Bridge Program Speeds Prep for Non-Engineer STEM Masters Studies

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 10/09/17

Frequently, people entering master's programs must first complete years' worth of courses in fundamentals to pursue the topic they ultimately want to study. The Tandon School of Engineering at New York University is trying a new tack to woo non-STEM students into STEM degree programs.

The "Bridge Program to NYU Tandon" has been developed for people with non-engineering backgrounds but with some college-level math to get the basics they need to jump into graduate-level study in bioinformatics, computer engineering, computer science and cybersecurity. The program costs $1,500 and is offered over a 26-week part-time effort or as a one-quarter, 17-week full-time pursuit.

Students who maintain a grade of B-plus or better and who meet all other NYU Tandon admission requirements will be admitted to a qualifying master's program. As an option (and an extra fee) they can also receive a certificate related to the coursework they've completed.

Studies aren't easy. Topics include system hardware, number systems, compilation and execution process, data types and expressions, branching and iterative statements, propositional logic, predicate logic, introduction to algorithm analysis, arrays and strings, trees and binary search trees, computer organization, assembly language basics, intro to operating-system concepts and memory management.

However, those who have shown interest "are coming from all backgrounds: humanities, management, arts and physics," said Nasir Memon, associate dean of online learning and a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, who conceived the program, in a prepared statement. Many of these students are enrolling because of the high demand in engineering and the high earnings those jobs can generate, he added.

He noted that the program has proven especially popular among women, who made up nearly half of enrollees in the pilot in computer science. While the percentage of women studying CS at the post-secondary level has fallen to about 18 percent, women make up 40 percent of Bridge participants.

The Bridge to NYU Tandon program runs on a quarterly academic calendar, with a November 5, 2017 application deadline for the winter quarter, which begins in January 2018.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • person signing a bill at a desk with a faint glow around the document. A tablet and laptop are subtly visible in the background, with soft colors and minimal digital elements

    California Governor Signs AI Content Safeguards into Law

    California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially signed off on a series of landmark artificial intelligence bills, signaling the state’s latest efforts to regulate the burgeoning technology, particularly in response to the misuse of sexually explicit deepfakes. The legislation is aimed at mitigating the risks posed by AI-generated content, as concerns grow over the technology's potential to manipulate images, videos, and voices in ways that could cause significant harm.

  • close-up illustration of a hand signing a legislative document

    California Passes AI Safety Legislation, Awaits Governor's Signature

    California lawmakers have overwhelmingly approved a bill that would impose new restrictions on AI technologies, potentially setting a national precedent for regulating the rapidly evolving field. The legislation, known as S.B. 1047, now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom's desk. He has until the end of September to decide whether to sign it into law.

  • illustration of a VPN network with interconnected nodes and lines forming a minimalist network structure

    Report: Increasing Number of Vulnerabilities in OpenVPN

    OpenVPN, a popular open source virtual private network (VPN) system integrated into millions of routers, firmware, PCs, mobile devices and other smart devices, is leaving users open to a growing list of threats, according to a new report from Microsoft.

  • interconnected cubes and circles arranged in a grid-like structure

    Hugging Face Gradio 5 Offers AI-Powered App Creation and Enhanced Security

    Hugging Face has released version 5 of its Gradio open source platform for building machine learning (ML) applications. The update introduces a suite of features focused on expanding access to AI, including a novel AI-powered app creation tool, enhanced web development capabilities, and bolstered security measures.