CSE Course Descriptions and Syllabi

CSE Degree Programs

Each of the following links point to curriculum guides for majors and minors offered in the Computer Science and Engineering Department.

• Overview of all CSE Degree Programs
• Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science/Systems
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering
• Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science--New Media
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science--New Media/Systems
• Associate of Arts in Management Information Systems
• Minor in Computer Science

The department also offers the systems curriculum for those students who wish to incorporate a technology component to a major in another field. The curriculum may be combined with any baccalaureate major as described in the following link:

• Baccalaureate degree in another field with the Systems Curriculum

Computer Science Courses and Syllabi

Click on any course or courses listed below to view a detailed description of the course(s), instructor information, and links to syllabi if available. The the list includes CSE courses taught during the last two academic years.

Note to current students: Click here for a convenient listing of courses for which faculty have created course-specific web pages.

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COS 104: Computing and Information Concepts (2 Credit Hours)

• An introduction to computing issues, information technology, and the field of computer science designed to provide a foundation for future course work directly related to the student‘s major. Topics discussed include hardware and software, operating systems, graphical user interfaces, data storage technologies, local and network information access, spreadsheets, concepts of computation, and ethical issues. The course is designed for those with little or no previous computer experience. Credit may not be earned in both COS 104 and COS 106. Two hours of lecture and one hour of lab. Meets general education requirement.
• Offered: Fall, J-Term and Spring Semesters
• Last offered: Spring 2009 by J. Cramer (syllabus)

COS 120: Introduction to Computer Science I (4 Credit Hours)

• Problem solving and computer programming are stressed. Algorithms for text processing, information retrieval, mathematical manipulation, sorting, file handling, and introductory data structures are presented. Good algorithm design, style, program structure, documentation, code reading, and introductory software engineering techniques are emphasized. Three hours of lecture and two hours of lab per week. Does not count as a general education requirement.
• Offered: Fall and Spring Semesters
• Last offered: Spring 2009 by A. White (syllabus)

COS 121: Introduction to Computer Science II (4 Credit Hours)

• This course is a continuation of COS 120 and includes the introduction of object-oriented programming, simple data structures such as lists, stacks, queues, and trees, and an introduction to computational complexity. Three hours of lecture and two hours of lab per week. Prerequisite: COS 120.
• Offered: Fall and Spring Semesters
• Last offered: Spring 2009 by A. McKinney (syllabus)

COS 230: Missions Technology (3 Credit Hours)

• A survey and in-depth study of technology applied to Christian missions. Theory and issues in application are developed. Interaction with missions agencies and a practical project are included. Prerequisites: COS 120.
• Offered: Fall Semester
• Last offered: Fall 2008 by J. Cramer (syllabus)

COS 240: Business Application Programming (3 Credit Hours)

• File types and data structures typically found in business information systems are investigated. Students are given the opportunity to implement various application solutions. Most commonly used features of the Visual Basic language and GUI design are presented and practiced. Basic database concepts and database/interface integration are emphasized. Prerequisites: COS 120, SYS 101.
• Offered: Fall and Spring Semesters
• Last offered: Spring 2009 by A. White (syllabus)

COS 264: Interactive Application Development (3 Credit Hours)

• Design and implementation for interactive computer applications are studied. Topics include web interaction, security, two- and three-tier applications, client-side and server-side scripting and event-based programming. XHTML, CSS, Perl, PHP, Javascript (including AJAX), MySQL, XML and other tools are utilized. Prerequisite: COS 121.
• Offered: Spring Semester
• Last offered: Spring 2009 by J. Geisler (syllabus) (schedule)

COS 265: Data Structures and Algorithms (3 Credit Hours)

• A survey of data structures and algorithms that operate on them, with an emphasis on abstract data types and analysis of computational complexity. Prerequisite: COS 121.
• Offered: Fall Semester
• Last offered: Fall 2008 by B. Toll (syllabus)

COS 280: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (3 Credit Hours)

• A survey of the field of artificial intelligence. Major areas of exploration include search, logic, learning, knowledge representation, problem solving, natural language processing, computer vision, robotics, expert systems, and neural networks. An introduction to LISP is included. Prerequisite: COS 121
• Offered: Spring Semester
• Last offered: Spring 2009 by A. McKinney (syllabus)

COS 284: Introduction to Computer Systems (3 Credit Hours)

• This course provides an integrated introduction to computer hardware architecture, operating systems, and their interaction. Assembly language and operating system programming are emphasized. Prerequisite: COS 121, MAT 215.
• Offered: Spring Semester
• Last offered: Spring 2009 by J. Geisler (syllabus)

