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Computer Science fosters computational thinking and literacy, both of which are increasingly critical for effective citizenship in today's society. A major in Computer Science can support the students interested not only in the creative, beautifully abstract computing problems and techniques, but also in the application and expression of those sophisticated concepts for the benefit of sciences and societies. Several of our students have entered distinguished graduate programs in computer science at Stanford, Duke, and Washington University in St. Louis, after earning their undergraduate degree. Both faculty and students have won national and international recognition for software development within physics and bioinformatics.
The major in computer science consists of 10 courses: 9 computer science courses (four core courses and five electives) and one mathematics course. Of the five electives, at least one must come from Systems and at least one must come from Applications. The other three electives are unrestricted. CSC/MAT 220 and CSC 221 should be completed before spring of the junior year.
To declare a computer science major, ask a tenured or tenure-track faculty member in the department to be your adviser, and schedule a meeting with your adviser to discuss your academic plans and fill out the departmental major form together. Bring a copy of this completed form to the department chair, who will sign the Registrar's official major declaration form.
The minor in computer science consists of six courses:
Students considering graduate school in computer science should include MAT 150 and CSC 324 in their coursework, and seek opportunities to engage in research and compete in programming contests. The Graduate Record Examination should be taken during the fall semester of the senior year.
The Mathematics and Computer Science Department grants honors to graduating students with outstanding records of accomplishment in computer science, as demonstrated in three areas: breadth of curriculum, quality of academic performance, and significance of scholarly thesis project. See the catalog for further details.