Computer Science/Information Systems

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Prepare for a career in computers

It’s no surprise that careers in computing are booming. Computers play a major part of our everyday lives, and that isn’t going to change anytime soon.

Computer Science Information System major combine computer science, information technology and business administration. The program will give you the technical foundations and prepare you to apply IT solutions in a business context and use them to develop opportunities for growth. Therefore, you have the right mix for a successful career.

What will I study as a computer science and information systems major?

As a student in our program, you’ll develop a solid foundation in:

  • Computer programming
  • Software Development
  • Computer Network
  • Data Analytics
  • Database Management

To keep our program up to date with the latest developments in technology, we developed minors in Cyber Security and Bioinformatics. 

Bioinformatics minor

Recent advances in biology has resulted in an explosion of genetic data, requiring creative computerized solutions. Bioinformatics is the interdisciplinary field, combining computer science and biology. The minor in bioinformatics includes courses in biology, programming, statistics and database processing. You will learn to develop and use computational tools to organize and analyze complex molecular data. The minor is offered for majors in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems Engineering, Biology and General Sciences.

Cyber Security minor

The minor in Cybersecurity is an interdisciplinary studies program. Cybersecurity broadly covers the fields of information security, network security, and computer system security. This minor designed to help students from all backgrounds achieve an educational foundation of technological, structural, social, and legal aspects used to secure computer networks and software.
The undergraduate minor in cybersecurity is open to students of any major able to meet the necessary prerequisites. 

Where will I study computer science and information systems?

The Department provides a wide variety of state-of-the-art computing facilities for research and instructional use. Our on-campus research facilities include:

MACMAS Lab
Dorothy Cowser Yancy Hall exterior
MACMAS Laboratory

This Multidisciplinary Applied Computational Modeling and Simulation (MACMAS) lab is used for multidisciplinary computational research.

Located at Yancy Hall 114 

Research Center
Dorothy Cowser Yancy Hall exterior
Electronics and Cyber Security Research Center

Voice recognition, image enhancement, computer forensics, network security and risk assessment/management are some areas of research aided by the software and hardware equipment in this center.

Located at Yancy Hall 309

Robotics Lab
Dorothy Cowser Yancy Hall exterior
Robotics and Automatic Control Laboratory

This lab features industrial and educational robots, digital and analog automatic control equipment and a chemical process simulator.

Located at Yancy Hall 315

Data Analytics
Center for Data Analytics
Center for Data Analytics 

This lab is used for data analysis research such as data mining and big data. Research also focuses on data mining technologies in customer relationship management (CRM), and business and bioinformatics applications.

Located at NCS 131

BioInformatics
New Science Center
Center for BioInformatics 

Lab with computers including software for exploration of molecular data and bioinformatics programming.

Located at NSC 130

Electronics Lab
New Science Center
Digital and Analog Electronics Laboratories

Two labs have signal generators, digital multimeters, oscilloscopes and training kits to examine electronic and electric circuits and digital and analog electronics design. Located at Yancy Hall 212 and Yancy 213

What will I learn outside the computer science and information systems program?

JCSU is a private liberal arts university. What this means to you is that your education will broadly cover all areas of study. The diversity of your classes will help you look at “the big picture” in any career you choose. 

  • Classes in science and communication arts will give you a definite advantage in the job market and workplace.
  • Taking several English and foreign language classes will help you interact with a global community that is getting smaller each day.
  • By taking math and history classes, you’ll have a better understanding of the world around you.
  • Health and physical education courses give you the knowledge to cope with everyday stress and lead a better, longer life.

Having a college education will give you the tools to succeed in life. Having a liberal arts education will give you the opportunity to take your success further.

Employment of computer and information technology occupations is projected to grow 12 percent from 2014 to 2024, faster than the average for all occupations. These occupations are expected to add about 488,500 new jobs, from about 3.9 million jobs to about 4.4 million jobs from 2014 to 2024, in part due to a greater emphasis on cloud computing, the collection and storage of big data, more everyday items becoming connected to the Internet in what is commonly referred to as the “Internet of things,” and the continued demand for mobile computing.

The median annual wage for computer and information technology occupations was $79,390 in May 2014, which was higher than the median annual wage for all occupations of $35,540 according to The Bureau of Labor Statistics.

