Computer science departments expanding focus and enrollment

As computer science departments recover from all-time low enrollments in the first half of this decade, many are expanding their curricula to reach out to the new "Chic Geek" and move beyond traditional programming approaches. According to InsideHigherEd.com,

With prospective students, [Giselle Martin, student recruitment director for the College of Computing at Georgia Tech] said, the message is about the breadth of computer science jobs and the revised curriculum. “We’re placing students in Silicon Valley and all over the United States of course, but also in health care firms in Chile and embassies in Japan,” Martin said. To the extent people worry about how they fit into the global economy, she said that computer science degrees are a great way to position oneself. “This is about critical thinking ability — the ability to look at any project across the board. We want students who are deep thinkers.”

This approach, in addition to attracting a wider body of students, also counters off-shoring of programming work. While the practice of off-shoring may certainly continue, new graduates will have a variety of options open to them outside of traditional programming work.