Computer Science is a very broad field that offers a wide array of opportunities for rewarding and well paid careers.  Winthrop offers its computing majors many gratifying opportunities to engage with their field of study in ways that deepen students' knowledge and abilities.

Fields of Study in Computer Science

Just as physicians usually specialize in a particular area of medicine, computer scientists also usually have a specific area of expertise.  Career specializations include:

web application design

network engineering and security

business analysis

database engineering

scientific computation

interface design and testing

applications programming

and many many more

Job Outlook

The job outlook continues to be very strong for computing careers in the Carolinas and the Southeastern US. According the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Tomorrow's Jobs,

"Employment in computer systems design and related services will grow by 38.3 percent and add nearly one-fourth of all new jobs in professional, scientific, and technical services. Employment growth will be driven by the increasing reliance of businesses on information technology and the continuing importance of maintaining system and network security. Management, scientific, and technical consulting services also will grow at a staggering 78 percent and account for another third of growth in this supersector. Demand for these services will be spurred by the increased use of new technology and computer software and the growing complexity of business."

For the last several years, over 90% of Winthrop Computer Science graduates who are not pursuing graduate degrees have obtained well paying full-time employment in their chosen field within one month of graduation. Some graduates go to work for large corporations such as Blue Cross Blue Shield in Columbia, SC, and Bank of America in Charlotte, NC.  Other graduates elect to take positions with small companies, regional software development companies, or government agencies. Starting salaries for our graduates are typically about $48,000.

Why Winthrop?

• Jobs - Our graduates are highly recruited by area businesses.
• Preparation for Grad School - Winthrop's Computer Science degree prepares students for further education in graduate school, as well as full-time employment. While most of our graduates take full-time employment positions upon graduation, some elect to go to graduate school. In the last two years, Winthrop Computer Science students have been accepted to PhD programs at University of South Carolina, Clemson University, and UNC-Charlotte.
• Small Classes - Typical class sizes of junior and senior CS courses are 10 to 20 students. Professors know their students well and professors are very available to students outside of class times.
• Experienced Professors - Nearly all computing courses are taught by full-time faculty members. Our faculty has years of industry and academic experience. No CS courses are taught by grad students.  Even your required freshmen lectures and labs are taught by full-time faculty members. All full-time faculty members have PhD degrees.
• Opportunities Outside the Classroom - Opportunities to excel are abundant! Students are strongly encouraged to participate in internships. Many Computer Science majors spend the summer of their junior year working as Undergraduate Researchers funded by the National Science Foundation at regional research labs. Students may also work individually with a faculty member on projects that relate to the student's career goals.
• ABET Accreditation - Winthrop's Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science has been accredited by ABET since 1990. ABET is the premier accrediting body for engineering and computing programs. Winthrop's CS degree is one of 13 CS programs in South Carolina and North Carolina that is accredited by ABET.  For more information about the importance of program accreditation, click here.

For More Information

For more information about Winthrop's computing programs, contact the computer science department chair, Dr. Stephen Dannelly, at dannellys@winthrop.edu.

Detailed information about Winthrop's undergraduate computing programs, along with curriculum information, can be found here.

October 2009