The Software Quality Assurance and Testing, 2-year Ontario College Graduate Certificate prepares university and college graduates for dynamic careers in the development and maintenance of software with a focus on Canadian-based organizations. This program is designed to provide students with essential skills that include testing paradigms, methodologies, security fundamentals and tools to support quality assurance in the lifecycle of software development.
In the program, students study a wide range of topics that ready them for testing software during the development cycle, collaboration with software developers, product engineers and support teams within an organization along with facilitating end-users. In the first year, students develop foundational skills for success in the Canadian workplace by focusing on data governance and privacy and security in the development and testing of software used in Canada. Core skills are taught to work in areas such as systems integration, interpreting performance test results, preparing technical reports and enabling automation for optimal efficiency. In the second year, students continue to grow in their development by honing core practical skills in preparation for the co-op work term.
Graduates of the program prepare for a career working in any industry where organizations develop software as a primary business or supporting their goods and services. Roles include software quality and test engineer, systems design verification technologist, application integration specialist and software automated test developer.
This Lambton College program is licensed to and delivered by Queen's College (PDF), a licensed private career college in Mississauga, Ontario. Students that are registered at Lambton in Mississauga are students of a public college and as such, will receive full
credit from Lambton College for all Lambton College courses completed at the Queen's College campus in Mississauga. Students who meet program graduation requirements will graduate with a credential from Lambton College. Students may be scheduled to have classes on Saturdays.
See Course List
Admission Requirements
A university degree in Computer Programming, Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Development or related discipline.
The admissions process is competitive and meeting the minimum academic requirements does not guarantee admission.
Lambton College reserves the right to alter information including admission requirements and to cancel at any time a program or course; to change the location and/or term in which a program or course is offered; to change the program curriculum as necessary
to meet current competencies or changes in the job market; to change the pathways third-party certification bodies; or to withdraw an offer of admission both prior to and after its acceptance by an applicant or student because of insufficient applications
or registrations or over-acceptance of offers of admission. In the event Lambton College exercises such a right, Lambton College’s sole liability will be the return of monies paid by the applicant or student to Lambton College.
English Language Requirements
Applicants must demonstrate language proficiency by submitting one of the following scores:
- IELTS of 6.5
- TOEFL iBT 79
- Passed Lambton Institute of English placement test
Please Note: IELTS is the only proficiency score accepted by the Study Direct Stream (SDS) program. Additional country-specific requirements may also be applicable.
Meeting the minimum English requirements does not guarantee admission. Students with higher English proficiency scores will receive priority in the admission assessment process.
Technology Requirements
In order to keep pace with the requirements of each and every course in your program, it is mandatory to own a reliable laptop to complete tests and assignments.
Course List
SCU-3603: Introduction to Canadian Culture
By 2032, new immigrants will account for up to 80% of Canada's population growth, and one in four Canadians will have been born in another country (Business Development Centre, 2022). The importance of developing personal and professional competencies is required for long-term success as citizens, as well as employees in Canadian workplace environments. Students in this course engage in a series of activities that deepen their knowledge of Canadian culture. Topics such as geography, history and Indigenous perspectives are studied. Throughout the curriculum, students develop a greater understanding of how people, events and forces have impacted the development of Canada as a nation and how this shapes the greater society of today.
SQT-1023: Canadian Data Governance and Privacy
Data Governance is the set of processes establishing how an organization collects, manages, and archives its important data assets. Learn how to classify data to understand how it should be secured within a software system and ensure that during testing, the governance is adhered to. This course will include learning about Canadian privacy laws from an information technology perspective - the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA).
COM-3013: Professional Communications
This course is designed for international students with diplomas or degrees. It focuses on polishing communications skills acquired through one's academic career and workplace experience. Through various business writing and speaking scenarios, students learn Canadian business practices and communication styles. Close attention is paid to proper incorporation of the intellectual property of others to ensure academic integrity. Students will practice organized and dynamic speaking and will strive for polished business documents.
