KINGSTON, R.I. — October 4, 2001 — If your picture of a computer scientist is a person hunched over a keyboard in a row of cubicles, look again. You might soon try searching for one in an art gallery, symphony hall or classroom.

That’s because the University of Rhode Island is now offering a new
Bachelor of Arts computer science degree that gives students options to explore additional areas of interest during their coursework or even to major in a second discipline such as art, music, or education in which they can apply their computer skills. This is possible because the new BA degree has fewer specialized course requirements than URI’s existing Bachelor of Science degree.

The new degree is good news to Rhode Island employers whose need for skilled technology workers far exceeds higher education’s ability to prepare and graduate them. The Rhode Island Economic Development Corp. recently documented the existence of more than 2,000 technology positions in Rhode Island. At the time of the survey, URI was only producing 65 graduates capable of filling these positions.

“The new bachelor’s degree can be applied to virtually any other area of study,” said James Kowalski, chair of its Computer Science and Statistics Department. “We expect the program to attract and help retain students, many of whom leave the University without a degree lured by high-paying jobs. Kowalski expects about 35 additional full-time students will enroll in the new program.

For Information: James Kowalski, 874-2510, Jan Wenzel, 874-2116