U. may offer Internet degree soon

Although the Internet was once only a forum for recreation and discussion, it is quickly becoming a meaningful part of educational discourse. Last semester, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute unveiled its Electronic Media, Arts and Communications undergraduate major, a program combining technical skills and liberal arts. And School of Engineering and Applied Science Dean Gregory Farrington said yesterday that University administrators have been designing a similar program for Penn at the master's level. The program, which has been in its development stages for the past two years, could be implemented in the near future, he added. "We are in a position to announce a master's program in Telecommunications that will have an option in Internet Age in the fall," he said. Farrington is interested in bringing some of those Internet Age classes to the undergraduate level. "Once we create that option at the master's level, we have the resources for that to occur at the undergraduate level also," Farrington said. "We are aiming at making a selection of the classes available to undergraduates by the spring of 1997, at the earliest," he added. This is not the first time such a program will be initiated at the University. A few semesters ago, Engineering senior and Internet expert Meng Weng Wong taught a class at the University on the social implications of Internet technology. But Wong said the class was not particularly well-received. "Unfortunately, there was a lack of interest," Wong said, noting that students liked the hands-on lab sections better than the lectures. Wong added that since then, students and professors from many universities have sought more information about the course, even requesting copies of the syllabus and bulkpack. And Wong said he is currently trying to put together an individualized major -- studying the Internet as a media and social phenomenon. But many University students said they were skeptical about a major in the Internet Age. "I think you could offer a class, but not a whole major [in the Internet]," Engineering senior David Levy said. And College junior Kushol Gupta said he was concerned that the sudden interest in the Internet might be a fad. "[The interest] may die down in a little while and I certainly don't think the Internet is something to base your whole career on," Gupta said. But Engineering sophomore Angela Adams thought the classes would probably be interesting. "I don't know if that is stuff you need to go to class to learn, though," Adams said. Rensselaer's program specifically prepares students for careers in multimedia design, CD-ROM development, electronic publishing, Internet information management and computer-generated design and animation, according to David Porush, the program's lead professor.