Department of Computer Science

Location: 57 Maes Building, (409) 880-8775

Chair: Jing Zhang jzhang9@lamar.edu

Accreditation

The Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) of the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET), 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012, telephone: (410) 347-7700.

Mission Statement

The department will offer an education that is highly regarded by students, colleagues, industry, and other universities for its quality in teaching and in pure and applied research. We recognize that computer science requires a solid foundation in fundamental principles in order to prepare our graduates for continued learning and adaptation to the increasingly rapid changes likely to occur in information technology. Our department prepares its students for professional employment and graduate education through the study and implementation of the fundamental principles of the theory, abstraction, and software design, while at the same time presenting the ethical and social issues associated with computer science. We believe that the work environment should enable everyone involved to feel a sense of confidence, power, and self-worth that will lead to the joyful pursuit of learning and effective teaching. We believe this environment is best fostered when there is a climate of collegiality and collaboration among the participants. We believe that integrity, honesty and trust are the foundation for success in any enterprise.

Objectives of the Computer Science Undergraduate Programs

  1. Graduates of the Computer Science Program will develop professional skills and the necessary technical knowledge both in breadth and depth that prepare them for employment and advanced study in computer science.
  2. Graduates of the Computer Science Program will have sufficient awareness of the local and global societal impact of technology and of the related legal and ethical issues in computer science to make decisions regarding their personal and professional responsibilities.
  3. Graduates of the Computer Science Program will be aware of ethical and professional responsibilities and the need to engage in life-long learning.
  4. Graduates of the Computer Science Program will have the communication, teamwork, and leadership skills necessary to function productively and professionally.

Computing Facilities

The Computer Science Department has six switched Ethernet laboratories attached to the gigabit-bandwidth campus network infrastructure through which 91ÖÆƬ³§ is connected to the Internet and World Wide Web. The equipment in the labs is abundant and available to all students. It is comprised of a diverse assortment of hardware and software running on dual-processor AMD 64-bit workstations, Sun workstations, and servers and Intel-based PCs. The department offers image and video processing equipment for multimedia-related classes. Software for advanced courses and research in database, network simulation, symbolic computation, neural networks, continuous and discrete simulation, artificial intelligence and computer graphics can be readily accessed from servers. Wireless access to the Internet is in place within the Maes Building including the area where computer science offices are housed. The department also has high-performance computing equipment for use with GPGPU programming and gaming.

Cooperative Education Program

The Department has had long-standing cooperative (COOP) programs with many companies and industries, both in Southeast Texas and around the state. This has proved to be an excellent program for both the students and the companies involved. The minimum requirements to be considered for a COOP position are a GPA of at least 2.75, 30 hours college credit, and 9 hours credit in Computer Science. Some cooperative employers are DuPont, NASA, Texas Instruments, IBM, Texaco Research, and National Instruments. Students should apply during their sophomore year.

Degrees Offered

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science - 121 Hours
Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Sciences - 121 Hours
Bachelor of Science in Computer Game Development - 120 Hours
Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity - 120 Hours
Minor in Computer Information Science Teacher's Certificate
Computer Game Development Certificate - 15 Hours
Computer Science/M.B.A. Track
Computer Information Sciences/M.B.A. Track
M.S. Computer Science - 34 Hours (Thesis) or 37 Hours (Non-Thesis)
Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity - 15 to 18 Hours
Graduate Certificate in Machine Learning - 15 Hours

 

Academic Policies of the Computer Science Department

In addition to the general university and college standards and policies stated in the 91ÖÆƬ³§ Catalog, the Computer Science Department enforces the following academic standards and policies:

