What is computer science?
Computer Science is the systematic study of algorithmic methods for representing and transforming information, including their theory, design, implementation, application, and efficiency. The discipline emerged in the 1950s from the development of computability theory and the invention of the stored-program electronic computer. The roots of computer science extend deeply into mathematics and engineering. Mathematics imparts analysis to the field; engineering imparts design.
Students in computer science will begin studying the basic concepts underlying computer science, such as algorithms, software development, and hardware design. Advanced course work will include specialized topics, such as networks, graphics, programming languages, and artificial intelligence. Graduates of the computer science program are contributing to every area in the discipline. Our alumni are employed at both well-known corporations and startups.
Most people often equate the study of Computer Science to the study of computer programming. Edsger Dijkstra – one of the pioneers of the Computer Science discipline once said, Computer Science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes. The study of Computer Science encompasses much more than programming and involves a variety of topics such as analysis and design of algorithms, formal design techniques, design of programming languages, software engineering, assembly language and computer organization, distributed computing, artificial intelligence and mathematical analysis. Computer scientists study how to efficiently organize, store and retrieve data, how to write efficient programs, probe the limits of algorithmic techniques in designing programs to behave intelligently, develop new applications that benefit society and humankind, design complex software programs and design effective interfaces between programs and humans.
You can get many different answers depending on who you ask! We consider Computer Science as a multi-disciplinary field that involves understanding how a computer’s hardware actually works, how to program that hardware, what capabilities and limitations software and hardware have, and how to use all this knowlege to solve problems or perform tasks. Most CS graduates with a four-year degree get jobs as computer programmers.
