Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!steinmetz!stern From: stern@steinmetz.steinmetz.UUCP (harold a stern) Newsgroups: comp.edu Subject: Re: Five-year plan (was What is Computer Science?) Message-ID: <7945@steinmetz.steinmetz.UUCP> Date: Mon, 23-Nov-87 10:58:01 EST Article-I.D.: steinmet.7945 Posted: Mon Nov 23 10:58:01 1987 Date-Received: Thu, 26-Nov-87 21:18:23 EST References: <7925@steinmetz.steinmetz.UUCP> <752@hubcap.UUCP> Reply-To: stern@kbsvax.steinmetz.UUCP (harold a stern) Organization: General Electric CRD, Schenectady, NY Lines: 33 In article <752@hubcap.UUCP> steve@hubcap.UUCP ("Steve" Stevenson) writes: >in article <7925@steinmetz.steinmetz.UUCP>, stern@steinmetz.steinmetz.UUCP (harold a stern) says: >> >>>In article <191@wright.EDU> jsloan@wright.EDU (John Sloan) writes: >>>> >>>>I think most of us would agree that a five year program is a good idea. >>>>Indeed, professional engineering schools have done it, with success. > >> You cannot reasonably expect students, ... to foot the bill for a fifth. > >This is certainly a consideration. However, what about a five year >program that is demonstably close to a masters. Would you be willing >to pay then? > Me personally? Sure. In fact, I am now a fifth-year student in such a program at MIT. But part of that program includes an internship in industry, which reduces the financial burden. And graduate student support programs (fellowships, teaching/research assistantships, etc.) are also available. Without the extra aid, however, I wouldn't have gone for it. The problem with making a five-year program the norm for engineers is that I just can't see a university arranging co-ops and graduate financial support for a large number of fifth-year students. Most schools have enough trouble meeting the financial needs of their regular graduate students; throwing in another thousand or so students in with them would be impossible. And (at MIT at least) they've found that it's too difficult to manage internship programs with more than 100 or so students enrolled per year. This means that the majority of students in any five-year program would be left footing the bill. Even if the program was close to a master's, I would expect the majority of students to say no. harold a. stern | after january 1: room k1-5c8, ge corporate r&d center | post office box 29, mit branch p.o. box 8, schenectady, ny 12301 | cambridge, ma 02139