About
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.
Message from the Department Head
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
Department Updates
We are now on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter: @alabama_cs.
Site Updates News Feed
E-Day 2024 Photos
February 27, 2024
Have you heard? We’ve Moved. The Department of Computer Science is now located in 3027 Cyber Hall.
February 9, 2024
Congratulations to our Computer Science awards winners
April 5, 2023
Dr. Jeff Gray receives Morris Lehman Mayer Award
March 1, 2023
The Crimson Autonomous Racing (CAR) Team, in partnership with Team Polimove, secured their third win and set a new world record for the fastest autonomous lap on a racetrack at the Indy Autonomous Challenge in Las Vegas. Congrats and Roll Tide!
January 13, 2023
Congratulations to our Crimson Autonomous Racing (CAR) Team, collaborating with Team Polimove, for their second win at the Indy Autonomous Challenge in Texas! Roll Tide!
November 14, 2022
Cyber Security Lab Opening: Building a More Secure Tomorrow
October 25, 2022
Interested in Human Technology Interaction? Join the Brain-Drone Race Team!
September 22, 2022
We are now on Instagram and Twitter! @alabama_cs
August 29, 2022
UA’s Cyber Security Program Hosts Virtual Capture the Flag Competition
April 19, 2022
Computer Science Awards Ceremony April 7, 2022
April 7, 2022
Congratulations to Sahuj Mehta and Benjamin Fitzpatrick, who received first place in the Cybersecurity division at the UA Innovate Hackathon last weekend!
April 3, 2022
UA selected to join the U.S. Cyber Command Academic Engagement Network
February 15, 2022
Congratulations to Dr. Dixon and Cole Frederick with PoliMOVE on their incredible win at the Indy Autonomous Vehicle race!
January 8, 2022
UA Leading Effort to Ready Future Teachers of Computer Science
January 7, 2022
Program Objectives, Student Outcomes and Statistics
PROGRAM EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
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.
- Successfully engage in the professional practice in the computing sciences or cyber security as well as apply computer science or cyber security tools to another field of interest;
- Pursue advanced study in the computing sciences or cyber security;
- Regularly demonstrate their ability to contribute to society in a professional and ethical manner, communicate effectively, and work successfully in both independent and team environments.
STUDENT OUTCOMES
The Computer Science and Cyber Security undergraduate programs, leading to a Bachelor of Science degree, are designed to enable students to
- Analyze a complex computing problem and to apply principles of computing and other relevant disciplines to identify solutions.
- Design, implement, and evaluate a computing-based solution to meet a given set of computing requirements in the context of the program’s discipline.
- Communicate effectively in a variety of professional contexts.
- Recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles.
- Function effectively as a member or leader of a team engaged in activities appropriate to the program’s discipline.
In addition, B.S. in Computer Science students will have the ability to
- 6. Apply computer science theory and software development fundamentals to produce computing-based solutions
and Cyber Security, B.S. students will have the ability to
- 6. Apply security principles and practices to maintain operations in the presence of risks and threats.
ENROLLMENT AND GRADUATION STATISTICS
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.
Mission
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.
Accreditation
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.
The undergraduate Cyber Security degree program is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission(s) of ABET, https://www.abet.org under the General Criteria and the Cybersecurity 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.
Departmental History
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.
