2008 Woodie Awards
Learning the CS Trade
Clifton Kussmaul, Assistant Prodessor of Computer Science
Issue date: 2/3/05 Section: Focus
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To quote H. Abelson, G.J. Sussman and J. Sussman, "'computer science' [CS] is not a science; its significance has little to do with computers. The computer revolution is a revolution in the way we think and in the way we express what we think. Mathematics provides a framework for dealing precisely with notions of 'what is.' Computation provides a framework for dealing precisely with notions of 'how to.'" Thus, CS is about manipulating and structuring information.
Nationwide, CS enrollments peaked in the late 90s and then dropped by 40 percent or more. However, starting salaries now average around $50,000 for CS compared to $30,000 for many other liberal arts majors. High growth is predicted in information technology (IT) fields through 2012; CS/IT jobs are four of the five fastest growing areas for bachelor's degrees, and two of the five with the largest projected numerical growth.
Currently, there is concern about IT jobs moving to India and China. Such "offshoring" is done for flexible staffing, specialized skills and reduced costs. An estimated 277,000 IT jobs will move offshore by 2010, and 3.3 million white-collar jobs, including on million IT jobs, will shift by 2015.
I have worked with offshore teams for nearly five years. Several factors affect how easily work can be offshored. Does it require interaction with other people, or can it be done remotely or using technology? Does it require experience and judgment, or is it well-defined and repeatable? Does it create value, or is it a cost that should be managed? It's easier to offshore call centers, software maintenance, accounting or reading medical images than sales, user interface design or product development.
What does this mean for U.S. college students? Companies will need employees and consultants who are flexible, creative, entrepreneurial and eager to lead teams and take charge of projects. They will look for communication, teamwork, project management and international experience. This is good news for liberal arts colleges; students may take fewer specialized courses, but they can combine majors, minors and a variety of courses in other disciplines.
At Muhlenberg, the CS major consists of three math courses, five required CS courses and four CS electives. We are revising the CS curriculum to increase emphasis on analysis, design and communication, and to add a project-based capstone seminar. We recently received grants to support technical entrepreneurship and wireless collaboration.Just as many courses emphasize writing, more courses should emphasize uses of information and technology. Anyone can learn to use word processors, email and Google; what is valuable are the abilities to develop virtual relationships, to collaborate and to organize and synthesize information to produce greater knowledge and understanding.
Nationwide, CS enrollments peaked in the late 90s and then dropped by 40 percent or more. However, starting salaries now average around $50,000 for CS compared to $30,000 for many other liberal arts majors. High growth is predicted in information technology (IT) fields through 2012; CS/IT jobs are four of the five fastest growing areas for bachelor's degrees, and two of the five with the largest projected numerical growth.
Currently, there is concern about IT jobs moving to India and China. Such "offshoring" is done for flexible staffing, specialized skills and reduced costs. An estimated 277,000 IT jobs will move offshore by 2010, and 3.3 million white-collar jobs, including on million IT jobs, will shift by 2015.
I have worked with offshore teams for nearly five years. Several factors affect how easily work can be offshored. Does it require interaction with other people, or can it be done remotely or using technology? Does it require experience and judgment, or is it well-defined and repeatable? Does it create value, or is it a cost that should be managed? It's easier to offshore call centers, software maintenance, accounting or reading medical images than sales, user interface design or product development.
What does this mean for U.S. college students? Companies will need employees and consultants who are flexible, creative, entrepreneurial and eager to lead teams and take charge of projects. They will look for communication, teamwork, project management and international experience. This is good news for liberal arts colleges; students may take fewer specialized courses, but they can combine majors, minors and a variety of courses in other disciplines.
At Muhlenberg, the CS major consists of three math courses, five required CS courses and four CS electives. We are revising the CS curriculum to increase emphasis on analysis, design and communication, and to add a project-based capstone seminar. We recently received grants to support technical entrepreneurship and wireless collaboration.Just as many courses emphasize writing, more courses should emphasize uses of information and technology. Anyone can learn to use word processors, email and Google; what is valuable are the abilities to develop virtual relationships, to collaborate and to organize and synthesize information to produce greater knowledge and understanding.