BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
Computer Science Major
Learn to process information using computer science to solve real-world problems.
Is This Program for Me?
Are you resourceful, imaginative and analytical? Do you have a passion for problem solving using a wide array of skills?
Computer scientists seek to understand the nature of these problems and search for creative techniques to efficiently automate their solutions. From games to artificial intelligence, from businesses to labs, from networks to databases, and from virtual tools to hardware, computer scientists devise ways to process information to solve real-world problems.
This broad field includes programming, algorithm design, computer hardware, operating systems, networks, systems development and cybersecurity. Because computing is pervasive today, significant advances in most career fields seldom occur without relying on computation.
What Will I Learn?
Computer Science majors learn how to apply computing solutions in a wide range of contexts. In this program, you will gain valuable knowledge in foundational areas such as programming concepts, languages, algorithms, databases, operating systems, computer architecture and systems development. Based on your interests, we also offer ways for you to dive deeper into cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, game design and 3D animation. This background prepares graduates for various careers in one of the nation’s fastest growing job sectors or graduate studies in computer science.
What Makes Us Different?
Intentional Connection
The department values community among faculty and students, and the small class sizes ensure individual attention.
Renowned Excellence
Our students excel in our program, winning lucrative scholarships and national awards. Bailey Holland ‘22 was the first Samford student to receive the prestigious Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship by the U.S. Department of Defense.
Robust Opportunities
You will have multiple opportunities to work on individual or team-based projects where you serve a client from another department on campus and formally present your results in front of other Samford students, professors and employers from local tech companies. We also connect you with research and internship opportunities, ensuring you graduate with relevant work experience.
Foundational Faith
Our instruction is exclusively provided within a Christian environment, where our faculty members actively engage with the wider community. Many of them volunteer at their local church and lead Christ-centered student groups and initiatives on campus.
Career Preparation
With Samford ranked #10 in the nation for career preparation by the Wall Street Journal, we ensure you graduate prepared for a wide variety of careers and further academic pursuits. Our curriculum emphasizes collaborative group projects, ensuring you develop crucial team building, interpersonal and communication skills highly desired in the information technology sector.
The foundation we provide equips you with the skills to adapt to an ever-changing technological society and thrive in a fast-growing job market. Notably, information technology-related positions rank among the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Top 20 occupations projected to see significant growth in the coming decade. Graduates of our program move on to exciting careers in fields as diverse as science, engineering, medicine, education, entertainment and business.
Career Opportunities
- Software developer
- Mobile and web application developer
- Game developer
- Information security analyst
- Systems analyst
- Database administrator
- Network architect/administrator
- Information systems manager
- Computer research scientist
- Cross-disciplinary computer scientist (e.g., physics, biology, chemistry, economics)
Student Internships and Research Experiences
Student Internships
- Hudson Alpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL
- FBI Honors Internship Program, Honolulu, HI
- Indelible Business Solutions, Jacksonville, FL
- Air Force 844th Communications Squadron, Washington, D.C.
- TSYS, Columbus, GA
Student Research Experiences
- University of Texas at Arlington
- University of Rochester
- University of Miami
- Auburn University
- Iowa State University
With the philosophical grounding and global perspective I gained at Samford, I can confidently approach my research and collaborations with a Christian theological perspective.
The computer science program doesn't just give you the textbook knowledge needed for a job—it gives you the experience you need to build a lifelong career. In my internships and during graduate school, I found that the small class sizes and project-oriented courses gave me a more well-rounded education than my peers from much larger institutions. Personal recommendations and encouragement from professors in the department fostered my interest in research and led me to pursue my PhD.
— Andrew Freeman '19, PhD student at the University of North Carolina
