Curriculum Design

 Major: Computer Science Interdisciplinary Degree

Advisors: Pete Tucker (Computer Science Department) 

`     Qian Mao (Computer Science Department) 

    Michael Ingram (Communications Department/Director Of Forensics) 

    Dawn Keig (Business Department) 

Pretext: I am a junior that recently changed my BA in Computer Science and International Project Management to the BA interdisciplinary degree 

N.B: I started studying at whitworth before the shared curriculum changes were applied in 2024, courses not given (CORE-150,CORE-250 and etc) have already been taken.

N.B: Since I am halfway done with my degree I will be referencing my past college career and plan for the future.

Made up course description: SCRUM 101 (Optional Capstone only given when SE is given):  Teaches the different practices of Scrum by assigning students in the class as Scrum Masters within their respective software engineering groups in their software engineering class. The goal of this class is to teach the foundational practices of Scrum management while preparing students to take the Scrum Master certification.

Requirements:

Whitworth Shared Curriculum Requirements:

Computer Science Interdisciplinary Course Requirements:

Course Number	Course Name	Credits
CS 171	Computer Science I	3
CS 172	Computer Science II	3
CS 250	Digital Humanities	3
CS 270	Applications Development	3
CS 274	Ethic, Soc & Leg Issues in CS	3
CS 314	Serving Humanity with Computing	3
CS 350W	Applied Digital Humanities	3
CS 470	Software Engineering Vocation	3
CS 472	Software Engineering	3
	Any one 200 level CS Elective	3
	Any two 300 level CS Electives	6
One of the following:		3
MA 278	Discrete Mathematics	3
PH 201	Logic	3
PH 301	Symbolic Logic	3
	Complete 9 upper division credits outside Computer	9
	Submit a program plan, approved by 2 advisors

Interdisciplinary Requirements (Focus: Project/Product Management)

Prerequisites:

BU 218	Marketing	3
BU 230	Financial Accounting and Analysis	3
BU 274	Principles of Management	3

Requirements: 

Four Year Plan:

Freshman Year

Fall: (14 Credits) 

CS-171 - Computer Science I 

EL-110-6: Writing & Design (Written Communication)

MA-171-4: Calculus (Natural Science/Math)

PO-150-1: The Politics of Harry Potter  (Social Science)

SC-125-14: First Year Seminar (SC 101 Rep)

Spring: (17 Credits)

Sophomore Year: 

BU-230-2: Financial Accounting (Prereq for the interdisciplinary)

BU-274-1: Principles of Management (Prereq for the interdisciplinary)

CO-150-9: Ancient & Modern Worldviews  (Fait, reason and cont. Issues req) 

COM-113-1: Interpersonal Communication (Communication and Context)

COM-247-1: Applied Journalism: Yearbook

CS-251-1: Introduction to Data Science (CS req (elective -200)

SC-126-3: Home

Sophomore Year

Fall (15 Credits):

CO-250-9: Worldview & Role of Reason 

COM-447-1: Editorial Practicum: Yearbook (UpperDiv)

COM-245H-1: Applied Speech: Forensics 

CS-274-1: Ethic, Soc & Leg Issues in CS (CS req)

EL-245-2: Creative Writing (Fine Arts) 

PE-129-1: Badminton (Physical Welness)

PH-110-2: Intro to Philosophy (Elective) 

Jan Term (3 Credits): 

MA-256-3: Elem Probability & Statistics

Spring (17 Credits):

BI-102-1: Introductory Biology (Natural Science, elective) 

BU-218-2: Marketing (Interdisciplinary Prereq)

COM-447-1: Editorial Practicum: Yearbook (UpperDiv)

COM-245H-1: Applied Speech: Forensics 

CS-172-2: Computer Science II (CS req)

EL-128-1: Multicultural American Lit (UTAG, Literature and Story Telling)

TH-288-1: Genesis in the Letters of Paul (Bible Lit) 

Junior Year (Switch to new Catalog) 

Fall (16 Credits):

BU-376-1: Glob. Operat/Supply Chain Mgmt (Interdisciplinary Req, upper div)

COM-245H-1: Applied Speech: Forensics 

CS-200-1: Computer Science Outreach (Merge with serving humanity)

CS-250-1: Digital Humanities (CS Req)

CS-273-1: Data Structures (CS req (elective -200)

CS-376-1: Technology Management  (CS req (elective 300) (upperdiv)

CS-391-DIRPT: IS: Serving Humanity w/ Computing (Serving humanity, upperdiv)

Jan Term (4 Credits): 

CS-270-1: Applications Development (CS Req)

PE-124 Weight Training (1 Credits)

Spring (16 Credits) 

BU-425-1: Organizational Behavior (Upper div, Interdisciplinary Req) 

BU-463-1: Project Management (Upper div, Interdisciplinary Req) 

CS-374-1: Database Management  (CS req (elective 300) (upperdiv)

HI-300W-1: Christianity in Asia (Historical Analysis, GTAG, Upperdiv)

PH-201-1: Logic (CS req)

COM-445H Applied Speech: Forensics (UpperDiv)

Senior Year: 

Fall (16 Credits):

BU-373: Human Resource Management(Upper div, Interdisciplinary Req)  

BU-365 Management Information Systems (Upperdiv, elective)

CS-344: Human-Computer Interaction  (CS req (elective 300)

CS-470: Software Engineering Vocation (CS req)

CS-350W: Applied Digital Humanities (CS req)

COM-445H Applied Speech: Forensics (UpperDiv)

Spring (13 credits without made up course)

CS-472: Software Engineering

Made Up Course: Scrum 101

EL-124 African American Literature (Cultural Competency)

TH-337W Romans (Replacement for Core-350) (upperdiv) 

 

Rationale:

This interdisciplinary degree merges foundational skills in computer science with essential project management skills while providing a liberal arts education that teaches students how to learn multiple things simultaneously. One of the main goals of colleges is to equip students for life after graduation, and we are in a time when jobs in the tech industry are becoming increasingly insecure. This degree transforms a coder into a computer scientist—a person trained to recognize multidimensionality while focusing on the fusion of two prominent, relevant fields.

Reflection: 

This is exciting to me personally because, during my past two years at Whitworth, I have struggled to bridge the gap between who I am and who computer science expects me to be. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I don’t fit well within traditional “developer” circles; my abilities and the way I approach things somewhat contradict the standard coursework, which almost led me to switch my major last spring. As if on cue, this degree appeared out of nowhere, and after taking more classes, I now have a semblance of hope that I can bring my unfiltered self to the computer science sphere, believing that what I offer could add value to this field.

Whitworth should really invest more in this degree. If the computer science department wants to produce students who can disrupt the tech industry, it calls for multidimensional students with a depth of knowledge and expertise in multiple subject matters. That is how innovation occurs; that is how change happens. When we take technique and fuse it with our preexisting notions, we can create change.

I don’t have many blind spots because, as a junior, I now understand how things work. My only blind spot would be how the outside job market reacts to this degree—whether they appreciate it, dislike it, or criticize it for not being concentrated in a single technique. That is something I will have to consider.