Congratulations on your admission to Colorado State University, and welcome to the Department of Computer Science. You are beginning a challenging journey to study cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, software engineering, asynchronous systems, combinatorics, and much more. The rewards of your education will be tremendous. Algorithmic thinking and computer technology are transforming our society, and it is you – a computer science major – who will help shape the future.

When the semester begins, you will find yourself in a thriving community of scholars, with over 1,100 majors on campus and online. Our faculty are experts in their fields who will help you along the way, and as much as they will teach you, you will learn even more from your peers. Over 1,100 inquisitive minds with different backgrounds, experiences, and goals are a powerful force.

It can be normal to feel a little overwhelmed at first in our large department. To help with this, you will be introduced to our Academic Success Coordinators (ASCs, a.k.a. advisors) during orientation. Your ASC will be your go-to person to help you navigate CSU’s systems, get advice on courses and concentrations, address problems, and get answers to any other questions you might have. We have one of the best advising teams at CSU. They will have your back and help you make the most of your time here.

You will also have educational opportunities outside the classroom and lab. I encourage you to participate in undergraduate research, student organizations, events, and competitions where you will gain valuable knowledge and experience beyond what is available in class. And use our beautiful facilities to study, meet, build relationships, and learn together.

How do you apply your new computer science skills to real-world problems? Undergraduate research is one way. Not only is it fun, but you will gain practical experience and increase your value in the job market. Much of our research is collaborative. We are currently working with other CSU departments, including agriculture, engineering, psychology, business, and exercise science, to solve pressing problems. How can we use computer science to manage water resources, combat climate change, protect vehicles and the power grid from cyberthreats, detect and diagnose autism, and help athletes rehabilitate sports injuries? Join our researchers working to find these answers.

As you settle in and look at the beautiful campus view from our atrium’s glass windows, rest assured your educational journey will be worth it. We are excited you are part of the computer science family, and together we will create and use state-of-the-art technologies to make a better world for us all.

Bruce Draper
Department Chair

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Commit to CSU. Welcome to computer science and the CSU Ram family!