CIS-2113: Business Technologies A Canadian Perspective
This course examines emerging information technologies and their role in the world of business. While students are provided with opportunities for hands-on experience with a variety of applications, such as VoIP, the main emphasis is on gaining an understanding of how particular technologies are disrupting traditional business methods and workflow. The course topics are divided into three general areas. The first area is a high-level look at complex trends like social media and the Internet of Things. The second includes both enabling technologies like machine learning and business practices like search engine optimization, along with the impact it's having on digital marketing. The third places technology in a wider market context by providing students with an overview of regulatory issues and privacy risks for business.
SQT-2023: Security Testing
Students learn and apply fundamental security testing concepts and how to apply these concepts within a software development lifecycle. Topics studied include vulnerability scanning, risk assessment, penetration testing and security auditing. The concepts of cybersecurity and zero- trust will be the philosophy for this course as it relates to testing software and ensuring that production releases have met security standards.
SQT-1053: Software Engineering Principles
The principles taught in this course demonstrate software design, software development issues, software documentation and technical communication that the industry demands. Topics studied include specification writing for system development and testing, code development and software maintenance. In addition, students analyze system requirements, problem solve for optimal solutions, select appropriate solution compromises, and the common software trade-offs.
SQT-1003: Software Programming
This course introduces students to an object-oriented language to acquire programming concepts and develop programs to solve business problems. Topics studied include the concepts of declaring variables, arithmetic, decisions, iterative loops, arrays and collections. In addition, problem solving techniques using logical solutions with either pseudo code and/or flowcharting to design the logic of the program are also studied.
SQT-2043: Developing Quality Applications
Students apply testing and application development skills to create software applications emphasizing quality. Topics studied include building software systems, creating the proper documentation, and thoroughly testing applications. The hands-on lab will demonstrate the differences between functionality and features while reviewing the design requirements.
SQT-2003: User Experience Evaluation for Canadian Organization
The focus of this course is from the end-user perspective. Students practice test and behaviour-driven design techniques and usability testing. Topics studied include the understanding of software testing fundamentals while seeking feedback from potential users throughout the design lifecycle to improve the interactive user experience (UX) with the final product. An emphasis on Canadian language, spelling and units is the underlying theme for this course to ensure fine details are considered.
SQT-1033: Software Testing Tools
Content related to software quality, emphasizing applications that can assist developers and testers in performing manual or automated tests, is explored. Topics studied include critical thinking skills to understand better risk, risk assessment and measures of software complexity. In addition, students learn various test activities starting from planning, requirement gathering, build creation, test execution, defect logging and test reports using JIRA and HP-ALM.
SQT-1043: Software Testing Methodologies
Agile, Waterfall, Verification and Validation (V-Model), Incremental, Spiral and XP (Extreme Programming) are main software testing methodologies, and these are examined in this course. Topics studied include a wide variety of testing types, including black-box, white-box, unit, integration, regression, sanity, acceptance, and many more.
SQT-1063: Automation Testing
Automation Testing is a technique to compare the actual outcome with the expected result by writing test scripts or using any automation testing tool. Students learn coding techniques on how to transform a specific test scenario into a class method and how to call them in a specific sequence in a way that satisfies the requirements. This course covers core Java, Web driver, Selenium Framework, JUnit, TestNG, Jenkins and more.
SQT-1013: Systems Analysis and Design
Students learn the skills directly related to Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) - a framework that defines the steps involved in the development of software at each phase is presented. Curriculum focuses on the detailed plan for building, deploying and maintaining the software. In addition, students examine and compare several other development methodologies.
JSS-1001: Job Search and Success
This course is designed to give the student an understanding of how to conduct a job search and how to succeed in the work place. This includes self-reflection, effectively designing a cover letter and resume, online job searches utilizing social media, behavioural based interviewing as well as marketing oneself effectively in a job interview. Job safety, successful work strategies and harassment and discrimination plan of action is also discussed.
CIS-4103: Canadian Project Management Fundamentals
One of the most in-demand IT skills today isn't really an IT skill: it's Project Management. As more and more demands are placed on IT departments, there is more demand for Canadians who understand and can manage in a project-based environment. Using the principles as defined in accepted industry Project Management standards, this course provides a hands-on framework for how to initiate, plan, execute, monitor and control, and close a project. Through lectures, labs and assignments, students look at all stages of project development with an eye to the tips and tricks that do a successful project. In addition, this course prepares students to challenge the CompTIA Project+ or the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® certification exams. CAPM and PMI are registered marks of the Project Management Institute.
