Computer Science Frequently Asked Questions
These are some brief answers to several of the questions we are asked most often. If you wish further information concerning our program, please call (701) 231-8562 and ask for John Martin or Ken Nygard. Thank you.
1. Why should I major in Computer Science?
Computer Science is the most exciting science or engineering field of the last forty years and the next fifty. The work of Computer Scientists has done more to improve the world than the work of any other group. Computer Scientists are the problem solvers of the modern world. They develop computer implementations to assist scientists of every kind as well as business and governments. Computational modeling is replacing formal mathematics as the most important tool in a scientist's repertoire. Simulation and visualization are vital to government, the military and many larger companies. If you are interested in Science, Engineering or Business but cannot decide which area, Computer Science should be your choice. Computer Scientists work with every type of science, engineering and business.
2. What background should an entering freshman have for Computer Science?
Prior experience as a user or programmer of a computer is not at all necessary. An entering student shoulNovember 30, 2009
- As much mathematics as possible. This would mean at least two years including one year of high school algebra. Students who do not have this preparation may need up to a year of college to get the necessary courses before they can start in Computer Science or any other technical field (science, mathematics, or engineering). The Mathematics Department offers a Math Placement Test during student orientation which recommenNovember 30, 2009f high school mathematics before coming to NDSU would ensure that the score on this test reflects the student's true knowledge. The mathematics is needed to build skill in dealing with abstract entities such as equations and formulas.
- 3 to 5 years of high school English. Communications skills, written and oral, are an important factor in a student's success both in college and in a career in nearly every field.
Our program is designed so that anyone entering, either ready to take calculus, or at most one course away from calculus, does not lose any time in starting the program.
3. Which courses will I take during my first year at NDSU?
Course loads during the freshman year are normally about 15 semester hours each term. That means the student will spend fifteen hours per week in the classroom. For every hour spent in the classroom, the student should expect to spend 2 hours or more on homework and reading outside the class. Hence the normal load requires a total of 45 to 50 hours of work each week, (including the weekend). This is an average. During the first three weeks or so, it might be possible for the student to spend less time, but more time would then be required during the remainder of the semester. Students must be careful to keep up with their courses.
During the first year, the student probably will take the following types of courses:
b. One Mathematics course each semester
c. One English course each semester
d. One wellness course (health and physical education)
e. One Humanities or Social Science course each semester
The Computer Science courses taken during the first year depend on the student's background, but might include any one of the following:
b. CSci 147: Microcomputer Packages (word processing, spreadsheets, database, telecommunications, drawing).
c. CSci 122: Programming in BASIC.
d. CSci 126: FORTRAN Programming.
d. CSci 125: COBOL Programming.
e. CSci 160: The first course for CS majors. Includes Java and CS concepts.
f. CSci 161: Continuation of 173 including how to manipulate small amounts of data.
g. CSci 373: Computer Organization
4. Is the Computer Science program at NDSU accredited?
National accreditation in Computer Science is done by the Computer Science Accreditation Board, Inc., a cooperative effort of the major professional societies in Computer Science. The B.S. degree program at NDSU is the first accredited Computer Science program anywhere in North Dakota or the surrounding states (since 1986). Today, there are only about 140 accredited programs in the United States including 4 in the region. Accreditation provides assurance that our program graduates are competitive with those from any other program in the country.
5. Should I take a Computer Science course before CSci 160?
CSci 160 does not require any computing background. Many students do very well without taking a previous course. If you are not comfortable with mathematics, however, you should take a course before CSci 160. If you are not a good problems solver, you should consider CSci 159. Otherwise, you might consider a programming class such as CSci 122, Visual Basic.
If you are not comfortable using word processing and spreadsheet software, you should take CSci 147 during your first year.
6. What about class sizes?
Freshman classes are usually the largest. Our initial Computer Science courses have about 50 students. All other freshman classes will be 40 or smaller. Later Computer Science classes have about 30 students. Classes in Mathematics are often 50-80 students while classes in other subjects will be 30 students or fewer.
7. How is the job situation?
Job prospects for Computer Science graduates are better than for any other major. All national studies done in the last fifteen years predict the same situation will continue for the foreseeable future (at least the next ten years) for example, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics in November, 1991 expected a 79% increase in the number employed in computer science between 1990 and 2008. In 1995, as in past years, every one of our graduates who wished to find a job in the Computer Science field was able to. Starting salaries ranged from $28,000 to $36,000 in May, 1995. About 60% of our graduates went to work for large companies including IBM, Hewlett-Packard, AT&T and many others. About 25% went to work for smaller companies, many in North Dakota. About 15% went on to graduate school either here at NDSU or at major universities throughout the country such as Minnesota, UCLA or the University of Texas. Thirty percent of our graduates work in the Twin Cities area; 12% work in the Denver area; 8% in the Fargo/Moorhead area; 7% work in California; and 4% work in the Washington D.C. area.
