Department of Computer Science
Computers are the tools. You are the mastermind.
Whether you dream of designing a toothbrush with Bluetooth functionality or of developing the next big database-driven web application, WWU’s computer science program offers the courses you need to make your vision a reality. Our curriculum offers six different strands of elective classes which will allow you to hone skills in your area of interest.
Freshmen students will contribute code to open-source projects while seniors work on projects that positively impact the community. With a curriculum that emphasizes professionalism and ethical practices, graduates are prepared to be technically proficient coders and contributors to society as thoughtful citizens.
Join our robust on-campus STEM community, and benefit from ongoing connections with companies like Microsoft, Google, and Battelle. You will foster strong friendships and become more comfortable working in teams as you move through your class sequences. You will also integrate into the community we facilitate through small classes with professors who care deeply about your academic and spiritual success.
College Experience
What will your college experience look like as a computer science major?
Curriculum: Our Adventist computer science program emphasizes career preparation, and understanding computing topics such as artificial intelligence and professional ethics from an Adventist world-view. We offer a variety of electives, and classes with strong practical and theoretical cores.
Events: Join the Association of Computing Machinery Club and attend building events, internship talks, and software release parties. Other social activities include: quarterly board game nights, computer trivia games, and picnics, and the annual day-long hackathon from Microsoft and Google.
Resources: Our interactive flip-top desk classrooms allow you to work along with professors on their own computers. You will also have exclusive access to collaborative work spaces with dual monitors, modern cloud computing software, and our private cloud computing infrastructure with your own virtual machines.
Senior Projects: Your time at WWU will conclude with a real-world capstone project for industry and/or community organizations. Recent examples include: web services project for Adventist Health, and student test scores visualization for the College Place School District.
Career Path
What can your career path as a computer science major look like?
Most of our graduates go on to have successful careers in computer engineering or software development. They work in companies ranging from small start-ups and single-person shows to large west coast tech companies such as Amazon and Microsoft, in both in-person and remote jobs. Others have found work in Information Systems and Computer Support doing everything from network management to supporting large customer management systems.
