Degree Programs

The CS Department offers three degrees:

1. Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science - Math emphasis.
2. Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer Science - Requires a minor.
3. Bachelor of Science degree in Software Development

The degrees are best differentiated by looking at the credit hours they entail. Besides the Liberal Arts and Bible courses required, the breakdown for each major is as follows:

A strong aptitude for math is required for the CS-BS and Soft Dev degrees. The CS-BA degree also requires good analytical and problem solving abilities, and success is best often best predicted by strong math scores on standardized exams (e.g., SAT and ACT).

We have observed very little, if any, difference in the jobs available for these three options. However, students wishing to pursue graduate work in computer science are recommended to choose the BS-CS option since most graduate CS programs require the same math courses required in the BS-CS major.

Related Degrees

There are a few other degrees offered by other departments which are related to the CS degree and require a number of CS hours:

• Computer Engineering from the Department of Engineering and Physics requires 29 hours of CS credit. This degree is for students who have a dual interest in hardware and software design with an emphasis on embedded systems.
• Web Design and Interactive Media from the Department of Communication (Developer Track) requires 12 hours of CS credit. The degree is geared toward web designers/developers and those who are more interested in aesthetics of website design rather than the software and underlying architecture behind the Web.
• Management Information Systems (MIS) from the College of Business Administration requires 3 hours of CS credit. This degree emphasizes using technology to solve problems in business rather than developing algorithms and software.