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Problem Solving and Program Design in C

Computer Science as a Career Path

Section 1

Why Computer Science May be the Right Field for You

Reasons to Major in Computer Science

Many people in the workforce resist the changes that technology requires. They often turn to the youngest employees to take over technology issues and to make choices that will have important consequences. This difference among generations creates a great environment for bright and dedicated students to choose to major in computer science or a related field. The computer industry is one of the fastest growing segments of our economy and promises to continue to see growth well into the future. In order to be competitive, businesses must continue to hire well-trained professionals not only to produce high quality products for the present, but also to plan creative scientific and engineering advances for the future. A person who is part of the computer industry can choose from a wide variety of fields where many interesting and challenging problems will need to be solved. In addition to all the business and communication jobs that may first come to

mind, people with degrees in computer science are working on problems from all spectrums of life. A quick review of technical articles highlights such areas as developing electronic balloting for state and national elections, using signals from wireless devices to update vehicle and pedestrian travel times in order to make the

best decisions for traffic signals or management of construction zones, and using a supercomputer-powered “virtual earthquake” to study benefits of an early warning system using 3D models of actual geographic locations and damage scenarios. Some problems being worked on right now by computer professionals in the medical

world include understanding how the human brain works by modeling brain activation patterns with emphasis on helping people impacted by autism or disorders like paranoid schizophrenia; customizing a wide array of helpful devices for the physically

impaired, from programmable robotic prostheses to digital “sight”; gathering information from implanted pacemakers in order to make timely decisions in times of crisis; developing a computer system capable of recognizing human emotional states by analyzing

a human face in real-time; and developing human–computer interfaces that allow a computer to be operated solely by human gestures in order to manipulate virtual objects.

The fields of security and law enforcement present many challenges to the computer professional, and include the following: The U.S. government is performing observational studies on normal behavior in online worlds in hopes of developing techniques for uncovering online activities of terrorist groups. Advancements in voice biometrics technology allow speech to be analyzed by computer software to determine identity, truthfulness, and emotional states. Electronic protection against malicious software is of great concern to national economies and security interests.

Traits of a Computer Scientist

very important to be able to work with different personalities.

Frederick P. Brooks, famous for leading the team that developed the operating system for the IBM System/360, wrote a book in the 1970’s titled The Mythical

Man Month—Essays on Software Engineering . Even though much has changed in the computing world since he wrote the book, his essays still hold a lot of relevance today. He listed the “Joys of the Craft” as the following: First is the sheer joy of making things of your own design. Second is the pleasure of making things that are useful to and respected by other people. Third is the joy of fashioning complex puzzle-like entities into a system that works correctly. Fourth is the joy of always learning because of the non-repetitive nature of the work. Finally, there is the joy of working with a very tractable medium. The programmer can create in his or her

imagination and readily produce a product that can be tested and easily changed and reworked. Wouldn’t the sculptor or civil engineer enjoy such easy tractability!

Section 2

The College Experience: Computer Disciplines and Majors to Choose From

Computing is a broad discipline that intersects many other fields such as mathematics, science, engineering, and business. Because of such a wide range of choices, it is impossible for anyone to be an expert in all of them. A career involving computing requires the individual to focus his or her efforts while obtaining a college degree. There are many different degrees that involve computing offered at institutions of higher learning. These degrees can even be from different departments within the same institution. Although computing degrees can share some of the same courses, they can also be quite different from each other. Choosing among them can be confusing. To ease this confusion, it is wise for students to be exposed to the work already done on this topic. The three largest international professional societies for computing

professionals—the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the Association for Information Systems (AIS), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Computer Society (IEEE-CS)—produced a cooperative report titled “Computing Curricula 2005.” Five fields and their suggested college curricula have been identified and explained in this report: computer science, computer engineering, information systems, information technology, and software engineering. Most of the degree programs in our colleges and universities follow these guidelines. The report states at the beginning that “it is important that the computing disciplines attract quality students from a broad cross section of the population and

prepare them to be capable and responsible professionals, scientists, and engineers.”

