Computer Science
Learn to solve complex problems.
Jobs in the computer science field are among the fastest growing occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. With an ideal Raleigh location near Research Triangle Park, Meredith is able to provide internships opportunities at top companies like SAS Institute. And, we offer a variety of special programs to support women who enter fields like computer science that are traditionally chosen by men.
Meredith offers both the Bachelor of Science and the Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science, as well as minors in mathematics, mathematics/computer applications, statistics and web development. The Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science, which requires only 30 credit hours, is ideally suited for students wishing to combine an interest in computer studies with a minor or second major in another area.
Meredith participates in the NSF-funded STARS (Students & Technology in Academia, Research and Service) Alliance, which seeks to broaden participation in computing and information technology for underrepresented groups. As part of the STARS grant, Meredith has a Student Leadership Corp (SLC). The students in the SLC participate in leadership and outreach projects and present posters at the annual STARS leadership conference.
Computer science majors have the opportunity to compete in the International Programming Contest at Duke University, as well as participate in the Canaday Math and Computer Science club, which sponsors social events and service projects for students interested in math and computer science.
Computer science is housed in the Science and Mathematics Building, Meredith’s newest and largest academic facility. The Penrose tile design on the atrium floor was designed by two Meredith math students working on an undergraduate research project with a mathematics professor. The “Computation Commons” is a comfortable student lounge where math and computer science majors congregate between classes. The Bit Lab is a student-run computer lab used exclusively by computer science majors, who have built high end PCs and installed Linux operating systems and networking. Upper-level computer science classes meet in the Bit Lab, and it serves as a lounge where computer science students can hang out or do homework.
Meredith's computer science program offers numerous and varied research and internship opportunities. Recent undergraduate research projects by computer science majors include:
- "Cataloguing Conversation: Using Word Frequency to Predict Utterance Categorization"
- "Building a Green Laptop: Viable or Visionary?"
- "How does your vote count? Comparing voting algorithms and effects on elections"
Recent internships for computer science majors include:
- Tekelec, Morrisville, N.C.
- BandWidth.com, Cary, N.C.
- SAS Institute, Cary, N.C.
Graduates of Meredith's computer science program are employed in a variety of occupations - they also enjoy success in graduate school.
Graduate programs attended by recent computer science graduates:
- Ph.D. in Information Technology, UNC-Charlotte
- Master of Science in Cybersecurity, University of Maryland University College
- Master of Library Science, UNC-Chapel Hill
Jobs obtained by recent computer science graduates:
- Development Tester, SAS Institute, Cary, N.C.
- Release Engineer, Tekelec, Morrisville, N.C.
- Physical Sciences Librarian, UNC-Chapel Hill
Several awards and scholarships are presented to outstanding students each year. The Charles A. Davis Award for Outstanding Seniors in Mathematics and Computer Science is presented to seniors in Mathematics or Computer Science who have excelled in academics and/or service. Outstanding sophomores in mathematics and computer science are recognized with book awards.
In addition to these discipline-specific scholarship opportunities, Meredith offers a range of merit and need-based financial assistance. Last year, Meredith coordinated $42.8 million in financial assistance.
Meredith’s student/faculty ratio of 11:1 and average class size of 17 ensure that students get to know their professors. In turn, our faculty know students by name and, just as important, are familiar with each student’s unique strengths and interests. This allows faculty to identify interesting research and internship opportunities for students, to write meaningful letters of recommendation, and to support students as they conduct in-depth undergraduate research. In fact, students and faculty frequently work together on such projects—more than 140 were conducted by student/faculty teams across campus last year.
Computer science faculty members include:
Barrett Koster has a Ph.D. in computer science from NC State University. He has conducted research in artificial intelligence, human language and speech understanding. He currently teaches a freshman PRISM seminar on “The Future of Technology.”
Kristin Watkins has a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and computer science and an MBA from Meredith College. She worked as a software engineer at IBM for 12 years before returning to Meredith to teach computer science. She is active in grant-funded programs that seek to increase the participation of women in computing.
For more detailed information about the computer science major, please go to the program website.
For information about other majors at Meredith, return to the Admissions majors page
