On Oct. 9 at 11 a.m., Coastal Carolina University and the HTC Honors College and Center for Interdisciplinary Studies launched the Women in Technology graduate certificate.

This 16-credit graduate certificate has been created in response to the immediate need in the technology industry to help professionals in the field work through the complex issues facing companies who are trying to recruit underrepresented groups into their workforce.

The program provides degree-seeking and non-degree seeking students a complex understanding of culture, workplace dynamics, and leadership in technology. Using an interdisciplinary lens, students will study the business environment and culture of the technology industry, particularly focused on the ways in which gender, race, and class intersect to shape the experiences of women and other underrepresented groups in the industry.

Students will develop essential skills needed to become successful leaders and managers within this rapidly expanding field. As part of the program, students may choose to pursue certification in Swift, the programming language created by Apple for building iOS apps, or pursue a technology skill development track.

"This graduate certificate is meant to immediately address needs in the industry for women to have the leadership and technology skills required to advance," said Sara Hottinger, dean of the HTC Honors College.

Learn more at coastal.edu/honorscollege.