From uncovering hidden layers in paintings to analyzing fairness in elections, CS majors aren’t just learning how to code, they’re learning how to change the world. (John West/Trinity Communications)
Computer Science: The Major that (Still) Opens Doors in Every Direction
If you spend enough time on a college campus, you might hear some unfair assumptions about Computer Science students, like they’re all “tech people” who spend long days coding in dark rooms. Or, increasingly, you might hear that the field itself is losing momentum now that AI can write so much code. But in 2026, those myths collapse the moment you look at what computer science actually is — and what today’s students are doing with it.
For starters, computer science isn’t just coding.
Coding is to Computer Science what writing is to history or philosophy: foundational, but just one part of a much bigger intellectual landscape. CS majors spend as much time studying how systems interact — evaluating the fairness of algorithms, and designing ethical, human centered technology — as they do coding programs. Many projects involve conversation, prototyping and collaboration long before a single line of code appears.
And the students are anything but monolithic. Some arrive to campus excited about robotics or cybersecurity, others about digital art or biotech. Many blend fields, pairing CS with psychology, economics, music, biology or public policy. The result is a major that attracts people who want to use computational thinking to solve meaningful problems across every corner of society.
Despite the headlines about tech layoffs, the idea that CS opportunities are “drying up” simply doesn’t match reality. Computing talent is in demand across more sectors than ever: healthcare, climate science, media, finance, education, research, government and newly AI driven industries. Students today are entering a world where computing knowledge is becoming essential to fields that never relied on it before.
If anyone understands this shift, it’s Robert Calderbank — one of the nation’s most influential voices in information science. Before joining Duke in 2010, the Charles S. Sydnor Distinguished Professor of Computer Science worked at AT&T Bell Labs and Princeton, helping to shape breakthroughs in wireless communication, quantum error correction and large‑scale information systems. At Duke, Calderbank collaborates with researchers in fields like autism and brain development, using computing to push discovery in medicine and the social sciences. His work has influenced billions of devices and multiple generations of wireless standards, earning him membership in the National Academy of Engineering along with top honors in his field. Few people have a broader view of how computing transforms disciplines or a clearer sense of what that means for the next generation of students.
We sat down with Calderbank to talk about what studying computer science truly means in 2026 and why majoring in CS is still one of the most powerful academic choices an undergraduate can make.
Some incoming students say it’s hard to know what being a CS major means now that AI can write code. What is it like to be a CS major today?
The biggest change is that the questions have shifted. When students interview for software engineering jobs, no one asks whether they use tools like Copilot — they ask how they use them. AI can clean up code beautifully, but students still need to understand what that code is doing. The value is in judgment and reasoning, not in typing syntax.
AI can clean up code beautifully, but students still need to understand what that code is doing. The value is in judgment and reasoning, not in typing syntax.
How much coding do graduates still need to know?
A lot. AI can assist, but it can’t replace understanding. You should be able to think on your feet and explain your reasoning without relying on ChatGPT for every step. Otherwise, why come to Duke and let AI take your classes for you?
Are some traditional CS skills becoming obsolete?
The mechanics of coding are changing, but the reasoning behind it is not. You still need to understand algorithms, systems, data structures, debugging. AI can help, but it can’t decide what problem is worth solving or whether a solution is trustworthy. Those are human skills, and they are enduring.
What skills are becoming essential for CS students?
Pairing CS with real domain knowledge. Computing transforms every field — chemistry, physics, sociology, political science, art history, English. For example, detecting new planets in astronomy, searching chemical space for new molecules, or analyzing gerrymandering maps are fundamentally computer science problems. Domain knowledge plus CS is becoming the new norm. If you understand CS and you know another subject — chemistry, political science, art history — you’re more than twice as valuable and even more attractive to employers and graduate programs.
If you understand CS and you know another subject — chemistry, political science, art history — you’re more than twice as valuable and even more attractive to employers and graduate programs.
Are Duke students embracing that approach?
Very much so. Many math majors are math-CS double majors. Statistics students are doing the same. And Duke has reshaped the CS curriculum so double majoring is more feasible than people may think. Our students recognize that interdisciplinary skillsets are powerful.
Can you give an example from outside STEM — say, the arts?
Absolutely. Art historians use computational techniques to detect hidden paintings beneath famous works. That can completely change an artwork’s context and value. Those discoveries rely on imaging, data processing and algorithms. CS opens new doors in places people don’t expect.
What’s the biggest misconception about majoring in CS?
That it’s narrow or only for “STEM types.” Computer science is fundamental to everything — not because of its elegance, but because access to data and computing changes the questions every discipline can ask. If you want to change the world, you first need to understand it. And the tools you use to change it are increasingly computational. Another misconception is that AI will make CS unnecessary. It won’t. It makes CS more important.
If you want to change the world, you first need to understand it. And the tools you use to change it are increasingly computational.
What would you say to a student who fears CS jobs will disappear because of AI?
The jobs aren’t disappearing, they’re evolving. But you need to be a functioning CS major, someone who can reason and understand systems. You can’t coast. Employers want people who can reason, adapt, and understand how to use tools like AI rather than relying on them blindly. Humanities knowledge plus CS skill is incredibly valuable, and the difference it can make in earning potential is dramatic.
What do you wish more people understood about CS?
That computer science isn’t really about computers. It’s about questions. It expands the kinds of questions every discipline can ask — from literature to law to biology to art. And that influence is only going to grow.
What sets CS students up for long term success?
Interdisciplinary experience — working on real problems with messy data and teams from different fields. The world works that way, and CS majors are invaluable contributors because they know how to make things happen.
