The Computer Science program of William Paterson University evolved from a three-track minor program in 1974 to a Bachelor of Science in 1981. Since then, it has gone through many revisions in order to meet the needs of the community, the students, and the industry. Its last major revision was approved by the University and implemented in fall 1997. Throughout these years, the goal of this program has been and continues to be a high quality curriculum that prepares students for graduate studies and for leadership roles and life-long learning as they undertake professional careers in computing. The followings are the latest objectives and program outcomes as part of our ABET accreditation efforts.

Program Educational Objectives:

Within three to five years of completion of degree requirements, our graduates are expected to:


1. Work productively as professionals in computing sciences, technologies, and associated areas;
2. Pursue graduate studies in advancing their knowledge and abilities in computer related disciplines;
3. Engage in life-long learning such as attainment of certifications; including workshops, conferences, seminars, academic publications, and other professional activities, so as to remain current in the field.

Program Outcomes:

Each graduate of the program should be able to:


1. Effectively communicate in written and oral forms;
2. Demonstrate competence in mathematical skills (discrete structures, differential and integral calculus, and probability and statistics);
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the core scientific (physics, biology, etc.) principles and methods;
4. Work effectively as part of a team in a software or hardware project;
5. Demonstrate an ability to locate and make effective use of information;
6. Demonstrate an ability to select appropriate data structures and to design algorithm to solve problems;
7. Demonstrate an understanding of programming language concepts;
8. Demonstrate an understanding of the major programming domains and the knowledge of the most appropriate programming language for each domain;
9. Be able to develop programs in two or more major programming languages on at least two platforms;
10. Demonstrate competence in computer organization and architecture;
11. Demonstrate an ability to use software engineering principles to analyze and design large software projects;
12. Demonstrate an understanding of ethical and legal issues for computing professionals and the impact of computing technology in society.