Bridging the divide: Strategies for college to career readiness in computer science

The conversations and debates concerning how a student's time on campus translates to better results upon graduation are not going away. Every day institutions of higher education are challenged to explicitly demonstrate and provide a clear articulation of the value of education as measured by post-graduation employment. We discuss strategies implemented in a computer science program to address the issue of student preparation for the workplace of the 21^st century. We discuss the extension of more traditional experiential learning methods including project based courses, capstone courses, cooperative experiences and internships to assist students in developing the necessary skills required to transition from college to the workplace.