The southern San Francisco Bay Area of California, known as Silicon Valley, is home to many global technology companies as well as thousands of start-ups, both some that have experienced tremendous success and some that have not. Recognized as the tech capitol of the world, Silicon Valley consistently attracts bright minds and exciting companies to make their mark in the world. There has hardly been another American city to rival the vibrant economy of Silicon Valley…until now.
Within the past five or so years, Charleston has affectionately been dubbed Silicon Harbor, a nod suggesting Charleston is the East Coast equivalent of Silicon Valley. Could this historic, southern city with much more affordable housing and a slower pace of life really have a technology industry to rival that of San Francisco? Well, let’s take a look at the facts:
- Charleston is home to more than 250 tech companies
- Charleston is the #1 mid-sized US metro area for IT job growth
- Tech jobs equate to about 3% of the jobs in the region
- Tech jobs account for 5% of the area’s payroll
It’s important to note that these statistics are not diminishing over the years. In fact, it’s quire the opposite, and, as a result, this robust job market has an average of 28 people moving to the Charleston area every day. The metro Charleston area is growing at a rate three times the national average. Wouldn’t it be ideal to earn a graduate degree in an area that has such significant demand for workers? Not only for securing a position after graduation, but the internship and degree-relevant employment opportunities while you earn your degree are vast, enhancing the educational experience.
The College of Charleston takes the responsibility of producing talent very seriously. We want nothing more than to be able to recruit and train the workers that helps make this city so dynamic and economically strong.
What types of graduate programs are available to capitalize on this booming tech industry? The College of Charleston offers a variety of graduate programs that align with the needs of the local tech industry, including:
- M.S. in Computer and Information Sciences
- M.S. in Data Science and Analytics
- M.B.A.
- M.S. in Mathematical Sciences
- M.S. Environmental and Sustainable Studies
- Cybersecurity Graduate Certificate
- Information Systems Graduate Certificate
- Operations Research Graduate Certificate
- Software Engineering Graduate Certificate
- Statistics Graduate Certificate
Interested in learning more about Silicon Harbor or capitalizing on the demand for the qualified tech industry workers? Contact us to learn more about the programs we offer and the opportunities available to you.
