00-7:15 Check in and Dinner out - see below
7:30-9:30 Check in and official practice time
Saturday, October 29:
8:30-9:30 Late check-in, continental breakfast, free lab time to warm up
9:30-9:45 Meeting for all participants
10:00-3:00 Competition / Lunch provided
3:00-3:30 Results calculation
3:30-4:30 Pizza party, door prizes, and results announced
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Neumont University Attracts Top Students
Excerpted from Utah Stories Magazineby Al Sachrov
How one Utah career college is attracting top U.S. students by teaching the skills that top tech companies are looking for.
Neumont University in Sandy…Hmmm…Do they have a football team? Nope. Do they have a homecoming parade? Unhunh. Are they a Playboy party school? Ixnay.What they do have is one of the top business technology schools in the country, with students averaging $60,000 in salary offers upon graduation.
It is small wonder that many area residents have not heard of Neumont. it has only 300 students, and 85 percent of these are from out of state. What attracts them is a passion for technology.
“A very specific student applies here,” said Communications Manager Stacy Cahoon Hughes. “At age 12 or so they were in the basement networking computers…Our students know from very early in life that IT is what they want.”
The school, which opened in 2004, accommodates them by offering a highly innovative program. It was conceived ty three Utahns – Graham Doxey, Scott McKinley and Marlow Enlund – who wanted to create a better way to motivate students. For starters it does away with the traditional four-year program and substitutes 10 quarters over 2 1/2 years. “Classes run ffrom 8 am to 5 pm for 500 days, making it a full-time job that runs at the pace of industry,” Hughes said.
Neumont recognizes that technology managers must get ideas across by helping to put the speak in a geek. “Spoken Communications” is thus a required course, along with “Collaborative and Interpersonal Communications.” Freshmen take three courses together in 25 day intensive “sprints.” In the second year, student teams work up to four hours a day partnered with companies such as Oracle and Novell to identify and solve real life corporate problems.
“It serves as a 10-week interview process. Or graduates have a full portfolio of work and many are hired by the companies they partnered with,” Hughes said. She added that firms wait for up to six months to hire individuals. But the school is more than just a factory production line. There is a strong sense of community as well, said second year student Luna Chong. “Everyone here is really supportive. Once I needed help on a project at 2 am. I knocked on someone’s door in the dorm who I didn’t even know, and they helped me! I really like it here.”
Neumont grads most likely will never be on the sports pages. The business pages will suit them just fine. Read more about the outstanding results Neumont graduates enjoy.
Read the story
Monday, September 19, 2011
Neumont to Participate in the GEEX Expo and Push Button Summit
Excerpted from a Press Release: Distributed, in SALT LAKE CITY, February 28, 2011 –
Grow Utah Ventures, Media One, Zions Bank and the State of Utah announced today Pushbutton 2011 Summit (www.pushbuttonsummit.com), a conference focusing on the intersection of technology and creativity in the digital media and gaming industries, specifically what the future holds for these booming markets.
Pushbutton Summit and the Gaming & Electronics Expo (GEEX) is Utah’s premier Digital Media and Gaming event. This three-day event will combine a world-class industry summit of lectures, panels, & tutorials with a high-energy expo showcasing the latest development tools, platforms, art and services. Pushbutton will be held October 2011 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Utah's Neumont University will host the 'Game in a Day Challenge', and a participants relaxation booth where Salt Lake Geex and hiring managers can stop by to learn more about Neumont's cutting-edge programs.
“Utah is a hotbed of opportunity for digital media and gaming developers and many of the worlds best publishers such as Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, Epic Games’ ChAIR Entertainment, SmartBomb Interactive, NinjaBee and Eat Sleep Play already call Utah home,” said T. Craig Bott, president & CEO of Grow Utah Ventures. “Pushbutton 2011 will bring together industry leaders, artists, developers, animators, entrepreneurs, students, investors and community executives to exchange ideas and shape the future of the industry.”
For information on Utah’s Digital Media Industry click here. The organizers of Pushbutton 2011, Grow Utah Ventures and Media One, will be at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, California on March 2 – 4, 2011 with the Utah “Life Elevated” team in the South Hall, booth #1824. Event organizers are available to discuss the conference, provide additional event details and provide information about the benefits of living in and doing business in Utah.
