Options in the Computer and Information
Studies Major
updated: 29 February 2008
In order to complete a Major
in Computer and Information Studies,a student must complete one of the following
two-course Options. Each of these options provides a specialized focus in a
particular area of importance in Computer Science.
| Computation Theory Option |
|
CSC 290 |
Theory of Computation |
3 cr. |
|
CSC 415 |
Analysis of Algorithms |
3 cr. |
| This option deals with the analysis
and comparison of algorithms (dealing with such aspects as speed, efficiency, and
memory use) and with the concepts of computability (formal languages, automata,
Turing machines) and computational complexity. The Mathematics
support course
MAT 220, Calculus I, is a prerequisite for both courses. MAT 214, Discrete
Structures, is also recommended. |
| Computer Networking Option |
|
CSC 315A |
Principles of Data Communications |
4 cr. |
|
CSC 475 |
Distributed Systems |
4 cr. |
| This option deals with the
design, construction and properties of computer networks: groups of computers
connected together for purposes of communication and resource sharing. |
| Two courses selected from |
|
CSC 271 |
Introduction to Computer Systems |
4 cr. |
|
CSC 315A |
Principles of Data Communications |
4 cr. |
|
CSC 390 |
Compiler Construction |
4 cr. |
| This option focuses on the
computing environment as a system of communicating and cooperating components.
The types of software---assembly language, operating systems (particularly
Unix), language compilers, and communications software---necessary to create a
usable computer system from a collection of separate components are studied,
and the interrelations between low-level and high-level components are treated.
Students completing this option will be prepared for positions supporting
vendors of computer hardware, operating systems, or data communications. |
|
CSC 230 |
Real-Time Computer Interfaces |
3 cr. |
|
CSC 330A |
Microcomputing Systems |
4 cr. |
| Embedded systems are very small computers
that are contained in other products to sense data from a real-world environment and
subsequently control conditions in that environment. This Option examines the
basic nature of these embedded computers, how they work, how to program them, and how to
electronically interface with them for input of sensor data and output of activation
control signals. Currently applications for these systems range from anti-lock
braking systems to robotic agents. Students completing this Option will be
prepared for positions in the ever-expanding range of companies employing embedded
technology. |
| Object-Oriented Methods Option |
|
CSC 311 |
Object Orientation and Problem Solving Strategies |
4 cr. |
|
CSC 312A |
Human-Computer Interfacess |
4 cr. |
|
This option deals with the concepts and techniques of object-oriented software
design and construction, a powerful and widely-used methodology making use of
such languages as C++ and Java. These tools are currently in great demand for
applications involving the Internet and World Wide Web. |
| Parallel Computing Option |
|
CSC 245A |
Computer Applications in Science and Mathematics |
4 cr. |
|
CSC 445 |
Parallel Processing |
4 cr. |
|
Parallel computing is the use of many processors (the basic computational component
of a computer) to provide much greater computational power than a single processor
offers. This option deals with specialized techniques for the effective use of
tens, hundreds, or thousands of processors working on
the same problem at the same time, a skill in great demand in situations where
large amounts of data musrt be processed in a short time. |
| Software Engineering Option |
|
This option deals with the implementation of the software engineering principles
discussed in CSC 300, and explores the latest tools and techniques in this area,
both through classroom discussion and practical work on a large-scale project.
|
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