Bachelor of Science Computer Science

Computing is everywhere: from manufacturing to advertising, from social life to sitting quietly with an e-book. What are the rules that govern the devices and networks that are so important in our daily lives? How do they work? Computer programs and services that we use every day are among the most complex artifacts ever constructed by humans. How can such complex systems be structured so that they are easily repaired or modified? The BS in Computer Science at DePaul CDM prepares students to answer such questions, providing them with the skills necessary to contribute to this vital aspect of our culture. Computer Science is a richly rewarding intellectual discipline that combines aspects of mathematics, science and engineering. Once students have mastered the basic vocabulary of algorithms, programming, and systems, a world of interdisciplinary opportunities become available—human-computer interaction, artificial intelligence and computational finance, to name a few—as well as applications across the arts and sciences.

For international students: this is a STEM-designated program.

Career Success

Our school is centrally located in the Loop, Chicago’s business district and home to offices of major companies in tech, insurance, banking, finance, and more. Many students take advantage of this by securing internships near campus.

Computer Science graduates from DePaul go on to work in a wide variety of industries. Almost every business can make use of new information technology ideas and applications for their systems.

Companies hiring our graduates include Allstate, Amazon, CNA, DeepMind, Federal Reserve Bank, JP Morgan Chase, GitHub, State Farm, Twitter, CME Group, Abbott Laboratories, Microsoft, and more.

Student Spotlight

Talal Ghafoor is a senior computer science major, CDM student ambassador, and president of DePaul UMMA (United Muslims Moving Ahead). During his time at CDM, Talal has been involved in soft robotics research, including implementing SLAM algorithms with soft robots, allowing the robot to navigate an area while simultaneously mapping and locating itself within that space. Last summer, Talal was a software engineering intern at Amazon, and he has accepted a full time software engineer position at Amazon upon graduation.

 

Faculty Research

CS faculty perform research in a wide variety of areas. Many projects are funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and other agencies. Faculty research areas include artificial intelligence, computational finance, data mining, database systems, high performance and scientific computing, human-computer interaction, programming languages and systems, security, software engineering, technology education, theory, and visual computing.

 

Student Organizations

CDM is home to a number of student organizations to fit your interests and career goals. The Computer Science Society (CSS) provides students the opportunity to collaborate on computer science-related projects, expand their computer science education, and hosts events like DemonHacks, our annual weekend-long hackathon. CSS’s goal is to build a community that computer science students can look to as a resource for academics, networking, career improvement, and enjoyment.

 

BIG EAST Research Symposium

Undergraduate computer science students participated in the inaugural (2022) and second (2023) BIG EAST Student Research Symposiums, held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The event highlights the outstanding work of undergraduate students in faculty-mentored research projects from each of the 11 universities in the BIG EAST Conference.

 

Online Learning

Many courses for this program are available for review and playback online. One hundred percent of the lectures in the CDM courses—from audio and video to whiteboard writing and supplemental materials—are captured and available online. Transfer students may complete this degree online.

 

Capstone Classes

The CS degree has two capstone experiences for students, one in the sophomore year and the other in the senior year. The Sophomore Lab in Applied Computing introduces advanced concepts at an early stage. The subject matter varies and is typically related to the professor's area of research. The Software Projects capstone course requires students to work together on a substantial project. Computer science is a collaborate field, and this capstone experience prepares students for the kind of collaboration they will find in the workplace.

 

Labs and Centers

Students have access to state-of-the-art labs and classrooms. In addition, CDM is host to a number of specialized research labs equipped with advanced technology, software, and experimental tools to support faculty and students in their research endeavors.