By Lookout Staff

April 13, 2026 -- Santa Monica College (SMC) received State approval to launch a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree program in Cloud Computing that will help fill a regional demand for jobs that can pay more than $150,000 a year.

The four-year B.S. degree -- SMC’s second after launching a program in Interaction Design (IxD) in 2015 -- will build on "the success and foundation" of the school's lower-division cloud computing curriculum.

The current program developed and launched in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers a short-term department certificate, a certificate of achievement, and an Associate degree option in the fast-growing field.

According to AWS, cloud computing is "the on-demand delivery of IT resources over the Internet with pay-as-you-go pricing."

"The advent of cloud computing transformed the IT landscape, enabling businesses to leverage computing services via cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure," SMC officials said.

The new B.S. program "was slated to meet strong demand for software developers and cloud-related occupations" in the LA region, which is projected to see 2,777 annual job openings, according to a recent labor market study.

Commissioned by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, the study found that 65 percent of workers in the field are required to have a four-year degree.

The study also found that the median annual earnings in the field exceed $150,000, with annual salaries ranging from a median of $80,917 for a cloud network engineer to $178,000 for a consultant.

“This new baccalaureate degree marks an important moment for Santa Monica College, in fulfilling our mission of continuing to be a leader in preparing students for careers, as well as transfers,” said SMC Superintendent/President Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery.

“SMC, with its longstanding record of academic rigor and comprehensive student support, is uniquely positioned to train students in this innovative field.

"And by providing a highly affordable pathway that will meet regional needs while enabling our students -- who come from diverse backgrounds -- to thrive, now, that is a win-win!” Jefferey said.

The new B.S. program was designed to align with industry-recognized certifications and “prepares students to transition from the college into high-demand roles that employers desperately need and have a hard time filling,” said Howard Stahl, the chair of SMC’s Computer Science & Information Systems Department.

“Our faculty, in collaboration with industry partners, have built a curriculum that emphasizes applied learning, combines hands-on tools, industry technologies, best practices, and pairs it with a real-world capstone project to prepare our graduates for a fantastic future in tech,” said Stahl, who helped develop the curriculum.

For California residents, the cost of the B.S. degree in cloud computing -- not including financial aid -- is an estimated $10,000 a year, "making it one of the most affordable four-year options in the field available in the region" school officials said.

SMC’s Bachelor of Science in Cloud Computing is expected to launch in Fall 2027. Prospective students can fill out an interest form at smc.edu/Cloud to receive updates on program launch timelines, course offerings, and more.