Dec 03, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Computer Science, B.A. and B.S.


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About the Program


  • Nurturing and small classroom environment
  • Close interaction with and mentorship by faculty inside and outside of classrooms
  • A diverse range of applied and research capstone projects
  • Rich opportunities for faculty-student research
  • Various undergraduate conference and programming contest opportunities, all 100% funded and sponsored by the department
  • Engaging computer science club activities
  • Opportunities to study abroad at universities around the world - not only is tuition the same as in Glenside, but you can take your scholarships with you

Arcadia University’s programs in Computer Science cover a wide spectrum of areas within the field of computing, including artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity, cloud computing, mobile computing, networking, and theoretical computation. We offer both a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees in computer science. Our courses provide a solid foundation in the principles and practices of computing and prepare students for successful careers and ongoing graduate studies in computer science.

The primary programming language used currently is Java. The Department also offers SAS, Python, Dart, R, SQL, PHP, Javascript, HTML, and CSS as electives.

Internships

The Department and Office of Career Education prepare students to participate in internships in order to integrate their classroom work with real-world experience.

Research

The Department encourages students to participate in research, both with our faculty and with REUs (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) at other institutions. We work closely with our students to provide guidance for their graduate school and REU applications.

Senior Capstone Project

A highlight of the curriculum is the Capstone course sequence. In it, students design and implement a real project for an actual client. 

We offer two kinds of capstone experiences: an applied capstone that gives students real-world experience to work with an actual client, and a research capstone that allows students to investigate cutting-edge computer science topics.

Requirements


Common Curriculum


Common curriculum for both the B.A. and B.S. in Computer Science requires 44 credits, in addition to Undergraduate Curriculum  requirements.

Bachelor of Arts Requirements (8 additional credits)


The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree program provides students with the specific skills necessary to qualify for entry-level computing positions in business, private industry, or government.

Three Computer Science electives


Two courses must be at the 300 or 400 level.

One additional course at the 200 or 300 level (CS 225  Research Writing for Computer Science is strongly recommended).

Bachelor of Science Requirements (24 additional credits)


The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree program provides a more in-depth study of computer science through additional courses in Mathematics and Computer Science beyond the Bachelor of Arts requirements.

One Computer Science course


Four Computer Science electives


  • Two courses must be at the 300 or 400 level. ( CS 315 Theory of Computation  (4 Credits) is strongly recommended.)
  • Two additional courses at the 200 or 300 level.

Two Mathematics courses


Note:


At least half of required courses must be completed at Arcadia.

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