B.S. Computer Science

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 states that " Software developers are the creative minds behind computer programs. Some develop the applications that allow people to do specific tasks on a computer or another device. Others develop the underlying systems that run the devices or that control networks.”  Employment in software development is projected to increase nationally by 22 percent through 2029. The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development predicts a 16.4 percent increase in the number of software developers.

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

Advisory Committee Members