October 17, 2005

Notes on Bowdoin’s Computer Science program

Traditional, in a similar vein as Bard. No interdisciplinary courses listed in the catalog, and no mention of interdisciplinary opportunities in the course listings or website statements. They have an active robotics program / course load that coincides with research by one of the professors. Prof. Tucker's focus is to push for a more “rigorous” CS program.

The Computer Science Department offers major and minor programs, and an interdisciplinary minor with Mathematics.

These programs support the fundamental liberal arts philosophy that emphasizes breadth and depth of study, critical analysis of ideas, exposure to different modes of inquiry, a mature style of writing and other forms of discourse, and multicultural awareness through off-campus study. These programs provide a solid foundation for either postgraduate study or a career in industry.

Faculty

Four full-time faculty members, all with doctoral degrees in Computer Science. Research and interests include artificial intelligence, robotics, cryptography, network security, programming languages, natural language processing.

Labs

Three. One lab with iMacs used for Intro and Intermediate courses; one lab with Linux workstations; one robotics lab.

CS Minor Requirements

• One intro course
  • CS105 Computing and the Web or CS107 Computer Science or Scientific Computing
• One intermediate course
  • CS210 Data Structures
• Three other CS courses

CS Major Requirements

• Two intro courses
  • CS105 Computing and the Web or CS107 Computer Science or Scientific Computing
  • CS189 Foundations of Computing
• Four intermediate courses
  • CS210 Data Structures
  • CS231 The Design and Analysis of Algorithms
  • CS250 Principles of Programming Languages
  • CS289 Theory of Computation
• Three elective courses, 300 level
• One Math course
• One additional course in Math, Economics, Psychology, Philosophy, or Physics

Courses Offered

Four intro courses available to all students (Intro to Scientific Computing, Intro to Computers and the Web, Intro to Computer Science, Foundations of Computing).

Six to eight classes offered per term (three Intro (100 level), three Intermediate (200 level), two Advanced (300 level)).

CS105 Introduction to Computing and the Web
CS107 Introduction to Computer Science
CS189 Foundations of Computing
CS210 Data Structures
CS220 Computer Organization
CS231 The Design and Analysis of Algorithms
CS250 Principles of Programming Languages
CS260 Software Design
CS289 Theory of Computation
CS320 Robotics
CS325 Cryptography and Network Security
CS350 GIS Algorithms and Data Structures
CS355 Cognitive Architecture
CS370 Artificial Intelligence
CS375 Optimization and Uncertainty
CS380 Advanced Projects