Our History
The UNH Department of Computer Science first emerged in 1978 as a division of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. At the time, B.S. and M.S. degrees in computer science were offered. In 1981, when the faculty roster had grown to six members, the Department of Computer Science became an individual entity within the University of New Hampshire's College of Engineering and Physical Science. Since then, the department has continued to grow. In 1989, the department started offering a Ph.D. in Computer Science. Today, students can explore new paths in Information Technology and Bioinformatics, and gain experience through countless internship opportunities.
Our Faculty
Our 9 faculty members have wide-ranging interests and research projects, with concentrations in artificial intelligence, computer graphics and scientific visualization, database and knowledge base systems, operating systems and computer networks, parallel computing and compiler design, and theoretical computer science. The CS department is also supported by 10 full-time instructors who are dedicated to providing excellence in teaching.
Faculty members and instructors are also committed to the department's mission of offering high-quality baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral level computer science programs; providing computer and information technology coursework to the broader UNH community; performing scholarly research to advance the state-of-knowledge, the state-of-the-art, and the state-of-practice in computer science and related fields; and providing expertise to serve the UNH community, region, state, and nation.
Many of our students find the strong network of faculty support and intimate class sizes exceptional. Our department is committed to keeping class sizes under 50, and senior elective classes typically have fewer than 20 students. Students in our program don’t feel like just a number.
Our Curriculum
The UNH Computer Science curriculum emphasizes the fundamental concepts and skills underlying modern computing and its applications, ensuring that our graduates are well-prepared in an ever-changing field. Requiring our students to gain a solid foundation in science and mathematics fosters an environment that encourages strong problem-solving skills and abstract thinking. Students also gain a solid footing in software engineering. Since the major tenets of our curriculum are not just about teaching our students to program, our graduates succeed in a wide-range of professional jobs and in pursuing advanced degrees.
Our Students
Our program is home to over 300 undergraduate students and 80 graduate students. Many of our students appreciate gaining solid technical skills and knowledge while being immersed in the atmosphere of a rural, liberal arts school. Several of our students are involved in extra-curricular activities and coursework that ultimately enable them to round out their experiences here.
Our graduates have gone on to land myriad jobs in neighboring cities and states, and beyond. Recent graduates have been hired at Acision, Apple, CA Technologies, BAE Systems, IBM, EMC, General Dynamics, Google, Hydratec, Liberty Mutual, Microsoft, NetApp, PROTEUS Technologies, Radianse, and Raytheon. Others have gone on to pursue advanced degrees at prestigious institutions across the United States.
What is Computer Science?
Computer scientists are concerned with all aspects of design, implementation, and application of computer software. They focus on problem-solving in general, with particular emphasis on the design of computer-efficient solutions. This involves a detailed understanding of the nature of algorithms (a set of rules for solving a problem), the software implementation techniques necessary to utilize these algorithms on computers, and a knowledge of how algorithms can be combined in a structured manner to form highly complex software systems. The computer science department offers a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree program. The BA program has three options: Algorithms, Cybersecurity, and Systems.
Information Technology
Computer Science focuses on how computer technology, particularly software, is built in order to extend existing or build new technologies. Information Technology, on the other hand, focuses on the application of existing technologies to current problems. Information technology can be applied to a large range of fields/problems and includes the selection, integration, and deployment of computer technologies to solve identified problems. The computer science department offers a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology degree program.
Analytics and Data Science
With an explosion of big data initiatives in organizations worldwide, the demand for data-savvy individuals has never been higher. The Analytics and Data Science program is the only on-campus degree of its kind in the region, specifically designed to prepare the next generation of innovative data scientists and analysts. This vital field impacts nearly all aspects of the economy, society and daily life. Emerging out of several established fields, including information technology, computer science, statistics, mathematics and business analytics, analytics and data science involves multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to extract knowledge and insights from large quantities of complex data for use in a broad range of applications. The computer science department now offers a Bachelor of Science degree program in Analytics and Data Science. There are two options: Analytics and Data Science