Computing IRL exemplifies the vitality and promise of liberal arts approaches by applying academic inquiry to our communities’ most pressing needs.
Open only to first-year students, the Computing IRL ("In Real Life") immersive program consists of a connected set of courses in which students will see how computing techniques and ideas inform and are informed by their interaction with the real world. Students who participate in the program will take a First Year Seminar ("Digital Worldmaking"), an introductory computer science course (COMP 131 or COMP 146), and an internship at various organizations that have links to Occidental College and the Los Angeles area (COMP 295).
An example of an internship location is STEAM:CODERS, a non-profit in Pasadena dedicated to bringing STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) education to students at underserved K-12 institutions. Interns there will learn about STEAM education, about how technology supports or excludes low-income communities, and about the structure and operation of community non-profits. We will consult with students before placing them with an organization and we hope to match incoming students with more advanced students within each organization. The Computing IRL Immersive Semester exemplifies the vitality and promise of liberal arts approaches by applying academic inquiry to our communities’ most pressing needs.
No previous programming experience is required! If you're interested in being part of the Computing IRL Immersive Semester, sign up using the online form linked at the bottom of this page.
Program Overview
The Computing IRL Oxy Immersive Semester consists of 4 linked courses totally 12 units :
- FYS 25: Writing Machines: Machine-writing from Frankenstein to ChatGPT (4 units)
- COMP 295: Computer Science Internship (4 units)
- COMP 131: Fundamentals of Computer Science (4 units) or COMP 146: Statistics (4 units)
Students who successfully complete these courses will fulfill both their Fall First Year Seminar (FYS) requirement as well as one additional Core requirement. (COMP 131 fulfills the Core Lab Science requirement, while COMP 146 fulfill the Core Math/Science requirement.)
First-year students at Oxy can take up to 18 units each semester, with an average course load being around 16 units, so Computing IRL participants will be able to register for one additional 4-unit class of their choice during Orientation.