Computer Science

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Join Our Growing Team

Northwestern Computer Science continues to grow. Read about our newest faculty members and learn about open positions. Read more

‘Presidential Plinko’ Visualizes Data Uncertainty

Based on the game from “The Price is Right,” this approach shows how uncertainty can affect polling data for the upcoming U.S. election.Read more

Josiah Hester

Battery-free Game Boy Runs Forever

Developed by Professor Josiah Hester and collaborators at Delft University of Technology, the hand-held video game console can run without battery power.Read more

Women in Computing Members Attend 2020 Virtual Grace Hopper Cele

Virtual Grace Hopper Celebration (vGHC) drew 66 members of Northwestern’s Women in Computing (WiC) — the largest group the University has sent to the annual event. Read more

Applications for CS faculty and postdoc positions are open.

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About the Department

Transforming the way we work, play, think, and live

Watch our video:The Power of Computer Science

Computers and computational thinking are changing everything. At Northwestern University’s Department of Computer Science, we aim to lead that change.

Northwestern Computer Science intentionally positions itself as an ideal hub for interdisciplinary research by fostering a culture of inclusivity and promoting collaborations across a wide range of disciplines at our numerous top-ranked schools. In addition, the University continues to deepen its commitment to this field of study by radically expanding the faculty and developing state-of-the-art facilities to support our vision. This is a combination that offers our researchers and students an experience like no other.

Read a message from the Chair

Yiding FengPhD Candidate in Computer Science

Congratulations to PhD student Yiding Feng on receiving a Terminal Year Fellowship award for the 2020-21 academic year.

Connor BainPhD Candidate in Computer Science

Congratulations to PhD student Connor Bain on receiving a Terminal Year Fellowship award for the 2020-21 academic year.

Maxwell CrousePhD Candidate in Computer Science

Congratulations to PhD student Maxwell Crouse on receiving a Terminal Year Fellowship award for the 2020-21 academic year.

Department News

satc grant

Professors Receive a $1.2M Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace NSF Grant

Jennie Rogers and Xiao Wang received the grant from the National Science Foundation along with Duke’s Kartik Nayak and Ashwin Machanavajjhala for their Quicksilver: A Write-oriented, Private, Outsourced DB Management System. Quicksilver will allow for querying sensitive data while outsourcing database operations to untrusted cloud providers, immediately impacting healthcare, finance, and education as well as federal agencies such as the US Census Bureau.

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Research Areas

Pushing the boundaries of computer science

CS+X Initiative

Exploding the possibilities of interdisciplinary research

We are working to actively discover and support relationships between computer science and diverse disciplines across the University. In doing so, we can drive transformational connections and potentially spark entirely new fields of study.


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Chicago Tech

Connecting with Chicago's growing technology sector

Situated along the lake, 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, Northwestern’s unique location offers unsurpassed access to research partnerships and networking opportunities at neighboring tech organizations.


Programs

Learning on the cutting edge

Undergraduate

Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

Combined BS/MS Degree Program

Minor in Computer Science

Note: The department offers a bachelor of science in computer science for students enrolled in the McCormick School of Engineering, as well as a bachelor of arts in computer science for students enrolled in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. The computer science-specific requirements of the two degrees are identical.

Introduction to Computer Science

Northwestern students who are interested in changing their major, or simply sampling the computer science field, can take individual introductory courses.

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Graduate

Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence

Master of Science in Computer Science

PhD in Computer Science

PhD students may earn a specialization in cognitive science by taking six cognitive science courses and may elect to participate in the Crown Family Graduate Internship Program.

Affiliated

Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering

Master of Science in Computer Engineering

Master of Science in Information Technology

Master of Science in Robotics

PhD in Computer Engineering

PhD in Computer Science and Learning Sciences

PhD in Technology and Social Behavior

The MBAi Program

Department Events

Bringing relevant conversations to the forefront

Learn and engage with our community at one of our CS department events, including our Distinguished Lecture Series, Tech Talks Series, CS Colloquium Series, and CS+X Colloquium Series. Past speakers include thought and industry leaders such as Jon Kleinberg (Cornell University), Christos Papadimitriou (Columbia University), Salim Chawro (Microsoft), and An Zhu (Google). 

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Discover Our Whole-Brain Engineering Philosophy

We augment the analytical core of engineering with design, entrepreneurship, leadership, personal development, and unusual collaborations to imagine what's next and take the world in a whole new direction.

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