If you are thinking about studying computer science, you may be considering an institute of technology. However, we feel strongly that a liberal arts background is the best possible preparation you can get for a career in computer science or information science.
In our classes, we will teach you the latest technology. But, in ten or fifteen years, when you are still early your career, that technology will be obsolete. True, the fundamental principle we cover will not have changed, for the most part, but the software and hardware you will use on a daily basis will be unimaginably different from today’s technology.
That means that an education based on technology is doomed to fail. What kind of education can prepare you for the future? What will make you a valuable employee ten, fifteen, or twenty years after your graduate?
You will need to be able to:
If you look back at this list, it comprises a liberal arts education. In other words, a liberal arts education is precisely what you need to have a productive career as a computer scientist or information scientist.
“Computer programming is the single best professional opportunity in the world. We need more Americans in the field. Let’s go!”
– Steve Ballmer,
CEO, Microsoft Corporation
Our alumni have proved this over and over again. Without a superb liberal arts background, there is no way that computer science graduate Suzanne Thomas Winkler ’92 would have become a Vice President for Web Resources at the Bank of America fifteen years after she graduated from Hartwick.
There is another reason that a liberal arts education is superb training for a computer scientist or an information scientist. At root, you are a problem solver. Your tool may be computer software or computer hardware, but you are ultimately a problem solver. Really creative problem solving often proceeds by analogy and involves thinking outside the box. A liberal arts education gives you a broad and deep background rich with ideas to apply to your problems.
“Our policy at Facebook is literally to hire as many talented engineers as we can find. There just aren’t enough people who are trained and have these skills today.”
– Mark Zuckerberg,
Founder, Facebook
The job market for computer and information science graduates continues to grow and recent graduates can earn salaries in the $60,000 range. In addition, our students have a tremendous track record of getting into top tier graduate schools and excelling once they are there.
Some of our alumni’s accomplishments include:
