Comments on: Is Computer Science Dying? http://www.larcun.com/2006/08/17/is-computer-science-dying/ The (time permitting) blog of Larkin Cunningham Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:19:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Larkin http://www.larcun.com/2006/08/17/is-computer-science-dying/#comment-172 Larkin Thu, 31 Aug 2006 15:20:16 +0000 http://www.larcun.com/2006/08/17/is-computer-science-dying/#comment-172 I agree with what you say. For BIS, competence in maths is generally perfectly acceptable, as long as you can handle the stats / probability side of it, etc. There is very much a trend away from Computer Science into BIS/MIS. I think people see BIS/MIS as being a more 'rounded' education and offers more and better opportunities careerwise. And, to be honest, they are not wrong. My experience of computer science in UCC has been one very focused on 1's and 0's and very focused towards research, whereas BIS (under the Commerce faculty) is, like the department name suggests, very much business oriented. To be fair to the Institutes of Technology, I think they have always tried to provide something in between computer science and BIS. I went down this road with CIT and found it very practical. I had just enough insight into the science aspects of computing, but it was practical enough that I could walk into a programming job (COBOL no less :)). I recently found myself at a crossroads. I had to decide between research in CS or BIS. Because one of my goals is full-time lecturing, I chose a PhD in BIS. I start this in less than 4 weeks time and will be doing some part-time lecturing in a nuts and bolts type IT course for the commerce faculty. I played the percentages - CS is declining and BIS is flying ahead. I agree with what you say. For BIS, competence in maths is generally perfectly acceptable, as long as you can handle the stats / probability side of it, etc.

There is very much a trend away from Computer Science into BIS/MIS. I think people see BIS/MIS as being a more ’rounded’ education and offers more and better opportunities careerwise. And, to be honest, they are not wrong. My experience of computer science in UCC has been one very focused on 1’s and 0’s and very focused towards research, whereas BIS (under the Commerce faculty) is, like the department name suggests, very much business oriented.

To be fair to the Institutes of Technology, I think they have always tried to provide something in between computer science and BIS. I went down this road with CIT and found it very practical. I had just enough insight into the science aspects of computing, but it was practical enough that I could walk into a programming job (COBOL no less :)).

I recently found myself at a crossroads. I had to decide between research in CS or BIS. Because one of my goals is full-time lecturing, I chose a PhD in BIS. I start this in less than 4 weeks time and will be doing some part-time lecturing in a nuts and bolts type IT course for the commerce faculty. I played the percentages - CS is declining and BIS is flying ahead.

]]> By: RW_Jordan http://www.larcun.com/2006/08/17/is-computer-science-dying/#comment-171 RW_Jordan Thu, 31 Aug 2006 14:21:43 +0000 http://www.larcun.com/2006/08/17/is-computer-science-dying/#comment-171 If you are talking about more or less pure computer science, then yes, maths is very much a requirement. But if you are talking about computers as in an IT sense, then maths plays a very different role. A few years ago I was tutoring the beginning class at UCC in Java and most of the students in the Computer Science department really wanted to be in the 'BIS' section, the IT of Computer Science but all the places were full and they took CS as the points were lower. The Irish mind set as best I can determine is career orientated, science, in general, is believed to be a dead end, reserved for a few PhD 'eggheads' and teaching in the secondary schools. It's not a money maker, and not glamorous. IT and computers is a career, and a job you can walk away from at the end of the day on the way to the sports club or pub. <b>Science is a lifestyle.</b> If you are talking about more or less pure computer science, then yes, maths is very much a requirement. But if you are talking about computers as in an IT sense, then maths plays a very different role.

A few years ago I was tutoring the beginning class at UCC in Java and most of the students in the Computer Science department really wanted to be in the ‘BIS’ section, the IT of Computer Science but all the places were full and they took CS as the points were lower.

The Irish mind set as best I can determine is career orientated, science, in general, is believed to be a dead end, reserved for a few PhD ‘eggheads’ and teaching in the secondary schools. It’s not a money maker, and not glamorous. IT and computers is a career, and a job you can walk away from at the end of the day on the way to the sports club or pub. Science is a lifestyle.

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