There are countless opportunities for the dedicated and curious individual who is willing to put in the hard work to obtain a degree. Those students who are also members of an underrepresented minority will find these fields to be full of prospects.

Computer Science

Computer science as a discipline encompasses a wide range of topics from theoretical and algorithmic foundations to cutting-edge developments. The work computer scientists are trained to do can be arranged into three categories:

• Designing and implementing useful software.

• Devising new ways to use computers.

• Developing effective ways to solve computing problems.

A computer science degree consists of courses that include computing theory, programming, and mathematics. These courses ultimately develop the logic and reasoning skills integral to becoming a computer scientist. The math sequence includes calculus I and II (and in many cases, calculus III) as well as discrete mathematics. Some students also study linear algebra and probability and statistics. A computer science degree offers a comprehensive foundation that permits graduates to understand and adapt to

new technologies and new ideas. Computer science departments are often found at universities as part of the science, engineering, or mathematics divisions.

Computer Engineering

For students who are more interested in understanding and designing the actual computing devices, many opportunities are available in computer engineering, which is concerned with the design and construction of computers and computerbased

systems. A computer engineering degree involves the study of hardware, software, communications, and the interaction among them, and is a customized blend of an Electrical Engineering degree with a Computer Science degree. The computer engineering curriculum includes courses on the theories, principles,

and practices of traditional electrical engineering as well as mathematics through the standard calculus sequence and beyond. This knowledge is then applied in courses dealing with designing computers and computer-based devices. In addition, programming courses are required so that the computer engineer can develop

software for digital devices and their interfaces.

Currently, an important area for computer engineers involves embedded systems. This involves the development of devices that have software and hardware embedded in them such as cell phones, digital music players, alarm systems, medical diagnostic devices, laser surgical tools, and so on. The devices a computer engineer

might work with are limitless as he or she applies his or her knowledge of how to integrate hardware and software systems.

Information Systems

The information systems (IS) field focuses on integrating technology into businesses and other enterprises to manage their information in an efficient and secure manner. In this area, technology is viewed as an instrument for generating, processing,

and distributing information. Therefore, the focus in this field is on business and organizational principles.

Most IS programs are located in the business school of a university or college, and IS degrees combine business and computing coursework, and the math that is required has a business application focus. These degrees may be found under such programs as Computer Information Systems (CIS) or Management Information

Systems (MIS). Degree program names are not always consistent, but they all have their focus on business principles and applications of technology with less emphasis on the theory of computer science or the digital design of computer engineering.

IS specialists must understand both technical and organizational factors, and must be able to help an organization determine how to use information and technology to provide a competitive edge. These professionals serve as a bridge between the technical community and the management community within an organization.

They are called on to determine the best way to use technology, organize information, and communicate effectively.

Information Technology

An Information Technology (IT) program prepares students to meet the computertechnology needs of business, government, healthcare, schools, and other organizations.

IT has its emphasis on the technology itself, more than on the informationhandled, the theory behind it, or how to design hardware or software. IT professionals work with computer systems to ensure they work properly, are secure, are upgraded and maintained, and are replaced as appropriate. Because computers have become integral parts of the work environment for all

employees at all levels of the organization, many enterprises must maintain departments of IT workers. Organizations of every kind are dependent on information technology on a daily basis and the need for qualified workers is great. Degree programs in IT are commonly found in business or information management

departments, or as an alternate degree in a computer science department.

IT programs in business departments focus on using applications to meet the requirements, networking, systems integration, and resource planning. The emphasis is less on programming and more on using programs already written to the best advantage. IT programs in computer science departments often have more emphasis on programming for computer users, with a focus on writing software for interactive web pages, multimedia, and cloud computing.

