We solve problems...
NIU’s Department of Computer Science has provided students access to the breadth and depth of computer science for over thirty years. For students interested in business careers, our programs keep pace with an ever-changing industry. For students interested in careers in high-tech industries or research, we provide introductory and advanced courses in a variety of core and specialty areas. We also provide exciting courses for non-majors desiring a basic introduction to computing and for students interested in interdisciplinary careers. Such students might choose to minor in computer science.
Our curriculum represents an effective balance between theory and practice. Most courses involve substantial programming or design assignments. At the same time, the theoretical and intellectual content necessary for a deep understanding of concepts and a basis for future acquisitionof knowledge and skills are not neglected.
We offer three emphases at theundergraduate level:
- Emphasis I, Software Development: Concentrates on Computer Science classes, with only minimal math requirements and no business course requirements.
- Emphasis II, Enterprise Software: Requires three courses chosen from accountancy, finance, management, and marketing.
- Emphasis III, Computational Software: Combines the study of computer science with a set of advanced courses in applied mathematics and statistics.
Engaged Learning
Internships: We offer two types of internships. Traditional internships most often occur in the summer, but if circumstances permit, may also be taken in fall and spring semesters. Our invitation-only Research and Development Internship is designed to provide year-round internship employment, with the student working from an NIU office during the spring and fall semesters.
Science, Engineering, Technology Floor: This dormitory floor provides our computer science students with social as well as academic interaction.
The Student Chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM): ACM hosts a series of events including “meet-the-firm” opportunities, visitations to industrial computing facilities, and speakers from national high-tech companies. The chapter also holds resume writing clinics and programs that focus on internship and interviewing opportunities. The Department also holds one or more colloquiums featuring nationally-known researchers to campus each semester to keep students up to date with the latest advancements in computer science.
What can I do with this degree?
Graduates in computer science find employment in business, high-tech industries across the United States, and research organizations. Examples of career paths are:
| Business Analyst | Network Manager |
| Business Application Developer | Product Developer |
| Business Intelligence Specialist | Project Manager |
| Business Intelligence Specialist | Security Analyst |
| Chief Information Officer | Security Engineer |
| Computer Forensics Specialist | Software Engineer |
| Customer Support Manager | Systems Analyst |
| Database Analyst | Systems Integration Consultant |
| IT Auditor | Technical Sales Manager |
| IT Consultant | Telecommunications Analyst |
| IT Risk Advisor | Web Developer |
| Management Consultant |
“I was MORE than prepared for
this job. I am more advanced
than many people who have
been working here a while!”
–Paul Randall, 2004 graduate
State Farm
Degree Information
The Department of Computer Science offers a program leading to the B.S. degree with a major in computer science. A student must choose an emphasis in software development, enterprise software, or computational software.
Who Studied Computer Science?
- Jimmy Fallon, actor/comedian
- Linus Torvalds, Linux diveloper
- Sergey Brin, Google co-founder
- Larry Page, Google co-founder
- Rasmus Lerdorf, creator of PHP scripting language
- James Gosling, father of Java programming language
- Brendan Eich, creator of JavaScript
- Bjarne Stroustrup, creator of C++ programming language
Major Requirements
(45-48 hours)
Minor Requirements
(21-24 hours)
“I’ve been at International for 5
years now as an IMS/DB2 system
programmer and I love it. I can’t
tell you how much my mainframe
experience at NIU has helped me
in my career. We actually have 4
system programmers on my team
that are NIU alumni!”
–Michael Pry, 2003 graduate
Navistar International
Contact Information
Department of Computer Science
Psychology-Computer Science Building, Room 460
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, IL 60115
Phone: (815) 753-0378
Fax: (815) 753-0342
www.cs.niu.edu
Have a question?
askCSCIundergrad@niu.edu