Computer Science 100 - Homework 4: Career & Graduate Opportunities

Assigned: Monday, April 23

Due: Monday, April 30

Instructions: This homework exercise is in two parts. In part one, you will find and describe the skill and background requirements for a full-time position in a computer-science related position in industry. (An "industry" position is any position that is not with the government or a non-profit organization.) In part two, you will find the application requirements for admission to a Ph.D. program in computer science.

Evaluation:

For each part I will evaluate your submissions according to their completeness and neatness.

• 3 points: Submission contains requested information from both parts of the assignment or it contains only minor errors or omissions in a single part, and work is neat and tidy.
• 2 points: Submission contains minor errors or omissions in both parts, but contains no major errors or omissions, and is neat and tidy.
• 1 point: Submission contains a single major error or omission, or submission is not neat and tidy
• 0 points: No submission, or submission contains more than one major error or omission, or submission contains minor errors and omissions in both parts and is not neat and tidy.

Part I.

Find the corporate website for either Cerner Corporation in Kansas City, MO, Boeing Corporation in St. Louis, MO (or any other Boeing location), or Google, Inc. in Mountain View, CA. Then, find the careers section on the website you selected, and use the website to search for an entry-level job that requires a degree in computer science. (An entry-level job is one that requires no more than two years of experience. It might be advertised as a job for "graduates", "new graduates", or as an "entry-level" position.) Record the following characteristics of the job.

1. Name of company
2. Name of position
3. Location of position
4. Minimum qualifications you must have to qualify for the position
5. Preferred qualifications (These are the qualifications beyond the minimum. If you have them, you will have an advantage over other candidates. The job might not list any preferred qualifications, or they might be called by some other name. If there are no preferred qualifications listed, state this in your answer.)

Part II.

Go to the website for either Washington University in St. Louis, MO, the University of Missouri - Columbia, or Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA, and find the webpage for the Ph.D. program in computer science at the institution. Locate the following information about the application at the institution.

1. Name of institution
2. Deadline for submitting an application for admission. (List both the deadline date and the semester to which the deadline applies.)
3. Number of letters of reference required (if any)
4. Graduate exam results required (if any)
5. Transcripts required (if any)
6. Other materials required (personal statement, written application, etc.)
7. Specific courses required or recommended during undergraduate education, if any.

What to turn in: When you have found all the requested information for both parts, enter the information in a neatly formatted document. Make sure that the two parts of the assignment are clearly labeled, that each piece of information has a number associated with it that corresponds to the numbers above, and that your name is at the top.