Computer science deals with: the nature of and limits to computation; the architecture of computer systems, networks, devices, and languages, and their abstractions; the design of hardware and software systems as they apply to human endeavors such as scientific inquiry, information acquisition, visualization, language, and leisure; and the engineering of complex software systems. A Computer Science degree at SUNY Potsdam prepares you for a rewarding career as a computer professional -- where you apply your computer science knowledge and experience towards improving our lives -- or for further study in graduate school.
The faculty and students of the computer science department at SUNY Potsdam form a unique community where the professors know students by name and the students are united by partner programming labs, team projects, extracurricular activities, and tutoring programs. The lab is always full of students willing to help others.
The CS program at SUNY Potsdam offers a degree program for every level of interest in the computer science field. Students may choose from a range of undergraduate degrees and minors
In addition to the scholarships and awards offered by SUNY Potsdam's inancial aid office, there are several funding opportunities offered by the computer science department for its students, including scholarships for interns and transfers.
The CS department at SUNY Potsdam hires several students each semester to serve as Laboratory Teaching Assistants and graders for CS classes.
The College's Computing and Technology Services (CTS) unit frequently employs CS students to work at their Help Desk and in their Host and Networking Services department.
Are you a transfer worried about fitting into a new program? SUNY Potsdam's CS department offers a transfer-friendly environment with a notable number of transfers, articulation agreements with many SUNY Community Colleges, and scholarship opportunities reserved for transfers.
CS students enjoy a variety of extracurricular opportunities through our local ACM Student Chapter in the form of workshops, lightning talks, guest speakers, social gatherings, programming contests, and more. Our ACM Student Chapter is organized and run by students, and everyone is encouraged to participate and contribute to the group.
Students also benefit from professional opportunities such as the required capstone experience. In order to graduate the program, each student completes a credit internship or faculty-sponsored senior project. These experiences give students an insight into the field that makes them a more marketable job or grad school candidate.
Students are exposed to networking opportunities that help students grow professionally and learn valuable skills. Each semester, the CS Board of Advisors meets with students to share their experiences and explore employment opportunities with students. Students in the past have also attended conferences such as the Vermont Tech Jam, the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, and the CCSCN conference and poster contest.
The CS department offers a range of facilities for student use including a Unix Lab featuring 14 high-end Linux workstations, a High Performance Computing Lab with a 12-unit computing cluster and seven workstations with NVIDIA multi-core GPU's, and a Computer Games Lab featuring several commercial games and consoles.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that computer software engineers are projected to be one of the fastest growing occupations over the 2012-22 decade and that very good opportunities are expected for college graduates with at least a bachelor's degree in computer science and with practical work experience, such as student internships. SUNY Potsdam alumni can be found in organizations such as NASA, General Electric, IBM, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Hewlett-Packard, and Goldman-Sachs.
SUNY Potsdam's admissions page has everything you need to know about applying to Potsdam. Once you're accepted, our Enrolled Student Guide has all the resources you need to get off to a great start. In the meantime, check out the links to the left to learn more about our department and programs!
"The High Performance Computing class gave me a lot of recognition on LinkedIn, which in turn gave me a lot of employment opportunities."
"The department supports extracurricular activities, such as lightning talks and the ACM, that allow me to get to know my fellow students as well as explore new topics within computer science."