The Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Computer Science (BS ACS) has been created for those students who want and need the knowledge and expertise of computer science to work in one of the many disciplines that require advanced computing techniques. These fields do not merely "use" computing but create new and interesting problems for the computer scientist.

Application Areas

There are currently four applications areas, bioinformatics, computer game design, geography, and software engineering. Other areas will be added soon. For example, Bioinformatics, the study of computational issues central to biological science, requires knowledge of both Biology and Computer Science. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is an emerging discipline that requires computational knowledge as well as a background in a non-computational discipline. Both bioinformatics and GIS generate vast files of raw data that can be analyzed for answers to important questions. Computer scientists have a better understanding of these issues but do not have the background required to formulate the basic questions. Many other fields, such as Mathematics and Economics, are experiencing the need for computational methods as well.

For admissions information and instructions, see our admissions page.