Computer Science, B.S.C.S.

Computer Science students at The University of Tulsa gain practical experience through programming laboratories, senior software projects, internships, research, hackathons, student activities, and close interaction with faculty and external collaborators. The Tandy School of Computer Science is housed in Rayzor Hall and provides dedicated computing facilities, including a teaching and tutoring laboratory with computers configured for Java, Python, and other programming languages, while students can also participate in research involving artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, autonomous systems, networking, software engineering, and other emerging areas.

Students can build practical and professional skills through:

• Programming laboratories: Early Computer Science coursework includes laboratory-based programming work, with students learning to write, debug, test, and document software.

• Programming languages: Students work with languages including Java, C++, Python, and C/C++, depending on course and project requirements.

• Data Structures and Algorithms: CS 2123 includes implementation of algorithms and data structures and covers techniques such as graph traversal, balanced trees, hashing, greedy algorithms, divide-and-conquer, and dynamic programming.

• Senior software projects: CS 4503: Senior Software Projects I and CS 4513: Senior Projects II provide an extended project experience where students apply their Computer Science knowledge to substantial software-development work.

• Teaching and tutoring laboratory: Rayzor Hall 2045 serves as the primary Computer Science teaching laboratory, with 40 PCs equipped for Java, Python, and other programming languages.

• Tandy Tutoring Lab: Students enrolled in Computer Science courses can receive peer assistance, access computers and software, work on assignments, and use the space for collaborative study.

• XR Studio Research Lab: Rayzor Hall 2015 houses an XR Studio Research Lab supporting research in virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, spatial computing, and virtual production.

• Research opportunities: Undergraduate students can participate in faculty-led research across areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, bioinformatics, cyber-physical systems, networking, trustworthy autonomy, software engineering, and computer science theory.

• Institute for Robotics & Autonomy: Computer Science students can contribute to interdisciplinary robotics research involving autonomous systems, robotic platforms, smart environments, and human-robot interaction.

• Industry and government research: UTulsa Computer Science faculty and students participate in research supported by organizations including the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center and the Air Force Research Laboratory.

• Hackathons: UTulsa's Hurricane Hackathon gives students an intensive collaborative environment to design, prototype, and demonstrate working projects with mentors and workshops.

• Programming and cybersecurity competitions: Students can participate in computing competitions and cybersecurity activities that require collaborative problem-solving, programming, networking, and security skills.

• Industry exposure: UTulsa's Computer Science students and graduates have gained professional experience and employment with organizations such as Google, Amazon, General Motors, and government security organizations.

• Close faculty interaction: The Tandy School emphasizes small-group learning, personalized attention, and opportunities for students to interact with faculty, research collaborators, peers, external research laboratories, and other institutions.

The Computer Science B.S.C.S. prepares graduates for careers spanning software development, systems, networking, security, robotics, databases, artificial intelligence, and other technology-intensive fields. UTulsa reports a 100% placement rate for Computer Science B.S.C.S. graduates, while its Computer Science alumni have progressed into roles at major technology companies, startups, and government security organizations.

Typical career roles include:

Software Engineer, Robotics Engineer, Security Analyst, Web Developer

Students can strengthen their transition from university to employment through:

• CaneCareers: The Center for Career Development provides résumé workshops, mock interviews, job fairs, professional-development activities, and career coaching to help students compete for internships and full-time positions.

• Job Placement Guarantee: Eligible UTulsa undergraduate students who meet the program requirements are guaranteed a job offer or graduate-school acceptance within six months of graduation, with a free semester of graduate study available if the guarantee conditions are met and the student does not receive an offer.

• Internship support: CaneCareers helps students pursue competitive internships and full-time opportunities with leading companies.

• Career outcomes: UTulsa's Computer Science page reports a 100% placement rate for B.S.C.S. graduates, while the College of Engineering & Computer Science reports that more than 90% of its alumni obtain employment or begin graduate school within six months.

• Salary figures: UTulsa's Computer Science page reports a $141,000 median annual salary for computer scientists; this is presented by the university as a computer-scientist salary figure rather than as a guaranteed starting salary for B.S.C.S. graduates.

• Employer connections: UTulsa identifies alumni employment with organizations including Google, Amazon, and General Motors, alongside independent startups and government security firms.

• Industry and research partnerships: The College of Engineering & Computer Science reports more than 40 years of collaboration with industry through research consortia and joint industry projects. Computer Science students can also encounter research and innovation projects involving government and industry partners.

• Robotics and autonomy: The Institute for Robotics & Autonomy connects Computer Science with interdisciplinary robotics research and collaborations involving community partners and industry stakeholders.

• Professional preparation: ABET accreditation provides external validation that the B.S.C.S. meets established educational standards and develops outcomes relevant to employers and continued professional development.

• Graduation outcomes: The program's ABET educational objectives state that graduates are expected to meet employer expectations and pursue professional development, including advanced studies where desired.

Further Academic Progression:
After completing the B.S.C.S., students can continue into graduate study at The University of Tulsa through its M.S. in Computer Science options, including interdisciplinary, non-thesis, and thesis pathways, or pursue the Ph.D. in Computer Science for advanced research. Students interested in cybersecurity can also consider graduate study through UTulsa's Cyber Security programs, while the university's research environment provides opportunities to continue into advanced work in AI, cybersecurity, networking, software engineering, autonomy, and related fields.