Northwestern University

• Program of Study for Majors
• Double Major with the Integrated Science Program
• Minor in Computing and Information Systems

The Program in Computing and Information Systems offers students in the College of Arts and Sciences the opportunity to study computer science within the context of the College's focus on liberal arts and sciences, as distinct from the engineering context offered by the Computer Science program in the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Faculty and courses for the Program are drawn from the McCormick School's Department of Computer Science. Courses and research in the Department address the underlying theories, enabling technologies, and applications of modern computer science. There is a strong focus on the design, implementation, and evaluation of software systems, including interactive, distributed multimedia, artificial intelligence, robotics, and database systems.

Research in the Department is highly interdisciplinary, including important links with Cognitive Science and Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences as well as Learning Sciences within the School of Education and Social Policy. Undergraduates are encouraged to join ongoing research projects within the Department. (For more information about Computer Science, and course listings, please consult the Department's write-up under the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science.)

The major in Computing and Information Systems is highly flexible, emphasizing the interdisciplinary study and project work that are critical in a field as rapidly changing as computer science. The specific courses to be taken are largely determined by the goals and interests of the individual student. The major includes a two-quarter "capstone" project activity that helps integrate the skills and knowledge acquired in coursework.

Computing facilities available to students in the Program are extensive. The campus is completely networked, including dormitories, with a 100-megabit FDDI University Network backbone. All students have full Internet access. Electronic mail, web sites, and other computer-based communication facilities are extensively used within the Program to foster a sense of community and facilitate communication among students and faculty beyond the classroom.

Program of Study for Majors

Project Courses:
Two courses requiring substantial project work (e.g., CS 394 or 399). The project or projects developed in these courses must be approved by the student's advisor as well as the course instructor in order to fulfill the project requirement in Computing and Information Systems.

Double Major with the Integrated Science Program

Project Courses: Two quarters of ISP 398 or CS 399. The project or projects developed in these courses must be approved by the student's advisors in both the ISP and CIS Programs in order to fulfill the project requirement in Computing and Information Systems.

Minor in Computing and Information Systems