It was the path of Sergey Brin and Larry Page, Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates. And now, the wave of computer science majors is gaining momentum at Columbia: This past year, the number of declared computer science majors jumped 12 percent, reflecting a renewed student interest in the discipline.
The number of computer science majors has steadily increased since 2007, peaking this past year with almost 200 students declaring their major as computer science.
It’s not a phenomenon unique to Morningside Heights. Nationally, the number of majors in computer science increased by 7.6 percent from 2009-10, according to data from the Computing Research Association.
GROWING INTERESTS
The increase is most prevalent in introductory classes. Professor Adam Cannon, who teaches Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in Java, said that he has noticed a sizable increase in student enrollment in his class over the past few years.
“It’s increased significantly, just in the last couple of years—this year, between the fall and spring semester, somewhere between 500 and 550 students are taking the class,” he said. “The numbers have grown just in the last year or two.”
Cannon said that students are excited about learning computer science and that the increase has not had any negative effects on the class.
“The students I’m seeing in class are very motivated, which is very positive to me,” he said. “There’s not much of a difference between teaching a class of 100 and 300 in terms of delivering material—the difference is more TAs and more emails.”
Toni Ma, CC ’12 and teaching assistant for the introductory computer science course, said that she has also noticed increases in the course’s enrollment.
“Between the first and second semesters, the number of TAs jumped from nine to 12,” she said. Typically 20 students are assigned to each TA, but now the number is closer to 25, she said.
Ma, who has been a TA for the course twice before, said that most of the TAs from previous semesters stick around and new ones are assigned when the enrollment jumps.
“It’s fun—a lot of the students haven’t done computer science before, and it’s cool to see them improve over the semester,” she said. “They come out able to write code.”
Will Brown, SEAS ’12 and a computer science major, said he was attracted to the field because it synthesized science and creativity.
“There are very few fields in which you could come up with an idea and then sit down and make it,” he said. “Then you can instantly have it—it’s this awesome, creative science.”
Computer science majors are required to pursue their degree with a specialization in foundations, systems, artificial intelligence, applications, or vision and graphics, or in combination with another field. Brown is pursuing his degree on the graphics track but recently switched from artificial intelligence after taking a graphics and simulation course.
“I just switched my track,” he said. “If you make something with graphics, it’s very easy to show it off to your friends. If you say, ‘Look at this awesome demo of this 3-D gravity simulator,’ it’s satisfying to you, too.”
Logan Donovan, SEAS ’13, added that students who are not majoring in computer science might still be interested in using code to design.
“I know tons of people who have no interest in computer science, but they want to write an iPhone app,” she said. “Technology is everywhere and computer science is so applicable.”
While Columbia students have shown increased interest in the computer science department, outside companies have as well.
“We have some really great professors who run very cool labs—our graphics lab frequently consults on movies,” Brown said. “Disney couldn’t get the hair right for ‘Tangled,’ so they called our lab, and we worked on it.”
PROGRAMMING AND PRACTICALITY
Professor Augustin Chaintreau said that while computer science is engaging and rewarding for students, it also addresses important, real-world issues.
“There are new problems—security, beyond just the real tools of building computers,” he said. “You have some core, fundamental problems that very big groups are working on.”
Professor Alfred Aho said that even though the number of students majoring in computer science is increasing, soon-to-be graduates should not fear: The demand for computer scientists and engineers will remain high.
“President Obama iterated this in his State of the Union address, and there are a number of studies that show there will be great shortages,” he said. “Being a person who can create new ideas and products is absolutely essential.”
As a senior, Brown said he’s not worried. “The job market for CS majors is really, really good right now,” he said. “I get emails from recruiters maybe once a week—if you have compsci skills, it’s easy to find a job and they pay very well.”
Donovan agreed. “There’s something to be said for having a really applicable skill,” she said. “If you’re a computer science major, you always have a very specific skill you can market. Wherever you go, you’ll be able to find a job.”
The multifaceted appeal of the field pushed Donovan away from her original aspiration to be a doctor. Had she pursued a pre-medical curriculum, she said, “I realized that I wouldn’t get a job until I was 30, and I’m basically locked into this one track.”
With computer science, Donovan said, her options multiply.
“A lot of people in our generation are not looking to have one career, which was commonplace 20 years ago,” she said.
As someone who started programming at a young age, Donovan pointed out that many students discover their passions in computer science years before college.
“Things like chemical engineering or biomedical engineering may be interesting to people, but it’s difficult to get exposure to those fields,” she said. “Computer science is one of those things that you don’t need to take classes in to get started.”
INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH
Despite a national trend of increasing numbers of computer science majors, the program at Columbia may be gaining traction for other reasons. Columbia’s major distinguishes itself from other universities’ because of the Core Curriculum’s ability to help students learn crucial skills in communication, professor Kathy McKeowan said.
“One of the advantages that you have because of the Core is that you have a greater exposure to the humanities, to writing, to communication,” she said. “When you get out into the real world, being able to write and speak well is something that employers are really looking for.”
McKeowan also said that the field of computer science is overlapping more with other fields, something that the department considers in determining its curriculum for students.
“Computer science has become very interdisciplinary, and we offer several majors that tap into that,” she said. “We offer the combined major where students can take some courses in computer science and relate it to another discipline and build a major that combines their interests.”
Aho said that students who complete his course about programming languages and translators learn valuable skills outside of computer science, even though they create new programming languages during the class.
“They’ll say things like, ‘Project management is a real bitch,’” he said. “But in all the years I’ve taught this course, no team has ever failed to deliver a working compiler. It’s a very popular course.”
Since being technologically literate is quickly becoming a prerequisite for many jobs, some Columbia students are realizing that a background in computer science may benefit them in other field.
“It’s just a realization by students that if you don’t have some rooting in information and computer science, no matter what your field of endeavor is, you’re not going to be competitive,” Aho said.
McKeowan said that as computers continue to have a larger presence in every field, basic knowledge can only benefit students.
“Even if you’re in another area it helps if you have exposure from computer science,” she said. “Computer science plays a role in pretty much every area.”
jeremy.budd@columbiaspectator.com
Correction: An earlier version of this article misidentified Logan Donovan's class year as SEAS '12. She is SEAS '13. Spectator regrets the error.
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