Computers have changed society at every level. As our dependence on computers continues to grow in industry, medicine, education, and personal life, there is an increased need to understand the role of computers as problem-solving machines. Computer science—that is, the study of algorithms and their implementations—remains one of the key fields upon which this exciting future is being constructed.

The intellectual challenge of a new science is one of the reasons that computer science has generated so much excitement. New ideas are constantly being explored, new tools being developed, and new questions being asked. Although society increasingly rests upon a computer-oriented keystone, computer science itself is a vital, fresh, and new field. Almost all of the computer scientists who have ever lived are still alive today.\

Indeed, reliance on computer scientists is unceasing, and the need for innovative

approaches to new problems has never been greater. In medicine, engineering, and just about every profession, artificial intelligence is helping researchers solve complex problems.

All these changes have created amazing opportunities for students who study computer science. At Lafayette, students learn the knowledge and skills necessary for effective participation in this technological revolution. Students learn underlying principles and concepts in lectures, and technological details—such as programming languages and operating systems—in laboratory sessions. They are also encouraged to work on team projects and to join the student chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery, the professional society of computer scientists.

At Lafayette, students may choose between a B.S. or an A.B. degree. The B.S. program provides a comprehensive computer science curriculum and is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Committee of ABET, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. The A.B. degree meets the needs of students who seek a more broadly balanced liberal arts education or the opportunity for interdisciplinary study.

Students with majors in other areas may choose a computer science minor. For detailed curriculum information, please consult the department’s web page.

No matter which option you choose, you will have the chance to work with active, dedicated faculty members who are well respected in their areas of specialty.

Students who work hard and earn good grades have the additional opportunity to do professional research with faculty and to create independent study projects. Students may also gain valuable experience by working part-time for Lafayette’s computing services department. For their capstone computer science senior project, students work together in teams to analyze, design, and implement a large-scale software project.

Facilities

The computer science department and the college offer a variety of computing resources to support course work, research, and personal projects. The department’s laboratory, consisting of 20 clustered Linux servers and 40 workstations running Linux or Windows XP Professional, offers computer science students practical experience in subjects such as system software, database management, programming languages, and computer networks.

The Linux servers have many major programming languages available, including C++, Java, Prolog, Lisp, Python, Perl, Mathematica, and Latex. The Windows XP Professional workstations have standard software packages installed, including Office XP, Microsoft Visual Studio, Netscape, Internet Explorer, McAfee Virus Scanner, JDK, Ghostview, and Acrobat Reader.

Throughout campus, a modern, high-speed, gigabyte ethernet network links all classroom, administration, and residence buildings to several dozen campus mainframe systems and servers, and provides high-speed connections to the Internet.

Computing Services provides students with the hardware and software they need to connect their computers to the network at no charge. Safety networked PCs are also available in campus public computer lab sites.

After Graduation

Among majors in the class of 2003, 58 percent accepted full-time employment, eight percent enrolled in graduate programs, and eight percent were traveling, volunteering, or working part-time or temporary jobs, or an unpaid internship.

Computer science majors have been accepted into graduate programs at a number of top universities and professional schools, including Brown University, Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford University, University of Michigan, University of Southern California, University of Virginia,University of Connecticut Health Center, and Villanova University School of Law.

Graduates have accepted positions as web developer, programmer,network administrator, software engineer, software developer, computer security engineer, mergers and acquisitions analyst, computer analyst, teacher, and computer consultant. Employers include Accenture, American Management Systems, Applied Graphic Technologies, AT&T, Goldman Sachs & Co., Infoseek, I-Won.com, KPMG, Lockheed-Martin, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, MTV Networks, and V.N. Hermes, Inc.

Faculty

William J. Collins, Associate Professor and Acting Head. Ph.D., Purdue University. Teaching areas: principles of computer science. Research interests: object-oriented programming, libraries for data structures, and algorithms.

Chun Wai Liew, Associate Professor and Head. Ph.D., Rutgers University. Teaching areas: artificial intelligence, software engineering, and databases. Research interests: artificial intelligence, tutoring systems, and VLSI design.

Jeffrey O. Pfaffman, Assistant Professor. Ph.D., Wayne State University. Teaching areas: computer organization and system software. Research interests: biology-inspired learning models, biomimetic robotics, and computational biology.

Ge (Frank) Xia, Assistant Professor. Ph.D., Texas A&M University. Teaching areas: algorithms, theory of computing, and computer graphics. Research interests: algorithms, computational complexity, and bioinformatics.

Chun Wai Liew
Head, Computer Science
(610) 330-5537
collinsw@lafayette.edu

For general information:
Office of admissions
Lafayette College
Easton, PA 18042
(610) 330-5100
FAX (610) 330-5355
admissions@lafayette.edu