College Computer Science – Expectations and Trends

1. College Computer Science – Expectations and Trends Mike Scott, Professor of Instruction, Computer Science Department, University of Texas at Austin scottm@cs.utexas.edu http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~scottm/

2. Background • 1998 – 2000, Round Rock High School • APCS AB (data structures), CS1 in Pascal • 2000 – Present, UTCS • CS1 Intro to Programming (APCS A), CS 2 Data Structures • Visual Programming, Android App Development, History and Impact of Electronic Entertainment, CS 1.5, CS1 for non CS majors

3. Outline • The Computer Science Undergraduate Major at UT • Preparing to be a CS major

4. Computer Science at UT Austin

5. Computer Science Undergraduate Program@ UT Austin • UT Admissions: 75% of freshmen at UT admitted automatically based on class rank • Current cutoff – top 6% • Admission to UT does not guarantee admission to major of student’s choice • Regular CS undergrad admissions done by Admissions Department, not the CS Department

6. UT Austin Computer Science - Undergraduates • Approximately 2500 CS majors at UT Austin (~6% of UT Students) • First year students are probationary CS majors • Admission to the CS major is Extremely Competitive • My RRHS Top 10 story • Average SAT and ACT of Students in CS312 (~ APCS A) 75 percentile SAT Math for admitted UT students = 700

7. CS Interest Nationwide • Computing Research Association • Lobby organization for CS research, academic departments and industry members • TaulbeeSurvey • Conducted each fall since 1974, the survey in general covers the preceding academic year. • Enrollments, degrees awarded, and other info • https://cra.org/resources/taulbee-survey/

9. CS Major Requirements at UT Austin • Multiple Degree Plans • Bachelor of Science, most popular degree plan: • 6 core CS courses (Programming, Theory, Systems) • 8 upper division CS courses • 4 or 5 Math courses (Calculus, Linear Algebra, Probability and Statistics) • 3 Science Courses • General UT Requirements, Core Courses, Foreign Language, and Electives

10. UTCS Core (Programming, Theory, Systems) C S 311 C S 314 C S 439 C S 331 C S 312 C S 429 Algorithms & Complexity Computer Architecture & Organization Intro to Programming Discrete Math Data Structures Operating Systems • Typically students follow one of two paths: (40% / 60%)

11. Entry-Level CS Courses – Moving Past Probationary CS Major Status Semester 1 CS 312: Intro to Programming 4 or 5 on AP CS = CS 312 Semester 2 CS 311: Discrete Math CS 314: Data Structures Requirements CS GPA = 2.75 (312, 314, 311) No more than two attempts per course* No grade lower than C- UT GPA = 2.0 APCS A = unofficial B+ CS1 and CS2 pass rates have gone from 65% - 75% circa 2012 to 85% - 90% today

12. Upper Division Courses • After the core course students have a variety of courses available to them: • AI, Computer Security, Networks, Cryptography, Computer Vision, Data Mining, Graphics, Software Engineering, Mobile App Development (Android , iOS), Data Mining, Programming Languages, Databases, Game Development, Formal Methods, …

13. Upper Division Courses • Hope: Concentration Areas • Big Data, Computer Systems, Cybersecurity, Game Development, Machine Learning and AI, Theory (on the way) • https://www.cs.utexas.edu/undergraduate-program/academics/concentrations • Reality: What courses are open when the student registers? • NY Times Article • https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/24/technology/computer-science-courses-college.html

14. CS Concentrations + Minors/Certificates • Transcript-Recognized Minors & Certificates • Certificates • Applied Statistical Modeling • Bridging Disciplines • Digital Arts & Media • Scientific Computation & Data Science • Minors • Business Foundations • Information Studies Big Data • Data Mining, Big Data Programming, Computer Vision Computer Systems • Cloud Computing, Wireless Networks, Cloud Computing Cybersecurity • Computer Security, Cryptography, Ethical Hacking Game Development • Graphics, Game Technology, Software Engineering Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence • Neural Networks, A.I., Robotics Mobile Computing • Distributed Computing and Mobile Computing Elements of Computing Certificate -Open to Non-CS Majors -18 hours required -Taught in python

