Why CS at St. Olaf?
Given the many reasons to take Computer Science (CS), why is St. Olaf College a good place to study CS?
St. Olaf's (CS) program has a mission to provide high-quality CS education, focusing on the fundamental principles of CS as a discipline, in connection with the other liberal arts, through first hand experience, and informed by the outside world. CS is the academic discipline of computing, combining theory, abstraction, and design to create a distinctive field of study that prepares undergraduates well for computing-related careers, whether as a computing professional or in another field using computers as a tool.
St. Olaf's CS curriculum offers a breadth-first introduction to CS that makes the fundamental principles of the CS available to liberal-arts students of any discipline, and simultaneously develops the analytical thinking skills needed for later courses. Starting with the first course (which satisfies the College's Mathematical Reasoning [MAR] requirement), the program emphasizes a hands-on approach to teaching, which emphasizes learning intellectual concepts through concrete exercises. The courses span national expectations for CS curricula, and the program embraces its liberal arts context in the organization of its major, its emphasis on teamwork and communication skills, its involvement in interdisciplinary projects, and its distinctive, integrated interest in computing ethics.
With a newly approved CS major, several new courses, emerging initiatives in Bioinformatics and undergraduate research, and ongoing emphasis on internships and team projects, St. Olaf CS is on the move!