For more information about Pushbutton 2011 visit the Web site www.pushbuttonsummit.com.
About Pushbutton Summit and Gaming & Electronics Expo (GEEX)
The Pushbutton Summit and Gaming & Electronics Expo (GEEX) is a premier Digital Media & Gaming Event centered around the intersection of creativity & technology. Hosted in Utah & presented by Grow Utah Ventures & Media One, this three-day event will combine a world-class industry summit consisting of lectures, panels, & tutorials with a high-energy expo showcasing the latest development tools, platforms, art, and services. Its purpose is to bring together industry leaders, artists, developers, animators, entrepreneurs, students, investors, and community executives to exchange ideas, explore, and shape the future of the industry.
Grow Utah Ventures, Media One, Zions Bank and the State of Utah announced today Pushbutton 2011 Summit (www.pushbuttonsummit.com), a conference focusing on the intersection of technology and creativity in the digital media and gaming industries, specifically what the future holds for these booming markets.
Pushbutton Summit and the Gaming & Electronics Expo (GEEX) is Utah’s premier Digital Media and Gaming event. This three-day event will combine a world-class industry summit of lectures, panels, & tutorials with a high-energy expo showcasing the latest development tools, platforms, art and services. Pushbutton will be held October 2011 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Utah's Neumont University will host the 'Game in a Day Challenge', and a participants relaxation booth where Salt Lake Geex and hiring managers can stop by to learn more about Neumont's cutting-edge programs.
“Utah is a hotbed of opportunity for digital media and gaming developers and many of the worlds best publishers such as Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, Epic Games’ ChAIR Entertainment, SmartBomb Interactive, NinjaBee and Eat Sleep Play already call Utah home,” said T. Craig Bott, president & CEO of Grow Utah Ventures. “Pushbutton 2011 will bring together industry leaders, artists, developers, animators, entrepreneurs, students, investors and community executives to exchange ideas and shape the future of the industry.”
For information on Utah’s Digital Media Industry click here. The organizers of Pushbutton 2011, Grow Utah Ventures and Media One, will be at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, California on March 2 – 4, 2011 with the Utah “Life Elevated” team in the South Hall, booth #1824. Event organizers are available to discuss the conference, provide additional event details and provide information about the benefits of living in and doing business in Utah.
For more information about Pushbutton 2011 visit the Web site www.pushbuttonsummit.com.
About Pushbutton Summit and Gaming & Electronics Expo (GEEX)
The Pushbutton Summit and Gaming & Electronics Expo (GEEX) is a premier Digital Media & Gaming Event centered around the intersection of creativity & technology. Hosted in Utah & presented by Grow Utah Ventures & Media One, this three-day event will combine a world-class industry summit consisting of lectures, panels, & tutorials with a high-energy expo showcasing the latest development tools, platforms, art, and services. Its purpose is to bring together industry leaders, artists, developers, animators, entrepreneurs, students, investors, and community executives to exchange ideas, explore, and shape the future of the industry.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Utah Google Technology Users Group Meeting, Neumont Campus Tomorrow Night
The Utah Google Technology User Group, or otherwise known as the UGTUG, is the first Utah chapter and is centrally located to both the Salt Lake and Utah Valley of the state. The intent of our user group is to create a place of collaboration, innovation and learning. Our meetings are focused around the many different Google technologies such as Google Ajax apis, Android, GWT, AppEngine, and much more.
Utah Google Technology User's Group meets at the Neumont campus on the second Wednesday of every month. Details on this month's meeting:
Ever wanted an excuse to play with Lego's? Ever thought you were the next Mario Andretti? Well here's your chance! Come embrace your inner-child and learn how to build an Android application that remote controls a Lego Mindstorm.
Join us next Wednesday, September 14th as we will be learning about AppInventor for Android. We will be using this tool to build an application for android devices that will control the sensors and motors of a Lego Mindstorm. Everyone will get the opportunity to go hands on with the tool and the Mindstorm kits to build a robot and go head to head with others to compete for some great prizes!
This month, we are excited to announce that Lego will be sponsoring our event and has given us some great prizes to give away. You definitely won't want to miss out. We hope to see you there and be sure to invite a friend! As always we will have pizza and drinks, so please RSVP so we know if your coming.
