New York Times article The Hard Part of Computer Science Class? Getting a Seat. reveals that a record-number of students across the U.S. aren’t able to secure a seat in computer science classes.
The article discusses how since the number of undergraduates majoring in computer science has doubled between 2013-17, its sparked a demand for computer science courses. Because of this, it has affected major state universities and small colleges, and increased the need for qualified instructors.
For example, last fall the University of Texas at Austin had more than 3,300 incoming computer science students, which is double the amount of students who majored in this subject in 2014.
In conjunction, the demand for seats has become so great at Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, that they've begun holding lotteries to select students for these classes, as well as capping the number of potential classes.
As a result, students are being shut out of computer science classes and the professors who teach them are becoming overstressed and overworked.
The need to secure a computer science class has become so competitive that one student described the situation at her college as "cutthroat."
However, this is not the case at Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio, where seats for the school’s computer science program are currently available in both Web Applications Development and Cybersecurity.
According to Hocking College's Computer Science Program Manager, Tasha Penwell, the seat capacity for the Website and Application Development classes is 25, and last semester only 10 of those seats were filled.
Penwell also says that Hocking College’s Cybersecurity classes can accommodate up to 30 students, and had between 5-10 seats available last semester.
What Will I Learn in Hocking College’s Website & Applications Development Program?
Students who enroll in the Website & Applications Development program will learn the following:
- HTML/CSS
- Incubator Skills
- JavaScript
- Entrepreneurial skills
- Developing and using code
- Constructing, modifying, implementing, querying and maintaining a database
- Analyzing problems
- Implementing the development cycle
- Identifying a client’s needs
What Will I Learn in Hocking College’s Cybersecurity Program?
Students who decide to pursue an Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity and Network Systems Technology will learn the following:
- Networking protocols
- Security concepts
- How to respond to a cyber attack
- Configuring and implementing a firewall
- Configuring a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
- Installing a secure wireless network infrastructure
For more information on Hocking College’s Website and Application Development, contact Website and Applications Development Program Manager, Tasha Penwell, at penwellt31810@hocking.edu or by phone at 740-753-7181.
For more information on Hocking College’s Cybersecurity and Network Systems Program, contact Cybersecurity and Network Systems Program Manager, Mark Riley at rileym24177@hocking.edu or by phone at 740-753-7209.
