Overview
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette's Center for Advanced Computer Studies Gives Students a Unique Education
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is a state university located in the midst of the Acadiana region characterized by Cajun music, food, and culture. The city of Lafayette has a population of over 120,000 and offers many recreational and cultural opportunities to students. For students who wish to go on weekend trips to find even more cultural opportunities, New Orleans lies one-hundred twenty miles east.
The Center for Advanced Computer Studies (CACS) combines computer science and computer engineering into a single graduate program relying on cutting-edge research in fields such as communications networks, wireless communications, electronic design automation, web technologies, AI and cognitive science, cryptography, data security, computer graphics, and more. Since 1984, CACS has been offering a high-quality education from top-notch faculty members.
Students in the CACS program receive strong conceptual, theoretical, and experimental foundations in the field of computing, while also staying current with modern work by learning about the most recent developments.
Students who are accepted to CACS for graduate studies may apply for one of the large number of teaching and research assistantships, which allow them to receive a waiver for tuition and most fees as well as a stipend for living expenses. Various competitive fellowships are also available for students with exceptional academic records. Upon graduation, most CACS graduates find work that makes use of their knowledge and skills, whether in academic circles or in the world of private industry.
CACS Students May Join Student Chapters of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Computer Society
Students in the Center for Advanced Computer Studies may choose to join local award-winning chapters of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Computer Society and the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). These international computing societies have award-winning student chapters at UL Lafayette, and many students choose to join.
The Student Chapter of the IEEE Computer Society at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette is a branch of the national society, and promotes an active exchange of information, ideas, and technological innovation among its members. Weekly meetings are occasionally graced by guest speakers who discuss various aspects related to the computer science/computer engineering fields. The chapter also organizes many academic and social gatherings throughout the year, ranging from welcome events and holiday parties to T-shirt design contests.
CACS Students Study Computer Science and Computer Engineering, Learning About AI, VLSI, Computer Graphics, and More
CACS students at UL Lafayette may choose from one of four degrees: the Master of Science in Computer Science, the Master of Science in Computer Engineering, the Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science, and the Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Engineering.
Regardless of which degree a student chooses to pursue, they will study important fields of computer research including computer architecture, operating systems, algorithms and theory of computation, database and information systems, programming languages and compilers, artificial intelligence and cognitive science, software engineering, computer design and implementation, VLSI, computer communications and networks, linear systems and signal processing, logic design, fault tolerance, and computer graphics.
UL Lafayette's CACS Program Provides Teaching and Research Assistantships with Tuition Waivers and Stipends
Students who qualify to enroll in the CACS department program are eligible for various forms of financial support set aside for CACS graduate students. CACS has a large number of teaching and research assistantships that include a waiver of tuition and most fees. Most assistantships also come with stipends for living expenses. In addition, certain qualified students with sufficient academic credentials can apply for fellowships that come with an additional monetary bonus. Entering students with high GRE scores and superior academic records may apply to compete for these fellowships.
CACS Graduates Have a Unique Education that Positions Them to Achieve Success in Careers in Academia and Industry
CACS students receive a comprehensive education that consists of a unique blend of computer science and computer engineering. For this reason, CACS graduates are well-prepared to find careers in a competitive environment, and have been placed across the world and enjoy a high degree of success in their careers. CACS graduates have contributed numerous innovations to both academia and industry. Alumni of the CACS program have gone on to manage IT security at national banks, become directors of anti-virus labs, teach computer science at universities from South Carolina to Hong Kong, and achieve various other wide-reaching accomplishments.
UL-Lafayette is Sensitive to the Unique Cajun Culture of the Acadiana Region and Works with the Cajun Community
: UL-Lafayette lies in the Acadiana region, home to a rich tradition of Cajun culture. The word "Cajun" is actually an English corruption of Acadian. Cajun has become a euphemism for individuals of myriad backgrounds who share the French-based, synthetic culture originally brought to rural south Louisiana by the Acadian exiles of the eighteenth century. This culture was transformed over the next two centuries by cultural exchanges between various French-speaking groups in Louisiana's Gallic melting pot.
UL-Lafayette works with the community to help preserve the unique Cajun culture in a number of ways. The "In Your Own Backyard" lecture series helps unearth local cultural and environmental knowledge. The Center for Cultural and Eco-Tourism at UL-Lafayette also sponsors benefits for the Archives of Cajun and Creole Folklore, and spotlights individuals from around the state who represent Louisiana's diverse folk cultures.