  1. In most cases, successful completion of a class requires a grade of C or better. There are two exceptions. CS and CIS majors are expected to make a B or better in COSC 1336 before taking COSC 1337. Similarly, a grade of B or better in COSC 1337 is required before taking COSC 2336.
  2. Our majors are expected to be successful in their chosen discipline. Students who have attempted at least 12 hours of computer science courses and whose GPA in such courses drops below 2.00 will be required to declare another major. Students receiving a B.S. in CS or a B.S. in CIS will be required to have an overall GPA of at least 2.25 and a GPA in courses taken from the computer science department of at least 2.25.
  3. Pursuant to university policy, full-time students must take English composition each long semester until the minimum requirements in those areas are satisfied. In addition, full-time students must also take mathematics each long semester until at least twelve (12) hours towards the degree is completed. Students are expected to have taken mathematics at least through pre-calculus or equivalent in high school.
  4. No freshman student will be allowed to take any senior-level computer science course. A student may not register for the same class more than four times. If the student later drops the course or withdraws from school for that semester (receiving a “Q” or “W” for that course), the course counts as one attempt.

Bachelor of Science – Computer Science

The computer science program at Lamar is a broad-based program emphasizing the areas of programming languages, data structures, information systems, the theory of programming languages, software engineering, networking, database, multimedia, applications of computer science, and computer architecture. The program requires 62 hours in computer science, 14 hours in mathematics, 8 hours in laboratory science, 3 hours in free electives, and 3 hours in electrical engineering as well as the general university requirements for a bachelor’s degree. Students are required to take the ETS Computer Science Field Exam during the semester in which they are graduating. This program is also offered online.

The student who completes this four-year academic program is awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and is well prepared to pursue a professional career as a computer scientist or to pursue graduate work in computer science or in an area of related specialization. Advisor: Bo Sun.

The degree of Bachelor of Science in Computer Science will be awarded upon completion of the following requirements:

  1. General Requirements: See core curriculum.
  2. Mathematics: MATH 2318, 2413, 2414 and 3370.
  3. Sciences: An approved Lab Science must be chosen from the following six courses: CHEM 1311 & 1111, CHEM 1312 & 1112, BIOL 1406, BIOL 1407, PHYS 2425, PHYS 2426
  4. Computer Science Requirements: 48 semester hours. COSC 1172, 1173, 1336, COSC 1337, COSC 2336, COSC 2325, COSC 3302, COSC 3304, COSC 3308, COSC 3325, COSC 4172, COSC 4302, COSC 4310, CPSC 3320, CPSC 4340, CPSC 4360. Note: A grade of "C" or better is necessary for required computer science courses with the following exceptions: a "B" or better in COSC 1336 is required before taking COSC 1337. Similarly, a grade of "B" or better in COSC 1337 or COSC 3306 is required before taking COSC 2336.
  5. COSC/CPSC/ELEN Elective (6 semester hours) – COSC 4301, 4307, 4309, 4319, CPSC 3316, 4315, 4316, 4320, 4330, 4370, 4375; ELEN 3381, 4387, 4486, 4304.  
  6. Academic Elective – 3 semester hours. Any 91ÖÆƬ³§ course which offers semester credit hours is permitted.

Total: 120 semester hours

Note: Students are required to take the ETS Computer Science Field Exam during the semester in which they are graduating.

First Year
Fall Spring
COSC 1336, Fundamentals COSC 1337, Fundamentals II
COSC 1173, CS 1 Lab COMM or Modern Language
COSC 1172, Think, Speak, Write Social/Behavioral Science
ENGL 1301, Composition 1 ENGL 1302 or 1374
MATH 2413, Calculus 1 Lang, Phil & Culture
HIST 1301 COSC 1174 CS II Lab
Second Year
COSC 2336, Fundamentals III COSC 2325 Computer Organization
MATH 2414 Calc II COSC 2375 Discrete Structure
Lab Science POLS 2302 Gov II
POLS 2301 Gov 1 Approved Lab Science
HIST 1302
Third Year
COSC/CPSC/ELEN Elective COSC 3325 Law & Ethics
MATH 2318 Linear Algebra COSC 3302 Theory
COSC 3304 Alg Des & Analysis COSC 3308 Progr. Languages
MATH 3370 Statistics CPSC 4361, CPSC 4363, or COSC 4345
CPSC 4360 Software Eng COSC/CPSC Elective
Fourth Year
COSC 4302 Oper Systems COSC 4333 Distributed Systems
COSC/CPSC Elective COSC 4310 Architecture
Creative Arts COSC/CPSC/ELEN Elective
CPSC 4340 DataBase Design COSC 4172 Senr Assessment
Academic Elective CPSC 4317 Networks

