Computer Science

Students who complete a bachelors in Computer Science pursue exciting opportunities in graphics, artificial intelligence, software engineering, database design, scientific programming, systems administration, and research at universities and national laboratories.

The MS degree is designed to prepare students either to be technically capable of leading development teams in industrial software development or to be ready to continue for a PhD. The PhD degree prepares students to be researchers and teachers either in industry or academia.

Students completing the Animation emphasis will be prepared for technical positions at animation and game programming studios. Students will learn both the technical and artistic side of creating and implementing digital animations and games.

The Bioinformatics emphasis is designed for students who are interested in building software to assist in analyzing biological systems. Students will graduate with a significant background in biology coupled with the software development and analysis skills necessary to implement large bioinformatics applications.

"In the new Data Science emphasis, students will learn how to focus on the mathematical fundamentals that describe patterns, uncertainty and knowledge representations, while also sharpening computational thinking and the programming know-how needed to turn ideas into reality," said BYU computer science professor Tony Martinez. "Students who fulfill the degree will be well-positioned to increase their skills in graduate school or to enter the industry in an area with tremendous demand and growth."

Software engineers are among the most highly paid and highly sought-after employees in today's workforce, according to BYU computer science professor Ken Rodham. Although a computer science degree has historically provided excellent preparation for a career in software engineering, as the industry expands and diversifies, the computer science department wanted to create an emphasis that allowed students to focus more deeply on aspects of computer science that are most relevant to practicing software engineers.

Where BYU CS majors have begun their careers: