The Bureau for Labor Statistics predicts that job growth in the fields of Computer Science and Software Engineering will result in half a million new jobs over the next ten years. Job growth in Computer Science and Software Engineering leads all the engineering fields.

The Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering offers students two undergraduate majors – one in computer science and one in software engineering. 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.

The software engineering degree is focused on preparing graduates for jobs as professionals where they would develop and maintain complex software systems, using a process similar to that used in other engineering fields. The goal of a software engineer is to create software which is both reliable and developed within time and cost estimates. Software engineering graduates work in a wide variety of software application areas, including embedded real-time systems, video games, information systems, and web-based applications.

Computer science and software engineering are rapidly changing disciplines. The lifetime of a particular computer system or software package can be very short. The department’s curricula are designed to prepare students for multiple careers in a rapidly changing environment. Our courses emphasize fundamental concepts and techniques, including teamwork, communications skills, and professional ethics, that will last longer than present technology. CSSE students enjoy a collegial relationship with the department faculty.