Comments:

  1. Changes and substitutions must be approved by the department chair.
  2. A grade of B or better is required in COSC 1336 before taking COSC 1337. A grade of B or better is required in COSC 1336 and COSC 1337 before taking COSC 2336.
  3. Communication 1315 | 1321 or DSDE 1371 or FREN 1311 or SPAN 1311.
  4. Two semesters of U.S. or Texas History from among HIST 1301 | 1302 | 2301.
  5. Social Science Electives are: ECON 1301 | 2301 | 2302 | PSYC 2301, SOCI 1301, BULW 1370, INEN 2373.
  6. Creative Art Electives are ARTS 1301 | 1303, DANC 2304, MUSI 1306 and COMM 1375.
  7. Approved Lab Science must be chosen from the following four courses: BIOL 1406 | 1407, PHYS 2425 | 2426.
  8. Acceptable COSC/CPSC electives are: COSC 3306, 4301, 4307, 4309, 4319, 4322, 4324, 4345 | CPSC 3316, 4315, 4316, 4320, 4330, 4361, 4363, 4370, 4375
  9. Acceptable COSC/CPSC/ELEN electives are 3381, 4486, 4387, 4304 (with approval.
  10. Sufficient academic elective hours are required to total 120 hours. Any college-level course which offers semester credit hours is permitted.
  11. ENGL 2300, 2310, 2320, 2322, 2326, 2331, 2371, 2376 or PHIL 1370, 2306

 

Minor in Computer Science

Required courses for the minor in computer science are:

  1. With a grade of "B" or above:
    1. COSC 1336 Principles of Computer Science I & COSC 1173 Programming Lab
    2. COSC 1337 Principles of Computer Science II & COSC 1174 Fundamentals of Computing II Lab
  2. With a grade of "C" or above:
    1. COSC 2336 Data Structures
    2. CPSC 4317 Data Communications/Computer Networks
    3. CPSC 4340 Database Design
    4. COSC 4302 Operating Systems
    5. COSC 4360 Software Engineering

The total number of credit hours for this minor is 21.

Bachelor of Science – Computer Information Sciences Program

The Computer Information Sciences program has an overall emphasis on information networking and technology. An interplay of knowledge from areas such as distributed computing, software engineering, expert systems, information retrieval and database management systems define the information technology concept. Information networks are becoming an integral and strategic component of such industries as petrochemicals, transportation, space technology, education, banking and finance, medical applications, manufacturing and retailing. Graduates of this program will possess an integrated set of skills from the fields of engineering, computer science and business.

The program requires 45 hours in computer science and computer and information sciences, 13 hours in mathematics, 24 hours in business and communications, 8 hours in laboratory science, and 6 hours of electives, as well as the general bachelor’s degree requirements. Students are required to take the ETS Computer Science Field Exam during the semester in which they are graduating. Graduates of this program will be prepared to respond to the varied and changing needs of an information society. Such positions as Database Administrator, Network Manager, and Chief Information Officer are among the careers that are open to graduates in this field.

  1. General Requirements: See core curriculum. 
  2. Mathematics and Science Requirements: MATH 2413, 1342  or 3370 or BUAL 3310, 3328. Lab Science 8 semester hours from the following – PHYS 1401, PHYS 1402, PHYS 2425, PHYS 2426,  BIOL 1406, BIOL 1407, BIOL 2401, BIOL 2402, GEOL 1403, GEOL 1404.
  3. ECON 1301, ACCT 2301, MGMT 3310, ACCT 2302, MGMT 3320
  4. Computer Science Requirements: 45 semester hours. COSC 1172, 1173, 1336, COSC 1337, COSC 3304, COSC 4172, COSC 4302, COSC 4330, COSC 4360, CPSC 3320, CPSC 4315, CPSC 4340, CPSC 4370 or COSC 4307. Note: A grade of "C" or better is necessary in required computer science courses with the following exception: a "B" or better in COSC 1336 is required before taking COSC 1337. Similarly, a grade of "B" or better in COSC 1337 or COSC 3306 is required before taking COSC 2336.  Elective (3 semester hours) – COSC 3302, 3308, 3316, 3325, 4301, 4307, 4309, 4310, 4316, 4319, CPSC 4320, 4370.
  5. Business Elective - 3 Semester Hours
  6. Academic Elective – 6 semester hours. Any 91ÖÆƬ³§ course which offers semester credit hours is permitted.
  7. Total: 121 semester hours

