Computer science more popular because of technological age

By Rhiannon Lotze

It’s the age of technology, and computer science has become a popular educational path for post-secondary students.
According to the Canadian Occupational Projection System published by Employment and Social Development Canada, the computer science industry has the ninth highest number of job openings in Canada. It is expected to remain within the top 10 employment industries through 2020.
The University of Windsor has seen significant growth in its School of Computer Science since its creation in the 70s. The university initially offered two branches of study within the program and had five faculty members. Since then, the number of faculty has grown to almost two dozen and there are now almost a hundred courses to take.

The director of the computer science program, Ziad Kobti, said it has become highly successful because the trade is now a staple of the world.

“Computer science is a central science. No other discipline today can survive without our services,” said Kobti. He also said the program appeals to students because “the industry through the years has become more and more competitive and diverse. Consequently, there is a growing demand for highly specialized experts.” Kobti has been the director of the School of Computer Science at the university since 2012.

While the majority of changes in the program occurred over the span of several decades, there have been noticeable differences, especially in the popularity of it, in the past four years. As a fourth year student in the program, Brendan Steiner said he has witnessed these changes firsthand.
“I heard that there are about 20 students that graduate each year in computer science,” said Steiner. “The only thing I’ve noticed is that more and more students are looking to get help instead of straying away from computer science.” Steiner also said computer science is the only program with 100 per cent employability within the first two years of graduating which likely attracts new students.
First-year students in the program such as Nikola Zjalic, have also noticed its popularity.
“It’s a versatile, ever-growing field and there’s tons of options and opportunity,” said Zjalic. He said he believes there are about 200 first year students enrolled in computer science.
However, despite the growing popularity of the industry, it is still not a common educational choice for women entering universities.
“There are about five first-year females,” said Sara Hayale, who is one of those five. “There’s a very obvious lack of females in the program.” Hayale also said while there is a big difference between the numbers of men and women taking computer science, it does not affect her. “It’s just like being in any other program.”
According to a study conducted by Forbes Magazine, careers in computer science are also being combined with other areas such as medicine and business and the need for computer science majors will only continue to grow.