Program Objectives and Other Details

Program Objectives

The Computer Science degree program at Eastern Connecticut State University provides students the foundations and skills for future work and careers in computing. Additionally the curriculum prepares students to continue acquiring new knowledge and skills, to further their study, and to advance in a fast changing world. We accomplish these goals by placing our computer science program in the context of the liberal arts core curriculum.

Upon graduation, students will:

1. Possess practical and theoretical knowledge of computer science sufficient to work professionally and contribute to the regional and global economic development.
2. Be able to apply computational techniques to design and implement solutions to real-world problems.
3. Be prepared for advanced education in computer science and continued professional development.
4. Possess the skills and the intellectual abilities that will enable them to adapt in the ever-changing field of computer science.

Program Learning Outcomes*

1. Acquire the fundamental computing knowledge and skills recommended jointly by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the IEEE Computer Society for undergraduate computer science programs.
2. Analyze a problem, and identify and define the requirements appropriate to a computer-based solution.
3. Apply computing principles to design, implement, and evaluate a computer-based solution to meet a given set of requirements for a specific problem.
4. Think and explain computer-based solutions at multiple levels of abstraction.
5. Communicate effectively to others about technical information in computing and computational solutions.
6. Work effectively with others to plan, produce, and deliver computer-based solutions.
7. Apply relevant legal and ethical principles to make informed judgments and decision in computing practice.

* These learning outcomes are inspired in part by the criteria for accrediting computing programs established by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) and the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board (CSAB).

Facilities

The Department's computing facilities are structured to support state-of-the-art undergraduate education in computer science. The program emphasizes the hands-on experience in its curriculum and most of the computer science courses are taught in one of our dedicated computer labs. A dedicated computer lab, which supports multiple operating systems (Linux and Windows), is available exclusively for computer science majors for their exploration and research activities. Through membership subscription, the department provides students with some of the latest platforms, servers, and developer tools in the market. The department's computing facilities support a versatile set of software, including Microsoft Visual Studio (including .NET Framework), Microsoft SQL server, MATLAB, Eclipse IDE, Oracle SQL Developer, Oracle Java EE, and Cloudera CDH5 VM. Eastern is a Member Institution of Oracle Academy. With this Institutional Membership, the department can have full-access to Oracle's industry-leading software for use in teaching and research.

Undergraduate Research

Undergraduate research opportunities are available for highly motivated Computer Science students. Independent studies and directed research projects are available in conjunction with faculty research interests. Outstanding student work may be presented at professional societies.

Upsilon Pi Epsilon

ECSU has the Alpha Charter of the Upsilon Pi Epsilon Computer Science Honor Society in Connecticut. This particular honor society is nationwide. Students in this society are asked from time to time to tutor other students in computer science, and to represent our university on computer science issues.