Objectives & Outcomes

Program Educational Objectives

In order to provide a quality undergraduate degree, the computer science program at VCU has three overarching objectives:

1. Technical competency
   Graduates will apply their technical knowledge and skills to develop and Implement computer solutions that accomplish goals important to the industry, government or research area in which they are working. They will explore and integrate new technologies.

2. Interpersonal skills
   Graduates will communicate with both technical (including supervisors, subordinates and coworkers) and non-technical people from multiple domains and work as part of teams.

3. Professional awareness
   They will continue to grow intellectually and professionally in their chosen field.

These objectives have been chosen in order to meet the needs of our constituents: our students, employers and graduate schools. These are the traits we expect our students to accomplish during the first few years following graduation in order for them to succeed in either a career or graduate studies. They are also the traits that employers and graduate schools look for when evaluating computer science graduates. These objectives are reviewed every other year by our students and our Advisory Board. Based on feedback from these constituents, changes are made to the objectives.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completing this program, students will know and know how to do the following:

1. Analyze a complex computing problem and apply principles of computing and other relevant disciplines to identify solutions
2. Design, implement and evaluate a computing-based solution to meet a given set of computing requirements in the context of the program’s discipline
3. Communicate effectively in a variety of professional contexts
4. Recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles
5. Function effectively as a member or leader of a team engaged in activities appropriate to the program’s discipline
6. Apply computer science theory and software development fundamentals to produce computing-based solutions

The following table gives the relationship of the educational objectives to the outcomes 

The implementation of these desired outcomes is accomplished through the students’ four-year immersion in the curriculum. The Computer Science Program at VCU supports these learning outcomes by offering a complete curriculum of computer science courses. These educational experiences prepare the student for a lifetime of growth in a computer science career.

These program outcomes are designed to prepare the student for a lifetime of growth in a computer science career. CS Implementation Matrix that shows where the student develops the desired knowledge and skills to achieve the desired outcomes.