Note: Students are required to take the ETS Computer Science Field Exam during the semester in which they are graduating.

Fall Spring
First Year
COSC 1336, Fundamentals COSC 1337, Fundamentals II
COSC 1173 CS 1 Lab COMM or Modern Language
COSC 1172 ECON 1301
ENGL 1301 ENGL 1302 or 1374
MATH 2413 COSC 2375 Disc Structures
HIST 1301 COSC 1174 CS II Lab
Second Year
COSC 2336, Fundamentals III COSC 2325 Computer Organization
Academic Elective COSC 3304 Algorithms
MATH 1342, 3370 or BUAL 2310 MATH 2318 Lin Algebra
Lab Science Lab Science
Language, Philosophy and Culture HIST 1302
Third Year
CPSC 4317 Networks CPSC 4363, COSC 4345 or CPSC 4361
CPSC 4340 Data Base CPSC 4315 Net Sys Admin
POLS 2301 Gov I POLS 2302 Gov II
ACCT 2301 Intro Fin Acct MGMT 3310 Org Mgmt
COSC 3325 Law & Ethics Academic Elective
Fourth Year
CPSC 4330 or COSC 4319 CPSC 4360 Soft Eng
COSC or CPSC elective COSC 4302 Oper Systems
ACCT 2302 Mgmt Acct COSC/CPSC Elective
FINC 3310 Finance COSC 4272 Senr Assessment
Creative Arts MGMT 3320 Prod Mgmt

Comments:

  1. Changes and substitutions must be approved by the department chair.
  2. COMM 1315, 1360, 2335, 2373, 3310, or 3340; or CMDS 2375; or an introductory modern language course.
  3. Two semesters of U.S. or Texas history from HIST 1301, 1302 or 2301.
  4. Fine Arts electives are ARTS 1301, DANC 2304 or MUSI 1306.
  5. Acceptable COSC/CPSC electives are: any of the alternative courses listed above as well as: COSC 3302, 3308, 3325, 4301, 4307, 4309, 4310, 4319, 4322, 4345; CPSC 4320, 4370 or 4375

Bachelor of Science - Computer Information Sciences/Master of Business Administration

The B.S. in Computer Information Sciences Program can prepare a student to complete the foundation courses required to achieve an M.B.A. program in the College of Business

Thus, a student can receive a B.S. in Computer Information Sciences and an M.B.A. within five years after the beginning of his/her study at Lamar. The below courses from the College of Business are required for the B.S. in Computer Information Sciences.

By utilizing four electives for the B.S. in Computer Information Sciences Program, the equivalent of the classes taken as foundation courses of the M.B.A. can be completed during the bachelor's degree, as follows:

Course Number Course Name Index Name Alternative Number Alternative Course Alternative Index Name
U1 Micro Economics ECON 2301 G1 Economics ECON 5300
U2 Macro Economics ECON 2302 G1 Economics ECON 5300
U3 Financial Accounting ACCT 2301 G2 Accounting ACCT 5315
U4 Managerial Accounting ACCT 2302 G2 Accounting ACCT 5315
U5 Finance FINC 3310 G3 Finance FINC 5300
U6 Business Law BULW 3310 G$ Business Law BULW 5300

A student can take U1 and U2 to be substituted for G1, and vice versa. Similarly, a student can take U3 and U4 to be substituted for G2 and vice versa. For the other two courses, U5 can be substituted for G3 and U6 can be substituted for G4, and vice versa. In addition, COSC 3325 (Computer Law and Ethics) is now a required course in the CIS/M.B.A. track, not an elective.

