Department Adds New Computer Science Degree

The Department of Computer Science is offering a bachelor of science degree in computer science beginning this academic year, the first undergraduate degree awarded by the department.

Previously, students interested in computer science followed the computer science track in the Department of Mathematics. The computer science department offered only graduate and Ph.D. programs.

"There's a theory that you can't be a great university without a computer science program in the 21st century," said Kevin Jeffay, undergraduate studies director for the computer science department.

Jeffay said the new major will be beneficial to graduating students because of increasing demand in the work force for workers with computer science degrees.

And students are eager to take advantage of the opportunity, he said. "The students have been clamoring for a computer science major for years."

Only four mandatory classes distinguish the new major from the current offering in the math department, and students will be required to take one more class than previously required.

But Jeffay said that while the classes are not that different, the physical changes the department is seeing -- including updated courses, new labs, and additional faculty -- are significant.

"It is more of an environmental change," he said.

Jeffay said the department has been working on creating the major since a professor proposed the idea in 1987.

"I think everybody has been surprised at how long it's taken," he said.

Stephen Weiss, chairman of the computer science department, worked with the University to create the program. He said the department finally submitted the proposal in July 2000, and UNC officials approved it last spring.

The department had to wait until personnel slots were approved by the University before the program could be established. "We've been trying to do this for a long time, but we knew it would take additional resources," Weiss said.

He said that students who are following the computer science program in the math department will finish the curriculum but eventually that option will disappear.

Students who enroll in the new major will go to the computer science department for advising.

Jeffay said he hopes the new option will attract more students. "We are gearing up a rather large publicity machine," he said. He said this includes getting the word out to high schools so students will know the computer science major is available at UNC. "This is sort of a brave new world for us," Jeffay said.

"It's pretty exciting."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.