Individual Program Outcomes and Objectives
Computer Science
Computer Science in McCormick and Weinberg
The Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science offers Computer Science degrees within the McCormick Engineering School and within the Weinberg Liberal Arts School. These programs are identical in their major requirements, but differ significantly in other requirements. The McCormick degree ("CS") is appropriate for students seeking a strong engineering or technical background, while the Weinberg degree ("CIS") is appropriate for students seeking a broad background in the liberal arts. There are also a range of programs in which computer science is a component. Examples of these include Animate Arts and Cognitive Science.
The following objectives and outcomes are those shared between the CS and CIS majors.
Undergraduate Program Objectives
A Northwestern Computer Science graduate will be able to
- Comprehend the breadth of computer science, its key intellectual divisions and questions, and its past and likely future impacts on engineering, science, medicine, business, and law;
- Approach problems from the algorithmic perspective, understanding the nature of and broad reach of computation and how to apply it abstractly;
- Approach problems from the systems perspective, understand the evolving layers of the software/hardware stack and how to create, use, and extend them;
- Approach problems from the perspective of artificial intelligence, understanding how to make progress against seemingly intractable problems;
- Design and implement complex software systems, individually and as a team member; and
- Design and implement effective human-machine interfaces.
Undergraduate Program Outcomes
A Northwestern Computer Science graduate will
- Develop a strong background in mathematics, physics, and biology;
- Complete a program of core courses for the discipline, including an overview of the entire field, software development using several languages, discrete mathematics, computer systems, and data structures;
- Develop a breadth of knowledge in the core computer science areas of theory, systems, artificial intelligence, interfaces, and software development through challenging courses;
- Develop depth within one or two areas of specialization in computer science (theory, systems, artificial intelligence, interfaces, and software development) and/or specializations specific to our faculty; and
- Complete a challenging two-quarter project.
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