Computer Science: About Us
The Program
The Computer Science program at Pacific University is built around fundamental principles of Software Engineering. Every CS graduate must master both object-oriented AND procedural programming paradigms. A solid year is spent studying object-oriented programming using the C++ programming language. A shift is then made to the world of procedural programming using the C programming language. We believe that students must understand both paradigms to be effective and efficient software engineers. Further, it is our goal to open as many doors as possible for our graduates.
Our proudest achievement to date has been the establishment of a two-semester (6 credit) Senior Capstone. Students will research and develop a major project in a field of their interest over the course of their senior year. Each project is presented at our Senior Projects Day, a day in which the campus cancels classes, and seniors are given half an hour to present their project to professors, friends, and family.
Other highlights of the program include:
• a curriculum that follows the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) guidelines
• a strategic location next to Oregon’s acclaimed Silicon Forest
• membership in the Microsoft Developers Network, which will furnish students enrolled in our courses with the full suite of Microsoft developer products for free
• a state of the art facility including dual monitor computers for serious software development
The Faculty
Our outstanding faculty are extremely plugged in as both educators and as software engineers. As educators, we work closely with students, helping them to develop their problem solving skills and explore the wide field of Computer Science. We also actively maintain and strive to expand contacts with local software industry, such as Intel, Microsoft, and smaller companies in the silicon forest, and connect students with these industries. As software engineers, we are developers and publishers of various software products including natural language translators, software quality tools, and nutritional software for handheld devices. Developing innovative software keeps us current with the latest software trends and allows us to incorporate state of the art technologies into our curriculum.
The Students
The students coming to Pacific University’s Computer Science program arrive seeking an education that emphasizes a hands-on approach to learning set within a scholarly environment. While students arrive with unique backgrounds and perspectives, they bond through each other’s excitement for the logic puzzles of programming and fascination with technology and its applications. The shared experience of late nights in the Computer Science Lab builds a strong sense of community. The students embrace the program’s focus on the fundamentals and philosophy of learning by doing. Each student gets a chance to apply this knowledge in spectacular ways in the Senior Capstone project and leaves Pacific University with a true sense of accomplishment and confidence.
Computer Science at Pacific offers a challenging and rewarding program. The program provides necessary fundamentals, a variety of technical knowledge, and an environment to apply the skills you’ve gained. Entering the workforce, I felt well-prepared and confident. Chris Pruett ’01
The professors held us up to high standards and still made every effort to help us meet those standards. Because of my experience, I am now a part of one of the top AI graduate programs. Chris Ventura ’05
The Senior Capstone project at Pacific gave me an opportunity to plan and develop a large-scale programming project, which later became the foundation of my biotech start-up. Adam Herr ’06
So there you have it. Computer Science at Pacific University is challenging, fun, hard work, and very worthwhile.