Mission Statement

Computer Science as a formal discipline was initiated at Northern Illinois University in 1971. At that time, leadership was based in the Department of Mathematical Sciences with divisional status given to computer science in 1974. Departmental status for computer science was approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education in February, 1982. Presently, the Department of Computer Science resides in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and offers three undergraduate programs leading to the degree Bachelor of Science as well as a minor and a master’s program.

NIU’s Department of Computer Science has provided students access to the breadth and depth of computer science for over thirty years. For students interested in business careers, our programs keep pace with an ever-changing industry. For students interested in careers in high-tech industries or research, we provide introductory and advanced courses in a variety of core and specialty areas. We also provide exciting courses for non-majors desiring a basic introduction to computing and for students interested in interdisciplinary careers. Such students might choose to minor in computer science.

Graduates find employment in business, high-tech industries across the United States, and research organizations. Numerous companies recruit Northern Illinois University computer science graduates for both internships and permanent positions. The Career Services office on campus helps students in their employment searches by holding internship fairs and job fairs, as well as by hosting a web site with job postings. Students interested in graduate education and research careers are encouraged to consult with professors in their area of interest.

The Department supports several extracurricular activities that complement our academic programs. We sponsor a dormitory floor to provide our computer science students with social as well as academic interaction. The Student Chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) hosts a series of events including “meet-the-firm” opportunities, visitations to industrial computing facilities, and speakers from national high-tech companies. The chapter also holds resume writing clinics and programs that focus on internship and interviewing opportunities. The Department brings one or more nationally-known researchers to campus each semester to keep students up to date with the latest advancements in computer science. Each semester, the Department publishes a newsletter designed to keep students informed about developments in computer science as well as departmental updates.