Computer Science
Department of Computer Science and Engineering
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
201 Bell Hall
North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260-2000
Phone: 716.645.3180
Fax: 716.645.3464
Web: http://www.cse.buffalo.edu
Email: cse-uginfo@cse.buffalo.edu
Bharat Jayaraman
Chair
Chunming Oiao
Director of Undergraduate Studies
Helene Kershner
Assistant Chair
About the Department
The computer science curriculum emphasizes hardware, software, and system integration issues of computing. Topics include such diverse areas as analog and digital electronics, logic design, computer architecture, VLSI, computer networking, signal/image processing, algorithms and data structures, programming languages, software engineering, computer organization, artificial intelligence, and operating systems.
Degrees Offered
Undergraduate: B.A, B.S., Minor
Graduate: M.S., Ph.D.
About Our Degrees
Acceptance Criteria - B.S.
Minimum GPA of 2.0 overall.
Minimum GPA of 2.5 in CSE 116 and MTH 142 (unless exempted by SAT score, Advanced Placement credits, or transfer credits).
Acceptance Criteria - B.A.
Minimum GPA of 2.0 overall.
Minimum GPA of 2.5 in CSE 116 and MTH 142 (unless exempted by SAT score, Advanced Placement credits, or transfer credits).
Acceptance Information
Deadlines: Rolling admissions
Number of applicants (2003-2004): 190
Number of accepted majors (2003-2004): 185
Total number of majors currently enrolled: 324
Degree Requirements
See the Undergraduate Catalog.
Transfer Policy
Transfer students must first apply to the university and meet the university transfer-admission GPA requirements before consideration for admission to the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. Computing courses taken outside the department, and offered as substitutes for computer science courses, are evaluated individually by the Undergraduate Affairs Committee. Most courses taken from a recognized college-level computer science department are acceptable. Data-processing courses are generally not acceptable as substitutes for any computer science course. Experience has shown that any course with a specific programming language in its title is often a skills course rather than a computer science course. The student must provide evidence to help the department determine whether courses taken at another institution are equivalent to UB courses; course syllabus are generally preferable to catalog descriptions as catalog descriptions do not provide enough detail for accurate evaluation Aulitional information on course equivalencies may be found on the university’s transfer and articulation website at: http://taurus.buffalo.edu.
About Our Courses
The typical class size for:
Freshman/introductory courses is: 60-100
Sophomore/intermediate courses is: 60-90
Upper level/advanced courses is: 25-65
Suggested Introductory Courses
- CSE 115 Introduction to Computer Science I for Majors
- CSE 116 Introduction to Computer Science II for Majors
- MTH 141 College Calculus I
- MTH 142 College Calculus II
In the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, what do student teaching assistants (TA's) do?
They assist in teaching lower-level undergraduate courses, cover recitations, help students, grade papers, teach 1-credit laboratory courses, support instructional laboratories, and hold office hours.
For course descriptions, please see the Undergraduate Catalog.
About our Faculty
The CSE faculty averages more than $7 million annually in grants for research in their areas. The faculty members of the department, all of whom have national and international reputations in their fields, are involved in research projects that have been supported by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Postal Service, the U.S. Air Force, Advanced Research Project Agency, the SUNY Research Foundation, and a variety of special contracts.
These projects include research in: theory of computation, artificial intelligence (including expert systems, knowledge representation, natural-language processing, computer vision, and cognitive science), image processing, numerical analysis, parallel processing, programming languages, databases, VLSI, reliable computing, information retrieval, data mining, software engineering, and computer architecture.
Several of the faculty serve on the editorial boards of major research journals as well as the boards of major national professional societies. Members of the department have won university awards for excellence in teaching.
Special Academic Opportunities
Independent Study
Students pursue an area of computer science and engineering in which they are particularly interested. (May not be used to satisfy the requirements for the B.S.) Students seeking Departmental Distinction (“Honors”) must register for at least six hours of Independent Study (CSE 499).
Internships
Internship opportunities include a field experience working on a computer science and engineering project in a real-world setting under the joint direction of a supervisor from industry and a faculty advisor from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. Projects selected should integrate the material learned in academic courses. Upon completing the internship (CSE 498), the student is expected to have fulfilled an internship contract. Only P/F grades will be given; therefore, internships may not be used to satisfy the requirements for the B.S.
Co-Ops
The Co-op Program and Summer Engineering Career Institute (ECI) enhance student job performance by first providing classes in leadership, communication, teamwork, total quality management, and other pertinent subjects. This unique program supplements a strong technical curriculum and immediately increases on-the-job effectiveness. Co-ops (CSE 444, CSE 445, CSE 446) may not be used to satisfy the requirements for the B.S.
Extracurricular Activities
- Computer Science and Engineering Undergraduate Student Association
- Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers (IEEE) Student Chapter
- Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Student Chapter
See the UB Student Association.
Complementary Programs and Courses
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology - B.S. concentration in Computer Science and Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Informatics
Advising Information
Students in the program may obtain academic advice and guidance from either the senior academic advisors in the Engineering Office of Student Services or from the CSE Undergraduate Advisor. The Office of Student Services will advise students not yet admitted to a program.
All students are required to see a program advisor prior to registering for the first senior-year semester. At this mandatory advisement, the remaining courses in a student's program are selected so that general education and other program requirements are satisfied.
Career Information
Skills gained in this program include:
- Communication
- Group/team work & special project knowledge
- Teaching
- Programming language concepts
- Knowledge of operating systems
- Designing
- Testing/analyzing/problem solving
- Abstract & formal reasoning
- Selling/marketing concepts
Career Choices
At the undergraduate level, Computer Science and Engineering offers programs leading to the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Computer Science and the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Computer Science. Both programs prepare students equally well for graduate work or professional positions in the computing field. The primary difference between the two programs is one of depth vs. brealih: the B.S. program provides a more concentrated approach to computer science, while the B.A. program encourages students to combine computer science with studies in another field.
We provide a solid and general foundation for our graduates so their knowledge will not become obsolete in the rapidly changing world of computing.
Most students with bachelor's degrees obtain jobs in programming or related areas such as systems analysis. Some of the jobs are in scientific or technical industries for which a considerable knowledge of mathematics is also desirable. Others are involved in programming for business and other administrative applications where the mathematics background is less necessary. There are also a number of jobs in systems programming which are not concerned directly with applications, but with writing programs that facilitate the use of computers for applications.
Salary Trends
Beginning salaries: $35,000-$55,000
What percentage of graduates goes on to graduate school?
10-20%
Aulitional Resources
Engineering Career Institute