CSE Program Objectives
The program objectives, as derived from the departmental mission statement, address our goal of graduating highly competent students with the potential of becoming leaders in the field of their careers and understanding the implications of their work on both to themselves and to society as a whole. The program objectives are:
Foundation: To provide graduates with a solid foundation in the principles and practices of computer science, including mathematics, physical sciences, and basic engineering. This foundation is necessary to succeed in more advanced Computer Science and Engineering coursework where students will apply these principles and practices to a variety of complex problems, and which will further develop their analytical and creative problem-solving skills and enable them to work successfully on multidisciplinary teams, in both classroom and laboratory settings.
Breadth: To provide graduates with sufficient breadth in computer science and related technical disciplines. This breadth is required not only to understand engineering trade-offs that cross disciplines (for example, hardware and software boundaries), but also to participate effectively in multidisciplinary teams. To also provide students with breadth in the humanities and social sciences to develop their awareness of societal issues; to develop effective oral and written communication skills; and to develop an understanding of professional and ethical issues related to computing.
Depth: To provide our graduates with advanced training in focused areas of their choice. This depth is necessary to solve complex real-world engineering problems and prepare them to contribute to a specific discipline within computer science and possibly pursue advanced study or research.
CSE Educational Outcomes
Upon completion of the program, students will demonstrate:
- The ability to work independently
- The ability to work on a team
- The ability to communicate well via oral presentations
- The ability to effectively express ideas through written communication
- The ability to apply knowledge of basic science, mathematics and engineering principles to solve computing and information processing problems
- The ability to write correct and good programs
- The ability to understand the relationship between hardware and software
- The ability to understand the tradeoffs in the design of hardware systems, software systems, processes and components
- The ability to construct appropriate abstractions to manage complexity and to think creatively about new problems
- The ability to use experimental methods on software systems by gathering data to improve the systems
- The ability to understand the professional ethics and responsibilities of an engineer
- The ability to understand the implications of contemporary computing and information processing issues relative to society
- The ability to acquire the foundations to do well in graduate school
- The ability to acquire the foundations to be a life-long learner