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MS in Comp Sci (What would you want in it?)


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Let me toss this out to the group.

 

If you were putting together an MS in Comp Sci, what courses and content would want to be certain to include? What skills and expertise are absolutely "must haves." And what areas are no longer as salient or relevant in the industry. Remember, this is Comp Sci and not a general IT degree.

 

Thanks for your consideration.

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Cyber Security

Cloud Computing

Big Data

 

I just retired from a 38 year career in IT and those are the current hot topics but in 5 years it most likely will change.

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Cyber Security

Cloud Computing

Big Data

 

I just retired from a 38 year career in IT and those are the current hot topics but in 5 years it most likely will change.

 

All 3 are good suggestions and will certainly be included.

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Cyber Security

Cloud Computing

Big Data

 

I just retired from a 38 year career in IT and those are the current hot topics but in 5 years it most likely will change.

 

Yeah that is a pretty solid list in a good order, but you really need a programming language or 2 under your belt and certifications, certifications, certifications. You will need them to get your foot in the door, It does not matter if you are in comp sci or general IT.. For comp sci focus, that masters degree is a must. I would add A.I.

 

Areas that are not relevant?

 

None, even Fortran is still in demand as far as languages go. Computing changes rapidly but legacy systems are always there.

Edited by burgeranacoke
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Statistics. R or Matlab. Probably both.

 

C. Everything is written in C. Java, Python, Rails, every operating system including phones, are written in C. It's essential to know how basic and efficient programming works.

 

Big systems technology. COBOL isn't going away. A student should understand how it works and how it fits into the modern picture.

 

Big data. Not just the buzzword, but what it really means and how to use it.

 

Office tools. Excel, Access and VBA programming. Executives love excel charts.

 

Database skills. SQL and how it integrates with a programming language. Too many programmers only think in the language they work in, and pay no mid to how data in a database is stored or how to get to it efficiently. Advanced SQL and Database tuning concepts as well. It's necessary in the real world. Doesn't matter if it's taught on MySQL or Oracle.

 

Basic debugging and problem solving. How to approach a program fault, and a data issue. Which are 2 different things. How to replicate, capture and devise a plan of action to resolve.

 

Testing. Why it's important and how to program with unit testing.

 

Teamwork skills. How to function in a team setting and contribute effectively. Listen effectively too.

 

Basic hardware architecture. You cannot program efficiently if you don't know your target environment. How does a system work? What is n-tier architecture? How does a network really work?

 

Design patterns. Good design fundamentals to partition the data from the logic from the UI from the security mechanisms.

 

Data security and cryptography. Teach how to protect data and just how easy it is to crack encryption with modern hardware and cracking tools.

 

Pick your trendy programming languages. But teach how to solve real world problems with them. Perhaps have the student write a hex dump utility in each language. Including C (above)

 

Character encoding. Unicode. They need to know that internationalization is a thing. It's not 1979, ASCII is pretty much obsolete.

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Statistics. R or Matlab. Probably both.

 

C. Everything is written in C. Java, Python, Rails, every operating system including phones, are written in C. It's essential to know how basic and efficient programming works.

 

Big systems technology. COBOL isn't going away. A student should understand how it works and how it fits into the modern picture.

 

Big data. Not just the buzzword, but what it really means and how to use it.

 

Office tools. Excel, Access and VBA programming. Executives love excel charts.

 

Database skills. SQL and how it integrates with a programming language. Too many programmers only think in the language they work in, and pay no mid to how data in a database is stored or how to get to it efficiently. Advanced SQL and Database tuning concepts as well. It's necessary in the real world. Doesn't matter if it's taught on MySQL or Oracle.

 

Basic debugging and problem solving. How to approach a program fault, and a data issue. Which are 2 different things. How to replicate, capture and devise a plan of action to resolve.

 

Testing. Why it's important and how to program with unit testing.

 

Teamwork skills. How to function in a team setting and contribute effectively. Listen effectively too.

 

Basic hardware architecture. You cannot program efficiently if you don't know your target environment. How does a system work? What is n-tier architecture? How does a network really work?

 

Design patterns. Good design fundamentals to partition the data from the logic from the UI from the security mechanisms.

 

Data security and cryptography. Teach how to protect data and just how easy it is to crack encryption with modern hardware and cracking tools.

 

Pick your trendy programming languages. But teach how to solve real world problems with them. Perhaps have the student write a hex dump utility in each language. Including C (above)

 

Character encoding. Unicode. They need to know that internationalization is a thing. It's not 1979, ASCII is pretty much obsolete.

 

So you are beginning to run up against the limitations of a traditional MS: Length. Most are 10 - 12 classes.

 

We get by this using specializations. CS is such a broad field that we have to make some determinations early on about what are the core skills and what can be added/subtracted based on the professional needs and interests of the student. We also have to pay attention to regional and program accreditation. And, of course, the preparation for students who wish to sit for external certification exams.

 

Building a relevant curriculum is no trivial thing.

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