IT specialists select appropriate hardware and software products for an organization and then integrate these products within the existing infrastructure. They install and customize and maintain the software as needed. Other examples of responsibilities include network administration and security, design and implementation

of Web pages, development of multimedia resources, oversight of email systems, and installation of communication components. User support and training are often important responsibilities for the IT professional as well.

Software Engineering

Software engineering (SE) is the discipline of developing and maintaining large software systems. These systems must behave reliably and efficiently, be affordable, and satisfy all requirements defined for them. SE seeks to integrate the theory of

computer science and mathematics with the practical engineering principles developed for physical objects.

An SE degree program is closely related to the computer science degree program, and they are usually offered within the same department. In fact, most computer science curricula require one or more software engineering courses. An SE degree can be considered a specialized degree within the confines of the field of computer science.

SE students learn more about software reliability and maintenance of large  systems and focus more on techniques for developing and maintaining software that is engineered to be correct from its inception. Most programs require SE students to participate in group projects for the development of software that will be used in

earnest by others. Students assess customer needs, develop usable software, test the product thoroughly, and analyze its usefulness.

Professionals who hold a software engineering degree expect to be involved with the creation and maintenance of large software systems that may be used by many different organizations. Their focus will be on the design principles that make the system viable for many people and through many years.

Although an SE degree has a recognized description, the term software engineer is merely a job label in the workplace. There is no standard definition for this term when used in a job description, and its meaning can vary widely among employers. An employer may think of a programmer or an IT specialist as a software

engineer.

Mixed Disciplinary Majors

Technology is opening doors for fields of study that combine different sciences or engineering fields with computing. Institutes of higher learning have responded by offering courses or programs for multidisciplinary majors. Some examples follow.

• Bioinformatics is the use of computer science to maintain, analyze, andstore biological data as well as to assist in solving biological problems—usually on the molecular level. Such biological problems include protein folding, protein function prediction, and phylogeny (the history, origin, and evolution of a set of organisms). The core principal of bioinformatics involves using computing resources to help solve problems on scales of magnitude too great for human observation.

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the implementation and study of systems that can exhibit autonomous intelligence or behaviors. AI research draws from many fields including computer science, psychology, philosophy, linguistics, neuroscience, logic, and economics. Applications include robotics, control systems, scheduling, logistics, speech recognition, handwriting recognition,

understanding natural language, proving mathematical theorems, data mining, and facial recognition.

• Computer Forensics is a branch of forensic science pertaining to legal evidence that may be found in computers and digital storage devices. The collection of this evidence must adhere to standards of evidence admissible in a court of law. Computer forensics involves the fields of law, law enforcement, and business.

• Cryptology (or cryptography) is the practice and study of hiding information and involves mathematics, computer science, and engineering. Electronic data security for commerce, personal uses, and military uses continue to be of vast importance.

• Mechatronics is the combination of mechanical engineering, electronic engineering, and software engineering in order to design advanced hybrid systems.

Examples of mechatronics include production systems, planetary exploration rovers, automotive subsystems such as anti-lock braking systems, and autofocus Cameras.

Even when the definitions are given for the different computing disciplines mentioned in this chapter, it is easy to see that there is great overlap among all of them.

In fact, many professionals who have earned a computer science degree may be working in jobs that are closer to an information systems description or vice versa. The student is encouraged to choose a computing field that seems closest to his or her personal goals. Keep in mind that in general, computer science is probably the

degree that will open the most doors in the most diverse areas of computing.

Section 3

Career Opportunities

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is the principal fact-finding agency for the U.S.

Federal Government in the field of labor economics and statistics. This agency publishes

The Occupational Outlook Handbook , which is a nationally recognized source of career information, designed to provide valuable assistance to individuals making decisions about their future work lives. The Handbook is revised every two years.

