Software Development - Newport News

College, Community & Careers

Some of the nation's original "software" came out of Newport News, hundreds of years ago.

Long before Ada Lovelace and others tinkered with computing engines, sailing ships leaving Newport News breezed along with locally made sails of canvas. Some of this glorious past is still preserved at The Mariner's Museum and Park in Newport News, over on Museum Drive. In its collections are paintings of sail lofts, tools of the sailmaker's trade, and more. Okay, so saying that sails were software may seem a stretch, but Newport News and its shipyards also produced the real software of many ships, the navigational aids and trained navigators that got a whaler or navy frigate where it needed to go.

Software Development Today

Newport News, with respect for its historic past as a shipbuilding and sailing center, looks to a strong future on the interconnected electronic superhighway of commerce. Software development helps companies navigate e-commerce as surely as those navigators of yore did with sextant and compass. Newport News again is at the forefront of this new wave of innovation, with dozens of local high tech companies and many federal and state institutions benefiting from talented, locally educated software developers.

Newport News companies with international exposure like CGI and Huntington Ingalls Industries always need qualified software developers to develop new software solutions for mixed platforms, and they're looking for those ready to take on complex coding challenges.

Train Locally to be a Software Developer

One avenue to software development training in Newport News is ECPI University's local campus, at 1001 Omni Boulevard. The campus nestles in the busy heart of the city, helping students feel like they are part of the community. By attending the Newport News campus, students can earn bachelor's degree with a concentration in software development in only 2.5 years.

Classes are conveniently scheduled around typical working adults' lives, so a few hours' study every week in ECPI University's innovative, practical learning environment can prepare you for entry-level work as a software developer.

Make Local Connections

Because ECPI University works with local businesses to forge partnerships, you can get your software development education and potentially apply your skills with these companies while still attending school:

  • Ball Corporation
  • Electronic Systems
  • Insignia Technology Services
  • Zel Technologies

You can also benefit from the strong community connections ECPI University makes with local charitable organizations. Your life is more than just classes, and feeling part of the Newport News family can make your time at ECPI University richer. You can help local causes such as the Food Bank of the Virginia Peninsula, or Girls Get IT.

Local Employment

Newport News is remarkably rich with companies big and small, all needing software to keep their operations running smoothly. At first glance, software development seems a natural fit for companies like Zel Technologies, Network Data Systems, or CGI, but other local firms need the talents of software developers, too. Companies like Anheuser-Busch and Liebherr Mining Equipment have machinery and products that require software development and programming.

Working as a Software Developer

Thanks to the Internet of Things (IoT), platforms for software have grown almost explosively over the past decade. Wearable technology, “smart” devices in homes and on vehicles, and workplace automation all depend on software. That software must be developed by teams of software developers working across multiple platforms and under tight parameters. The resulting software must be rugged and reliable.

Because of the pressure of deadlines, budgets and competition, software developers enjoy high status in today's job market. They must be fluent in several programming languages so software architects can rely on them to pick the right language for each application. The web-connected refrigerator does not need the same control as sophisticated medical diagnostic equipment, for example.

To get a thorough education in all the different software environments, today's student needs a school that can speak the language and provide the practical training in many facets of software development:

  • Cloud application development
  • Database design and development
  • Mobile app development
  • Networks
  • Object-oriented programming
  • Software engineering
  • Software logic and design
  • Web application development
  • Web interface design

Software Development Careers in Newport News

Upon graduation from ECPI University, the software developer with a bachelor's in software development may look to local companies for ground-level employment:

  • Newport News Shipbuilding
  • Huntington-Ingalls
  • Bosh Global Services
  • Northrop-Grumman

Newport News and the surrounding area offer many positions for software developers in companies working for the United States government, in defense, intelligence, education and other services.

Fill Your Mind, Fill Your Sails in Newport News

To begin your path to a strong future as a software developer, contact ECPI University's Newport News campus today to learn more about the Bachelor of Science degree in Computer and Information Science with a concentration in Software Development. The future could be smooth sailing.