When a student graduates with a B.S. degree in Computer Science, he or she may consider any of the following types of jobs:
b. Computer Trainer: the individual who assists users in learning to use a computer more effectively.
c. Technical Support: the individual who assists software or hardware salespeople by providing technical assistance to them in making a sale or keeping customers satisfied.
d. EDP Auditing - Evaluate software for compliance with corporate standards and its effectiveness in serving its intended purpose.
e. Quality Assurance - making sure the software does what it is supposed to do.
f. Technical Writing - develop manuals, online help systems, error messages, hypertext documents and electronic documentation.
g. Information Center - strategic and tactical information systems planning along with project planning, management, and implementation.
h. Telecommunications Planning - Determine how to configure and connect computing systems now and in the future.
I. Research Support: the individual who assists scientists, engineers or Computer Scientists with research work requiring the use of a computer.
j. Teacher: either in high school or community college.
k. Consultant - work for yourself in assisting other companies in their computer and information usage.
There are approximately 560,000 computer professionals working full-time in the United States. Graduate School at NDSU or elsewhere should be considered as well.
8. How about the Worldwide Web?
All students have free, unlimited access to the Worldwide Web. The CSci 159 and CSci 145 courses teach how to use the Web. Some offerings of CSci 345 also include Web introduction.
The Web is an excellent tool for finding and retrieving information on any subject. If you are new to the Web, you could start at the URL:<http://www.stpt.com/>.
All students are encouraged to build their own home pages on the Web. Furthermore, many courses use the Web for delivery of materials.
9. Which degree program, B.S. or B.A. should I pursue?
We offer both Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science. The B.S. is the only CSAB accredited program. Both programs provide an excellent foundation for a career in Computer Science. The B.S. includes a balance of applied and conceptual material, while the B.A. concentrates on applied material.
You should choose the B.S. if:
b. You are a good student who enjoys learning the "why" as well as the "how"
You should choose the B.A. if:
b. You enjoy foreign languages
c. You do not expect to ever go on to graduate school in a technical area
d. You do not enjoy mathematics.
10. Suppose I wish to minor in another area?
A minor is not required for a B.S. or B.A. in Computer Science.
About half of our students minor in another field. The most common minors are Business and various types of Engineering. The booklet we give each major at his or her first advising session contains sample programs for minoring in these areas and others. A major in a technical field, especially Computer Science, together with a minor in Business, is almost universally considered the best possible background for someone wishing to go into business.
11. How large is your program?
We have about 300 undergraduate majors and about 80 graduate students at the M.S. and Ph.D. levels.
Six graduate students work as teaching assistants to support the undergraduate program. All courses for majors are taught by regular full-time faculty, however.
12. How comprehensive is your program?
Our program provides more than 30 courses which may be taken by undergraduates. These courses cover all major areas of Computer Science including artificial intelligence, data base systems, programming languages, computer graphics, software engineering, computer science theory and many others. Additional hardware-related courses are offered cooperatively with the Electrical Engineering Department.
13. What is the dropout rate from Computer Science?
Approximately 23% of our initial majors change majors before they graduate. In 1984 through May 1993, more than 82% of the students who stayed Computer Science majors graduated within 5 years of their original entrance into NDSU. Many of the remainder graduated later.
14. What about Coop programs?
A coop program is one in which a student takes some semesters of class work interspersed with semesters of work for a company in a job which uses the student's knowledge and expertise. About a fifth of our students are engaged in such a program at any time. Usually they start after their sophomore year and spend six months at NDSU, then six months at the company and so on. Generally, they need 5 years to graduate instead of 4. We encourage coops because we feel the experience is extremely valuable to all students, especially by giving them a sense of what working in Computer Science actually involves. Of course the $1,700 to $2,500 per month you earn is useful also. NDSU has an office of Cooperative Education which places our students nationwide, as well as in North Dakota.
15. What advising will I receive?
Every Computer Science major has a full-time faculty member as an advisor. The student meets individually with that advisor at least once every semester. The advisor is available for meetings whenever the student wishes and monitors the student's progress through our program. Any student may meet with any other faculty member at any time as well. NDSU provides a wide range of counseling services as well. If a student is having trouble in a course, we have tutors available, some free and some costing $5 per hour. Nevertheless, the ultimate responsibility for seeking help with a problem is the student's. We recognize that some students have problems adjusting to college; therefore, we try to assist students having those problems as soon as possible.
