MILWAUKEE — Dr. Md. Tahmidul Islam Molla, assistant professor of practice in computer science at Marquette University, has been awarded a nearly $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop an online rapid entry bridge course for people seeking a career change to pursue a Master of Science in computer and information science.
The project builds on the success of Change Opportunity — Start Masters in Computing (COSMIC), a two-year, in-person graduate program that caters to those who don’t have a degree in computing but wish to move into the field. Launched in 2016, the original COSMIC program featured a highly focused in-person bridge course combined with an innovative curriculum that allowed people without computer science degrees to merge quickly and efficiently into the professional Masters in Computer and Information Science program.
“COSMIC 2.0: Enhancements for a Career-Change Pathway for Non-computing Majors” will redesign the original bridge course to be offered as online synchronous and asynchronous delivery modes. The bridge course will focus on providing, within one term, the background and the required skillsets needed for students to complete the entire two-year pathway to career change into computing.
“Computing is a fast-growing profession with excellent employment prospects,” Islam said. “However, the time, effort, financial challenges and education required to enter this field can be daunting and even intimidating for academically talented, low-income, post-baccalaureate career changers. To meet these challenges and provide the computing profession with a qualified, highly motivated workforce, the COSMIC 2.0 project provides a model for a relatively quick turnaround for students without a computing undergraduate degree to obtain an MS in Computer and Information Science.”
COSMIC 2.0 is funded through NSF’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) Program and will allow Marquette to provide scholarships to low-income students. S-STEM scholarship recipients will receive support through distance learning adaptations to the bridge course, as well as academic resources like faculty mentoring and peer mentoring, study groups, online cohort building, and career services.
“We are excited to see the positive impact COSMIC has had on the lives of career changers, which is reflected in the project receiving funding for the second time,” Islam added. “There is a large group of students who are not satisfied with their current jobs for several reasons, such as low-income jobs, dissatisfaction with the current job, or poor career advancement, and are seeking a career change in computing and areas of high demand by employers. With the COSMIC 2.0 project, we aim to help these students and the generous support from NSF S-STEM project will ensure that these students merge quickly and efficiently into our professional MS in Computer and Information Science degree program and achieve a rewarding career with a well-paid salary to achieve social mobility upon completion of the program.”
This project aims to attract, recruit and support academically talented low-income individuals from across the nation. Its online modality aims to extend the current program and enables Marquette to attract students from all over the country, irrespective of their employment status, who are seeking a career change in computing. For companies and other entities who use computer and information science expertise, the project will have a positive effect on the local and national economies by quickly providing the focused training that is needed to fill current workforce needs.
“This award is a great opportunity for Dr. Islam and his co-investigators to expand access to the field of computer science,” said Dr. Heather Hathaway, acting dean in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences. “This project will offer promising opportunities for those seeking a career change into computing, while also quickly providing the focused training that is needed to fill current workforce need.”
Islam’s co-investigators on COSMIC 2.0 are Dr. Dennis Brylow, chair and professor, and Dr. Niharika Jain, teaching associate professor, both in the Department of Computer Science.
The NSF S-STEM Program addresses the need for a high-quality STEM workforce in areas of national priorities. The NSF S-STEM Program seeks to increase and understand the success of low-income, academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who are pursuing associate, baccalaureate or graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Recognizing that scholarships alone cannot address low retention and graduation rates in STEM, the program provides funds to institutions of higher education for scholarships and for establishing systems of high-quality, evidence-based curricular and co-curricular activities that support student success, retention, transfer and graduation in STEM.
About Marquette University
Marquette University is a Catholic, Jesuit university located near the heart of downtown Milwaukee that offers a comprehensive range of majors in 11 nationally and internationally recognized colleges and schools. Through the formation of hearts and minds, Marquette prepares our 11,100 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and professional students to lead, excel and serve as agents of positive change. And, we deliver results. Ranked in the top 20% of national universities, Marquette is recognized for its undergraduate teaching, innovation and career preparation as the sixth-best university in the country for job placement. Our focus on student success and immersive, personalized learning experiences encourages students to think critically and engage with the world around them. When students graduate with a Marquette degree, they are truly prepared and called to Be The Difference.
