General Catalog Information

The Computer Science curriculum prepares students for careers in all areas of the computer industry as well as for graduate studies in computer science and computer related fields.  Students have also found a computer science major to be excellent preparation for careers in law, medicine, business administration, industrial engineering, biomedical engineering, and other technical and non-technical fields.

Computer science is a new and rapidly changing discipline.  The lifetime of a particular computer system or software package can be very short.  The computer science curriculum is designed to prepare students for multiple careers in a rapidly changing environment.  The department's courses emphasize fundamental concepts and techniques that will last longer than present technology.

Computer science majors complete a core of basic computer science courses that includes the study of algorithms, data structures, computer organization, programming languages, operating systems, and large software systems.  Majors complete important courses in closely related fields, e.g., discrete mathematics, digital logic design, and probability.   The major requires students to study all aspects of the science of computing, including hardware, software, and theory.

Courses in database systems, compilers, computer graphics, artificial intelligence, theory of computation, analysis of algorithms, and computer networks are available as advanced electives.  A two-term senior project provides valuable practical experience in the specification, design, implementation, and documentation of large software systems.   Qualified students can undertake independent study in an advanced topic in computer science, participate in a research project with a faculty member, or complete a senior thesis.

Programming assignments and large projects are part of most computer science courses.   These assignments familiarize students with the wide variety of tasks performed by software engineers and system analysts.  Programming assignments include system specification, system feasibility studies, system design, system maintenance studies, and user interface design in addition to system implementation (i.e., coding).  Projects include both individual and small group activities and require appropriate written and oral presentations.

Computer science major have diverse interests and career goals.  Six free elective courses allow students to tailor their undergraduate education to their specific goals.   Students planning to undertake graduate study in computer science usually take additional advanced courses in computer science, electrical engineering, and mathematics.

The department has its own local area network that includes SUN and NeXT workstations.   This network is connected to the campus-wide network.  Computer science majors have unlimited access to the department's laboratories.  Computer science majors are frequently employed by the Computer Center and the computer science department as operators, user consultants, and system managers.

The student chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery provides seminars and other technical activities throughout the year and sponsors the school's programming teams which compete in local, regional, and national contests.  The national computer science honor society, Upsilon Pi Epsilon, has chartered its Indiana Alpha Chapter at Rose-Hulman.  UPE members provide tutorial and consulting services for the introductory programming course.

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last updated: 09-Feb-1999 20:02:16