department-of-computer-science

Computer Science

Chairperson: Dennis Brylow, Ph.D.
Department of Computer Science website

The Department of Computer Science provides its majors with a fluent understanding of our dynamic field. Introductory course work in software development, design, algorithms and data structures sets the stage for more advanced courses in a wide variety of both applied and theoretical subfields of computing.

The Computer Science major (COSC) provides students with an understanding of the foundational principles and techniques used to solve real problems with software. Students practice the skills required to build computer systems that address problems in scientific, engineering and business domains. Most importantly, the major prepares students for long-term success in a rapidly changing field that provides the computer technology underpinning our modern world.

Data Science is the emerging field that extracts and quantifies knowledge from data. The interdisciplinary Data Science major (INDS), offered jointly with the Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, integrates statistics and mathematics with computer science, allowing students to develop the skills necessary to discover and quantify new knowledge from data. Those prepared to integrate advanced technology with modern statistical and mathematical practices have the opportunity to use data in action to benefit society. Data scientists turn data into knowledge. For more information about the interdisciplinary Data Science major (INDS), visit the College of Arts and Sciences Interdisciplinary Majors and Minors section of the Undergraduate Bulletin.

Bioinformatics, a field that lies at the intersection of biology, statistics and computer science, is focused on the generation and analysis of large biological data sets. The interdisciplinary Bioinformatics major (INBI), offered jointly with the Department of Biological Sciences, provides sufficient depth in both biology and computer science to approach problems in bioinformatics from the perspective of both parent fields of Biology and Computer Science. The program is designed to prepare individuals to use the computational tools of bioinformatics to solve problems or analyze data sets in biological sciences. For more information about the interdisciplinary Bioinformatics major (INBI), visit the College of Arts and Sciences Interdisciplinary Majors and Minors section of the Undergraduate Bulletin.

The Department of Computer Science offers five-year B.S./M.S. accelerated degree programs in which students may obtain both a B.S. degree in Computer Science and a professional M.S. degree in Computer and Information Science, or a B.S. in Computer Science and an M.S. in Data Science in five years. In addition, together with the Graduate School of Management, the Department of Computer Science offers a five-year B.S./M.B.A. accelerated degree program.