cs.wellesley.eduComputer Science - Wellesley

SecondaryNews & Events Give Info For Close Audience Prospective Students Families of Students Entering Students Current Students Current Faculty & Staff Prospective Employees Alumnae Visiting Campus Search Wellesley Wellesley Menu Site We Are Wellesley An Education that Transforms Financially Possible The Future of Science Where You Belong The Ones Who Open Doors Wellesley In the World Admission & Aid Apply Connect With Wellesley The Wellesley 100 Student Financial Services FAQs Academics Find Programs of Study Departments & Programs Find Courses Faculty Student Research Find Your Voice Academic Centers Study Abroad & Exchange Life at Wellesley Housing Campus Dining Health & Wellness Community Getting Off Campus Wellesley Athletics Site We Are Wellesley An Education that Transforms Financially Possible The Future of Science Where You Belong The Ones Who Open Doors Wellesley In the World Admission & Aid Apply Connect With Wellesley The Wellesley 100 Student Financial Services FAQs Academics Find Programs of Study Departments & Programs Find Courses Faculty Student Research Find Your Voice Academic Centers Study Abroad & Exchange Life at Wellesley Housing Campus Dining Health & Wellness Community Getting Off Campus Wellesley Athletics SecondaryNews & Events Give Info For Close Audience Prospective Students Families of Students Entering Students Current Students Current Faculty & Staff Prospective Employees Alumnae Visiting Campus Search You are here: Home Computer Science Computer Science Academic Department Introduction Computer science encompasses the study of computation, information processing, and the design and development of computer systems and software. Our goal is to prepare students to lead in a world shaped by computation and data. The curriculum covers the big ideas” of computer science, and includes a wide range of topics such as software design, computer architecture, theory of computation, algorithms, programming languages, machine learning, artificial intelligence, distributed computing, human-computer interaction, social computing, and playable media. We provide students with theoretical, technical, and ethical foundations so that they can design and build applications and tools that will have a positive impact on individuals and society. Faculty research is frequently published in leading venues and supported by competitive grants from major scientific funding agencies such as the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. Students often work alongside faculty, engaging with and contributing to cutting-edge research through independent research, research assistant positions, or honors thesis work. Learning goals Gain foundational knowledge in all areas of computer science, including its theoretical basis, software methodologies, computer hardware, and applications. Formulate, analyze, and solve computational problems. Apply computational thinking to new problems and adapt to new technologies. Communicate technical material, including in a team-based setting. Evaluate the impact of computer science on society and draw connections between computer science and other disciplines. Programs of Study Computer science major and minor Students study computation, information processing, and the design and development of computer systems and software, with the goal of preparing to lead in a world shaped by computation and data. Major requirements  Minor requirements  Additional areas of study Computer science is also a core requirement for media arts & sciences, data science, and cognitive & linguistics sciences courses. Media arts & sciences  Data science  Cognitive & linguistics sciences  Our Faculty Carolyn Anderson  Assistant Professor of Computer Science Scott Anderson  Senior Lecturer in Computer Science Christine Bassem  Anchor Point Assistant Professor in Computer Science Brian Brubach  Assistant Professor of Computer Science Vinitha Gadiraju  Assistant Professor of Computer Science Catherine Grevet Delcourt  Assistant Professor of Computer Science Stella Kakavouli  Senior Instructor in Computer Science Laboratory Sohie Lee  Senior Instructor in Computer Science Laboratory Peter Mawhorter  Instructor in Computer Science Laboratory Panagiotis Metaxas  Professor of Computer Science Eni Mustafaraj  Associate Professor of Computer Science Smaranda Sandu  Instructor in Computer Science Laboratory Orit Shaer  Professor of Computer Science Brian Tjaden  Chung Family Professor in Data and Computational Science and Professor of Computer Science Franklyn Turbak  Associate Professor of Computer Science Jordan Tynes  Lecturer in Computer Science Alexa VanHattum  Assistant Professor of Computer Science Carolyn Anderson  Assistant Professor of Computer Science Scott Anderson  Senior Lecturer in Computer Science Christine Bassem  Anchor Point Assistant Professor in Computer Science Brian Brubach  Assistant Professor of Computer Science Vinitha Gadiraju  Assistant Professor of Computer Science Catherine Grevet Delcourt  Assistant Professor of Computer Science Stella Kakavouli  Senior Instructor in Computer Science Laboratory Sohie Lee  Senior Instructor in Computer Science Laboratory Peter Mawhorter  Instructor in Computer Science Laboratory Panagiotis Metaxas  Professor of Computer Science Eni Mustafaraj  Associate Professor of Computer Science Smaranda Sandu  Instructor in Computer Science Laboratory Orit Shaer  Professor of Computer Science Brian Tjaden  Chung Family Professor in Data and Computational Science and Professor of Computer Science Franklyn Turbak  Associate Professor of Computer Science Jordan Tynes  Lecturer in Computer Science Alexa VanHattum  Assistant Professor of Computer Science View all Faculty  Course Highlights Computer Programming and Problem Solving  CS111 An introduction to problem-solving through computer programming. Students learn how to read, modify, design, debug, and test algorithms that solve problems. Programming concepts include control structures, data structures, abstraction, recursion, and modularity. Students explore these concepts in the context of interactive programs, data processing, and graphics or audio, using the Python programming language. Students are required to attend an additional two-hour laboratory section each week. More Info  Artificial Intelligence  CS232 What is artificial intelligence (AI) and should humans fear it as one of "our biggest existential threats"? In this course, we will grapple with these difficult questions and investigate them in different ways. We will discuss the development of the field from the symbolic, knowledge-rich approaches of the 20th century AI (e.g., rule-based systems), to statistical approaches that rely on increasingly large amounts of data, including an overview of contemporary deep learning techniques. We will explore how to apply these techniques in several AI application areas, including robotics, computer vision, and natural language processing, and consider ethical issues around AI in society. By the end of the semester, students should be able to answer the starting questions in-depth and with nuance. Designing for Accessibility  CS325 As technology increasingly integrates with our lives, how can we ensure that its design is inclusive of users’ different abilities? CS 325 expands on the fundamentals of design and qualitative research to explore how technology can be made accessible for diverse users, with an emphasis on people with disabilities. In this course, we will read about and analyze approaches to inclusive technology, study how design intersects with disability justice, learn about the history of accessible and assistive technologies, understand how to create multimodal user experiences, learn accessible web programming, and test state-of-the-art tools. Students will also conduct a semester-long case study project in which they work in groups to identify accessibility issues...