The course is designed to provide students with a sound background in structured programming logic and design. These foundational concepts can be applied regardless of which programming languages a student eventually uses to write programs. The demonstration language for programming concepts will be Microsoft Visual Basic. The course covers the key mathematical and logical constructs that are the basis of much programming. Topics include the software development life cycle, particularly the programming phase; structured programming techniques; problem-solving and algorithm development; decision control structures, including selection (IF/CASE) and repetition (looping) structures; variables and arrays; and data structures. Proficiency in Excel is necessary for success in this course.