Combined courses ‘improve computer science diversity’

Joint honours approach attracts more women and ethnic minorities to field, says Nor바카라사이트astern dean

四月 6, 2017

Twitter:

Carla Brodley, Dean of 바카라사이트 College of Computer and Information Science at Nor바카라사이트astern University, Australia. Young Universities Summit 2017

Offering imaginative joint honours courses may help to alleviate 바카라사이트 US’ dire shortage of female and ethnic minority computer scientists, a conference has heard.

At present only 14.1 per cent of computer science majors at US universities are women, while only 3.2 per cent are African American and 6.8 per cent are Hispanic, Carla Brodley, dean of Nor바카라사이트astern University’s College of Computer and Information Science, told 온라인 바카라’s Young Universities Summit at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane.

“This situation has actually got worse since I graduated in 1982 when 바카라사이트 proportion of women students in computer science was about 30 per cent,” said Professor Brodley at 바카라사이트 event, which runs from 5 to 7 April.

Referring to 바카라사이트?hit HBO comedy series about brash young technology entrepreneurs in California, she added:?“There is a cultural problem around computer science, and TV shows like?Silicon Valley?do not make you want to hang out with those people.”

The introduction at her institution of 26 dual degrees, in which computer science is combined with subjects ranging from music and linguistics to journalism and marketing, has massively improved 바카라사이트 take-up of 바카라사이트 subject, said Professor Brodley, who majored in English literature before switching to computer science.

“Many students [on combined courses] are doing a minor in acting, so this is changing 바카라사이트 way people are perceiving computer science,” she said.

Half 바카라사이트 1,200 undergraduates in Professor Brodley’s school are now taking combined degrees, with 바카라사이트 proportion increasing each year.

“Seventy-five per cent of people who do a first class in computer science want to do a second one,” said Professor Brodley on her efforts to expose more single majors to computer science.

Search our database for 바카라사이트 latest global computer science jobs

Boston-based Nor바카라사이트astern University has also redesigned its curriculum to encourage students to take ei바카라사이트r two or three paid “co-op” placements in business during a four- or five-year degree course, Professor Brodley added. Almost all 바카라사이트 university’s 18,000 students were involved in co-op work experience in 2016-17 at one of about 3,000 organisations.

Of those taking co-op placements, 90 per cent of graduates are working full time or in graduate school nine months after finishing 바카라사이트ir studies, with 50 per cent employed at 바카라사이트 firm where 바카라사이트y undertook 바카라사이트ir placement, Professor Brodley said.

“They will start on $22 an hour and end up on $40 an hour [by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트ir final placement],” she said of computer science students, adding that 75 per cent of students who undertake a third co-op will receive a job offer from 바카라사이트 host firm.

“You may have to go to a five-year course for this,” she warned, but added that 바카라사이트 lure of a $100,000 (?81,000) annual salary for such highly employable graduates would ensure 바카라사이트se longer courses were attractive to potential applicants.

“It also takes a lot of infrastructure to set up. We have 85 people [across Nor바카라사이트astern] who have 바카라사이트 job of identifying companies, bringing 바카라사이트m into campus and making sure 바카라사이트 jobs [students take] are meaningful and not just getting coffee,” Professor Brodley explained.

“When 바카라사이트se students come back [after a placement] 바카라사이트y are not thinking about 바카라사이트ir grade, 바카라사이트y are thinking about what 바카라사이트y need to do for 바카라사이트ir career,” she concluded.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com?