Computer Science

CSC

050 

INDEPENDENT STUDY

One to three credit hours

This course is designed to assist students in the study of computer topics beyond those included in the regular course offerings. Students working in cooperation with a supervising faculty member may study approved material which does not duplicate a course presently in the curriculum. See Independent Study Program, Section II.

CSC

070

INTERNSHIP

Credit hours to be arranged

Academic credit is offered for appropriate off-campus, computer-related experience. See Internship Program, Section II.

CSC

121

TECHNOLOGICAL LITERACY FOR TODAY’S WORLD

Three credit hours

This course introduces concepts and methods concerning the use of computer-based systems in business and other aspects of society, including communication technologies and the sciences.  Several applications will be introduced in a hands-on, laboratory setting, including word processing, presentation software, spreadsheets, HTML, e-mail, the Internet, and the World Wide Web.

CSC

131

COMPUTER APPLICATION SOFTWARE

Two credit hours

The focus is on the application of a specific software product. Techniques for using software will be learned while applying them to the solution of information-processing problems. Students are permitted to repeat the course when it is offered with a different software application, but no more than six credit hours of CSC 131 may be counted toward graduation requirements.

CSC

141

ADVANCED APPLICATIONS FOR INFORMATION ANALYSIS 

Three credit hours

Prerequisite: Basic computer literacy, including the use of word processors, is assumed.

This course focuses on spreadsheet and database technologies with an emphasis of the use of those technologies into specific application domains including business and the sciences.  Topics include creation of spreadsheets and databases, financial and statistical functions, charting, problem solving tools, querying of databases, creation of forms and reports, macros, and the integration of spreadsheets and databases. 

     CSC

150

VISUAL BASIC PROGRAMMING

Three credit hours

Prerequisite: three years of high school mathematics, including second year algebra.

This course is a survey of the field of computer science including a study of the design of computer programs. Programming techniques are covered and the common logic patterns sequence, selection (branching), looping, and modularization will be covered in detail. These logical patterns will be applied to algorithms common to many complex programs.

CSC

180

FOUNDATIONS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE

Three credit hours

This introductory course is designed for those students intending to major or minor in Computer Science or Computer Information Systems. Topics include the internal representation of values and instructions, digital logic and circuits, machine language, network terminology and architecture, parallel and distributed algorithms, data communications, security, and the use of global networks.

CSC

210

COMPUTER SCIENCE I: PROGRAMS AND APPLICATIONS

Three credit hours

Prerequisite: familiarity with the concepts of a high-level procedural language is recommended.

This course covers the fundamental concepts of computers and computer programming. It introduces a variety of problem-solving paradigms, but concentrates on procedural and object-oriented programming. Repetition, selection, procedures, simple data types, arrays, and records are covered. Structured design and programming techniques are emphasized.

CSC

225

INTERMEDIATE PROGRAMMING FOR INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Four credit hours

Prerequisite: CSC 180 and CSC 210; Corequisite: MTH 161

This course introduces the concept of structured programming in a business-programming environment. Concepts covered include object-oriented program structures, developing text and GUI interfaces, file processing, database information processing, data conversion and information processing.

CSC

241

OBJECT ORIENTATION AND LINEAR STRUCTURES

Three credit hours

Prerequisite: CSC 180 and CSC 210; Corequisite: MTH 161

This course emphasizes the design, construction, and use of structured data and objects. Both static and dynamic linear structures are covered, including lists, stacks and queues.

CSC

242

NON-LINEAR DATA STRUCTURES

Three credit hours

Prerequisite: CSC 241; Corequisite: MTH 262

This course expands the study of data structures begun in CSC 241 to non-linear structures, including trees, graphs and heaps. Special attention is paid to the time and space complexity of the related algorithms. More advanced language topics are introduced.

CSC

250

MULTIMEDIA PROGRAMMING

Three credit hours

Prerequisite: CSC 180 and CSC 210

This course focuses on the creation and integration of computer media including still graphics, animation, video, and sound.  A major part of the course will focus on programming techniques and languages for the interactive control of multimedia presentations.

CSC

263

SEMINAR

Three credit hours

Selected topics in computer science

CSC

270

DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS

Three credit hours

Prerequisite: CSC 180 and CSC 210

This course is an initiation to data communications. Topics include fundamental communications concepts (data and voice); communications hardware, protocols, and software; and network configurations, design, security, control, and management.  Topic coverage includes study of LANs, WANs, OSI models, Internet, and intranets.

CSC

280

INTRODUCTION TO DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Three credit hours

Prerequisite: Either CSC 225 or CSC 241

This course introduces the fundamental concepts necessary for the use, design, implementation, and management of a database system. The course is project-based, covering database creation, maintenance, and querying using SQL. A relational database management system will be used throughout. The project focuses on retrieving and answering queries from and to a Web interface.

CSC

290

INTRODUCTION TO LOCAL AREA NETWORKS

Three credit hours

Prerequisite: CSC 270

This course covers the design, installation and administration of Local Area Networks (LANs) at the Operating System level.  It contains a lab component in which a fully functional client/server network is designed and configured.

