CS offers degrees at all levels – bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate. Graduates are prepared for admission to graduate study or for immediate employment in business, industry or government computer system positions.
Welcome to the Department of Computer Science. I am happy that you have chosen to find out more about our department. We recognize that this website is designed for a wide range of people who often seek specific information. Given this, we have compiled a set of useful information for individuals interested in our undergraduate program, our graduate programs, our research endeavors, as well as information regarding the faculty and staff in the department itself. I hope you will find the information helpful. We always appreciate your input as to how we might make the materials more informative and enlightening.
Should there be any areas that require more detail, please contact me. I will be happy to answer any questions you might have about our department, the College of Engineering or The University of Alabama.
Susan Vrbsky, Ph.D.
Interim Department Head
February 27, 2024
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For our B.S. degree programs in Computer Science and Cyber Security, the following set of educational objectives describes what graduates are expected to attain within a few years after graduation.
The Computer Science and Cyber Security undergraduate programs, leading to a Bachelor of Science degree, are designed to enable students to
In addition, B.S. in Computer Science students will have the ability to
and Cyber Security, B.S. students will have the ability to
The University of Alabama Office of Institutional Research and Assessment maintains annual enrollment and graduate data for the programs in the College of Engineering. Please visit the OIRA Statistical Profiles website to find statistics for student enrollment, degrees awarded and faculty data.
The mission of the Department of Computer Science is to provide a broad-based, high-quality education in computing. Our programs will provide its graduates with a body of knowledge and an attitude toward learning that enables them to contribute positively to the profession and, ultimately, to society. In order to accomplish this task, we must provide an academic experience sufficiently rich in both theory and practice to ensure the development of fundamentally sound, skilled graduates.
The undergraduate Computer Science degree program is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission(s) of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and the Computer Science Program Criteria.
Cyber Security at The University of Alabama is recognized as a leader in the field. We are designated as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Research (CAE-R) by the Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency. We are at the forefront to proactively increase the understanding of robust cyber technologies, policies, and practices that will enable our nation to effectively prevent and respond to a catastrophic cyber event. We are also a member of the United States Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) Academic Engagement Network. Through this engagement network, we work with USCYBERCOM to Support and enhance our future workforce, to develop applied cyber research programs, applied analytics, and work on strategic issues.
The Department of Computer Science has been in existence for more than 30 years. The Bachelor of Science degree was approved on June 2, 1978, and the first degree awarded in August 1981. The Master of Science degree was approved on April 17, 1976, and the first degree awarded in 1978. The doctorate was formally established on Aug. 30, 1991.
The department has grown significantly from its initial size of seven faculty members and one program assistant. We presently have 15 tenured/tenure-track research faculty members and nine instructors. The department currently enrolls about 700 undergraduate and 70 doctoral and master’s students. We also teach more than 10,000 students in our computer technology applications courses. The department is funded by agencies such as the National Science Foundation, Google, departments of education and commerce, various defense agencies, multiple state agencies and other sponsors.
Our research focus areas include cyber security, software engineering, big data analytics, distributed autonomy and human-computer interaction, networking and its applications, and computer science education.