A degree in computer science and information system opens the door to a wide range of career opportunities. According to the recommendation from Computing Curricula Association for Computing Machinery(ACM) and IEEE-Computer Society, there is a strong need to add the topics of Security as well as Parallel and Distributed Computing. As CS expands to include more cross-disciplinary work and new programs of the form “Computational Biology,” “Computational Engineering,” and “Computational X” are developed, it is important to embrace an outward-looking view that sees CS as a discipline actively seeking to work with and integrate into other disciplines. 

    At JCSU, we understand that experience is the best teacher.

    That’s why we offer our students countless opportunities for hands-on research with impressive project topics and big-name organizations. You’ll have the opportunity to spend your summer building professional websites, creating apps and games, analyzing data using data mining techniques, developing solutions for cybersecurity issues, investigating genomics data using bioinformatics tools, and conducting applied research— you’ll get paid for it too.

    Not only do we provide exciting high-tech research opportunities, our faculty are dedicated to developing a one-on-one relationship with you so you get the most out of your JCSU education.

    We prepare you for success beyond the classroom.

    Computer Science and Engineering(CSE) Department Highlights

    • ranked in the top 1% of all universities in the country as a leading producer of African-American undergrads majoring in computer and information systems by Diverse Issues in Higher Education Magazine.
    • Three students are named as HBCU All-Stars by the White House Initiative.
    • Launched the “Google Applied CS” program in partnership with Google.
    • Established relationships and partnership to advance STEM talent pipeline for corporations, including Bank of America, Duke Energy, Wells Fargo, Google and Microsoft

    So what does that mean for you?

    It means that at JCSU, we give you the support system you need to excel in your courses and in your future career. We won’t throw you into your major classes and expect you to sink or swim on your own.

    All students in our program will have a dedicated advisor who will help them:

    • Plan their course of study
    • Choose the right classes
    • Help them get the support they need if they fall behind in class

    Exciting Research Opportunities with Cutting-edge Technologies

    DHS Center of Excellence summer camps

    20 students participated one-week on-campus summer camps supported by the DHS Center of Excellence in summer 2016. Students also received on-campus housing and stipends.

    DHS Center of Excellence summer research

    Nine Students worked faculty members to conduct a 4-week summer research projects funded by DHS Center of Excellence. Students also received on-campus housing and stipends in summer 2016.

    Awards in undergraduate research

    Four students won awards in national and regional undergraduate research conference. More than 20 students were accepted into graduate programs with full scholarships in the past five years.

    Build robots

    Studenst in our Department of Computer Science and Engineering have the opportunity to build and develop robotic systems used to meet the requirements of real-world situations.

    Hands on experience

    Our students are also able to get the best hands-on experience in the STEM fields through research with government agencies, such as Department of Homeland Security, National Science Foundation, and etc. 

    Personalized attention gives you the tools to succeed.

    Computer Science and Engineering Department has a strong emphasis on faculty-students research collaboration. Participation in undergraduate research is very effective for improving student learning, especially those research projects which are collaborative, investigative, project-based, and inquiry-based.

    We have established programs to help recruit, retain and graduate minorities in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields funded by multiple government grants, including National Science Foundation(NSF) HBCU-UP, NSF OASIS, NSF Carolina Cyber Defense Scholarship, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Coastal Hazards Center of Excellence (2008-2015) and new Coastal Resilience Center of Excellence (2016-2020).

      Get involved in on-campus activities and organizations.

      We offer our majors several organizations for socializing with professors and fellow students. These extracurricular activities also provide a great support system for minority students majoring in STEM.

      Students in our department are involved in:

      • Women in Technology Club
      • The National Society of Black Engineers
      • STARS Leadership Corps

      Your path to a successful career begins the minute you step on campus.

      Careers and advanced degrees:

      JCSU students have found success at such organizations as:

      • Lockheed Martin
      • Bank of America
      • Wells Fargo
      • Duke Energy
      • Microsoft
      • U.S. Social Security Administration
      • Met Life Insurance
      • Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
      • JPMorgan Chase

      Advanced Degrees

      JCSU students have been accepted into programs at:

      • Auburn University
      • North Carolina State University
      • North Carolina A&T University
      • North Carolina Charlotte
      • Pennsylvania State University
      • Carnegie Mellon University
      • Shippensburg University
      • University of Cincinnati
      • Clemson University

      Internships

      Students in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering have opportunities for internships at:

      • Bank of America
      • Wells Fargo
      • Duke Energy
      • Microsoft
      • TIAA-CREF SPX
      • John Deere
      • General Electric
      • JPMorgan Chase