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Opening doors to computer science education

Ways to get more students from under-represented backgrounds into computer science, including offering joint undergraduate degrees and master’s degrees that require no tech background

Beth Mynatt's avatar
Northeastern University
23 Dec 2024
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A computer science studeng coding on her laptop
image credit: iStock/Kriangsak Koopattanakij.

Given the exponential growth of the computer science field and its increasing impact on everyday life, it is imperative that undergraduate and graduate programmes open their doors to as wide and diverse a student population as possible. While various colleges and universities have experienced success, many have struggled. 

Over the past few years, Northeastern University Khoury College of Computer Sciences has made steady advances in attracting a diverse range of students. At the undergraduate level, 35 per cent of our students identify as female or non-binary and 15 per cent come from Black, Hispanic, or indigenous communities; in our Align master’s programme, 53 per cent of our students identify as female or non-binary and 11 per cent of our domestic students come from Black, Hispanic or indigenous communities. While many factors have contributed to our success, there are a few key drivers. 

Joint majors 

Joint undergraduate majors are key to attracting students with a breadth of interests. We offer 56 across a wide range of disciplines from biology to business to design. More than half of our undergraduate students take advantage of this option, and this group of students is more diverse than our overall student population, with more than 40 per cent of them being women. We offered our first joint degree in 2001 and have added more almost every year since. This incremental approach has proven successful for us.

With a combined major degree in hand, graduates can enter the workplace able to use the power of tech to make significant contributions in their areas of passion. We have found that female students and students from under-represented groups often cite the combined major option as a reason they chose to study computer science. 

Rigorous support that prepares students for the workplace  

Internships and hackathons allow students to quickly apply what they are learning to real-world situations in a variety of work settings. Integrating industry-aligned experiences into joint degree programmes allows students to gain hands-on experience in an area that speaks directly to them. In addition, designated career advisers working in tandem with academic advisers are key to supporting students with their long-term goals and ensuring students are career-ready at graduation.  

Robust teaching assistant programme for introductory classes 

Support from teaching assistants is critical to success in introductory courses. Like many fields, computer science students learn by doing. When you learn to ride a bike you fall down, and when you learn to program, there are false starts and misconceptions. It is important to have support to help you get back up. It is critical to keep the student to teaching assistant ratio low in introductory courses both at undergraduate and master’s level. 

Master’s programmes for students with no tech background 

For the past 11 years, Khoury College has had great success with its Align master’s programme that provides a pathway to gaining a computer science master’s degree to students from non-computer science backgrounds. The programme begins with a two-semester bridge, where foundational computer science principles are covered in a supportive, hands-on manner that not only readies students for rigorous studies but also gives them confidence in their ability to succeed. In addition, during the course of the programme, students can participate in up to two work placements that allow them to apply what they are learning and explore various career opportunities. 

Support from fellow students and advisers 

A cohort model, in which students progress through a programme with a group of peers, is also key to a successful computer science master’s programme for students from non-tech backgrounds. This model allows students from a wide range of backgrounds and a shared interest in computer science to collaborate, create, solve problems and support one another. Here again, advisers are integral in guiding students every step of the way, including facilitating connections with tech partners. 

A common thread in successful undergraduate and graduate programmes is meeting students where they are. What beyond computer science are they passionate about? How can we help students who have ambition and drive but may lack a computer science background succeed? 

As we well know, technology, when used ethically, can change lives. Making this powerful tool available to tomorrow’s leaders, with their varied passions, not only benefits the individual student but ultimately society as a whole.   

Beth Mynatt is dean of Northeastern University Khoury College of Computer Sciences.

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Comments (3)

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lschmitt
25 Dec 2024
Nice effort Khoury College. Should also tip the hat to Carla Brodley (Ms. Mynatt predecessor) who spearheaded and significantly expanded the Masters Align program during her tenure as dean of Khoury College. Ms. Brodley is currently the Dean of Inclusive Computing at Northeastern University.
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lschmitt
28 Dec 2024
Written largely from an administrators POV with only a scant amount of supporting metrics, it would be helpful to get some stats on the results of Khoury's efforts such as job placement and success longevity, etc. after degree completion. This article only provides a superficial and incomplete look at a complex and thorny issue. A 4/5 year degree at Khoury College costs roughly $370,000 and an Align Masters cost of $81,664. It would be useful to know if the included diversity groups actually experience sustained success and get their money's worth. It's unclear if the programs, which may encourage enrollment, actually benefits minority groups. It is also unclear that a 2 semester background curriculum in the hard tech of CS can actually support working in even a tangental technical field when a typical CS degrees require up to 3 years of advanced math, 2 years of other hard sciences, and 4 solid years of core CS courses. The efforts to encourage cross-discipline majors and the Align might actually exacerbate the issue of unqualified placement and set students up for frustration and failure, not to mention huge student loan debt. Case studies of a few successful students that pepper the pages of Khoury College's website do not alleviate these concerns. Only hard data will prove the validity of these programs. Bottom line: do these programs truly serve the students in a pay-for-education framework?
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Emma.P
5 Jan 2025
Posted on LinkedIn by Jackson T. -------- Take Action: Khoury Students are Paying to SUBSIDIZE New Student As members of the Khoury College of Computer Sciences community, we all share a commitment to ensuring that our education is not only of the highest quality but also fair and equitable. Recently, many of us have grown increasingly concerned about the tuition policies at Khoury College and their impact on both current and future students. Since the start of the 2024 Fall Semester, Khoury College Seattle Northeastern University Graduate Admissions, for example, has implemented substantial increases in graduate tuition fees. This has resulted in a sharp decline in new student enrollment. To put this into perspective, the number of new graduate students at the Seattle campus has dropped by over 50% compared to last year. In an attempt to address this issue, Khoury College introduced a discount policy for ALL new students, offering reduced tuition fees for their ENTIRE program. While the intent to attract new students is understandable, this policy creates an unfair dynamic for current Khoury students, who continue to bear the burden of higher tuition fees. It feels as though the financial responsibility for these discounts has been unfairly shifted onto returning Khoury students like us. This decision fosters division among students. The practice of using current Khoury students' tuition dollars to SUBSIDIZE incoming students undermines trust and creates an inequitable academic environment within the Khoury community. We believe it’s vital for Khoury students to take action and make our voices heard. By collectively expressing our concerns, we can advocate for policies that treat all students fairly. To this end, we encourage each of you to write 1-2 brief and respectful emails to university leaders or departments who have the power to address this issue. (Please limit your outreach to no more than 2 emails.) You may consider reaching out to: President Joseph Aoun Dean Elizabeth Mynatt Relevant departments, such as Equity and Compliance, Ombuds, or any department you believe related When crafting your email, keep it concise and professional. Share your concerns about the tuition policies and how they are affecting you and the Khoury community. Together, we can demonstrate the importance of this issue and encourage university leadership to take meaningful action. Thank you for taking the time to stand up for fairness and equity in our community. By uniting our voices, we can help ensure that Northeastern University upholds its commitment to its students. If we don’t take action now, it wouldn’t be surprising if tuition for current Khoury students continues to rise while even higher discounts are offered to future students. Please share this information with other Khoury students you know so that we can amplify our message.
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