Student Resources

What is interdisciplinary computing? Why should I care?

We live in an increasingly digital and technology-filled world, such that professionals with both domain (e.g., biology, economics, psychology) and computing skills are in high demand by employers. In other words, interdisciplinary computing skills are highly valued!

Individuals with interdisciplinary computing skills not only have more job and educational opportunities available to them after graduating, but they can increase their salary, as well.

Getting started with interdisciplinary computing

Several four-year universities now offer minors and majors in interdisciplinary computing. But, like many students, you may be thinking: "Those programs sounds like they're designed for people who already know how to program." Thankfully, that's not the case! The vast majority of these programs are designed for beginners and offer introductory programming courses as part of the degree. However, as a community college or lower-division student, now is a great time to get experience with programming.

The Applied Experiences (APEX) program is designed to provide students like you with programming experience in your statistics, biology, and research methods courses. We recommend reaching out to an advisor at your institution to learn more about which instructors incorporate APEX content into their courses.  

Degrees in interdisciplinary computing

Interested in learning more about minoring or majoring in interdisciplinary computing at UCs or CSUs? Click on our Interdisciplinary Computing Programs page for a list of programs broken down into three main categories: those pertaining to biology, the social sciences, or data science.

Computer programming resources

Feeling eager to dive a little deeper into computer programming on your own? We've got you covered! See below for a list of helpful resources relating to Python, a user-friendly programming language:

 

APEX Video (extended version)

This extended version of the APEX promotional video includes longer interviews with additional tech professionals, instructors, and students. Enjoy!