Find out about all Neumont's community events at: http://www.neumont.edu/campusevents/index.html
Utah Google Technology User's Group meets at the Neumont campus on the second Wednesday of every month. Details on this month's meeting:
Ever wanted an excuse to play with Lego's? Ever thought you were the next Mario Andretti? Well here's your chance! Come embrace your inner-child and learn how to build an Android application that remote controls a Lego Mindstorm.
Join us next Wednesday, September 14th as we will be learning about AppInventor for Android. We will be using this tool to build an application for android devices that will control the sensors and motors of a Lego Mindstorm. Everyone will get the opportunity to go hands on with the tool and the Mindstorm kits to build a robot and go head to head with others to compete for some great prizes!
This month, we are excited to announce that Lego will be sponsoring our event and has given us some great prizes to give away. You definitely won't want to miss out. We hope to see you there and be sure to invite a friend! As always we will have pizza and drinks, so please RSVP so we know if your coming.
Find out about all Neumont's community events at: http://www.neumont.edu/campusevents/index.html
Monday, September 12, 2011
Neumont Named Among Innovative Colleges for Ambitious Techies
Innovative Colleges for Ambitious Techies
When applying to college some may feel limited to the four-year university or the community college. Recognizing that many students want to finish their degree quickly and get out into the workforce, many schools have begun offering accelerated degrees online in recent years. However, it seems there is something to be lost in the virtual school: interaction with professors and classmates, and even the recognition of potential employers in many instances. To fill this apparent gap in the world of higher education, the last decade has seen the introduction of a new sort of school that has accelerated programs, is nationally accredited, and is not online.
In the Salt Lake City suburb of South Jordan, one will find a pioneering computer science school called Neumont University. Founded in 2002, Neumont offers a two and a half year program, awarding Bachelors of Science degrees in Computer Science, Software and Game Development, Business Technology, Operations Management, and Web Design and Development. “Neumont is on the cutting edge of technology,” said former student body president, Joshua Bambrick. “We were testing Microsoft's Visual Studio 2010 a year before it was released and were teaching HTML 5 and CSS 3 just after it came out.” However, Neumont is not for the faint of heart; with students taking as many as 18 to24 credits per quarter, the year-round schedule can be quite rigorous. But for the ambitious techie, the payoff is pretty amazing.
Specializing in the digital arts, Ex’pression College is conveniently located just across the bay from San Francisco, California. It too has an accelerated curriculum, awarding degrees in just over two and a half years. Ex’pression College for Digital Arts CEO, Dan Levinson explained the rationale of the school, that the more quickly students are in the work place, the more apt their skills will be toward the work place. Ex’pression offers programs in Animation and Visual Effects, Digital Filmmaking, Game Art and Design, Interaction Design, Interactive Audio, Motion Graphic Design, and Sound Arts. Challenged by the cross-media education, students spend hours in lab editing movies and fine-tuning animations as they work toward top-tier positions in the entertainment industry.
These colleges have effectively all the same elements of a more traditional school, but allow students to graduate in half the time. Obviously they are career-oriented and focus on the practical application of what students learn in the classroom, but by no means are they vocational schools. Both Neumont and Ex’pression have general education requirements similar to those of other major universities. What distinguishes these schools, therefore, is not that they lack something, but that they understand what it takes to be competitive in the Information Age. In fact, before graduating, every Neumont student will have interned with three different “enterprise partners,” a few of which include eBay, IBM, and Nike. On the same level, eligible Ex’pression students participate in internships with local companies, and frequently receive offers from them upon graduation.
While these schools may seem to many like the perfect happy medium between four year colleges and online degrees, students may be concerned about what employers think of such accelerated programs, and whether they are considered comparable to computer science degrees from more traditional schools. “Ex’pression has a very good reputation with employers in the Bay Area,” said Levinson. “They see that students who go to Ex’pression know what it’s like not to sleep.” In such a demanding field, that is often what it takes to get the work done. “Our schedule is rigorous and intense,” said Miwa Kozuki, Ex’pression College Marketing Director, “similar to what it's like to work in these industries, so students are used to it already.”
