Computer Science and Engineering

Chair: Gita Alaghband
Program Assistant: Sarah Mandos
Administrative Assistant: Kalyn Osborn
Office: Lawrence Street Center, 8th Floor
Telephone: 303-315-1408
Fax: 303-315-1410
Website: engineering.ucdenver.edu/cse

Faculty

Professors
Gita Alaghband, PhD, University of Colorado
Research areas: parallel and distributed systems, parallel algorithms, applications and languages, high-performance computing

Tom Altman, PhD, University of Pittsburgh
Research areas: algorithms, optimization, theory

Boris Stilman, PhD, National Research Institute for Electrical Engineering, Moscow, Russia
Research areas: artificial intelligence, linguistic geometry

Associate Professors
Bogdan Chlebus, PhD, Warsaw University, Poland
Research areas: combinatorial algorithms, communication networks, distributed computing

Min-Hyung Choi, PhD, University of Iowa
Research areas: computer graphics, animation, virtual reality, human computer interface

Ellen Gethner, PhD, University of British Columbia
Research areas: graph theory, number theory, combinatorics, discrete geometry, computational geometry, visualization, algorithms

Ilkyeun Ra, PhD, Syracuse University
Research areas: computer networks, high-performance computing, distributed computing systems

Assistant Professors
Farnoush Banaei-Kashani, PhD, University of Southern California
Research areas: big data management, big data mining, data science, geospatial data analysis, data stores (NewSQL)

Tam Vu, PhD, Rutgers University
Research areas: mobile and wireless systems, mobile security, wireless networking, cyber physical system focusing on health care, smart building, smart and connected cities

Assistant Professor (Clinical Teaching Track)
Thomas Augustine, DSc
Research areas: cybersecurity analysis, implementation and education; network operations; secure coding

Mission Statement

With the advances in technology and the rapid and prevalent growth of the information-based economy, computer science has become an enabling science for nearly all disciplines that impact engineering, science, business, health and government. The future of the discipline promises even more innovative advances. The Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Colorado Denver is committed to providing outstanding education and research training to our diverse undergraduate and graduate students for productive careers in industry, academia and government in the Denver metropolitan area, state and beyond. Our faculty strive for excellence in teaching, research and service by covering a broad spectrum of the discipline’s core fundamentals, as well as applied aspects including those of interdisciplinary nature. We actively engage our students in classroom and out-of-classroom research and help them develop the skills needed to solve complex real-world technological problems of modern society.

Programs Offered

The Department of Computer Science and Engineering offers BS, MS and PhD degrees:

The undergraduate BS degree is awarded in computer science (CS). This curriculum is a rigorous study covering theoretical, software, systems and hardware interfaces providing students with a coherent and in-depth education of key components of the field.
The Computer Science (CS) Scholars Program (dual BS/MS) provides high-performing and motivated undergraduate students the opportunity to begin course work at the graduate level while completing the undergraduate degree in CS. In the process, it allows students to receive dual credit for up to 12 hours of graduate-lvel CS courses for both the Bachelor of Science and the Master of Science,
The MS degree is awarded in computer science (CS) to those students who wish to pursue graduate studies to further develop their education. The MS in CS graduate program covers the core knowledge of key concepts of the computer science as well as offers flexibility to pursue specializing in various fields of interests.
The Computer Science and Information Systems PhD program is an interdisciplinary, joint program between the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and the Information Systems program in the Business School. The program offers a CS track with PhD degree awarded in CSIS from the College of Engineering and Applied Science and an IS track with the degree awarded in CSIS from the Business School.
The multidisciplinary Engineering and Applied Science PhD degree is available through the Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

The Department of Computer Science and Engineering also offers a Computer Science Minor and a graduate certificate in software engineering.

Any undergraduate student currently enrolled in a CU Denver degree program with a major other than computer science may earn a minor in computer science. This includes students from the College of Engineering and Applied Science, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the School of Public Affairs, the College of Arts & Media, and the School of Education & Human Development.
The graduate certificate in software engineering is designed for working professionals, or computer science students beginning their careers, who are in the field of software engineering and/or software development. This certificate requires a previous computer science or systems engineering degree. At the start of the certificate program, students are expected to have a strong understanding of software development, in terms of software construction, software coding and basic software design.

The most up-to-date information on all programs offered through the computer science and engineering department can be obtained from the department’s website at engineering.ucdenver.edu/cse. Please also see our Graduate Catalog for more details regarding these programs.

