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From: patrick@mcc-pp.UUCP (Patrick McGehearty)
Newsgroups: net.cse
Subject: Topics for a Computer Science degree
Message-ID: <1642@mcc-pp.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 10-Sep-86 10:30:51 EDT
Article-I.D.: mcc-pp.1642
Posted: Wed Sep 10 10:30:51 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 12-Sep-86 05:39:35 EDT
References: <13500008@uiucdcsb> <65@alberta.UUCP>
Organization: MCC, Austin, TX
Lines: 31
Summary: what should be covered

I suggest that a 4 yr program should cover a large variety of topics
so that when the student later specializes he/she is aware of the
range of the subject matter (i.e. knows how to start learning more)

I would suggest the following plan for a curriculm:
1st yr: Intro course - basics of programming, what are computers good for
	(including why 0.3+0.7 may not be 1.0)
        Software eng - how to program well, intro to 2-4 languages
2nd yr: Adv. programming - complex data structures, more languages
		last course in art of programming as such, skilled
		programming capability is assumed in later courses.
	Theory of computer science
	These courses should be the "washout" courses.  That is,
	anyone who is successful in these courses should have the
	talent, dedication, interest, or whatever to complete the
	curriculm.  The purpose of putting them here is to let students
	know before they have spent three years whether they should
	continue in computer science.
3rd & 4th yr: more advanced courses such as:
Algorithm Analysis and Numerical Methods
Programming System Construction (ie. compilers, operating systems,
	or database systems - gain knowledge of large system construction
	problems and techniques)
Intro to AI Methods
etc.
There should a common core in the above with room for electives to
provide a variety of skills from new graduates.
I leave it to others to discuss the fine details of the advanced topics.
- Patrick McGehearty