Interdisciplinary Computing Majors (CS+X): Making it work at your University

Abstract

As computing becomes increasingly relevant to all disciplines, interdisciplinary computing degrees become increasingly important. These interdisciplinary majors: 1) address the increasing need for computing knowledge across all disciplines; 2) have the potential to increase a student's employability; 3) give employers the opportunity to hire students who are trained in two fields relevant to the company; 4) by reducing the number of requirements for the computing degree, can alleviate some of the pressure faced by CS departments from booming enrollments ; and 5) broaden participation in computing - in particular, to increase the percentage of women. Despite these opportunities, as of 2022 there are only a few schools that have embraced this mission. There are significant implementation challenges to interdisciplinary majors: 1) university/college budget models often financially discourage interdisciplinary degrees; 2) difficulty determining the "unit" that will administer the combined degree; 3) already large demands on CS faculty time; 4) advisors/faculty must be trained to advise interdisciplinary majors; and 5) both disciplines have to agree to reduce their major course requirements. In this BoF session we will discuss these and other obstacles identified at the range of institutions represented at SIGCSE and how to overcome these implementation challenges.