General Information about our Department

Our department offers a bachelor's degree, a master's and a Ph.D. in computer science. The faculty consists of about 20 people, 14 professors and 4 lecturers. Of the professors, most are computer scientists, while the others (like me) are computer engineers. More information about our department can be found at: http://www.cs.gsu.edu/

Normally in the Spring semester, I teach a class in digital signal processing (DSP), CSc 4270/6270. The "CSc" means computer science, and 4270 is the undergraduate component, while 6270 is the graduate component. The difference is that the graduate students do more work, such as extra problems on the homeworks and tests. Most of our senior level classes are this way.

The required undergraduate classes include:

  1. the Introduction to CS class (CSc 2010)
  2. Java (CSc 2310)
  3. C++ (CSc 2311)
  4. Data Structures (CSc 3410)
These classes are taken in sequence. That is, you must successfully complete one before you can enroll in another. For example, suppose you want to take the C++ class, but have not had any of our other classes. This means you would sign up for the Intro class, then take the Java class in the next semester, then the semester following that is when you would be eligible to take C++. We also have classes in Assembly language (CSc 3210), and C/Unix programming (CSc 3320). More information about our classes can be found on-line at: http://courses.gsu.edu/

You may have heard of the Yamacraw program. It was funded by the State of Georgia, and had three components: research, education, and industry. It was designed to make our CS graduates more marketable, to help supply the workforce needed by industry. To get a Yamacraw certificate, our students would take at least 2 Yamacraw classes, such as the DSP class I mentioned. It is assumed that our Yamacraw certificate holders also have a CS degree. The program was unusual in that it was supported by other schools in Georgia, such as Georgia Tech, Southern Polytechnic State University, and the University of Georgia (to name a few). Yamacraw was a great project while it lasted, but it is over now.

Some of our students (at GSU) are non-traditional students, who work and take classes part-time. We try to accomodate our students when we can, such as offering classes at night. Other students may work and take classes. If you are working while in college, my advice to you is to be reasonable and honest with yourself. For each hour in the classroom, you should spend at least 2 hours studying. A full-time load (12 hours) should be thought of as a full-time job.

I should also mention that there is a Computer Information Systems (CIS) department in GSU's Business school. Some people find it confusing, but the CSC department and the CIS department are completely different. If you think you might be interested, check out the Business school's website: http://www.cba.gsu.edu/robinson/home.asp

If you have questions about admissions or advising, please contact one of our advisors.