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Overview of the Department and the Major

The Computer Science curriculum is designed to prepare you to become a computing professional. It emphasizes practical skills in design, programming, testing, teamwork, and written and verbal communications, along with knowledge of software systems and tools.

You will begin your studies with two semesters of programming, followed by courses in data structures, software engineering, computer organization, operating systems, programming languages, networking, and database systems. You must also complete four semesters of mathematics and a course in technical and scientific communication. Finally, you must complete at least three elective courses.

We cannot predict the future, and even if we could, we could not teach you everything you would need to know for the rest of your life. We focus on fundamental concepts and make sure that you understand, rather than memorize. Our goal is to make sure that when you leave JMU, you will be prepared for a lifetime of learning. Of course, you'll pick up some useful skills along the way.

The CS Spotlight

The JMU Computer Science Spotlight highlights just a few of the many exciting aspects of computing at JMU. It is intended primarily for prospective students who are thinking about coming to JMU to study Computer Science.

Spotlight on Clubs	Spotlight on Courses	Spotlight on Facilities
Spotlight on Projects	Spotlight on Publications	Spotlight on Scholarships

Use the menu on the left to move within the CS Spotlight. Use the menu at the top of the CS Spotlight to find out more about the the Department using the "full" WWW site.

Note that many pages in the CS Spotlight have links that will take you to other parts of the CS Spotlight. Both the top menu and links that use the icon will take you to pages outside of the CS Spotlight.

Why Choose JMU?

JMU is not for everybody, but it may be just right for you. You should consider the following facts when deciding whether to come to JMU:

• JMU is a mid-sized university, so classes tend to be larger than they would be at a small college but smaller than they might be at a large university (class sizes in Computer Science are typically 15 to 30 students). Also, JMU has a much broader range of programs, facilities, organizations and activities than would a small college, but fewer than would be found at a large university. Finally, JMU is large enough that many companies attend our "job fairs" to try and recruit our students.
• JMU is a teaching-oriented university, so JMU faculty devote 75% of their time to teaching. Also, almost all classes at JMU are taught by professors rather than by graduate students. Faculty at research universities normally devote about 25% of their time to teaching and many classes are taught by graduate students.
• JMU is a liberal arts university, so students tend to take classes in a wider variety of departments and have more exposure to the liberal arts than do students at "tech" schools. As a result, JMU students tend to have a broader education than graduates of "tech" schools. JMU students tend to be interested in Computer Science in context, and tend to be application oriented. Students at "tech" schools tend to be less concerned about applications.

A Printable Brochure

A full-color printable brochure is available in PDF format in case you would like to have a hardcopy description of the Department of Computer Science.