In looking at the numbers alone, one can see that a degree from Neumont University is equally promising. The starting salary for Neumont graduates averages $61,000, and 93% have jobs within 6 months of graduation (that’s still an entire year before the typical student would even finish). “I don't graduate until December and I already have companies lining up to interview me,” said Bambrick. “In five days, I had seven interviews with companies who flew to Neumont to interview me. The week before, I had an interview with a different company every day.”
Some prospective students may be concerned about how such degrees would be received by graduate programs. Ensuring the successful transfer of credits and accreditation of schools are common concerns among many undergrads. Yet, Ex’pression’s national accreditation has not prevented students from being accepted to graduate programs at prestigious regionally accredited institutions, explained Levinson, including NYU. Similarly, a degree from Neumont University is recognized by Carnegie Mellon’s graduate school of computer science. Although the decision always lies with the receiving institution, more often than not, employers and other universities unreservedly recognize the merit of these curriculums upon speaking to the students and seeing just how much they know.
In a difficult economy and in such a competitive industry, thousands of students have already discovered and are taking advantage of this relatively new educational option. Unlike other computer science and digital arts programs, these schools offer a curriculum that is more hands on, and less theory. “You trade a traditional university experience of chalk board lectures and all night frat parties for a nontraditional experience filled with cutting edge technologies, industry level projects, and a degree that will land you a rewarding job,” explained Bambrick. While four years may seem like a reasonable amount of time to many, it’s simply wasted time for those eager to dive into the ever-evolving world of computers.
For more information on these schools, visit www.neumont.edu and www.expression.edu.
In the Salt Lake City suburb of South Jordan, one will find a pioneering computer science school called Neumont University. Founded in 2002, Neumont offers a two and a half year program, awarding Bachelors of Science degrees in Computer Science, Software and Game Development, Business Technology, Operations Management, and Web Design and Development. “Neumont is on the cutting edge of technology,” said former student body president, Joshua Bambrick. “We were testing Microsoft's Visual Studio 2010 a year before it was released and were teaching HTML 5 and CSS 3 just after it came out.” However, Neumont is not for the faint of heart; with students taking as many as 18 to24 credits per quarter, the year-round schedule can be quite rigorous. But for the ambitious techie, the payoff is pretty amazing.
Specializing in the digital arts, Ex’pression College is conveniently located just across the bay from San Francisco, California. It too has an accelerated curriculum, awarding degrees in just over two and a half years. Ex’pression College for Digital Arts CEO, Dan Levinson explained the rationale of the school, that the more quickly students are in the work place, the more apt their skills will be toward the work place. Ex’pression offers programs in Animation and Visual Effects, Digital Filmmaking, Game Art and Design, Interaction Design, Interactive Audio, Motion Graphic Design, and Sound Arts. Challenged by the cross-media education, students spend hours in lab editing movies and fine-tuning animations as they work toward top-tier positions in the entertainment industry.
These colleges have effectively all the same elements of a more traditional school, but allow students to graduate in half the time. Obviously they are career-oriented and focus on the practical application of what students learn in the classroom, but by no means are they vocational schools. Both Neumont and Ex’pression have general education requirements similar to those of other major universities. What distinguishes these schools, therefore, is not that they lack something, but that they understand what it takes to be competitive in the Information Age. In fact, before graduating, every Neumont student will have interned with three different “enterprise partners,” a few of which include eBay, IBM, and Nike. On the same level, eligible Ex’pression students participate in internships with local companies, and frequently receive offers from them upon graduation.
While these schools may seem to many like the perfect happy medium between four year colleges and online degrees, students may be concerned about what employers think of such accelerated programs, and whether they are considered comparable to computer science degrees from more traditional schools. “Ex’pression has a very good reputation with employers in the Bay Area,” said Levinson. “They see that students who go to Ex’pression know what it’s like not to sleep.” In such a demanding field, that is often what it takes to get the work done. “Our schedule is rigorous and intense,” said Miwa Kozuki, Ex’pression College Marketing Director, “similar to what it's like to work in these industries, so students are used to it already.”
In looking at the numbers alone, one can see that a degree from Neumont University is equally promising. The starting salary for Neumont graduates averages $61,000, and 93% have jobs within 6 months of graduation (that’s still an entire year before the typical student would even finish). “I don't graduate until December and I already have companies lining up to interview me,” said Bambrick. “In five days, I had seven interviews with companies who flew to Neumont to interview me. The week before, I had an interview with a different company every day.”
