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Computers have changed the world and will continue to play an increasingly important role in nearly every aspect of our lives, including medicine and health care, business and finance, politics and government, and entertainment.
Why
Study Computer Science at Iowa?
There are approximately 220 undergraduates in the Department of Computer Science at Iowa. Computer science is one of the most popular Iowa majors for first-year students.
Undergraduates majoring in computer science develop competence in programming principles and methodologies, problem-solving techniques, mathematics, and computer systems.
One of this program’s many advantages is its strong commitment to fostering undergraduate research. Iowa has been a national site for the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program.
The department has two computer science educational laboratories with extensive computer equipment, open to all majors. Virtual environments, databases, and networking laboratories also are available. For a complete list of departmental resources, see the Department of Computer Science web site.
Course
Work
The undergraduate program in computer science will give you the skills required for continued success in a rapidly changing field. This area of study emphasizes not only the current techniques of programming but also emerging conceptual frameworks that provide a view of the future.
Computer Science
You may declare a computer science major at any time after enrollment. The BS program provides more intensive concentration in computer science and greater emphasis in natural science and mathematics than does the BA degree. The BA program requires fewer courses in computer science and mathematics, thus providing for a wider choice of electives and flexibility for double majors.
The core courses, taken in either degree program, are
- Computer Science I: Fundamentals,
- Computer Science II: Data Structures,
- Some version of calculus,
- Discrete Structures, and
- Object-Oriented Software Development.
New Major in Informatics
The Department of Computer Science launched a new undergraduate major and minor in informatics in fall 2007. This emerging discipline studies the ways computers can be used to gather, process, and understand information. The interdisciplinary field blends computer science with the humanities and arts, and the natural, biological, health, and social sciences.
In addition to core informatics courses that provide a strong foundation in computing, you will take an approved set of courses in one area of interest:
- Fine and applied arts: arts, music
- Human-computer interaction
- Information science
- Linguistics
- Social sciences: sociology, economics, geography
- Biological sciences
- Health sciences
- Individualized study
Research
Research emphases in the computer science department include:
- Algorithms
- Automated reasoning and verification
- Computer graphics, virtual environments, and human-computer interaction
- Databases, data mining, and information retrieval
- Distributed systems, networks, and security
- Human-computer interaction
- Informatics (bioinformatics, computational biology, and other interdisciplinary areas)
Facilities
Departmental facilities include two general-purpose labs and student computing labs consisting of 50 high-speed Linux workstations with flat-panel monitors.
The department has hundreds of educational computers, from Linux and HP workstations to PCs and Macs. In addition, the department has several specialized research computing facilities, including high-performance computing clusters and large, immersive, multi-screen, multi-computer virtual reality systems.
Also, the department benefits from proximity to the University’s Center for Computer Aided Design and the National Advanced Driving Simulator, and researchers work with colleagues in mathematics, business, psychology, and engineering.
Computer science majors have easy access to the Mathematical Sciences Library, located in MacLean Hall and within a block of the Main Library and Engineering Library.
Student
Activities
Among the hundreds of student groups on campus, there are some specific to individual fields of study. Those related to computer science include Women in Computer Science and the student chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery.
Careers
Our graduates work primarily in two market sectors. One is the software and computer industries, from small start-ups to giants such as Microsoft and IBM. Job opportunities come in software development and design, systems analysis, user-interface development and design, web development, and many other areas.
However, a growing number of graduates work for many organizations whose primary business is not computing, such as banks, insurance and other financial groups, health care organizations, consulting, media firms, legal firms, entertainment companies, and the military. A deep understanding of the principles and techniques of computing is valuable for nearly all of today’s successful organizations, and computer science majors can play key roles on their problem-solving teams. In addition, as many as one-third of our graduates go into research or elect to pursue graduate studies in computer science, business, or other areas for which an undergraduate computing education provides a strong foundation.
Internships
Internships are strongly encouraged for career preparation and often lead to full-time employment after graduation. Many are available with high-profile companies such as John Deere, Rockwell Collins, Cerner Corporation, State Farm Insurance, NCS, IBM, and Microsoft, which have strong, long-standing relationships with the department. You’ll also have opportunities to pursue individual research projects and work one-on-one with a professor in a specialized field; this is a requirement for those who graduate with honors.
Scholarships
The computer science department has several corporate scholarships available each year. Most are open to computer science majors in their second year and beyond. Recent and current scholarship sponsors include John Deere, Rockwell Collins, Cerner Corporation, Allied Insurance, Principal Financial Group, and the Gerard P. Weeg Scholarship Foundation.
Other awards available include the Goldwater Scholarship and the George S. Schaeffer Scholarships. For details on those and a complete list of available scholarships, refer to the Office of Student Financial Aid.
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