Program:

The Computer Science program provides students with the theoretical background and practical experience that will enable them to function effectively in the computer science profession, further their studies in computer science and related fields, and to succeed in a technological society.

The program prepares students with a solid foundation in programming skills (currently in Java and C++), and other topics such as Software Engineering, Computer Architecture, Operating Systems and Computer Networking.

Students receive both a theoretical and a practical education in these courses while conducting real-world computing projects in teams. At the same time, they immensely benefit from small class sizes and personal interactions with the professors.

The Computer Science program follows the most recent guidelines of the Report of the ACM/IEEE-CS Joint Curriculum Task Force. According to Prof. Daniel McCracken, former President of ACM and former Chairman of the Computer Science department at CCNY-CUNY, who recently reviewed the program, "Mercy College is to be commended for having a fine program in Computer Science. The curriculum is constantly revised to keep it up to date; the faculty are qualified and committed; the facilities are outstanding in many ways; students are enthusiastic about their educational experience and have good prospects for jobs or graduate study."

Download a PDF version of our Program Brochure

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Program Contacts:

	Nagaraj Rao, PhD Chair, Division of Mathematics and Computer Information Science nrao@mercy.edu Telephone: 914-674-7593
	Narasim Banavara, PhD Professor, Mathematics and Computer Information Science nbanavara@mercy.edu Telephone: 914-674-7443
	Delia Marx, PhD Professor, Mathematics and Computer Information Science dmarx@mercy.edu Telephone: 914-674-7585

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Career Opportunities:

Representative career opportunities for graduates of the Computer Science Bachelor's degree program are as follows: Programmer, Helpdesk Specialist, Analyst, Software Engineer, Network Engineer, Network Administrator, Web Administrator, and Game Programmer.

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Curriculum:

Major courses in the Computer Science curriculum include:

• Programming courses (currently Java and C++) - this includes a 3-course sequence in Java followed by a comparative study of programming paradigms and languages. Finally there is an upper-level project course using Java / C++.
  
• Operating Systems - this is a conceptual approach focusing on process management, memory management, I/O management, and file management. Other topics include security and distributed systems.
  
• Computer Architecture - this course provides a hardware-level understanding of the operations of a computer.
  
• Data Communications - this course introduces the fundamental concepts of networking, including the OSI model, LAN, WAN, and wireless networking.
  
• Discrete Structures - this course is an introduction to the mathematical foundations of computer science.
  
• Calculus I and II
  
• Probability: Theory and Applications
  
• Another upper-level mathematics course, such as Linear Algebra, Algebraic Structures, Number Theory, or Mathematical Modeling.
  
• Software Engineering - this is the capstone course in the program. In this course, students learn the principles of software engineering. Working in teams, they also conduct a comprehensive programming project for a real-world organization applying the principles of software engineering and the various programming concepts studied earlier.
  

For the complete course curriculum click here.

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Campuses where program is offered:

Dobbs Ferry, Bronx, Manhattan or entirely online.

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Facilities:

Facilities include closed computer labs for all programming courses and a new fully-equipped lab exclusively for Computer Information Science experiments. We also offer a Math/CIS lounge equipped with PCs, Sun system and reference books for major students.

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Accreditations:

The Computer Science program has been approved by the New York State Department of Education. Mercy College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

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Frequently Asked Questions:

What is the difference between Computer Information Systems (CIS) and Computer Science (CS)?
Sometimes people are confused about the differences between majoring in Computer Information Systems (CIS) and majoring in Computer Science (CS). It may help to think that, in general, a CIS major will devote time studying the way computers are used to solve business problems and designing information systems to solve business information problems, whereas CS majors will analyze more how computers work and how to design programs. So when it comes to jobs, a CIS major would probably be hired by a company that uses computers to keep track of their business, whereas a CS major would of interest to a company whose products are computers, software or computer services.

Is the program offered completely online?
Yes. On-campus students can also take the courses online. All online courses will have proctored exams.

Are department faculty available for academic advising?
Yes. Faculty are always ready to help students with questions about what courses to take, the sequencing of courses, and career opportunities, including internships and cooperative education.

Is the Computer Science program approved/accredited?
Yes. The Computer Science program has been approved by the New York State Department of Education. Mercy College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Do you offer night and weekend classes?
Yes. Many of the courses are offered in the evenings and weekends. The CS courses are offered at the Dobbs Ferry and Bronx campuses.

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