Computer Science, B.S.

York College offers a full spectrum of academic opportunities for students interested in pursuing a career in the fast-growing and ever-changing field of computing. The B.S. degree in Computer Science (CS) offered by the Engineering and Computer Science Department is designed for those pursuing computing careers in a technical or scientific field. Consistent with the mission of the College to help students prepare for their postgraduate careers, the CS program blends the practical with the theoretical. In their final year of study, students put together the technical, theoretical, and practical aspects of their computer science education through industry internships and/or upper-level projects and a required senior design project.

The Computer Science program at York College is built on guidelines recommended by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Computer Society (IEEE-CS) and the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). The Computer Science program in the Department of Engineering and Computer Science at York College is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org.

The Computer Science Program is designed with the following long-term educational objectives for alumni of the Program:

• Made meaningful contributions to the computing profession through work in industry or nonprofit organizations, graduate studies, publications, and or participation in professional organizations;
• Demonstrated an ability to learn new skills and stay current with new technologies and computing paradigms;
• Worked and communicated effectively with team members, problem domain experts, customers, and other constituencies.

To facilitate these objectives, the CS program has adopted the following educational outcomes for its graduates from the 2013-2014 ABET Criteria for Accrediting Computing Programs:

1. An ability to apply knowledge of computing and mathematics appropriate to the discipline
2. An ability to analyze a problem, and identify and define the computing requirements appropriate to its solution
3. An ability to design, implement, and evaluate a computer-based system, process, component, or program to meet desired needs
4. An ability to function effectively on teams to accomplish a common goal
5. An understanding of professional, ethical, legal, security, and social issues and responsibilities
6. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
7. An ability to analyze the local and global impact of computing on individuals, organizations, and society
8. Recognition of the need for and an ability to engage in continuing professional development
9. An ability to use current techniques, skills, and tools necessary for computing practice
10. An ability to apply mathematical foundations, algorithmic principles, and computer science theory in the modeling and design of computer-based systems in a way that demonstrates comprehension of the trade offs involved in design choices
11. An ability to apply design and development principles in the construction of software systems of varying complexity

Requirements for Graduation:

To be eligible for graduation, students majoring in Computer Science must complete a minimum of 125 credits, achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.0, satisfy the College’s residency requirements, and complete the General Education Requirements of the College. A minimum grade of 2.0 is required for First Year Seminar and all courses taken as part of Foundations. Courses used to complete General Education Requirements may not be taken on a pass/fail basis.

The General Education Requirements of the college require students to successfully complete a First Year Seminar, Foundations, Disciplinary Perspectives, and a Constellation. Students who enter the college with 30 credit hours completed will not take a First Year Seminar course and therefore must take an additional 3 credits for graduation. Transfer students that are awarded 60 or more credits upon acceptance to York College will not be required to complete a Constellation.

In addition, students majoring in Computer Science must achieve a grade of 2.0 or higher in all major requirements. At least four 300-400 level courses and one programming language course must be taken at York College.