Georgetown's Department of Computer Science consists of sixteen full-time faculty working in the areas of algorithms, artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, computer and network security, database systems, data mining, distributed algorithms, distributed systems, information assurance, information retrieval, machine learning, networking, non-standard parallel computing, and parallel algorithms. We are a small department, which provides students considerable opportunities for interaction with the faculty, for independent study, and for involvement in faculty research. We take great pride in our students, teaching, and research.

Georgetown University is a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education (CAEIAE), a program administered through the Georgetown Institute for Information Assurance (GIIA). The department supports and collaborates closely with the Georgetown Center for Secure Communications (GCSC).

Undergraduate Programs

For undergraduate students, the department offers three academic programs:

• Bachelor of Science (BS)
• Bachelor of Arts (BA)
• Minor

The BS is our most technical undergraduate offering, designed to prepare students for careers in industry or for advanced study in computer science. The BA, with its broad, flexible requirements, is ideal for students who want to combine computer science with another discipline, such as mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, government, psychology, linguistics, or philosophy. Finally, the minor and its basic courses on programming, mathematical methods, and data structures lets students supplement and strengthen their major requirements.

For Georgetown students pursuing the BS in computer science, we offer an accelerated Master's program:

• Accelerated Master of Science

The accelerated MS program, through course-work and thesis options, lets Georgetown students strengthen their foundational education, gain additional preparation for technical careers in industry, or prepare for advanced study at the doctoral level.

For people with an undergraduate degree in a field other than computer science, the department offers a certificate program:

• Post-Baccalaureate Certificate

The post-baccalaureate certificate program in computer science (PBCS) is designed for qualified students who have an undergraduate degree in a discipline other than computer science. It lets students take foundational courses in programming, data structures, algorithms, hardware, and systems. The program prepares students for further advancement in their current field, for entry-level positions in industry and in government, or for advanced study in computer science at the graduate level.

Graduate Programs

For graduate students, we offer the degrees

• Master of Science (MS)
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

The MS lets students further develop their technical skills and concentrate in areas of their choosing. Two external electives give students the ability to broaden their studies to disciplines such as linguistics, psychology, international affairs, and biostatistics. A thesis option exposes students to research in preparation for careers in applied research or further study at the doctoral level.

The Ph.D. program prepares students for research and teaching careers in academia and for research and technical careers in industry and government. It is a full-time program that consists of completing the requirements for the Master's program, taking doctoral seminars, passing a qualifying exam, writing and defending a proposal for research, conducting that research, and writing and defending a dissertation describing the investigation.

Our department was originally established as a program in the Department of Mathematics. It became a separate department in 1985.