The COSMIC program is an opportunity for post-graduate students facing underemployment status to pursue careers in IT and computing. The two-year graduate program caters to those who don’t have a degree in computing but wish to move into the field. It is open to anyone with a bachelor’s degree, regardless of educational background, professional background, age or technological experience.
COSMIC (Change Opportunity — Start Masters in Computing) provides students with the knowledge and skills for jobs in the rapidly growing field of computer and information technology. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment in these careers is projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations from 2022 to 2032, with about 377,500 openings projected each year.
Denise Sanchez, an alumna of the COSMIC program, was a substitute teacher with a BA in secondary education of Spanish, math, and English before she discovered the program.
“I was constantly being asked to sub versus being brought on full-time,” Sanchez says. “I was looking for something else, and my then partner told me that since I was good with computers, and I should look for something in that area.”
Due to her experiences as an educator, Sanchez was primarily interested in an emphasis in cyber defense and information. There were constant issues with cybersecurity within the classroom, and she knew that she wanted to help make technology safer – not only for teachers, but for everyone online.
Throughout the COSMIC program, Sanchez had the help of countless teachers, mentors, and peers of all ages to guide her.
“With Marquette, they offered the program in terms of taking care of the whole person,” Sanchez says. “They really want to focus on your success as an individual and a student.”
Upon graduation, Sanchez was hired at Ford Motor Co., where she still works today. She attributes much of her success with computing to the COSMIC program.
“If you’re on the edge about doing it or not doing it, definitely do it. If I were to do it again, I would,” she says.
Dianne Williams, another COSMIC alumna, has also benefited greatly from the program. At the time of her career change, she was an eighth-grade math teacher with a bachelor’s in psychology and an master’s in education coming face-to-face with the rapidly evolving school system.
“To move ahead or grow in that area was really, really challenging,” Williams says. “At the time, there was a big need for people in computing fields, and so when I heard about the COSMIC program, it felt doable.”
Williams felt the transition from teaching math to computing was attainable, and she enrolled in the program after nearly 15 years in education.
With the help of mentors, teachers, advisors and staff, she excelled in the program and was awarded a scholarship and internship from Intel. When she graduated, Williams worked at Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute as a junior data analyst before moving to Uline as a direct marketing analyst. Today, she works in the City of Milwaukee Health Department as a data and evaluation coordinator.
When asked about the program, Williams had one piece of advice: “Just try. I can promise anybody, if they do not give up, they will graduate and be so happy.”
While the COSMIC program is not the only post-graduate career change opportunity in computer science, its bridge course helps it stand out. While other universities require six to 12 months before students can move into the main program, COSMIC only requires one semester, making it one of the fastest master’s in computer and information science career-change programs in the country.
The COSMIC program is currently open for summer semester applications for in-person and online options. Those interested should email Md. Tahmidul Islam Molla, Dr. Niharika Jain or Dr. Praveen Madiraju for more information.
