Computer Science and Engineering
The Department of Computer Science and Engineering was created in 1993 with the merger of the computer engineering program and the computer science department.
The department offers bachelor's degrees in data sciences, computer engineering and computer science through the College of Engineering. At the graduate level, we offer a master of engineering, master of science (thesis and non-thesis), and Ph.D.
There are approximately 1,599 undergraduate students and 356 graduate students enrolled in the department, with 47 tenure-track faculty members. Admission to the CSE department is extremely competitive. Each year more than 900 applications are received. Approximately 50 students are admitted in the fall semester, and an overwhelming majority of funded applicants are Ph.D. students.
Some of the research fields faculty and students are engaged in include:
- Data Sciences
- Programming Languages
- Algorithms and Complexity
- Systems
- Computer Vision
- Networks
- Security
- Cyber Enabled Discovery
- Computer Architecture
- Very Large Scale Integration
- Embedded and Mobile Systems
- High Performance Computing
Mission
The mission of the faculty of the undergraduate computer engineering program at Penn State is to provide students with the knowledge and experience needed to pursue a productive lifelong career in industry or to engage in further study at the graduate level. Students participate in a balanced program of instruction covering the basic principles of the design and application of computer systems. The program includes coverage in breadth and depth of basic science, engineering, and abstract concepts of information handling. Students specialize in and are prepared for careers in the design, analysis and use of hardware, software and systems. The program is structured to ensure that graduates have a clear understanding of the design and the applications of computer, as well as the ability to apply this knowledge throughout their professional careers.
Educational Objectives
Within a few years after graduation, graduates in computer engineering should be able to:
- Work in industry or government producing or evaluating components of computer hardware and/or software systems.
- Work in teams to design, implement, and/or maintain components of computer hardware and/or software systems.
- Stay current through professional conferences, certificate programs, post-baccalaureate degree programs, or other professional educational activities.
- Apply appropriate theory, practices, and tools to the specification, design, implementation, maintenance and evaluation of both large and small software systems.
- Work in teams to design, implement, and/or maintain components of computer software systems.
- Stay current through professional conferences, certificate programs, post-baccalaureate degree programs, or other professional educational activities.
