Abstract:

Universities are trying to provide high quality education as well as adapting knowledge and skills of their graduates to the needs of the labor market. It is of considerable importance for the ICT market that has long been understaffed. The basis of the activities is analyzing market requirements, incorporation of the obtained results into the process of constant modification of the curricula content as well as involvement of industry professionals in the university teaching process. Contacts of university staff and students are an opportunity for exchanging information about the needs of the employment market.

A final diploma thesis is a crucial element in higher education due to the amount of work it entails and its significance in the process of undergraduate education. The thesis summarizes all the curricula and should be aimed at broadening knowledge and developing skills useful for students in their future professional life. At the same time the topics of diploma theses are developed on the basis of students’ own suggestions and interests of academic teachers.

The paper poses the following research questions:
Does the content of diploma theses prepared by Computer Science undergraduate students respond to the diagnosed needs of employers?
The analysis is based on competency categories in the area of Computer Science presented in the contemporary ACM/IEEE Computing Curricula. All diploma theses in the field of Computer Science defended at the beginning of the year 2018 have been analyzed in terms of their topics as well as their content. The results have been compared with the requirements of software companies form the beginning of the previous year, i.e. the time when students selected topics for their final diploma theses.

The article discusses the research methodology, its conduct and its results. The findings have become the basis for formulating recommendations concerning methods for improving of the adaptation of skills shaped during developing diploma theses to the requirements of the labor market.

Keywords:

Computer science students, market needs, comparison.