Computer Science

About the program

• Augustana College offers a major and a minor in computer science. Students have the opportunity to work with two faculty members with a PhD in computer science—a rare opportunity for undergraduates at a college of Augustana’s size. At the same time, with its strong liberal arts foundation, an Augustana education provides students in the hard sciences and pre-professional programs with a special depth of focus accompanied by a rich range of knowledge—a balance difficult to find at larger universities.
• The computer science curriculum focuses on the representation, manipulation and storage of information in computer systems. Its range includes the study of programming languages, computer architecture, networks and the global internet, operating systems, data structures, algorithms and database management. Most computer science students take calculus and an introduction to computer science during their first year, followed by discrete mathematics in the first term of their second year. Discrete mathematics is a bridge between calculus and other math and computer science courses.
• All students complete Senior Inquiry, a focused, topical capstone project that draws from the student’s comprehensive learning experience and demonstrates benefit to a community. In computer science, seniors apply the software development process to specify, design, implement and test a major software project in teams. This capstone project also includes focus on social and ethical issues, a reflective written evaluation and an oral presentation.
• A degree in computer science enables students to work in business or industry as software engineers and systems or mathematical analysts.

Facilities

• The department of mathematics and computer science, as well as the college’s information technology services, are located in the Franklin W. Olin Center for Educational Technology—housing computer and multimedia labs, several project studios, an instrumental video room, video conference room, seven smart classrooms and a 300-seat auditorium. The F.W. Olin Center facilities are used by classes from across the liberal arts curriculum, and provide an ideal home base for the department.
• Computer labs are located throughout campus: in all residence halls and the Thomas Tredway Library, and are especially concentrated in the F.W. Olin Center. Each of the more than 900 personal computers is connected to the campus network, providing access to campus resources, commercial applications, email and the Web.

Outside the classroom

• Computer science majors often work part-time following their first year on campus. John Deere & Company, which has its headquarters in the Quad Cities, and other local businesses often hire Augustana students for internships.
• Students gain experience by working for Augustana’s Information Technology Services or joining the college’s student-run Web Guild.

What students say

Robert Sullivan ’09, computer science and English
“I came to Augustana four years ago with a slight interest in computers and even less of an idea of how one worked.After taking an introductory course, however, I signed up and haven’t regretted it yet. Computer science is a relatively small department on campus, which has allowed me to develop lasting friendships with the students and faculty I have seen on a regular basis throughout my time here. The work can be challenging, but anyone will tell you it’s worth it when you finally compile and ‘Hello, world’ is spit out correctly for the first time.”

Tim Shearouse ’09, computer science and mathematics
“Before I came to Augustana, I was concerned about the size of its computer science program. Once here, I discovered it was an advantage. Besides the individual attention and feedback, the size of the program means no one gets lost in the crowd—anyone can take advantage of opportunities to attend national conferences, compete in programming contests or gain real-life experience through the school’s IT department.”