CSC

320

COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE & ORGANIZATION

Three credit hours

Prerequisite: CSC 241

This course covers computing history, computer technology and terminology, basic logic
design, computer architecture, CPU architecture, memory systems and assembly language.

CSC

330

WEB PROGRAMMING I

Three credit hours

Prerequisite: CSC 241

This course focuses on the client technologies used in deploying Web sites. Topics covered include Internet basics, HTML, XML, CSS, JavaScript, HTTP protocol, and cookies.

CSC

340

WEB PROGRAMMING II

Three credit hours

Prerequisite: CSC 330

This course explores advanced client and server technologies for Web site deployment. Topics include Java, Perl, PHP, CGI/SSI, Web servers (e.g., Apache), servlets, network programming, and database access.

CSC

360

INFORMATION SYSTEMS PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Three credit hours

Prerequisite: CSC 225 or CSC 241

This course provides a methodical approach to project management in the context of an information system organization. The theory and practice of project management are studied and applied. Topics include system life cycle planning, organizational structures, team building, interview techniques, management functions, project management software, project evaluation and control, and technical writing.

CSC

370

INFO SYSTEMS SECURITY, PRIVACY, & ETHICS

Three credit hours

Prerequisite: CSC 270 or CSC 290 or any CSC 3XX or 4XX.

This course explores the social issues, including historical and social context, professional responsibilities, risks and liabilities, and intellectual property of an information system organization. Topics include security policy development life cycle, policy development and implementation process, network security, privacy laws, authentication, access and information flow controls, memo and technical writing.

CSC

380

ADVANCED DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Three credit hours

Prerequisite: CSC 280

This course stresses advanced topics in database management systems, particularly: advanced processing and SQL techniques, recovery and security issues and strategies, advanced database models, performance and tuning issues, distributed databases including data warehousing and related concepts.

CSC

400

OPERATING SYSTEMS

Three credit hours

Prerequisite: CSC 242

This course covers operating systems concepts and design, including processes and threads, CPU scheduling, mutual exclusion and synchronization, deadlock, memory management, file systems, networking, distributed systems and systems programming.

CSC

410

ADVANCED LOCAL AREA NETWORKS

Three credit hours

Prerequisite: CSC 290 and MTH 135

This course covers advanced concepts and tools associated with LANs operation and performance. Topics include network topology, network hardware (switches and routers), communication protocols and packet formats, troubleshooting techniques, multi-platform integration, and network security and configuration.

CSC

411

SYSTEM AND NETWORK ADMINISTRATION

Three credit hours

Prerequisite: CSC 410

This course covers administering network operating systems.  Topics include Windows system and UNIX (Linux) system administration, application (Database, Web) maintenance and interoperability between Windows and Linux systems.

CSC

420

FORMAL LANGUAGES AND AUTOMATA

Three credit hours

Prerequisite: CSC 242

This course is an introduction to the theoretical foundations underlying computing. Topics include language specification and grammars, finite and pushdown automata, Turing machines, decidability, and computability. Application of these concepts into areas such as compiler design will also be discussed.

CSC

430

ALGORITHM DESIGN AND ANALYSIS

Three credit hours

Prerequisite: CSC 242

Building on concepts of basic algorithm design and complexity analysis introduced in Computer Science I & II, this course explores advanced algorithm design and analysis. Topics may include advanced data structures, inductive algorithms, graph algorithms, geometric, algebraic, and numeric algorithms, reductions, NP-completeness, and parallel algorithms. Emphasis is placed on formal efficiency analysis of algorithms utilizing concepts from discrete mathematics.

CSC

460

SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND DESIGN

Four credit hours

Prerequisite: CSC 241 or  CSC 280

This course provides a methodical approach to developing computer systems including feasibility study, systems planning, analysis, design, testing, implementation, and software maintenance. Structured Systems Analysis and Design will be emphasized, but data-structure based and object-oriented Systems Analysis and Design methods will also be covered, with an emphasis on the relationship between the latter two methodologies.

CSC

470

SENIOR INTERNSHIP

Three credit hours

Prerequisite: Permission of instructor

This course is designed to be a senior capstone experience in which the student is expected to demonstrate mastery of the skills and concepts acquired throughout the major curriculum.  The internship is required to match the individual’s major program and have an emphasis on the application of classroom knowledge to actual practice.  All internships must be approved by the faculty of the department. Due to the capstone nature of the course, senior status within the major is a required pre-requisite.

CSC

471

SENIOR PROJECT

Three credit hours

Prerequisite: at least one CSC 3XX or CSC 4XX course

This course provides a project-oriented experience and is intended primarily for those students who are seeking a research experience or who for logistical reasons are unable to participate in an internship experience.  Students seeking to pursue this option must submit a detailed project proposal to the computer science faculty for approval. Project proposals must demonstrate that the project is of significant breadth and depth to be considered a capstone experience, integrating multiple aspects of the student’s background coursework and extending the student’s knowledge in at least one aspect of their area of concentration.

CSC

475

PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT

Three credit hours

Prerequisite: CSC 250 and CSC 280 and CSC 340

This course serves as the capstone course in the Web Specialist track. A Web Site of
sizable work and technical complexity is assigned.