Students with a B.S. in Computer Information Sciences who pursue this program can begin their second year of the M.B.A. program immediately after graduation and admission to the M.B.A. program. Admission to the M.B.A. program requires the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).

Minor in Computer Information Sciences

Required courses for the minor in computer information sciences are:

  1. With a grade of "B" or above:
    1. COSC 1336 Programming Fundamentals I & COSC 1173 Programming Lab
    2. COSC 1337 Programming Fundamentals II & COSC 1174 Fundamentals of Computing II Lab
  2. With a grade of "C" or above:
    1. COSC 2336 Data Structures
    2. CPSC 4317 Data Communications/Computer Networks
    3. CPSC 4340 Database Design
    4. COSC 4302 Operating Systems
    5. CPSC Multimedia Processing

The total number of credit hours for this minor is 21.

Requirements for a Teacher’s Certificate in Computer Information Science—Opt. I Specialization: (27 semester hours) COSC 1336, COSC 1337, COSC 2336, COSC 2325 , COSC 3304, COSC 4302, CPSC 4340. Six hours from COSC 3308, COSC 4307, COSC 4309, CPSC 3320, CPSC 4330, MATH 2414, MATH 2305, MATH 2318, MATH 1342. —Opt. II Specialization: (27 semester hours) COSC 1336, COSC 1337, COSC 2336, COSC 2325, COSC 3304, COSC 3308, CPSC 4330, CPSC 4340, COSC 4302 or COSC 4310 or CPSC 3320.

For details concerning requirements for teacher certification and information on professional education courses, consult the College of Education and Human Development section in this catalog.

Minor in Multimedia and Web Design Technologies

The required courses for the minor in web design program with a grade of "C" or above are:

  1. COSC 1381 Game Programming
  2. COSC 2330 Web 2.0
  3. COSC 3320 Web Design
  4. COSC 3323 Fundamentals of Digital Media
  5. COSC 4320 Advanced Web Design
  6. COSC 4332 Programming Mobile Devices

The total number of credit hours for this number is 18.

Graduate Program

The Department of Computer Science offers a program of study leading to the Master of Science degree in Computer Science. Both thesis and non-thesis options are available. 

The objective of the master’s degree is to produce professional computer scientists capable of contributing technically to the basic core areas of computer science as well as to application areas. A mixture of courses, laboratory, and research work in the program is designed to place graduates at the forefront of technical excellence. 

Research 

The department engages in a broad-based research program. Current faculty research interests include artificial intelligence, big data, computer systems, cloud computing, computer vision, cybersecurity, database, data analysis, game development, real-time system, and wireless and sensor networks. 

Admission to the Graduate Program 

Students seeking admission to the Master in Computer Science program must meet the following requirements as follows:

  1. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required. The minimum GRE quantitative score for admission is 160. Admission is competitive and is based upon an evaluation of all application materials.
  2. A resume that includes academic information such as transcripts of undergraduate studies (with GPA/CPGA shown), references for academic publications, work experience and any other relevant scholarly activities.
  3. For applicants whose native language is not English, an IELTS or TOEFL score is required as indicated at the 91ÖÆƬ³§ website.
  4. Demonstrable knowledge of programming in a high-level language and operating systems is required. The two options are either taking equivalency exams or enrolling in leveling courses (COSC 4304 Foundations of Programming and COSC 4302 Operating Systems) and passing with a grade of "B" or higher. 

 

Background Requirements 

Students must be able to demonstrate sufficient undergraduate computer science background before beginning courses towards the M.S. program. The following undergraduate background courses or their equivalents are required: Foundations of Programming (COSC 4304) and Operating Systems (COSC 4302). These two prerequisites can be taken at the same time with COSC 5100 Graduate Seminar and COSC 5315 Foundations of Computer Science, but COSC 4302 and COSC 4304 do not count toward the graduate degree.

Students must make at least a “B” grade in these two prerequisite courses in order to satisfy the undergraduate background requirements and to take other required graduate courses. 