SQT-2013: Functional and Non-Functional Testing
The skills taught in this course provides content directly related to functional and non-functional requirements of software applications and systems. Topics studied include the understanding of functional testing verifying that each function of the software application operates in conformance with the business requirements unit, integration, smoke and acceptance testing. Non-functional testing is focused on the operational aspects of the software, such as performance, load, scalability and availability.
SQT-2033: Database Testing
This course provides content directly related to database and database application testing topics including structural testing, ACID properties, data mappings, data generation, data integrity, data validity and data manipulation. Topics studied include how database application testing differs from traditional application testing. Testing database objects such as triggers, stored procedures and indexes will also be discussed.
SQT-3043: Mobile Application Testing
The emergence of smart phones and tablets have placed greater reliance on mobile applications. This course focuses on mobile web, native and hybrid apps for both Android and iOS platforms. As mobile apps are closely tied to the hardware, testing will involve understanding cellular data, GPS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi interaction. Current mobile application testing tools will be introduced with a hands-on lab to gain exposure for testing quality and functionality.
SQT-2063: Quality Assurance of Cloud Applications
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services such as servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence over the Internet offering faster innovation and economies of scale. Applications developed on the cloud are now preferred choices as low or no code solutions offer rapid time to go live with a system. This course will explore Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure platforms for a study of how applications are developed while focusing on how testing in these environments is conducted.
BUS-1603: Entrepreneurial Mindset
This course introduces students, through a Canadian lens, to the development of an entrepreneurial mindset. The ability to think like an entrepreneur and act like an innovator are critical skills for success across industries and are proven tools to help distinguish individuals in the workplace. Whether applied in a start-up company, or as an employee within an existing organization (intrapreneurship), learners develop knowledge on how to navigate barriers to creating, developing, and sustaining innovative new initiatives. Topics related to the development of resilience, focus, productivity, creativity, and success are introduced to support learners in building their own entrepreneurial capacity.
SQT-2053: Capstone Project for Software Testing
As a culmination of the program, students work on simulated software projects offering Use Cases, Systems Analysis, Test Strategy, Test Methodologies (functional and non-functional), Test Case documents, results and test plans.
CPL-1049: Work Term - Full-Time*
Co-operative education provides students with the opportunity to apply classroom learning to the workplace, undertake career sampling and gain valuable work experience that may assist students in leveraging employment after graduation. For further information regarding co-op, please refer to: https://www.lambtoncollege.ca/co-op_and_career/
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CPL-5559: WIL Project
Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Project is aimed at enriching students by connecting different program areas of study, cutting across subject-matter lines, and emphasizing unifying concepts. The focus of the WIL Project is to make connections between study and industry by engaging students in relevant and meaningful activities that are connected to and practiced within the professional workplace. WIL Project allows students to enhance and strengthen their employability prospects post-graduation by fine tuning skills and knowledge and meeting the expectations of today's employers. Students are required to attend the scheduled shifts in the WIL office, reporting to the WIL Supervisor. Weekly real-world challenges are presented in the WIL office, designed by industry professionals. In addition to the weekly assigned deliverables, students are also offered professional development sessions, and exposed to industry guest speakers, enhancing their opportunity to develop their professional network.
*In order to be eligible to participate in a full-time Co-op Work Term (CPL-1049) students must have a GPA of 2.8 or greater.
Failing to do so will require the students to enroll in CPL-5559 WIL Project at an additional cost to the student.
See the Costs tab for current fees.
Program Maps
Students are required to follow their prescribed program map and are not allowed to take unscheduled breaks for any reason.
Current Students
Current students can view program maps from previous years on the mylambton website.
You will need to login with your C# and password in order to access your program map.
Employment Opportunities
Career positions may include, but are not limited to:
- Software Design Verification Engineer
- Software Testing Engineer
- Quality Assurance Technician
- Software QA Tester
- Software Testing Analyst
For information about post-graduate work eligibility for international students, please review the Post-Graduate Work Permit Program information.