Department of Computer Science
Academic Unit Head: Vetria L. Byrd
Email: byrdvl@jmu.edu
Phone: (540) 568-3335
Location: King Hall, Room 222
Department of Computer Science Website
Mission
The Department of Computer Science strives to be an intellectual community that explores the broad field of computing, and provides an accessible, rigorous and continually refined curriculum to our students. With small class sizes and emphasis on state-of-the-art pedagogy, we educate graduates to develop technology to solve problems, communicate clearly, practice their craft responsibly and achieve professional success. We foster a sense of shared community with our students, giving them opportunities for leadership, professional development and scholarly pursuits.
Career Opportunities and Marketable Skills
Computing technology pervades modern society and demand for computing professionals is strong and projected to remain strong for the foreseeable future. Careers in computing range from technical positions specifying, designing, building and maintaining networks and systems of all kinds, through project leadership and technical management. The Computer Science major prepares students for entry-level technical positions as programmers, software developers, requirements analysts, software designers, testers, software quality assurance professionals, system architects, network engineers, information security specialists and computing consultants. The Information Technology major equips students with the necessary skills to work on projects that have the potential to make a significant impact on society. From developing life-saving medical technologies to addressing environmental challenges, Information Technology can contribute to a better world. Additionally, this major allows for various career options such as network administration, cybersecurity analysis, data analytics, cloud computing administration and development, and more.
Admission and Retention Requirements
Information on admission to programs within the Department of Computer Science, retention and minimum grade requirements may be found on the individual program pages.