The Program in Computer Science, BA-CS, offers students in the Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences the opportunity to study computer science within the context of the College's focus on liberal arts and sciences, as distinct from the engineering context offered by the Computer Science program in the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Faculty and courses for the Program are drawn from the McCormick School's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS). Courses and research in the Department address the underlying theories, enabling technologies, and applications of modern computer science. There is a strong focus on the design, implementation, and evaluation of software systems, including interactive, distributed multimedia, artificial intelligence, robotics, and database systems.

Research in the Department is highly interdisciplinary, including important links with Cognitive Science Program in the College of Arts and Sciences as well as Learning Sciences within the School of Education and Social Policy, and the Departments of Communication Studies and Radio/Television/Film in the School of Communication. Undergraduates are encouraged to join ongoing research projects within the Department. For more information on the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and its course offerings, see the McCormick School section of this catalog as well as the Department's web pages.

The major in Computing and Information Systems is highly flexible, emphasizing the interdisciplinary study and project work that are critical in a field as rapidly changing as computer science. The specific courses to be taken are largely determined by the goals and interests of the individual student. The major includes a two-quarter "capstone" project activity that helps integrate the skills and knowledge acquired in coursework.

* Note: The Weinberg Computer Science program was known as "Weinberg CIS, Computing & Information Systems" until October 2009. 

Students seeking advising may contact Prof. Peter Dinda.  If Prof. Dinda is unavailable, the next point of contact is Prof. Yan Chen.  Assistant Chair Goce Trajcevski is also available to assist students.  If a major or minor in CS is declared, Dr. Trajcevski must be notified.

Peter Dinda
Weinberg CS Program Director
Email: pdinda @ northwestern.edu
Office: Tech L463

Yan Chen
Computer Science Curriculum Committee Chair
Email: ychen @ northwestern.edu
Office: Tech L459

Goce Trajcevski
Assistant Chair
Email: g-trajcevski @ northwestern.edu
Office: Tech L359

Information in the Undergraduate Catalog (Weinberg Computer Science Program) supercedes the information on this page, when a discrepancy is found.