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There are not enough course hours in the undergraduate program for students to become fluent in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, economics, the liberal

There are not enough course hours in the undergraduate program for students to become fluent in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, economics, the liberal arts (very important), and computer science. A fifth year (that is, a Masters degree) allows for a more complete program. And, somewhere along the line, there needs to be some time for a research project where the student works closely with an expert since research remains an apprenticeship program. The post suggests that course-only Masters degrees are inadequate and dilutive because, while the survey a body of knowledge, the human contact is missing and that the human contact with a real live researcher is how computer science it best taught. I agree.

learc83 13y ago
What CS programs require undergrads to become fluent in "chemistry, biology, and economics"?
- scarmig 13y ago
  Ostensibly most--universities aren't trade schools, remember, and you're supposed to walk away with a general knowledge of everything. Every student, from CS to literature to biology, should walk away from university knowing how to do simple programming, read Shakespeare, and describe in broad strokes how DNA replication works. The fact that most don't is a sign that most USA universities, even those supposedly at the top, are giving a watered down curriculum that's taken as a cover for credentialing and partying and not real education.
  - forkbomb 13y ago
    I'm going to have to disagree. While it would be nice to leave a university as a renaissance man, this simply cannot be done with the pressures of modern job markets. Having huge breath of knowledge and no depth might make you interesting to talk to at cocktail parties, it won't help you land or keep a technical position (since we are talking about a technical degree). Not once was I ever questioned on Shakespeare at a technical interview. I agree that the average person SHOULD know these things, but I believe that is the job of high schools, not college. College in my opinion should be used to increase your depth of knowledge about one specific area of study. If it were meant to make you well rounded then why have any majors? One of my biggest gripes about college was having to take classes (aka pay for classes) that had no impact on my major (Literature, Tennis, etc...). I can only analyse the epic of Gilgamesh so many times before no additional value is added. While knowing the story arguably makes me a more interesting person, it does not make me a better developer.

learc83 13y ago

What CS programs require undergrads to become fluent in "chemistry, biology, and economics"?

scarmig 13y ago
Ostensibly most--universities aren't trade schools, remember, and you're supposed to walk away with a general knowledge of everything. Every student, from CS to literature to biology, should walk away from university knowing how to do simple programming, read Shakespeare, and describe in broad strokes how DNA replication works. The fact that most don't is a sign that most USA universities, even those supposedly at the top, are giving a watered down curriculum that's taken as a cover for credentialing and partying and not real education.
- forkbomb 13y ago
  I'm going to have to disagree. While it would be nice to leave a university as a renaissance man, this simply cannot be done with the pressures of modern job markets. Having huge breath of knowledge and no depth might make you interesting to talk to at cocktail parties, it won't help you land or keep a technical position (since we are talking about a technical degree). Not once was I ever questioned on Shakespeare at a technical interview. I agree that the average person SHOULD know these things, but I believe that is the job of high schools, not college. College in my opinion should be used to increase your depth of knowledge about one specific area of study. If it were meant to make you well rounded then why have any majors? One of my biggest gripes about college was having to take classes (aka pay for classes) that had no impact on my major (Literature, Tennis, etc...). I can only analyse the epic of Gilgamesh so many times before no additional value is added. While knowing the story arguably makes me a more interesting person, it does not make me a better developer.