Undergraduate Information

Computer Science Program

Computers as a combination of software and hardware have become significant to the whole of society. They affect the way in which business is conducted and the way people study and learn. Very important is the use of computers to develop new avenues of human communication, interaction and cooperation. Communication networks and the combination of text with audio and video are providing more people with fingertip access to a vast array of information and knowledge.

The computer scientist is a professional who must be prepared to apply his or her skills, knowledge and creativity in a rapidly changing field. The bachelor of science in computer science at CU Denver prepares students for such creative work. The emphasis is on fundamental concepts and basic principles with a long useful life. The program is composed of five major study areas: mathematics, basic or engineering science, required computer science, technical electives and the CU Denver core curriculum .

The computer science program is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) of ABET.

Computer Science Curriculum

The mathematics, basic science and computer science core requirements give the student a broad exposure to the concepts, methods and practice of computer science and engineering; the student learns the fundamentals of producing solutions to problems.

Technical electives are chosen to add depth to a student’s knowledge in an area of special interest.

The CU Denver undergraduate core curriculum is designed to give the student an exposure to knowledge outside his or her major. For students in the College of Engineering and Applied Science, courses in the humanities, social sciences and human communications are required.

To be awarded the bachelor of science in computer science, a student must satisfactorily complete all course work shown in the curriculum below, satisfy all university graduation requirements and maintain at least a 2.0 GPA in all computer science courses attempted (see “Policy on Academic Progress” in the introductory section of this chapter). Students must meet with an undergraduate advisor each semester to assure that they are on track within the degree program and are aware of the current requirements of the program. An additional source of information is the CS Undergraduate Advising Handbook available online on the department’s website. Students are assigned faculty advisors and must meet with their assigned faculty at least once each semester. Students are required to meet all advising requirements. They must complete a 30-hour checkout before registering for the last 30 semester hours of their program. In addition, each student must complete an approved graduation plan within the academic year of their intended graduation date. Prerequisites will be strictly enforced.

Note: Prerequisites must be taken before a course that requires them. Co-requisites are to be taken concurrently.

Computer Science Scholars Program: Dual BS/MS

The Computer Science (CS) Scholars Program provides high-performing and motivated undergraduate students the opportunity to begin graduate work at the master’s level while completing the undergraduate degree in CS. In the process, it allows students to receive dual credit for up to 12 hours of graduate-level computer science courses for both the Bachelor of Science (BS) and the Master of Science (MS) degree. This accelerates the time to obtain a graduate degree for the student, saving both time and expense.

Program Guidelines:

Students admitted into the CS Scholars Program will be allowed to take 5000-level courses in computer science while still completing their undergraduate degree in computer science. CS Scholars are allowed to apply up to 12 credit hours (4 courses) of 5000-level courses toward both their BS degree in computer science, as technical electives, and their MS degree in computer science.

The following guidelines are applied to students in the BS Scholars Program:

Dual credit CSIS 5000-level courses must be taken at CU Denver and must be courses selected from category A or B as required by the MS degree in computer science (outlined in the CU Denver computer science Graduate Handbook).
Students must score a B- or higher in their 5000-level computer science courses for the course to be applied toward the MS degree. A passing grade below a B- will contribute to the BS degree requirements, but not to the MS degree requirements.
Students cannot apply more than 12 credit hours of graduate coursework to the MS degree taken prior to the completion of the BS degree.
Students cannot obtain dual credit for courses taken prior to admission into the CS Scholars Program. Students will be considered undergraduate students until all requirements for the BS degree in computer science are completed.
The BS degree will be conferred the semester during which these requirements are completed. At that time, students will also be considered an MS student. Students then continue to fulfill the remaining requirements for their MS degree in computer science (thesis option or project option or course only option). CS Scholars are expected to finish their MS degree in 2 semesters upon completion of their BS degree (course only option), plus a summer session for students pursuing an MS project or thesis.

Admission Requirements:

Must be a full-time undergraduate student in computer science at CU Denver in good standing, with a minimum of 60 credit hours completed toward the BS degree in computer science, and must have completed CSCI 3412: Algorithms, CSCI 3453: Operating Systems Concepts, and CSCI 3287: Database Systems.
Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3 or a 3.5 GPA in CS major coursework.
Must complete an application to the CS Scholars Program, including a dual degree course plan. The application must be approved by the student’s CS academic advisor and submitted to the CS department.
Must apply and be accepted into the CU Denver MS program in computer science for the semester during which they will enter the CS Scholars Program dual-credit program.