Curricular Complexity and Broadening Participation in STEM: A Case Study of 60 U.S. Computer Science Programs

Program Abstract: The structure, prerequisites and overall complexity of some programs create barriers that impede student success. Inspired by the methodology of previous papers which demonstrated an inverse relationship between curricular complexity and program quality, we investigated the relationship between curricular complexity and the representation of women earning CS degrees. We created curricular maps of 60 U.S. computer science degrees and calculated measures such as program complexity, course blocking, delay factor, and total math/CS credits to understand complexity’s correlation with the representation of women CS majors. Our results show that degree complexity, blocking factor, and delay factor are all inversely related to the representation of women. In addition, we provide suggestions to enhance degree programs based on the insights gained. Although applied to computing, this type of analysis is applicable to all STEM degrees.