Overview
Industrial Partnerships at FDU's School of Computer Science and Information Systems Offer Students Real-World Experience
Fairleigh Dickinson University's School of Computer Science and Information Systems has an enlightened curriculum that combines core coursework with entrepreneurialism and self-discovery. Student projects and competition in various contests have brought accolades from numerous organizations, including the IEEE Student Presentation Contest, the ASME Student Design Competition, the MCA Competition, and the ACM Regional Collegiate Programming Contest.
Award-winning students have gone on to successful careers in academia, research, and business, assuming such leadership roles as university president, department chair and faculty, corporate CEO, company president, engineer, computer professional, and space explorer. Student projects and competition are an important element of the FDU success formula.
The School of Computer Science and Information Systems also supports the creation and use of industrial partnerships to offer students access to both funding and expertise. Several recent Innovation Summits have featured the Organization for Entrepreneurial Development (OED), a non-profit corporation providing entrepreneurs with tools, expertise, and resources, including finances, which have typically been available only to established companies. OED was founded by entrepreneurs who have "been there, done that," and wish to share the benefits of their experience by helping student entrepreneurs with novel industrial partnerships.
Students in the school also participate in various types of outreach programs developed by the faculty and departments, as well as independent and group projects empowered by both public and private grants. Entrepreneurial computer science students use a mix of class work and time spent with outreach programs to benefit from the opportunity to learn and develop entrepreneurial skills in a real-world setting.
FDU's Master of Science in Computer Science and Master of Science in Computer Engineering are State-of-the-Art Degrees
The graduate program for obtaining a Master of Science in Computer Science is designed specifically to prepare students to assume productive positions in industry or continue more advanced study. Instead of a single preferred outcome, the program's responsibility is the preparation of computer industry leaders.
The curriculum covers diverse areas of computer science ranging from hardware design and software engineering to systems analysis and the secure, fault-tolerant management of critical information systems. Required core courses for the Master of Science in Computer Science are Computer Architecture, Software Engineering, Database Systems, Operating Systems, and Systems Programming. Elective courses range widely and there is usually one "special topics" course every semester.
FDU's new Master of Science in Computer Engineering is in a constant state of development and refinement to ensure that it stays state-of-the-art. It is designed to educate students, as well as supply hands-on training, so that they can work as computer engineers with a clear understanding of "design tradeoffs" and the interdependence of hardware and software systems in personal and enterprise computers, various computer-based systems, computer-aided communications, and different kinds of computer networks. With computer-based systems widely used for data acquisition, instruments, signal processing and conditioning, automation, communications, control, and manufacturing, there is a growing need for true, flexible expertise in this area.
The Master of Science in Computer Engineering curriculum gives students the design skills, theoretical foundation, and solid, integrated understanding of hardware and software design that they need to attain, and maintain, professional competency in advanced computer technology.
Computer Science Faculty and Students Bring Discoveries from the Research Facilities into the Classroom and the World
The computer science faculty comprises many top academics and researchers, along with industry professionals with both past and present associations with technology firms and professional organizations. Combined with an excellent mix of visiting speakers from academia and industry, computer science and computer engineering graduate students get the entire span of experience and perspectives from research, development, and teaching professionals.
Various programming language compilers are available to students for study and research, including Visual BASIC.NET, C, C++, and Assembly. First-rate software packages for all kinds of technology students include MathCAD, AutoCAD, Primavera, Microsoft Office Suite, Electronic Workbench, Simulink, Motorola Digital Signal Processing Development Software, and MATLAB. The "toolboxes" provided in these applications support work in such areas as fuzzy logic, neural networks, control, image processing, signal processing, communications, symbolic math, and system identification.
Both faculty and faculty-student research makes use of the general-purpose computer labs, as well as multimedia labs equipped with high-resolution color printers and scanners for producing high-quality graphics, presentations, and animation. Still another computer lab in Muscarelle Center is dedicated to computer and engineering technology students from all campuses.
In any event, all FDU computers are connected to the main university network as well as to the Internet. All classroom and research facilities, including residence halls and libraries, are online with either fiber or high-speed serial connections. Additional research facilities of interest to computer students are the Computer Applications and Interfacing Lab, Digital Signal Processing Lab, Computer and Graphics Lab, Electronics Lab, Control/Automation Lab, and the Electronic Communications Lab.
