Welcome to the Computer Science Program!
Do you like to help people solve problems?
Do you like to organize things?
Would you like lots of options for a career after college?
Then, you should consider a major in computer science!
Computer science is a great field with many opportunities! Money magazine rated software engineer as the best job in America based on job opportunities, satisfaction, and pay. Annual job openings in computer science are projected to far exceed the number of graduates for the forseeable future.
You don’t need prior computer experience to do well in computer science! The introductory course at Westmont, CS 10, has no prerequisites. If you like math and logical thinking, and perhaps have an eye for details or organization, you will probably do very well in computer science!
Computer scientists are not all nerds! Our CS majors at Westmont tend to be very well-rounded, with interests in music, athletics, art, leadership, missions, and ministry. And, a career in computer science doesn’t have to mean sitting in front of a computer all day. Computer science transcends many fields. You can combine it with art, music, business, missions, medicine … and many other disciplines.
Program Distinctives
We invite you to consider some distinctives of the Westmont computer science program:
- opportunity to receive a scholarship for up to $10,000 per year
- opportunity to do cutting edge research with computer science faculty members
- opportunity to combine a major in computer science with an emphasis in another discipline (e.g., business, art, biology, or many other fields)
- opportunity to develop close personal relationships with other students and with faculty members through weekly departmental dinners in the dining commons; barbecues, Bible studies, and other events in faculty homes; small class sizes and group projects; and strong sense of community within the program
News
NSF Scholarships Announced
We are delighted to announce the recipients of our computer science scholarships for the 2008-2009 academic year. The recipients are:
Incoming students |
Continuing students |
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Congratulations to each of these exceptional students! The scholarships are funded through a generous grant from the National Science Foundation. The grant provides scholarships of up to $10,000 per year for students who demonstrate financial need and academic promise. More information
Summer research
Several CS students are engaged in research this summer. Robin Elliott, Kelsey Marshman, and Aaryn Smith are working with Dr. Kihlstrom on the Starfish system. Ben Fisk is working with Dr. Iba, and Michael Gardner, a double major in CS and physics, is doing physics research with Dr. Warren Rogers.
Congratulations graduates!
Congratulations to the 2008 graduates who completed a major or minor in computer science:
- Joel Stewart
- Daniel Rufener
- Evan Pollard (minor)
- Damian Durruty (minor)
Student poster wins award
Ben Fisk, a student in Dr. Iba's machine learning course, presented a poster at the southwest regional conference of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges. The poster -- Evaluating a Parallel Evolutionary Algorithm on the Chess Endgame Problem, co-authored with Kelsey Marshman, Daniel Rufener and Joel Stewart -- won a "best student poster" award at the conference. The judges commented that the project was very interesting and that Ben did a very good job explaining it. Congratulations to all four students!
New building for Computer Science
The plans for our new building, Winter Hall, are posted in the math/CS building (near Silvia's area and Dr. K's door). Winter Hall is a part of our approved Master Plan and will house computer science, mathematics, physics, and psychology. They intend to break ground this October and we are told we will move into our new home late Fall 2010. It's going to be amazing!
