Areas of Emphasis Within the Major
The courses required for the major provide a broad background in the discipline. The electives allow each student to pursue his or her own interests. Although any set of electives is allowed, a student may wish to structure the electives according to a specific theme. The following areas illustrate what is possible. In addition to suggesting relevant elective courses from computer science, they also point out related courses from other departments.
- Multimedia
- Information Processing
- Mathematical and Algorithmic Foundations
- Software Engineering
- Networks and Distributed Systems
- The Business of Computing
Develop graphical user interfaces, image recognition systems, digital video, and cutting-edge websites.
CS Electives:
- CS 245 Advanced Web Application Design
- CS 333 Graphics
- CS 342 Computational Photography
- CS 335 Principles of Multimedia Systems
Related Courses:
- CO 272 New Media and Society
- FM 274 Digital Non-Linear Editing
- FM 275 Final Cut Pro Editing
- FS 276 Art and Digital Technology
- FS 280 Digital Diaries
An enormous amount of data gets generated every year. Explore how to make sense of this data and use it effectively.
CS Electives:
- CS 257 Database Systems and Applications
- CS 357 Database Systems Implementation
- CS 346 Data Mining
- CS 381 Cryptography
Related Course:
- GE 480 Applications of Geographical Information Systems
Mathematical and Algorithmic Foundations
Some seemingly simple tasks are provably impossible for a computer to do, and others take so long that they are impractical. Many complex-looking tasks have very clever, efficient solutions. Study these algorithms and the techniques used in modern software.
CS Electives:
- CS 346 Data Mining
- CS 381 Cryptography
- CS 341 Artificial Intelligence
- CS 359 Distributed Systems
Related Courses:
- MT 414 Numerical Analysis
- MT 435 Mathematical Programming
The development of a large software system is much more difficult than it looks. A methodical, engineering-like approach is necessary. Learn the techniques for building high-quality software.
CS Electives:
- CS 258 Systems Analysis
- CS 353 Object Oriented Design
- CS 357 Database System Implementation
- CS 365 Software Engineering
- CS 344 Mobile Application Development
Related Course:
- MI 255 Project Management
Networks and Distributed Systemsa
Computers rarely operate alone. Learn how computers communicate over the internet, and how they can cooperate to perform tasks effectively.
CS Electives:
- CS 362 Operating Systems
- CS 363 Networking
- CS 359 Distributed Systems
- CS 347 Robotics
- CS 357 Database System Implementation
- CS 344 Mobile Application Development
The Computer Science major aims to develop a deep understanding of computing technology and its uses. The School of Management offers courses on how to use and leverage this technology in a business setting. These courses form a good complement to the CS major, for those students interested in obtaining a business background.
CS Electives (at most one counts toward the major):
- CS 257 Database Systems and Applications
- CS 258 Systems Analysis
Related Courses:
- MI 205 Tech Trek West
- MI 253 E-Commerce
- MI 255 Managing Projects
- MI 618 Accounting Information Systems
- MI 635 New Media Industries
- MD 604 Management Science