16. Is there an organization of Computer Science Students?
Yes. The student chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) is one of the most active student organizations at NDSU. They run a web service for NDSU students and organizations. They handle all the tutoring services in student computer clusters at NDSU. ACM has an extensive set of speakers on computer science topics. Their dues are less than $10 per year. Students should join early and become active members.
The Management Information Systems (MIS) students have formed a student organization as well. They have many ideas for useful and enjoyable activities. You should consider joining them as well.
17. What programming languages do you use?
The primary languages we use are Java, C++ and C. Java is taught in the CSci 160-161 sequence and used heavily in the first three years of the program. C is taught in CSci 373 and CSci 374 and used in the last two years. Students may learn and use LISP, Prolog, Ada, Smalltalk-80, Modula-2, Fortran, Basic, or COBOL, depending on which courses are taken.
18. Is Computer Science Programming?
No. While every Computer Scientist should be a capable programmer, much of computer science is concerned with problem solving and algorithm analysis. Computer Scientists develop new ways of doing things when the old ways are not sufficient. They must determine the best way to configure a computer system or a large network of computer systems. They must determine what potential users need and how their needs can best be met with computers.
The Computer Science B.S. program teaches programming primarily in the first year. More advanced courses deal with the major ways in which computers are used to manipulate information. The consequences of computer use and abuse are explored and discussed. A series of courses deal with the limitations of computers and the consequences of those limitations.
19. What about an MIS (Management Information Systems) Program?
Yes, we have an MIS degree program offered jointly with Business Administration. The MIS program should be considered by students interested in Business as well as computers. This program includes 60 semester hours of Business courses and 32 semester hours of Computer Science courses. The MIS program has limited admissions for the last half of the program. Admission is based on grades attained in the first half of the program. A pamphlet describing this program is available from the Computer Science Department.
20. Should I work while going to school?
If you do not have to work during your first year at NDSU, you should not. College is very time consuming for nearly everyone and Computer Science requires more time than some other majors.
If you must work, you should work no more than 12 hours per week or reduce your course load to 9-12 hours per semester. You should not work more than about 20 hours per week if you expect to complete your degree. If you do work, you will need to be careful to schedule sufficient time for your courses and their required study time.
21. What about summer jobs?
Students can get summer jobs programming as soon as they have completed CSci 160-161. Numerous jobs are available in Fargo/Moorhead and in the larger communities throughout our region. There are some programming jobs available on campus, particularly in Agriculture. Wages typically are $7 to $12 per hour. We do not offer many courses during the summer.
22. What if I want to become a games designer or developer?
About thirty people enter the games development arena nationally each year. Hence, it would not be reasonable for us or any other University to offer a program in game design. Many of the courses in our general degree programs provide valuable skills and concepts for anyone wishing to be a successful games developer. These include particularly:
CSci 161 - data structures are the foundation of any software, including games
CSci 235 - finite machines are a vital architecture for game development
CSci 366 - games must manipulate large amounts of information quickly
CSci 373 - Computer Architecture: understanding the architecture is the key to faster software
CSci 428 - computer graphics
and several others.
23. What about Multimedia?
More and more NDSU courses use multimedia. Several Computer Science courses present most of their material using multimedia. Every two years a section of CSci 345 is offered on how to develop multimedia.
24. What opportunities are available for a non 9-5 schedule?
At this time, only about one sixth of a student=s degree program could be completed outside normal business hours. We expect this to change, but not for a few years.
25. Can course be taken from a distance?
Some courses such as CSci 489 have been available over the Internet for a couple of years. We have offered courses to Bismarck and Grand Forks using an interactive video network. At present, however, it is not possible to satisfy the degree requirements remotely except for one or two courses.
26. What other information is available?
The Computer Science Department has pamphlets which describe the B.S. degree in Computer Science and in Management Information Systems. We have an extensive collection of documents available on the Worldwide Web. The URL is www.cs.ndsu.nodak.edu. Other pamphlets describe our graduate programs. The Career Center has much information on potential employers and job expectations. The Student Directory provides a listing of campus services on the first couple of pages.
The English requirements are given in the table below. You must satisfy at least one of the three categories: TOEFL, IBT, or IELTS.
| Test type | Test section | Min score for: | |
| Grading | Teaching/ Tutoring | ||
| TOEFL | TWE | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| TSE | 42 | 47 | |
| IBT | Overall | 79 | 81 |
| Spoken | 19 | 23 | |
| Written | 21 | 21 | |
| IELTS | Overall | 6.5 | 7.0 |