Program Details

Bachelor of Science Degree • School of Arts and Sciences

Computer Science Major

Program Details

The Utica College computer science department follows a curriculum recommended by the Association for Computing Machinery. ACM is the oldest organization of computer professionals and establishes the guidelines used by most colleges. Computer science majors at Utica College pursue concentrations in one of three areas: business applications, scientific applications, or computer security.
more about computer science...

Special Opportunities

Computer science majors work closely with the criminal justice department's Economic Crime Investigation Institute (ECII) to keep the curriculum in the forefront of computer and network security.

The Economic Crime Investigation Laboratory at UC is unique in the country and is used by both computer science and economic crime investigation majors to get hands-on experience working with computer security.

Facilities

Utica College maintains many academic computer laboratories on campus. Classes are taught in some of the computer labs; all labs are accessible to any UC student during published hours. The labs are equipped with laser printers and scanners, and the computers have word processing, spreadsheet, and database programs as well as specialized software for specific courses. Student assistants and a Computer Help Desk provide any assistance that students need.

Faculty

While the curriculum is excellent, the real strength of the program is its faculty. There are four full-time department professors: Professor Janice Huss, Professor Ron LaBella, Dr. Angel Rivera, and Dr. John Kim. They have a significant experience with computer systems and continue to share their professional knowledge with students both in and out of the classroom.

Co-ops

There are many opportunities for paid work experiences related to the computer science field. They include part time positions during the semester with full-time work in the summer. Among the organizations actively recruiting our students for co-op positions are IBM, New York Power Authority, Air Force Research Lab, and PAR Technologies. There are also many relevant and interesting work experiences available on campus.

Career Opportunities

Perhaps one of the best indications of the strength of the faculty and curriculum is the success of Utica College's graduates. Alumni have gone on to employment in knowledge engineering, virtual reality, aerospace, NASA, computer security, business, and many other related fields.

Academic Program

Concentrations

The major in computer science will prepare the student to work with computers and develop systems utilizing the computer in areas of science, industry, civil service, and education. For those desiring more specialization, the program is a sound preparation for graduate study in computer science.

There are three concentrations that can be taken to meet the major-related requirements of the computer science major.

The Scientific Concentration is intended for the science and technology oriented student. The mathematical background obtained will prepare the graduate to handle analytical problems and systems requiring a scientific preparation and mathematical sophistication.

The Business Concentration is intended for the student who needs less mathematical sophistication and who intends to work primarily in areas where the computer is applied to business or non-mathematical problems.

The Computer Security Concentration is intended for the student who is interested in pursuing a career that focuses on protecting information within both government and private sectors.

Students considering public school teaching as a career should refer to the programs in education - click here for details.

Total credit hours required for degree: 128

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

(See also General Education Core)

Course		Credit Hours	Year Taken
Core		34-55
Major Course Requirements
Computer Science 101	Computer Science I	3	1
Computer Science 102	Computer Science II	3	1
Computer Science 201	Discrete Mathematics I	3	1
Computer Science 301	Discrete Mathematics II	3	2
Computer Science 303	Computer Organization and Programming	4	2
Computer Science 316	Object-Oriented Programming	3	2
Computer Science 322	Data Structures and Algorithms	3	3
Computer Science 323	Introduction to Networks	3	2,3
Computer Science 325	Programming Languages	3	3,4
Computer Science 343	Database Systems	4	3,4
Computer Science 425	Operating System Concepts	3	3,4
Computer Science 433	Software Engineering	2	4
Computer Science 433L	Software Engineering Lab	1	4
		38
Major-Related Courses
Mathematics 201	Calculus I	3	1,2
Mathematics 202	Calculus II	3	1,2
Philosophy 108	Professional Ethics	3	2,3
		9
Concentration
Students must choose one of three concentrations:
Scientific Concentration
Mathematics 301	Calculus III	3	2,3
Mathematics 321	Probability and Statistics	3	3,4
Mathematics 331	Linear Algebra	3	3,4
Physics 261	Physics I	4	1,2
Physics 262	Physics II	4	1,2
		17
Business Concentration
Mathematics 112	Basic Statistics	3	1,2
or
Economics 241	Statistics	3	1,2
Accounting 201	Financial Accounting	3	1,2
Economics 141	Principles of Macroeconomics	3	1,2
Finance 333	Corporation Finance	3	2,3
Management 101	Introduction to Contemporary Business	3	2,3
		15
Computer Security Concentration
Mathematics 112	Basic Statistics	3	1,2
or
Economics 241	Statistics	3	1,2
Criminal Justice 333	Information Security	3	2,3
Criminal Justice 335	Cybercrime Law & Investigations	3	2,3
Criminal Justice 435	Computer Forensics	3	3,4
Computer Science 432	Computer and Network Security	4	4
		16
Electives
The student must compete sufficient elective courses to earn at least the minimum credit hours required for this degree, and at least 64 credit hours of the 128 required must be in the liberal arts and sciences.