15. Other Degree Options • Bachelor of Science, most popular degree plan • Bachelor of Science and Arts • 4 additional CS course (instead of 6) • 1 fewer math course (calculus) • 1 fewer science course • Minor in another field (not natural science) • Turing Scholars Honors Program • ~50 students a year • Admissions by CS department • Extremely competitive • Computer Science andBusiness Honors (new fall 2019)

16. Other Degree Options, continued • 5 year Integrated BS/MS in Computer Science • Sophomore or junior year students admitted to program • Again, extremely competitive • UTeach, CS degree and Teaching Certificate • Minor in CS (Elements Program and Certificate) • IT degree from College of Business • Software Engineering Concentration, Electrical / Computer Eng. • Computational Engineering Degree, Aerospace Engineering

17. Our Undergraduate Students • First year and transfer students placed in CS PODS • Meet once a week, same small sections in courses • I have the privilege of teaching the first two programming courses • CS312 (Programming 1, APCS A) • CS314 (Data Structures) • And I use undergraduate Teaching Assistants in Those Courses • So I get to know some students quite well

18. Our Undergraduates • Audra, Intern at Microsoft after first and second year • Lucas, intern at Toyota and Facebook

19. Our Undergraduates • Marquis, intern at Microsoft and Nike • Lilliana, intern at Nike, working at Facebook

20. Our Undergraduates • Sonika (Westwood HS grad), Starting her second year as a Ph.D. student at Georgia Tech • Roman, working at Facebook

21. Our Undergraduates • Muriel, Worked at UShip and now at Favor Delivery • Chris, working at Home Away

22. Other CS Activities at UT - FRI • FRI – Freshmen Research Initiative • Research Methods course, then work on projects part of tenured faculty research

23. Other CS Activities at UTCompetitive Programming • Competitive Programming Team • April 2019 finished 28th in the world at ICPC in Portugal • 1 credit class • Local contests • ICPC run by CS department at Baylor University

24. Other CS Activities at UT • MAD – Mobile Apps Development Group • CS Ambassadors – Tours to Prospective Students • WICS – Women in Computer Science • MOREhttps://www.cs.utexas.edu/undergraduate-program/student-organizations

25. CS at Other Schools • Most colleges and universities have CS programs • No standardization • Example: Controlling Enrollment? • Take them all • Rigorous early courses • Admission after early courses • Curriculum, order of courses, other opportunities -DIFFERENT

26. Preparation for Computer Science

27. What Did I Want to Do When I Was 18? • Go to college, go some place other than St. Louis • Very difficult for high school kids to know what field of academic study will interest them • Taking a CS course is a good start, but! • Programming != CS • Programming a key tool in CS

28. Computing Science

29. Some Programming, Very Helpful • Having some (any) programming experience helps an enormous amount • Many students taking CS312 (CS1, Introduction to Programming, ~APCS A) have some programming experience • And they tend to do a little better in CS312

30. Gaining Credit • UT Austin grants a lot of course credit for AP and IB exams • https://testingservices.utexas.edu/search-undergraduate-exams • APCS A (CS312), APCSP (CS302 – Breadth course), AP CALC AB, BC (M408C), AP CHEM (CHEM sequence), AP BIO (BIO sequence), APUSH (History Req.), and many more! • CS312 Exam for Credit administered by UT

31. ** UGS 302/303s do not have an AP test. Students must take this course at UT Austin **

32. Tips for Students • Discrete mathematics • Programming project (something that interests them) • Soft Skills • Responsibility • Communication • Self Motivation • Integrity

33. Succeeding in My Courses • “Be the first penguin” • Ask questions!!! • lecture, section, Piazza, lab hours • “It is impossible to be perfect” • Mistakes are okay. • That is how we learn. • Trying to be perfect means not taking risks. • No risks == no learning • “Find a Pack” • Make friends. • Study with them!