The undergraduate computer science curriculum is structured around basic courses in computer science and mathematics. Students schedule a 15-hour restricted elective group , with enough courses in a second area to provide them with a basic understanding of the principles of that area. The department has emphasized this interaction of computer science with other disciplines while pushing its core curriculum forward. We are always modifying our strategic directions in terms of curriculum and training to remain at the forefront of education and research in computing.

   The curriculum prepares students for graduate studies or for careers in computer science. A Cooperative Education Program gives selected students the opportunity to gain industrial experience with companies throughout the country. One of our students has recently been judged the national co-op student of the year.

   We also encourage our students to participate in the Honors College and in the Cooperative Education Program. Several of our students have won scholarships and awards from the University or the College of Basic Sciences based on academic progress and extracurricular activities. Our students also participate in student and College governmental offices and sit in on College Committees as advisors along with faculty members.

   The faculty as well as Teaching Assistants have won awards for excellence in teaching. The teaching evaluations for our professors and instructors by students rate higher than the College average. Many of the teaching awards are based on student votes.   

The University • Undergraduate Program • Career Opportunities Department Mission
Faculty • Program Structure • Extracurricular Activities • Further Contact

Louisiana State University and A&M College holds a prominent position in higher education and is considered one of the world's finest teaching and research institutions. Today, more than 25,000 undergraduate students are enrolled at the university, with a total of over 30,000 students enrolled in any given semester. In addition to being designated a Research 1 Institution by the Carnegie Foundation, LSU is one of only 25 universities nationwide designated as both Land-Grant and Sea-Grant University.

The LSU campus, called a "botanical joy" in its listing among the 20 best campuses of America, is located in the southern part of the city of Baton Rouge, and is bordered on the west by the Mississippi River. Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana, is a leading petrochemical, financial, and industrial city with a metropolitan-area population of more than 550,000.

The Department of Computer Science at Louisiana State University celebrated its 25th anniversary in April of 1997. The Department was pleased that alumni, students, present and former faculty members, colleagues, and friends were able to join us in this celebration. Several world-renowned scientists joined this celebration and discussed the vision for the next millennium.

Computer Science is a technically oriented basic science. LSU's program is strongly oriented toward computer applications and is highly interdisciplinary, as it must be in order to prepare you for a career in this dynamic and challenging field. The core of the curriculum at LSU is in computer science and mathematics. In addition to this core, you must also gain knowledge and experience in a second discipline, such as engineering, accounting, or management. There are many areas of specialization in computer science, some of which, such as computer engineering and management information systems, could almost be considered separate fields. For example, you can specialize in systems software, hardware, or applications programming, among other cases.

Computer Science is a technically oriented basic science. LSU's program is strongly oriented toward computer applications and is highly interdisciplinary, as it must be in order to prepare you for a career in this dynamic and challenging field. The core of the curriculum at LSU is in computer science and mathematics. In addition to this core, you must also gain knowledge and experience in a second discipline, such as engineering, accounting, or management. There are many areas of specialization in computer science, some of which, such as computer engineering and management information systems, could almost be considered separate fields. For example, you can specialize in systems software, hardware, or applications programming, among other cases.

As a computer science graduate, you will have exciting job opportunities wherever computers are being used. Computer scientists often take jobs as computer programmers or programmer analysts, at least to start off a career, or work in Information Technology services. Some of the jobs available for you as a computer scientist include:

Also, the undergraduate degree gives you a solid preparation for an advanced education in a graduate program.

The undergraduate program is structured around the ACM/IEEE guidelines for accreditation, the foremost guidelines for a computer science program. We also have an Industrial Advisory Committee with members from, many well-known CS/IS departments in industry. This committee mentors the curriculum and suggests ways in which theory and application may be combined to give students an edge in the job market.

We also encourage our students to participate in the Honors College and in the Cooperative Educational Program. Several of our students have won scholarship and awards from the University or the College of Basic Sciences based on academic progress and extracurricular activities. Our students also participate in student and College governmental offices and sit in on College Committees as advisors along with faculty members.

The undergraduate computer science curriculum is structured around basic courses in computer science and mathematics. The University's general educational requirements provide a broad background in the humanities and social sciences. Students schedule a 15 hour restricted elective group, with enough courses in a second area to provide them with a basic understand of the principles of the a area. The department has emphasized this interaction of computer science with other disciplines while pushing our core curriculum forward. We are always modifying our strategic directions in terms of curriculum and training to remain at the forefront of education and research in computing.

The curriculum prepares students for graduate studies or for careers in computer science. A Cooperative Education Program gives selected students the opportunity to gain industrial experience with companies throughout the country. One of our students has recently been judged the national co-op student of the year.

The faculty as well as Teaching Assistants have won awards for excellence in teaching.

A student organization to further interest in areas of computing
and to create a closeness among the students.

They are very active in inviting students from other universities.

They are active in inviting guest speakers including professors
in research areas that our students are interested in and
recruiters from industry.

They conduct tutoring for beginning students.

The LSU Computer Science Department carries out several extracurricular activities throughout the academic calendar. Among these are hosting the High School Programming Contest Several participants from High Schools from throughout the state of Louisiana, as well as from neighboring states participate in a competition held every Spring semester. This contest is organized and supported by faculty, the LSU chapter of the ACM, as well as LSU undergraduate students.

In addition, the Department sponsors a programming team that participates in the regional programming contest at the University level. This competition is open to undergraduate students, and typically has consisted of computer science majors.

Every fall semester, the Department of Computer Science participates in the Fall Fest festivities that are held on the Friday before the first LSU home football game.

Throughout the semester the department sponsors seminars and talks given by leading researchers and companies performing work related to computer science. Recent talks have included representative from IBM, Microsoft, Anderson Consulting, Shell Services International, Ernst & Young.

Figure: BS Degree in Computer Science

Figure: Minor in Computer Science