American college students may be uninterested in studying computer science, but not so foreign students. A report just released by the National Science Foundation shows that 61 percent of the 1,452 doctorates awarded in computer science in 2006 at U.S. colleges went to non-U.S. citizens. The total number of awards jumped by 28 percent from 2005.
Ed Lazowska, a computer scientist at the University of Washington, attributes the surge in doctorates awarded to the large number of students entering computer-science graduate programs during the tech bust when desirable jobs were drying up. He suspects that the doctorates awarded over the next several years will drop since technology firms are snapping up well-qualified computer scientists with bachelor’s degrees.
Whether foreign students will continue to be a force in computer science in the United States is an open question. Another report issued this month by the Institute of International Education shows that the number of international students enrolled in computer- and information-science programs in the United States during the 2006-7 academic year declined by 2.6 percent from the previous year. The drop happened even though the number of foreign students studying at U.S. colleges inched up 3.2 percent.—-Andrea L. Foster
Developing online and blended learning programs requires research and collaboration. Learn how top technology companies are partnering with campuses across the country to advance online learning as it becomes an increasingly important aspect of higher education.