Computer Science

Today, it is hard to imagine life without computers, but in reality computers are just coming out of their infancy. An education in the field of Computer Science prepares you for one of the fastest growing careers in the modern world of computing.

What is Computer Science?

Computer Science has many aspects, but in essence it studies how problems can be solved in an automated manner by a computer. The main benefit of automation is increased productivity in areas such as business, communication, science, health care, and entertainment.  To realize automation, we design algorithms and write programs using languages that can be understood by the computer.  The ability to program a computer allows it to perform many different tasks, which are only limited by the imagination of computer scientists.

What will I Study?

Computer scientists solve problems, and to do that they use algorithms. An algorithm is a series of step by step instructions designed to solve a problem.

Imagine for a moment you are a traveling salesman. You only need to go to each person’s home only once, and you want to finish your rounds in the least amount of time and walking. How would you solve that problem? Now ask yourself the same question, except now you have to visit every home in America. This is a classical question in Computer Science, and embodies many principals fundamental to computer scientists. As a computer scientist, you will learn how to tackle problems like these using algorithms.

The freshman and sophomore years as a computer scientist place emphasis on the development of problem solving strategies using algorithms. You will learn how to effectively communicate with a computer and use it to solve many diverse problems. The junior and senior years deal with more existential topics, such as the nature of what can and cannot be computed. These years also include study of advanced topics in Computer Science ranging from Artificial Intelligence to Computer Graphics to Computer Security.

What Courses Will I Take?

You can review the course catalog online.

What Research Opportunities are Available?

There are many opportunities on campus for research, including among others:

  • The Center for Security Science
  • The Center for Software Testing Education and Research
  • The Center for Computation and Intelligence
  • The Software Evolution Lab