Did you know that Software Developer is consistently listed as one of the best technology jobs in the United States?
UW-Stout's Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (CS) program provides you with the option to select a concentration that reflects your interests and career goals. The program provides you with strong analytical skills, technical abilities and hands-on experiences creating user-friendly, graphically based software for a variety of industries and applications. You'll obtain industry experience applying your computing skills through a co-op or internship during the summer prior to your junior or senior year. This is in addition to hands-on capstone courses in which you work in a team to design, implement, test and deliver a fully-functional software application to a client.
Concentrations:
- Cyber Security and Secure Software Development (CSSSD): Obtain the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) certification.
- Game Design and Development (GDD): Design and develop game software in interdisciplinary teams.
- Mobile Applications (MA): Design and develop software applications that run on Android and iOS mobile platforms.
- Interdisciplinary: Combine Computer Science with a field of your choice. Direct your career by designing your curriculum to match your career goals.
Program Highlights:
- The program consists of a full computer science major and a mathematics minor, as well as a concentration area
- Emphasis on user-friendly, graphically-based software
- Co-op/internship industry experience
- Collaborative projects with teams of students and industry partners
- 100 percent employment; Average starting salary $55,000
Modern games are among the most demanding of computer programming applications, requiring knowledge of advanced mathematics and physics which form the basis of the 3D graphics, artificial intelligence and game engines that make up the game programs. To be successful in the industry, you must be skilled in computer science and be able to work in teams to create games.
Mobile device use is exploding. New data storage, processing and display technologies have allowed tablets and other portable devices to do nearly anything that had previously been done with larger personal computers. The number of smartphone users in the world is expected to reach 2.6 billion by 2019.
We are living in the 'Digital Age.' Computer programs continue to permeate every aspect of our lives. Every industry uses computers and requires professionals that have skills in computer science. Individuals depend on computing for everyday activities from social networking to entertainment.
This is the future. Do you want to be a part of it?
High school preparation should include four years of English as well as four years of mathematics. A physics course and as many computer science or other science classes as possible are recommended.
During your first semesters at UW-Stout, you'll enroll in a combination of general education and major courses. General education courses, including English composition, speech, science and others, are required of all students at UW-Stout. Your schedule will include introductory major courses in computer science and mathematics. To discuss your academic progress and future course work, you'll meet regularly with your adviser. Together you'll develop an academic plan for graduation to help you achieve your career objectives. Good student-faculty rapport is a UW-Stout tradition, and you'll get to know your teachers during your first year.
After you complete introductory courses in the major, your schedule each semester will include core courses in your concentration along with course work in computer science.
A co-op/internship experience is required as an integral part of your education. It will give you hands-on experience in industry, allowing you to acquire an appreciation of career expectations and an understanding of the relevance of your academic course work. You'll develop communication and interpersonal skills while obtaining valuable work experience in your field. In addition, these are salaried positions so the experience helps to pay your educational costs.
Program Educational Objectives
The Computer Science program’s educational objectives are based on the mission of the university to create career-focused graduates who solve real-world problems, grow the economy and serve a global society. The educational objectives of the program, which the graduates can achieve within a few years of graduation, are:
- To obtain employment in industry, government, small businesses and organizations successfully using the skills they acquired in computer science and related fields.
- To contribute to the advancement of computing through leadership, teamwork, communication, and applying computing expertise to solving problems in a dynamically changing world.
- To continuously learn and adapt to the changing environment created by societal and technical influences through continued career growth and professional development.
Student Outcomes
The Computer Science program develops graduates who have an ability to:
- Analyze a complex computing problem and to apply principles of computing and other relevant disciplines to identify solutions.
- Design, implement, and evaluate a computing-based solution to meet a given set of computing requirements in the context of the program’s discipline.
- Communicate effectively in a variety of professional contexts.
- Recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles.
- Function effectively as a member or leader of a team engaged in activities appropriate to the program’s discipline.
- Apply computer science theory and software development fundamentals to produce computing-based solutions.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Career Guide to Industries for 2014-15 states that "Software developers are the creative minds behind computer programs. Employment in software development is projected to increase by 22 percent through 2022."
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development predicts a 21.9 percent increase in the number of computer software applications engineers from 2010-2020.
The knowledge and skills gained in the Game Design and Development concentration are applicable in any software development position. The game entertainment industry is the most recognized, but game development skills are also used for serious purposes, such as military training, education, personal medical assistance, and business simulations. The video game industry is an emerging industry in Wisconsin. Raven Software, of Middleton, is the largest and most established (1990). Other Wisconsin companies include Human Head Studios (Madison), Guild Software (Milwaukee), Filament Games (Madison), Learning Games Network (Madison), PerBlue (Madison), ZyMo Entertainment (Green Bay), and Digital Iris (Milwaukee).
