On Thursday, April 11, Professor Henry Walker will describe the distinctive features of Grinnell's program in computer science:
Prospective students often ask why they should come to Grinnell to study computer science. Seniors and graduates ask what they can or should say to employers or graduate schools regarding how Grinnell's CS program is distinctive. This talk is designed to answer such questions by reviewing several characteristics of Grinnell's CS program:
- The advantages of B.A. degrees in computer science over more technical degrees
- Our introductory CS courses as “exemplars” in national curricular recommendations
- Comparing Grinnell's core CS courses with national recommendations
- The success rates in Grinnell's CS courses (by measures defined by national standards)
- The contribution of the activities of Grinnell's CS faculty to Grinnell's success
- How student-faculty interactions in CS lead to regional and national visibility
- Grinnell's track record in CS for graduate school, internships, careers in business/industry, etc.
Overall, this talk will highlight numerous ways in which Grinnell's CS program enjoys substantial success by many objective measures.
Refreshments will be served at 4:15 p.m. in the Computer Science Commons (Noyce 3817). The talk, “Grinnell's competitive advantages in computer science,” will follow at 4:30 p.m. in Noyce 3821. Everyone is welcome to attend!
Computing has become widespread in today's society, largely because it helps people solve problems. However, different types of problems require fundamentally different approaches for problem solving. Computer science recognizes at least four problem-solving approaches as being fundamental to work in the discipline. Each approach involves a distinct way of thinking, and each is supported by a range of computer languages.
Grinnell's computer science curriculum explores several of these paradigms in the beginning courses, each of which has been named a "course exemplar" by the international professional computing societies.
CSC 151 image by James Kent and Chris Re-Scherer, Fall 2012 | CSC 151 image by Amy Tsui and Solomon Miller, Spring 2010 | CSC 161 image by Mai Ha Vu, Fall 2012 | CSC 151 image by Grace Philipp, Elizabeth Reischmann, and Lauren Cantley, Fall 2009 |
Scribbler 2 robot (front view) |
Scribbler 2 robot (rear view) |
Students with considerable background should consult the computer science faculty regarding placement.
Later courses build on this foundation to provide depth in each of these problem-solving paradigms and programming languages.