Programs of Study / Minors

Explore an in-depth study of programming or sample selected theoretical or applied areas within the computer science field. At least two of the four electives must have course numbers of 300 or higher and students with the proper prerequisites may use graduate-level computer science courses toward the minor.

With the prevalence of mobile computing, the advantages of cloud computing, the ubiquity of computing in general, and the issues of securing big data caused by the world-wide explosion of eBusiness and eCommerce today, secure computing environments and appropriate information management have become critical issues to all sizes and types of organizations. Therefore, there is a vital and growing need for all computing professionals to have a foundation in the issues critical to information security and how they apply to their specific disciplines. The minor consists of two required courses and three electives chosen by the student from the computing security advanced course clusters. There are many elective course choices to provide flexibility. Therefore, the minor provides any computing major outside of the computing security degree program with basic knowledge of the issues and technologies associated with computing security and allows students the opportunity to select a set of security electives that are complementary to their majors. Before beginning the minor in students must possess prerequisite knowledge that can be obtained from various programming sequences and courses in calculus and discrete math.

With the prevalence of data breaches and cyber-attacks, securing intellectual properties and customer’s personally identifiable information has become increasingly challenging in business, government, and academia. It is commonly recognized that a key factor for having a cyber-secured environment and operations is well-trained employees with good cyber hygiene. A small human error may lead to a disastrous cyber incident. The cybersecurity risk management minor is designed for students in non-computing majors who are interested in learning about cybersecurity and developing the knowledge and skills to support organizations in their efforts to protect their computing and informational resources. Students learn the basics of computing and cybersecurity and then gain knowledge and practice in cybersecurity policy and law, risk management, and business continuity plans in the event of a cybersecurity attack.

The minor is a cohesive set of courses that elevates students from a foundational level to advanced knowledge of database systems and the database development process. Students learn the basics of data modeling, the relational model, normalization, and Structured Query Language (SQL). Students also learn the skills needed to effectively capture requirements, compose data models that accurately reflect those requirements, develop programs that establish lines of communication with back-end databases, build and manage large databases, and learn methods for designing and developing data warehouses.

Free and open source software is released with licenses that allow it to be redistributed freely for others to use, copy, and/or modify within certain restrictions and conditions. Free culture refers to writing, art, music, and other creative materials released with rights for reuse and/or redistribution that are more flexible than those of the traditional marketplace. Both are often created and/or distributed by collaborative teams with members around the world. The minor in free and open source software and free culture is intended for students who want to develop a deep understanding of the processes, practices, technologies, financial, legal, and societal impacts of these movements. The minor includes a set of computing and liberal arts courses that explore these aspects through research, analysis, and participation in these communities via the creation of digital cultural artifacts and team-driven software projects. Students complete three required courses, one constrained elective course, and one elective course.

The game design minor is intended for students outside of technical computing majors who want to explore the process and principles of game design and the associated theories of interactive media. The minor provides an introductory experience to media-centric software development that enables students to prototype and test their own designs.

The game development minor is intended for students studying in a technical field who want to combine their knowledge and skill in software development with the media-centric approach to application design that is exemplified in the professional games and simulation industries. The minor defines a series of courses that build upon students’ existing knowledge in computing, physics, and mathematics to explore the design principles of games and interactive worlds through the creation of prototypes and software projects.

The geographic information systems (GIS) minor provides students with experience in the concepts, technology, and applications related to computer-based mapping, spatial databases, and geographic analysis and problem solving. The minor features two tracks: a GIS development track for students interested in GIS software development, and a GIS analysis track for students interested in utilizing GIS as a strong methodological base within their major of study. Required courses provide core GIS foundations applicable to a variety of multidisciplinary elective courses students can choose from to match their research, post-graduate, or career interests.

The minor in mobile design and development provides non-computing majors with a firm foundation in designing applications for mobile devices. There is an explosion in the types and amount of mobile devices and this minor is designed to provide students with the ability to design and implement cross-platform applications.

The minor in mobile development provides students enrolled in computing degree programs with experience designing and creating compelling native applications for mobile devices. Smartphones are outselling desktop computers. New mobile devices of varying sizes, types, and uses are being created everyday for both businesses and personal use and contexts. Developers are needed to create applications for these needs that perform well on the major mobile platforms.

This minor provides computing students with a firm foundation in networking and/or systems administration. Computer networks and the systems attached to these networks have become ubiquitous. Therefore, knowledge of how computer networks function, their administration, and the administration of the systems attached to them can be of value to every computing professional since their work is impacted in some way by computer networks and computer systems. Students may choose between two tracks: networking or system administration.

Students in disciplines with a heavy reliance on software applications may be interested in pursuing a minor in software engineering. The minor provides a broad view of the software engineering landscape including introductory material and fundamentals in design and process. Students deepen their software design skills and learn techniques for working on a productive software engineering team by choosing electives in design or process to gain a deeper understanding of one of these areas, or they may choose to balance their courses for a broad view of both topics.

This minor provides students with a firm foundation in web development. The web has become a global, essential, and ubiquitous information delivery medium. Hence, knowledge of how the web works and how to effectively develop dynamic websites adds considerable value to computing majors. This minor provides foundational skills in web development, starting with simple sites, moving through dynamic client-side and server-side functionality, and culminating in web-based systems that create and access various information services.