Talk at Web Science Montpellier Meetup - 13th May 2011

1. Web Science
a new track in the Bachelor
Computer Science at the TU/e
Prof. dr. Paul De Bra

2. Web Science as a Bachelor?
• Most initiatives now are:
• How can we convert a bachelor in XXX into a master or
PhD in Web Science?
− Answer: add the missing topics
• A bachelor is fundamentally different:
• How can we convert a high school student into a Web
Science bachelor?
− Answer 1: combine an established major with Web
Science topics
− Answer 2: create a Web Science minor to go with an
established major
• At the TU/e we start with Answer 1 in September 2011

3. Web Science in a Nutshell

4. CS at the TU/e: Web Science&Software
Science

5. Web Science as ++(CS--)
• Core CS minus:
• computer systems, software testing, operating
systems, software specification, algorithms
• CS-- plus:
• psychology
• markets and social structures
• hypermedia and the web
• web technology
• web analytics (data mining)
• artificial intelligence

6. Questions / Discussion
• What are we missing?
• and can we find room for it in a CS bachelor?
• Should we have gone for option 2 to just organize a
minor in Web Science for all bachelors?
• Should we have gone for a Web Science track within
a different bachelor program?
• and which bachelor? (we have innovation science,
industrial design as potential alternatives)
• How can we organize a master program in Web
Science for WS bachelors who have “seen it all”?