College Students Abandon Finance for Computer Major
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Several academics see a growing number of students eying computer careers as the financial services industry tanks. |
"Students have commented to me and written on their course wikis that they're considering changing from finance [majors], both based on the appeal of IS and concern over availability of finance jobs" in the future, Boston College associate professor of IT John Gallaugher tells Computerworld.
William Dally notices the same trend from his vantage point as chair of Stanford University's computer science department.
Students interested in technology go into banking and finance because those fields could be more lucrative. "Many thought they could make more money in hedge funds," Dally said. He said students are returning to computer science because they like the field and not because it can necessarily make them rich.
The article cites studies by the Computer Research Association that show computer science enrollments began declining after the dot-com bust, reaching a low of 8,021 last year from 14,185 in 2003-2004. The association tracks year-over-year enrollment and graduate trends at 170 doctoral-granting institutions.
