True, C.S. is not what most people think it is. But, in practice, a C.S. undergraduate degree is what lots of people think it is.
I'm a C.S. professor. Our program leads to a Bachelor of Science degree in "Computer Science". But like just about every other such program, it would probably be better called a B.S. in "Software Development". Computer Science -- in the strict sense -- is an important component of that, but it is not everything.
So, yes, our students should (and do) get experience successfully building working final products before we consider them to be qualified to receive a degree.
OTOH, our program is not about the latest, greatest, coolest tech. Nor, I think, should it be. My vision for a C.S. degree is that you should be able to get one, go sit on a mountaintop for 5 years, come down, find that your degree is still relevant, pick up the latest stuff pretty quickly, and be a big success.
BTW, as long as we're talking about the meaning of words, if you think that every qualified Rails or iOS developer is a hacker, then I don't think you know what "hacker" means.
I'm a C.S. professor. Our program leads to a Bachelor of Science degree in "Computer Science". But like just about every other such program, it would probably be better called a B.S. in "Software Development". Computer Science -- in the strict sense -- is an important component of that, but it is not everything.
So, yes, our students should (and do) get experience successfully building working final products before we consider them to be qualified to receive a degree.
OTOH, our program is not about the latest, greatest, coolest tech. Nor, I think, should it be. My vision for a C.S. degree is that you should be able to get one, go sit on a mountaintop for 5 years, come down, find that your degree is still relevant, pick up the latest stuff pretty quickly, and be a big success.
BTW, as long as we're talking about the meaning of words, if you think that every qualified Rails or iOS developer is a hacker, then I don't think you know what "hacker" means.