Fergie's Tech Blog

Who are the new computer whizzes?

In a rather interesting article by Sandra Lilley in MSNBC Between The Headlines, we find out that:

Pop quiz: Which schools produced the most degrees in computer science in 2001? MIT? Carnegie Mellon? Georgia Tech?

If you guessed any of these, you’re wrong: try Strayer University and DeVry Institute of Technology.

And what kind of student is most likely to take up computer science at Strayer or DeVry?

If you guessed a young geeky guy with a pocket saver, guess again: try a 35-year-old African American or Hispanic woman who already has a full-time job at a company where information technology (IT) skills are a key to advancement.

She’s the one taking the night courses at one of the for-profit institutions like Strayer or DeVry that have a wide variety of locations, and offer courses in the early morning and evening, as well as on-line courses.

"We were so blown away by this," remarked Dr. Shirley Malcom, director of Education and Human Resources at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and one of the authors of the report, "Preparing Women and Minorities for the IT Workforce: The Role of Nontraditional Educational Pathways."

posted by Fergie @ 7/19/2005 06:56:00 AM