Blog 13

I think that, although Notre Dame is not universally acclaimed as a paragon of Computer Science teaching, we have a very solid program here. It covers all the fundamentals of the field while also adhering to Notre Dame's vision of providing every undergraduate with a balanced education. I think this aspect of our university's mission makes STEM, and particularly CS, education difficult. CSE is such a rapidly developing field, and for a student to be competitive for jobs and internships, they need to have the required knowledge as quickly as possible. But, Notre Dame, unlike other universities, dedicates an entire year to pursuing a core-curriculum rather than letting students go right into their CS education. That said, our curriculum, as it is laid out, definitely matches up with ABET criteria and the CS 2013 guidelines. Notre Dame goes through ABET certification, and we have maintained that certification. I generally agree with the ABET and ACM guidelines for CS programs. However, although it seems counter intuitive, I think that they should focus more on open-source contribution. This experience is very helpful, in a practical sense, for computer science graduates.

I am in favor of bootcamp programs. They provide many people the opportunity to develop real skills that help them get jobs. Not everyone has the resources or time to commit to a whole four year Computer Science diploma. These bootcamp programs let individuals develop their skills and learn about what interests them. In no way do these bootcamp programs completely replace college degrees in terms of breadth of education and level of knowledge. But, the do provide real skills to people.

I do think that you need college experience to be a good computer scientist. But, being a good computer scientist is different than being a good programmer. College gives insight into many of the foundational issues in Computer Science that, although they aren't going to be, used every day in a practical environment, shape how to approach solving problems. And, after four years at Notre Dame, I feel like I have been trained to be an excellent computer scientist.