The Computer Science Major
Overview of the major and options offered for students
There are many reasons to consider a Computer Science major at UW Oshkosh -- both in terms of the employment opportunities afforded its graduates and the overall program objectives and learning outcomes that we strive to achieve. As a freshman/sophomore Computer Science major your focus is on a basic core of courses that are taken by all majors. Then in your junior and senior years you choose from one of three areas of emphasis -- the Computer Science emphasis, the Software Engineering emphasis, or the Computer Information Systems emphasis. All of the emphases focus on software development, with the differences between them determined by the types of software development skills that you learn.
- The Computer Science emphasis focuses on the fundamental practical and theoretical foundations of Computer Science. It is particularly appropriate for students who want to develop scientific and technical infrastructure software such as compilers, operating systems, and computer graphics. It is also the emphasis that offers the most comprehensive preparation for students who are considering a graduate degree in Computer Science after finishing the major at UW Oshkosh. This emphasis requires some additional math and computer science theory courses. It is the only one of the three emphases that is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place, Suite 150, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012, telephone: (410) 347-7700.
- The Software Engineering emphasis focuses on a study of the formal methods that help ensure software systems are reliable, maintainable, and meet their design goals. This specialization is becoming increasingly important as computer systems become larger and more complicated, often being developed by teams of programmers who must carefully coordinate their efforts.
- The Computer Information Systems emphasis focuses on the development of application software for companies such as banks, insurance companies, and other private or governmental organizations.
