You have probably heard the cliche story about how a rudimentary general education course was so captivating that it caused a student to switch majors and career paths.
But is it really a cliche?
According to a statement released by the university, UCLA students change their majors on average 2.5 times, showing that GE classes can affect students’ future plans.
I am a firm believer that general education is the best way to expose students to different programs outside of one’s major.
Thus, ensuring that all significant programs are represented in the GE curriculum is a necessity for creating foundations of knowledge for the work world.
However, the GE curriculum of UCLA’s largest undergraduate school, the College of Letters and Science, is outdated. The last major revision to the College’s GE curriculum was nearly 10 years ago.
Although the current foundations of Scientific Inquiry, Arts and Humanities, and Society and Culture are still relevant, a new foundation of knowledge emerging from the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, logical problem solving, needs to be recognized and added to the GE curriculum.
UCLA computer science lecturer Dr. Paul Eggert said he considers computer science to be a philosophy of logical problem solving, which incorporates both engineering and applied mathematics.
This foundation of knowledge, logical problem solving, is commonly introduced to students through computer science courses at technical schools.
Yet, both technical and non-technical schools nationwide are beginning to recognize the importance of these skills and their applicability by transitioning computer science from elective courses to graduation requirements, according to an article in the Chicago Tribune.
UCLA should follow suit in adding computer science as a requirement for undergraduates. This requirement would only benefit students in the College, as it would expand possibilities and applications of their majors.
Currently, there are a very limited amount of computer science courses available for students outside of the School of Engineering that require petitions. There is also no computer science minor.
Although some majors have computing specializations, there are only a few that implement it. However, computing specializations are developed by the College and do not contain the same curriculum and skills taught in the School of Engineering’s computer science program.
Not mandating any GE classes from the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science makes little sense for students in the College.
In the last 10 years, engineering and computer science skills have become more integrated than ever with other majors, said UCLA computer science Professor Alfonso Cardenas.
Employers may look for students with basic computer science backgrounds, because they have a history of stronger problem-solving skills, which may cause them to contribute in a more beneficial way than students without those skills, Eggert said.
For some, the selective preference for computer science skills among employers intimidates and deters students who lack these skills from applying to these jobs and internships.
This should not happen. All students in the College should be required to fulfill a computer science requirement, as the field and its interconnectivity between majors has become increasingly crucial in the workplace.
Considering that UCLA was one of the pioneers of computer science in contributions to the creation of email and the Internet, it is difficult to fathom that there is such limited exposure to these programs among students in the College.
Ultimately, skills from computer science allow students to approach problems in a different way from the other foundations. This is a powerful tool, and it is one that the College’s General Education Governance Committee should consider giving to its students.
Do you want a computer science course to be added to the general education curriculum? Email Patel at
kpatel@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to opinion@media.ucla.edu or tweet us @DBOpinion.