Computer Science

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A student checks on a computer tower.

Who is Computer Science at Chico State?

Computer Science at Chico State is defined by its faculty, students, and alumni.

We are Faculty

We faculty in the Department of Computer Science feel strongly about being actively involved in your education. Our classes are taught by us, the faculty, not by assistants. We are also constantly assessing and updating our curriculum to ensure it reflects not only the "science" underlying computer science, but also the current and emerging technologies that our computer science and computer information systems graduates develop and use. This drive for currency is reflected in our research in areas such as security, data science, computer vision, robotics, bioinformatics, and quantum computing. We invite you to contact us, come for a visit, and apply. We love what we do. Let us to share our enthusiasm with you and help you discover the same passion we and our students share for computer science.

We are Students

We students are not nameless faces in a classroom. Computer science professors develop a more personal relationship with us. And the assigned projects have character; they are remarkably effective at demystifying computer technology. We also know that the portrayal of computer science as a solitary endeavor pursued by social misfits is entirely wrong. At Chico State we have found computer science to be a uniquely human experience. Engineering software is the effort of many people working together, solving large, difficult, captivating problems. Social interaction embodies the student culture here at Chico State.

And the support—help is everywhere. Student tutors are available most times during the day and faculty office hours are plentiful. Study groups are the norm, and there are numerous clubs to join. The most remarkable aspect of being a student in Chico State's Computer Science Department is how friendly and sociable everyone is. Everyone wants you to succeed. We students spend a lot of time with each other. We work well together and are establishing lasting friendships. We even created our own Computer Science Discord server where someone is always available to help when working through difficult material.

We are Alumni

We alumni find ourselves returning to the Computer Science Department from which we graduated. We come to hire the new graduates into the companies we now work for, knowing they have the same preparation that put us on a path to success. We serve on the department's Industry Advisory Board, ensuring the program's continued strength and relevance. We even visit the student's Discord server to reminisce and help the occasional student who wanders into our conversation with a question.

"I found a job within a couple months of graduating. The education enables one to speak fluently about many computer science topics, and the clubs enable one to tackle and practice myriad problem-solving skills for the technical aspects of interviews. The education provides real opportunity that I am thankful for. As well as what I hope are lifelong friends, in both faculty and alumni." —Stephen Anderson (Computer Science, ’21)

"I got a FAANG1 internship during my rising senior summer. With my practical experience from Chico State classes and professors I was able to execute well during my internship and received a full-time return offer. After some experience at my first company, I used my class assignments to prep for another FAANG company, which I was given an offer that I took. I consistently stack up and over-perform against fellows from Ivy Leagues and other tech colleges, and all of this from a college that I was able to graduate from without taking out loans." —James Krepelka (Computer Science, ’15)

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FAANG: prominent technology companies Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google

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