Some prospective students may be concerned about how such degrees would be received by graduate programs. Ensuring the successful transfer of credits and accreditation of schools are common concerns among many undergrads. Yet, Ex’pression’s national accreditation has not prevented students from being accepted to graduate programs at prestigious regionally accredited institutions, explained Levinson, including NYU. Similarly, a degree from Neumont University is recognized by Carnegie Mellon’s graduate school of computer science. Although the decision always lies with the receiving institution, more often than not, employers and other universities unreservedly recognize the merit of these curriculums upon speaking to the students and seeing just how much they know.
In a difficult economy and in such a competitive industry, thousands of students have already discovered and are taking advantage of this relatively new educational option. Unlike other computer science and digital arts programs, these schools offer a curriculum that is more hands on, and less theory. “You trade a traditional university experience of chalk board lectures and all night frat parties for a nontraditional experience filled with cutting edge technologies, industry level projects, and a degree that will land you a rewarding job,” explained Bambrick. While four years may seem like a reasonable amount of time to many, it’s simply wasted time for those eager to dive into the ever-evolving world of computers.
For more information on these schools, visit www.neumont.edu and www.expression.edu.
Friday, September 2, 2011
University Venture Fund Information Session on Neumont Campus
University Venture Fund will be holding an information session next Wednesday, September 7th, at noon in room 200. All interested students are invited to attend.
The University Venture Fund (UVF) is the largest student-run venture capital fund in the world, with over $18 million under management. Similarly to Neumont's approach to learning, student interns at UVF get hands-on experience analyzing companies, meeting with other investors and entrepreneurs, and making real investments in some of the best start-up companies in the country. To date, UVF students made 23 investments, including a few notable Utah companies like Omniture and Instructure.
If you want to learn what it takes to raise venture financing for your future business or just learn from some of the best technology entrepreneurs and investors in the country, then please join us for our information session September 7th. Additional information can be found at http://www.uventurefund.com/about. Applications are due September 14th by midnight at http://www.uventurefund.com/about/apply.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Neumont Course Registration for Computer Science and Technology Management Programs
Registration for Fall Quarter ‘11 opens Tuesday, September 6th. This e-mail includes the information you’ll need in order to make the best registration choices for next quarter, and the duration of your time at Neumont.
General Guidelines
· Please refer to the Fall Quarter Course Schedule for details on specific courses, such as class meeting times and sprint.
· Students are STRONGLY advised to take the recommended schedule for their cohort exactly as listed on the course schedule—nothing more, nothing less. If you have questions about that schedule or have failed classes, consult the expert: Alice Nguyen. (While your friends mean well, they are not registration experts and taking a class out of turn could have serious, negative consequences on your progress towards graduation or your eligibility for financial aid.)
· If your courses have multiple sections (A, B, C), please make sure to register for matching sections. That is, all of your courses should be A, or B, or C.
· On-line registration closes Monday, October 3, at which time Late Registration fees will be in effect.
· As always, academic advising is available to all students. If you would like to talk about your Fall Quarter schedule or your progress toward graduation, simply schedule an appointment with Alice by adding your name to the appointment sheets on her office door.
Registration Schedule
Based on the number of credits you have earned by the end of Summer Quarter 2011, Sprint 1, your registration window opens at the following time:
- Tuesday, September 6, 7:00 AM, 135+ credits earned
- Wednesday, September 7, ,7:00 AM, 90+ credits earned
- Thursday, September 8, 7:00 AM, 45+ credits earned
- Friday, September 9, 7:00 AM, All others
Project Course Registration
If you register for a course with a project component (such as CSC160) you will automatically be registered for the appropriate project course. If you are in your final quarters of Enterprise Projects, you will automatically be registered for Marketing Your Personal Brand.
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Progress toward Graduation
Cohorts 23 – 25, check your Degree Progress Audit for courses needed to graduate.
All Cohorts before Cohort 23, check with Alice Nguyen on your courses needed to graduate (or Larry Crandall if you have one or two quarters before graduation).
Questions?
If you have any questions about registration or the Degree Progress Audit, please contact us at advising@neumont.edu.
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