Over the next few decades, humanity will greatly benefit from the advances in computing and data science and a lot of challenges faced by humanity will be addressed by the interdisciplinary collaboration between computer science (CS) and other major disciplines, according to John Mitchell, Chair, Department of Computer Science, Stanford University. 

“CS+X degree programs are already popular in some other parts of the world. It is an academic program which allows students to major in computer science and one humanities discipline,” Mitchell said during tech talk titled ‘Computer Science applied to arts, sciences, humanities and law’ organised by the Sai University, Chennai, in association with Chennai Sahodaya School Campus here on Tuesday. CS+X curriculum has been implemented in Sai University for the past two years.

“At Stanford, we were taught to build a CS+X major. Computer science plus music was the first one we tried and then we went on to add a few other areas,”  he said. 

Combining Computing

Mitchell added that many students at Stanford are doing Coterminal Master’s Program.  “Coterminal Master students get computer science masters but the other half of the curriculum can be every possible major that you can imagine be it religious studies or political science major,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell said, this CS+X phenomenon reflects the view of a growing number of students, who believe in the value of one field that they are really interested in and combine it with computing as a tool to make a difference in their field.  

Mitchell said when he started at Stanford 30 years ago, everyone in the CS department was in software or hardware but today most people are interested in problem solving, building something better or building solutions that can change the system. 

“The opportunity and the progress we will see in the next decades is really going to be an interdisciplinary CS+X area,”  he added.

John Mitchell is distinguished computer science professor in Sai University