COS 310: Current Literature Survey (1 Credit Hours)

• A survey of classical and current literature in computer science. A goal of the course is to produce a concept for a research proposal with literature survey appropriate for an undergraduate research project.,Students lead discussions on papers and topics of interest. Prerequisite: one 300-level COS course.
• Offered: Fall Semester
• Last offered: Fall 2008 by J. Geisler (syllabus)

COS 311: Ethics in Computer Science (2 Credit Hours)

• A study of the ethical implications of computers in society and the role of Christians as computer science and engineering professionals. Several of the major ethical issues in the field, such as privacy, piracy, liability, equity, and whistle-blowing are explored. Professional society codes of conduct are examined and discussed. Legal and ethical issues such as piracy, copyright and fair use related to media are also addressed. Ethical concerns of computer science and systems analysis and their relationship to one‘s faith are an integral part of this course.
• Offered: Fall and Spring Semesters
• Last offered: Spring 2009 by J. Cramer (syllabus)

COS 314: Human Computer Interaction (3 Credit Hours)

• This course builds on concepts from SYS 214 and implementation techniques from COS 264 as well as introducing additional implementation strategies. Interfaces for web and standalone applications are studied and implemented. Prerequisites: SYS 214, COS 264.
• Offered: Fall Semester
• Last offered: Fall 2007 by J. Geisler

COS 320: Algorithm Design (3 Credit Hours)

• Algorithms and related data structures from a variety of areas are examined and analyzed. Parallel processing paradigms and theoretical topics, such as complexity models, are introduced. Prerequisites: COS 265, MAT 215.
• Offered: Spring Semester (even years)
• Last offered: Spring 2008 by B. Toll

COS 331: Data Communications (3 Credit Hours)

• A study of the nature and applications of data communications in use today. Fundamental concepts of types, modes, and media of transmission are studied. Communication protocols and their encompassing architectures are analyzed and compared. Practical applications of data communications concepts are demonstrated through networking projects and development of communications software. Prerequisite: COS 121.
• Offered: Spring Semester
• Last offered: Spring 2009 by A. White (syllabus)

COS 340: Software Engineering (3 Credit Hours)

• A study of the concepts, procedures, and tools of large system software project development, including project estimation and management, software technical metrics, configuration management, and software testing. Concepts of software engineering are introduced using the development of a large software system as an instructional illustration. The project is designed and its development managed using the methods and techniques examined in the course. Prerequisite: COS 121.
• Offered: Fall Semester
• Last offered: Fall 2008 by T. Nurkkala (syllabus)

COS 341: Database Concepts (4 Credit Hours)

• A study of the fundamental concepts of relational database technology. Topics include data modeling, physical database design with emphasis on implementing integrity constraints, SQL query language, stored procedures and triggers, indexes, and transaction management. Students work primarily with the SQL Server database product. Prerequisites: COS 121, SYS 101, MAT 215.
• Offered: Spring Semester
• Last offered: Spring 2009 by A. McKinney (syllabus)

COS 342: Information Security (3 Credit Hours)

• An overview of the issues involved in making information secure, including policies, protection models, authentication, auditing, intrusion detection, and access control. The design and implementation of secure software is emphasized. Prerequisite: COS 121.
• Offered: As Interest Warrants
• Last offered: January 2008 by G. Beeley (syllabus)

COS 350: Computer Graphics (3 Credit Hours)

• An introductory course in computer graphics with an emphasis on 3D image production using a variety of approaches, including OpenGL programming. Basic algorithms, data structures, and GUI programming are introduced. Prerequisite: COS 121.
• Offered: Fall Semester
• Last offered: Fall 2008 by B. Toll (syllabus)

COS 351: Computer Vision (3 Credit Hours)

• A study of the fundamental concepts of digital image acquisition, manipulation, enhancement, representation, analysis and understanding. Prerequisite: COS 121.
• Offered: Spring Semester (even years)
• Last offered: Spring 2008 by B. Toll

COS 360: Independent Study (1-4 Credit Hours)

• An individualized, directed study involving a specified topic.
• Offered:
• Last offered:

COS 370: Selected Topics (1-4 Credit Hours)

• course offering. May count toward the departmental major and general education requirements. Prerequisites: Two courses in computer science.
• Offered:
• Last offered:

COS 370: Software Engineering Project I (Selected Topics) (3 Credit Hours)