Mobile applications are developed by many industries for customer convenience and internal use. Creating successful apps requires knowledge in various areas such as programming, human-computer interface, databases, graphics, security, and web/internet programming. Personally, we use apps to interact with our mobile devices, but ultimately with each other. Social media continues to grow and apps allow us to get our daily news and information, talk to our friends, post our photos, watch videos, and more.
Job Titles
- Game Software Engineer
- Game Programmer
- Mobile Software Engineer
- Software Engineer
- Software Developer
- Web Application Developer
- Programmer
- Information Assurance Engineer
Companies
- Big John Games (Nintendo games)
- King Show Games (casino games)
- HB Studios (console games for EA)
- Concrete Software (mobile games)
- Degica (publisher of RPG Maker)
- Acuity
- Boeing Defense Products
- Thomson-Reuters
- Lockheed Martin
- Rockwell Automation
- Target Corporation
- 3KeyLogic
- Magenic Technologies
- Menards/Midwest Manufacturing
New Freshmen
- Rank in the top 40 percent of your class (or for high schools that do not rank, earn a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale)
and - minimum ACT composite score of 23 (or SAT equivalent)
and - minimum ACT math score of 24 (or SAT equivalent)
If you do not meet all of the academic requirements above, but you do meet the requirements for general admission to the university, you will be admitted as an Undeclared student. You may then apply for a change of major in subsequent semesters.
Transfer Students
Applicants must meet all of the following requirements:
- earn a cumulative grade point average of at least a 2.5 or higher from the last institution attended
and - earn a grade of "C" or higher for all math and computer science courses already taken
and - complete the equivalent of UW-Stout's MATH 121 Intro to College Math II (trigonometry or pre-calculus) or a higher level math course with a grade of "C" or better.
If you do not meet all of the academic requirements above, but you do meet the requirements for general admission to the university, you will be admitted as an Undeclared student. You may then apply for a change of major in subsequent semesters.
2019-2020 Computer Science Advisory Committee
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Department of Defense Cyber Scholarship Program
- Do you want to pursue a challenging profession in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance?
- Do you want to work for the Department of Defense and help defend our nation's cyber space?
- Do you want to have your education paid for?
The University of Wisconsin Stout, a recently designated National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense, is now participating in the Department of Defense Cyber Scholarship Program.
In 2018-19 our first student received the full tuition and $25,000 stipend scholarship. Two new students were awarded the scholarship in 2019-20, and the previous student was renewed for a third year.
Scholarship Benefits:
- An undergraduate student will be paid a stipend of $25,000 per academic year (BS degree) and a graduate student will be paid a stipend of $30,000 per academic year (MS/Ph.D. degree).
- The scholarship will pay for full cost of tuition, required fees, books, and a stipend to cover room and board.
- The DoD will also provide sponsors who will maintain contact with the student during the scholarship period, and who will facilitate the student's entry into internships and eventual DoD employment.
Requirements and Eligibility:
- You are a citizen of the United States at the time of application.
- You are 18 years of age or older.
- Your present GPA is 3.2/4.0 - undergraduate; 3.5/4.0 - graduate.
- You have completed (or by August 2018 will have completed) the first two years of an undergraduate degree program and be eligible to begin either the third or fourth year of an undergraduate degree program; or by August 2018 you will begin the first or second year of a Master's degree program. Online programs included. Undergraduates must attend full-time.
- You are pursuing a course of study at UW-Stout and have a declared major in one of the scientific, technical, or managerial disciplines related to cybersecurity or a concentration in cybersecurity (BS-CNIT, BS-ICT, MS-ICT, BS-CS, BS-AMCS, PSM-IAM are natural candidates).
- You agree to one year of service to the DoD, upon graduation, for each year of scholarship.
- You agree to accept internships arranged by the DoD to occur during the summer or other breaks between school terms.
Application Process:
- Complete the application form found HERE.
- Provide a statement of purpose and description of goals and motivations to pursue a career in cybersecurity and information assurance.
- Provide transcripts of all college work.
- Provide two recommendation letters.
Deadline for applying is February 4, 2018.
Full application materials must be received by February 4, 2018. Send your application package through email to:
Dr. Holly Yuan
Re: IASP Program Application
Email: yuanh@uwstout.edu
For more details on the program see the DoD website.