Students may be excused from a prerequisite course if they are able to pass a competency exam given on the content of the associated course. A competency test is given for each prerequisite course by the Computer Science Department for a fee of $75 per examination. Each examination may be taken only once before the first semester entering the degree. In some cases, students may also be excused from a prerequisite course if they have courses on their transcripts that the Computer Science Department considers equivalent in content to the prerequisite. The content of courses taken in other institutions is not necessarily the same as courses taken with the same title in 91ÖÆƬ³§. We are not interested in having students take extra courses, but we do have to ensure the soundness of our graduate-level courses.

In addition to these two prerequisites, our M.S. program requires either 10 graduate courses and a thesis or 12 courses and a one-semester project. In both cases, an oral defense is required in addition to a written report. If you are a full-time student taking 9 credit hours (i.e., three courses) during the fall and spring semesters and one course during each of the two five-week summer sessions, you will finish all work within two years. 

Degree Requirements 

Students in the master’s program in Computer Science are required to establish competence in several areas considered basic to the field of Computer Science. At least 22 hours of graduate work in computer science and a thesis or 28 hours of graduate work in computer science and a project are required for a master’s degree in Computer Science. In order to qualify for the master’s degree, the student must have a 3.0 GPA in all computer science courses and must earn a grade of ‘B’ or better in each of the core courses.

  1. Core Course Requirement (6 courses; 16 semester hours). COSC 5100 Graduate Seminar, COSC 5313 Analysis of Algorithms, COSC 5302 Advanced Operating Systems, COSC 5328 Computer Networks, COSC 5315 Foundations of Computing, CPSC 5360 Software Engineering.
  2. Option I (Thesis) Completion of the core requirements. Students may take one or two courses outside of computer science with the approval of the department chair. At least a “B” (3.0) grade point average must be maintained in course work. At most three “C” grades are permitted in coursework, and each “C” must be balanced by an “A” in another computer science graduate-level course. Students may not count courses taken in other departments to balance “C” grades made in the Computer Science Department. Completion of COSC 5390 and 5391 and submission of an acceptable thesis. Completion of a total of 34 graduate semester hours including a thesis. Successful oral defense of the thesis. If a failure occurs, the defense may be repeated. A second failure will cause the student to be dropped from the degree program in Computer Science.
  3. Option II (Non-thesis) Completion of the core requirement. Students may take one or two courses outside of computer science with the approval of the department chair. At least a “B” (3.0) grade point average must be maintained in course work. At most three “C” grades are permitted in coursework, and each “C” must be balanced by an “A” in another computer science graduate-level course. Students may not count courses taken in other departments to balance “C” grades made in the Computer Science Department. All non-thesis students must take and satisfactorily complete COSC 5369. This course consists primarily of a significant software project, an oral defense, and the submission of a written professional report. Completion of a total of 37 hours in graduate-level courses, including the final project. 

Computer Science Specialization Areas and Courses

Artificial Intelligence: CPSC 5370, 5375, COSC 5312, COSC 5318

Graphics: CPSC 5330, COSC 5321, COSC 5335

Software Engineering: CPSC 5360, COSC 5331

Database: CPSC 5340, COSC 5311, COSC 5332, COSC 5333

Architecture/Algorithms: COSC 5308, COSC 5310, COSC 5350, COSC 5313

Computer Networks: CPSC 5320, COSC 5328, COSC 5335, COSC 5345

Distributed Systems: COSC 5333, COSC 5302, COSC 5350, CPSC 5328

Game Development: COSC 5324, COSC 5325, CPSC 5380, CPSC 5381

Cybersecurity: CPSC 5361, CPSC 5363, COSC 5345

Alternate Work/Study 

An enrolled student may alternate between study and employment as a formal part of her/his training. While working, the student might perform research and collect data for his/her thesis at a facility that offers technology not available at 91ÖÆƬ³§. A letter from the student’s academic advisor explaining why he or she is unable to conduct research on campus and must go to another research facility may be required. Only students doing a thesis are eligible for alternate work/study.