High school students test drive CMU-Q’s academic programs

CMU-Q opened its doors to high school students for the fall session of Experience CMU-Q. The day-long workshop is held for students who are exploring their study and career options. About 475 students within Qatar applied for Experience CMU-Q; of the 127 who were selected, most were in their final year of high school.

The computer science workshop challenged students to program a robot.

The Experience CMU-Q workshop, held once in the fall semester and once in the spring, provides students the opportunity to learn about two of CMU-Q’s undergraduate program offerings. Sessions are offered in the areas of biological sciences, business administration, computer science, and information systems. Experience CMU-Q brings the workshops together on one day, so students can learn about one area in the morning session and a second area in the afternoon.

CMU-Q alumna Amna Al Sharif shared with the students how she found her career path: “I knew I wanted to work with technology, and CMU-Q was a great fit because I could choose from two tech-specific programs. I discovered that I love the intersection of computer science and business, so I pursued information systems and the rest, as they say, is history.”

Students explored human-centered design in the information systems workshop.

Al Sharif, who graduated in 2017, now works as an application analyst at Sidra Medicine.

Damian Dourado, director of pre-college programs at CMU-Q, said, “Many students are unsure of what program they want to pursue. We hope that Experience CMU-Q will introduce new pathways and career options to them.”

The business administration workshop delved into trading and negotiation.

The next Experience CMU-Q will take place on January 18, 2020.