A Degree in Programming

West Virginia University is a growing campus. For the last three years, the freshman’s class has out numbered the previous year. Each freshman must choose a major during orientation. Computer science is a major offered at West Virginia University that allows the students to better understand how a computer works and to develop software used by those computers. During the fall of 2008, I will be attending WVU in pursuit of a major in computer science, but what will I have to undertake while on my way to a degree in computer science? More important, what kind of career can I get after I’ve obtained this degree?

During my freshman year at WVU I will be attending some classes that are general to all students, along with courses that are geared toward engineering. There are different types of classes at WVU. There are general classes, and major required classes. I will be attending a mixture of both. I will be taking general classes such as English, History, and Math. The major specific courses will include advanced chemistry, calculus, physics, and general computer science classes (West Virginia University).

During the pursuit of a computer science degree, I will have to focus on certain subjects such as my computer classes, and my math classes. “Math is a major part of any engineering major, and is especially important to the computer science major, in terms of infinite probability (“WVU”).” Math allows the computer science major to acquire a sense of determination, develop puzzle-solving skills, and the creativity needing in creating applications and interfaces.

Almost everything in the world is involved with technology. Computers are perfect examples of the newest, most cutting edge, technology there is so far. Being able to use a computer to surf the internet, or play games, is one thing. Being able to understand the “gears behind the motion” is something completely differently. “Computer software engineers must continually strive to acquire new skills in conjunction with the rapid changes that occur in computer technology (U.S. Department of Labor).” Computer science classes will allow me to better understand the computer and the components associated with them. I will learn coding, machine languages, and programming languages.

Programming language is complicated and extensive. Even today scientists and engineers are working to simplify the machine languages necessary to write these programs. Computer science teaches the process behind writing the language that is entered into the computer. The computer reads the programming language and then uses a compiler to transform it into machine language. The computer then uses an interpreter to show the computer what to do (” WVU”).

West Virginia University is home to the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, or ECAS. Eberly College of Arts and Sciences is one of the largest academic units in West Virginia. The ECAS is the cornerstone of all engineering majors offered at WVU. It consists of a faculty numbering 450 with 150 staff members and more than 6,700 students (” WVU”). It also provides more than 60 undergraduate and graduate programs in the engineering field.

A computer science major may be obtained through multiple routes at WVU. One being, a first year freshman may apply for a pre-computer science course, which will allow them to receive their degree faster through advancement. The student may alternatively take a general engineering course, which will allow the student to choose computer science specifically the following semester or year. The pre-computer science course requires a minimum high school grade point average of three, and a minimum math ACT/SAT score of 27/620. The general engineering route requires a minimum high school GPA of two point five, and a minimum math ACT/SAT score of 23/540 (” WVU”).

Computer science classes will reveal numerous programming languages to me:

While in the pre-computer science program, a student enrolls in six computer Science courses. Three provide a strong background in computer programming and analysis, and use the Java programming language. Three others introduce algorithms, discrete mathematics, and software engineering. After completing the pre-computer science program, seven upper-division courses must be chosen (”WVU”).

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