Monmouth College

Computer Science

Computer Science is a rapidly growing and ever-changing field that is primarily concerned with software design and development. Study in the field of Computer Science develops one’s abilities to think logically and promotes excellent problem solving skills. With this preparation, Computer Science graduates continue to be in high demand.

The Computer Science major at Monmouth College is designed to prepare students for careers in the field of Computer Science by providing a high-quality undergraduate Computer Science major within a liberal arts setting.

The department’s goal is to prepare students for entry-level positions and also to assist them in building a strong foundation of knowledge that is necessary for graduate study and for lifelong learning. The curriculum emphasizes problem solving and provides students with a combination of theory and practical experience as well as introducing ethical and social issues that relate to the discipline.

Programming Languages
Introductory courses are taught using C++ as the primary language.  Programming courses emphasize programming methods rather than features of a specific language, and our graduates find that they are able to apply good programming principles and quickly learn to use other programming languages as needed.

Course Work
Departmental curriculum includes: programming and data structures, assembly language, systems analysis and design, operating systems, and file structures.

Students may select to take calculus and certain other mathematics courses as part of the computer science major.

Practical Experience
Students complete a group project in computer science during the senior year.  Examples of software development projects have included: multimedia and database applications, digital signal processing, and computer aided instruction projects.

Equipment/Facilities
Students have access to the college's network of computers, which run under Windows.  The college network is connected to the the Internet, which provides worldwide connections with other computer systems.  In addition, the department uses a computer equipped classroom to incorporate modern technology into the learning process.  Students are able to take an active role in discovering concepts through cooperative experimentation, using computer software tools to explore the essential question, "What if...?"  

Off-Campus Programs
Students who choose to do so may apply to participate in the Oak Ridge Science Semester at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.  Students spend part of their time during the semester taking computer science and other courses, and part of their time working with ongoing research projects at the National Laboratory. 

Summer internships and research opportunities are available for undergraduate computer science students.  These may be sponsored by the National Science Foundation or other government research agencies, or by a private corporation, and give students the chance to engage in hands-on activities at a large university or in a business setting.

Career Opportunities
Careers for computer science majors cover a wide range of opportunities. Computer science majors are held in high regard on the basis of demonstrated proficiency, not only with numbers and formulas, but also with logical problem-solving. Recent computer science graduates have found job opportunities in small businesses as well as large corporations, in medium-sized cities as well as large metropolitan areas.

Graduate School Opportunities
Graduate school programs in computer science actively seek qualified students. Assistantships and fellowships are available which waive tuition and pay the graduate student a stipend. A good mathematics background is recommended for students considering graduate computer science programs.

Computer science graduates may also choose other graduate programs. Students with good quantitative and problem-solving skills are well suited for graduate studies in business administration (the M.B.A. degree) and law, as well as graduate programs in engineering and computer science.