A Degree in Computer Science Enables Exciting Lifelong Employment and Learning

As parents, or prospective students, you have tough choices to make in selecting both your educational institution, as well as choosing the major that will enhance the value of that education, and provide a path toward a life-long career. Choosing college is a key to the economic prosperity of 21st Century Americans, and choosing a degree in Computer Science (not Computer Technology, or another substitute) is an especially good way to go.

While its generally believed that "Computer Science jobs" have headed to Asia and Eastern Europe, the demand for such jobs in America is at a multi-year high. Just as in the industrial revolution, where cottage industry moved into factories, so has the Information Technology (IT) industry matured. It is true that "programming" at several levels, akin to the cottage industries of 17th and early 18th century Britain, have moved overseas. But, it is precisely that kind of "piece work" computing that was the least interesting for active, productive minds in the US to pursue, given all the great ways to "add value" in business, industry, and academia in the United States.

The IT jobs of today need students who are well prepared in fundamentals, and also have gained enough breadth to understand what their employers need of them. Their skills must be strong, the minds must be trainable, and they should have a bit of breadth so they can communicate with and understand client needs. At UAB, we provide that kind of educational breadth and depth within our Computer Science Bachelor's degree, here at the Department of Computer and Information Sciences.

We teach all the fundamentals of computer science, that include computer programming, but also go into the theory of how computing works, how computer architectures work, and how theory and practice combine into real systems. For instance, there is a whole mathematically oriented part of computer science that considers "what can be computed" and"what can't be computed." There is also a whole branch of computer science that enables computer simulations, like those that enable cool 3D movies such as "Shrek" and "Finding Nemo" - that's called Visualization and Rendering, and also support global climate and weather modeling - that's called Scientific Computing. At UAB CIS, we have state-of-the-art computational and visualization facilities to complement our classwork with systems for teaching and research that provide practical experiences for students. These experiences come in class, and in optional independent studies and Honors Research projects. Your opportunities to learn are only bounded by your enthusiasm and effort!

Besides the curriculum, which consists of the UAB core requirements, and our Computer Science requirements, Computer Science faculty reach out to local industry to maximize the opportunities for our students to explore internships, summer employment, and traineeships. While some of our students find their own parttime employment, aswell as the University's COOP program, the department has a strategic effort - including a new industry internship program - to connect students and potential employers during the undergraduate years. Plus, our undergraduate advisor and faculty work hard to help students find suitable first jobs once they graduate.

It turns out that we have help in our efforts to help students find jobs. There are over 500 Technology companies in the Birmingham area alone. They need our graduates, as do the many US firms nationwide that consider UAB graduates as strong contenders for jobs at graduation.

And, once your in the the field, on-going learning is a key feature of most any job. Computer Science keeps growing and evolving, both the Internet, and in more subtle ways. Computer Scientists can continue growing by learning on their own, and by pursuing MS and PhD degrees as well. Exciting technology companies, like those in the Birmingham area and across the United States, are creating innovative solutions to real world problems all the time. This innovation is in part achieved by Computer Scientists applying their education and ingenuity to remove obstacles with computers, networks, and software that enables those solutions.

Again, as a prospective student or parent, you may be wondering what the "it" degree will be in 4 or 5 years, once graduation happens. The "it" degree will be "IT." Not only does it pay among the highest salaries of engineering/science/business degrees for undergraduates, it offers longterm prospects for employment and continual learning. IT is not going away; computers and computer science will continue to power the world, its economy, and growth in America, even if some jobs continue to move overseas. Customer facing, well-educated, well-trained computer scientists will be key to enabling that growth in US companies.

Accept no substitutes, the quantitative, and rigorous education of Computer Science is what's needed, not technology certificates, or degrees that train students to be "tool users." Computer Science - here at UAB and elsewhere - train students to be tool creators. With the right background, the sky's the limit when it comes to the interesting jobs, and competitive opportunities that await you.

Come by to visit us at UAB Computer and Information Sciences to learn more!