In 2011, an occupation search using the term computer science resulted in over 9000 search results with more than 40 career matches. This means that computer

science was listed in the job description, or in the type of degree desired, or in the recommended courses for that job. Examples of the matched include Computer Software engineers, Computer Systems analysts, Mathematicians, Computer Programmers, Web Designers and Developers, Secondary and Postsecondary

Teachers, Statisticians, Medical Records and Health Information Technicians, Atmospheric Scientists, Market and Survey Researcher, Economists, Radiation Therapists, Urban and Regional Planners, Surveyors and Mapping Technicians, Conservation Scientists and Foresters, Travel Agents, Private Detectives and

Investigators, Geoscientists, Psychologists, and Interpreters and Translators.

The Demand in the United States and in the World

According to the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, computer software engineer and computer scientist and database administrator are some of the occupations projected

to grow the fastest and to add the most new jobs over the 2008–2018 decade.

Strong employment growth combined with a limited supply of qualified workers will result in excellent employment prospects. Those with practical experience and at least a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering or computer science should have the best opportunities. Employers will continue to seek computer professionals with strong programming, systems analysis, interpersonal, and business skills.

The Federal Government is the nation’s largest employer, with more than 1.8 million civilian employees. Computer specialists—primarily computer software engineers, computer systems analysts, and network administrators—are employed throughout the federal government. Of all the “professional and related occupations”

listed as employed by the federal government, only the occupations of computer specialists and conservation scientists were projected to have an actual increase in job numbers for the 2008–2018 decade.

The growing need for computer professionals is increased by the looming retirement of a generation of baby boomers, and all of this is occurring as the government projects that the computer science/IT workforce will grow nearly 25 percent between 2008 and 2018 more than twice as fast as the overall workforce.

Today’s student should not be worried about any impact outsourcing computer jobs to other countries will have on their ability to find a job. The fact is many companies have tried outsourcing entire projects and found that it does not work well. Some of the more mundane aspects of coding can be outsourced, but the more creative

work is best kept in house. For example, during the design and development of a new system, interaction with specialists from other disciplines and communication with other team members and potential system users are of utmost importance. These activities cannot be effectively done from a distance. Many companies are

abandoning outsourcing and doing more system development at home.

The number of graduates from the computing fields will not meet the demand in the marketplace in the foreseeable future. Projections and statistics show that there will be plenty of jobs to be offered to the qualified computer professional and the salaries will be higher than the average full-time worker earns in the United States.

The Demand for Underrepresented Groups

The demand for women and minorities to fill computer-related jobs is higher than ever. The computer-related fields have traditionally seen small numbers of women and minorities in the workplace. Colleges and universities want to attract these groups to computer science and IS departments and often offer good scholarships

and opportunities. According to a recent study by the National Center for Women and Information Technology, the most successful IT teams were also the most diverse.

The study showed that diversity of thought leads to innovation, and that companies should be aware of the significance of diversity. Prospective students should not be turned away by the stereotypical view of a “computer geek” who sits in front of a computer all day, but should realize all the opportunities to be found in such a

diverse and fast-growing field. Computer professionals will be creating the applications that allow computers to solve real-world problems.

New Careers Constantly on the Horizon

It is clear that there will be a healthy need for computer professionals in the career paths that are known about today. For the student just starting to plan a career, there will surely be opportunities that have not even been imagined yet. The possibilities

are amazing and the rewards are many.

One such window into the future can be seen in the work of Bruce Donald, a professor of Computer Science and of Biochemistry at Duke University. Through his research, Professor Donald has developed microscopic robots that can be controlled individually or as a group. These robots are measured in microns (millionths of a meter) and are almost 100 times smaller than any previous robotic designs of their kind. “Our work constitutes the first implementation of an untethered, multimicrorobotic system.” Each robot can respond differently to the same single “global control signal” as voltages charge and discharge on their working parts. A budding computer scientist should see many fantastic applications for these devices!

The student who chooses to major in computer science or a related field can look forward to challenging and interesting classes. The job market will be wide open upon graduation, with the assurance that such degrees will be highly marketable. A new employee or researcher will have opportunities to be at the forefront

of innovative technology in a constantly changing world. The prospects are limited only by the imagination.