Computer Science at Northwestern University

Computer science is offered as a major or minor, in both the McCormick School of Engineering and the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. The courses are identical between the two programs, as are the required Computer Science courses, although the minors require fewer courses. These programs give students the tools to comprehend the breadth of the field, its key intellectual divisions and questions, and its past and likely future impacts on engineering, science, medicine, business, and law.

The curriculum is designed to show students how to approach problems from an algorithmic perspective, how to understand the nature and broad reach of computation, and how to apply that knowledge abstractly. Students in the program also learn how to approach problems from the systems perspective, understanding the evolving layers of the software and hardware stack, and how to use and extend them.

The programs are an ideal match for those who seek to learn how to design and implement complex software systems, individually and as a team member, and for those who seek to design and implement effective human-computer interfaces.