Computer Science is an incredibly diverse major here at SC; the breadth of organizations related to CS, the majors/minors/emphases you can take, the research projects available is huge!
I’m studying Computer Engineering & Computer Science, which is a major offered by the Computer Science department in conjunction with Electrical Engineering. You get an even split of both CS (software engineering principles, programming) and CE (architecture and digital logic). What drew me to this major was that it offered a deeper understanding of how computers work, and how software and hardware work in tandem.
Lab where I do research, works to study interactions between robots and humans
On top of that, I’m doing a minor in Entrepreneurship and on a Pre-Law track, and I’m a part of the Thematic Option alternative general education program. Many of my friends are also pursuing double majors with Computer Science, like my friend Ellen who’s studying physics, too! You can also add minors in computer security, screenwriting, music, and whatever else you can think of. Under Computer Science, aside from CECS and CS alone, you can major in Computer Science and Business Administration.
Classes and professors are not only willing to, but excited to help you! I started off my first semester with intro classes in electrical engineering and computer science, where I was able to build a thermostat and the backend for a social network platform, all within 10 weeks of starting school. The classes go into depth and you get a real taste of engineering right off the bat, and professors are always willing to talk to you in office hours, most even encourage it. I loved taking CSI 170, which was Intro to Algorithms. It was a class basically dedicated to logic in its different forms related to computer science, and learned as much in class as I did in my professor and TAs’ office hours. Classes are immersive, and we have some of the best professors here.
As a CS major at USC, SAL will become your new home. This is the hub of all things CS – TAs will hold office hours here, you’ll have lab sections here, and most likely, you’ll come here to work on projects and homework with all the other CS majors. You’ll find a great community of people who are going to help you and keep you motivated and on top of your game.
HackSC – USC’s own hackathon
The structure of the curriculum in CS is such that after your first year, you have the knowledge to pursue projects in any area of computer science, from iOS development, Android development, Virtual Reality, and more via hackathons through organizations like the American Computing Society (ACM) and other groups on campus. Further, you can do research in machine learning, big data, cloud computing, or even robotics – there’s a need for software in most labs! It’s really what opportunities you decide to take advantage of – you’ll be able to learn the hard and soft skills it takes to be a great programmer, and it’s up to you to customize your degree however you like!
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