Integrating Research Elements into Computer Science Degree Programs: Preparing Students to Engage in Research Projects

Skills expected from graduates of computer science degree programs can be developed and amplified through research elements during their studies. Integrating such research elements into a computer science curriculum needs to be aligned not only with technical courses, but also with the research skill level of the students. In our bachelor and master degree programs, we have modified curricula to prepare students for research projects and also introduced several non-curricular research elements. We have categorized all these elements according to the students' skill levels and integrated them into our degree programs, from the lowest to the highest level. In this paper we present our approach and discuss examples of its implementation.