New Educational Options Align With Industry and Student Needs

TTHE COLLEGE OF Engineering is launching a new bachelor’s degree program in computer science and engineering, at the main campus and online, starting in the fall 2023 semester. The following year, the college expects to expand its bachelor’s degree program in biomedical engineering to the Phoenix Bioscience Core, or PBC, in downtown Phoenix.

Members of the Arizona Technology Council have expressed a strong need for more workers with computer science engineering skills, said Karla Morales, vice president of the trade association’s Southern Arizona regional office. They also want to hire recent graduates with collaboration and problem-solving abilities, Morales said.

The computer science and engineering curriculum plan will engage students in an applied, project-based education model. Each student’s education will culminate with a senior year Interdisciplinary Capstone.

Computer Science and Engineering: A Unique, Experiential Model

Right now, United States employers are unable to fill around 1 million computer science-related jobs because of a lack of qualified candidates, as estimated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And the bureau predicts graduates will continue to lag behind job openings significantly.

This workforce need is the primary reason the college is offering the new major, said Michael Wu, head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, which houses the degree.

The educational model distinguishes it from other degree programs and provides an option for interested students who want an interdisciplinary engineering education.

“The market is so large that we’re not competing with other institutions or other programs within the University of Arizona,” said Wu. “Instead, we’re joining with other educators to develop a qualified workforce for the computer industry.”

“Students will work with theories, but we stress the hands-on part. They will get opportunities to solve realworld problems in every course. In the capstone, they will form teams to solve even bigger problems,” Wu said.

These aspects, and the overall engineering focus, make the new program distinct from traditional computer science degrees and from the program offered by the UA College of Science. Computer science and engineering is also different from other college degree programs such as software engineering. The former is a broader discipline teaching mastery of computer principles and algorithms as well as concepts including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum computing, data analytics, human–computer interaction, robotics, and hardware and software codesign. Software engineering is a more focused specialty, said Wu.

BME Phoenix: Fast-Paced Cohort Model

The University of Arizona Health Sciences is building the Center for Advanced Molecular and Immunological Therapies, or CAMI, at the PBC, which is already home to the UA’s College of Medicine – Phoenix. BME Phoenix classes and research activities will take place in the CAMI building complex once it opens in 2025.

“That’s exciting for us and continues our growing collaboration with the University of Arizona Health Sciences,” said David W. Hahn, the Craig M. Berge Dean of the college.

Having students earning BME degrees in Phoenix will make partnering with Maricopa-area companies on initiatives such as internships and project sponsorships convenient, said Hahn. Companies are attracted to relocating or starting businesses in Arizona because of the state’s favorable business climate and workforce availability, he said, explaining that the region is expected to have a particularly high need for biomedical engineers.

The new location also provides an option that will work better for some Phoenix-area students who are wellsuited to the experience.

“This is for the independent and fastpaced student who isn’t looking for the traditional campus experience but values the chance to learn in a cohort model and with an intimate studentto-faculty ratio,” he said. “They can work with a physician and prepare for medical school or focus on industry and go right into good jobs.”