• This course provides “hands-on” learning of professional software engineering practices. The vehicle for this learning is the continued development, production release and maintenance of a real system. This year’s project is to complete development of HCJB World Radio’s Partner Database and to release it for production use.
• Offered: Fall Semester
• Last offered: Fall 2007 by F. Aguilar (syllabus)

COS 370: Software Engineering Project II (Selected Topics) (3 Credit Hours)

• This course provides “hands-on” learning of professional software engineering practices. The vehicle for this learning is the continued development, production release and maintenance of a real system. This year’s project is to complete development of HCJB World Radio’s Partner Database and to release it for production use.
• Offered: Spring Semester
• Last offered: Spring 2007 by F. Aguilar (syllabus)

COS 370: Programming Contest (Selected Topics) (1 Credit Hours)

• Offered: Fall Semester
• Last offered: Fall 2006 by J. Geisler

COS 370: Bioinformatics (Selected Topics) (3 Credit Hours)

• Offered: As Interest Warrants
• Last offered: Spring 2005 by T. Diller

COS 371: Software Studio I (4 Credit Hours)

• The first course in a sequence of four courses that provide extended project development experience utilizing the studio model. Students learn the craft of software development by working in various capacities on real long-term projects. The expected work load for this course includes one hour per week in a seminar format, two hours per week in reading and writing papers, and nine documented hours per week of work on the assigned project. The seminar portion of the course is organized so that students enrolled in Software Studio I and III will meet as a group to consider topics that rotate on a two-year cycle so that students are exposed to all topics over the two year span of this set of courses. Department approval is required based on student ability and the availability of appropriate projects. Corequisites: SYS 390.
• Offered: Fall Semesters
• Last offered: Fall 2008 by T. Nurkkala (syllabus)

COS 372: Software Studio II (4 Credit Hours)

• The second course in a sequence of four courses that provide extended project development experience utilizing the studio model. Students learn the craft of software development by working in various capacities on real long-term projects. The expected work load for this course includes one hour per week in a seminar format, two hours per week in reading and writing papers, and nine documented hours per week of work on the assigned project. The seminar portion of the course is organized so that students enrolled in Software Studio II and IV will meet as a group to consider topics that rotate on a two-year cycle so that students are exposed to all topics over the 2 year span of this set of courses. Prerequisite: COS 371.
• Offered: Spring Semesters
• Last offered: Spring 2009 by T. Nurkkala (syllabus)

COS 380: Natural Language Processing (3 Credit Hours)

• A study of the automation of human communication abilities, covering both textual and vocal aspects. Major topics include language understanding, representation, enhancement, generation, translation, and speaker/author recognition. Prerequisite: COS 280.
• Offered: Spring Semester (odd years)
• Last offered: Spring 2009 by T. Nurkkala (syllabus)

COS 381: Computer Architecture (3 Credit Hours)

• A study of the hardware structure of computer systems, including arithmetic/logic units, memory organization, control unit design, pipelining, and instruction set design. A brief introduction to advanced topics, such as out-of-order execution, branch prediction, multi-core systems, and parallel processing will prepare the student for graduate level courses in architecture. Prerequisites: COS 284, MAT 215.
• Offered: Fall Semester
• Last offered: Fall 2008 by J. Geisler (syllabus)

COS 382: Language Structures (3 Credit Hours)

• A study of the features and implementation issues of programming languages, including a survey of language paradigms. Grammars, syntax, semantics, translation, lexical analysis, and parsing are introduced. Prerequisite: COS 265.
• Offered: Spring Semester (odd years)
• Last offered: Spring 2009 by B. Toll (syllabus) (schedule)

COS 393: Practicum (4 Credit Hours)

• Supervised learning involving a first-hand field experience or a project. Practicum course credit requires 320 hours of work experience. Grade only.
• Offered: Primarily During Summer.
• Last offered: Every Summer

COS 421: Operating Systems (3 Credit Hours)

• A study of the design considerations of computer operating systems and their interaction with hardware features. Topics covered include process management, storage management, protection and security, and distributed systems. Prerequisites: COS 265, 284.
• Offered: Spring Semester
• Last offered: Spring 2009 by J. Geisler (syllabus) (schedule)

COS 424: Surfaces and Modeling (3 Credit Hours)

• An advanced graphics course with emphasis on curve and surface representation and geometric modeling. Mathematics and algorithms are studied. Topics include Bezier and B-spline curves and surfaces and geometric modeling techniques. Prerequisite: COS 350.
• Offered: Spring Semester (odd years)
• Last offered: Spring 2009 by B. Toll (syllabus) (schedule)

COS 425: Animation (3 Credit Hours)

• An advanced graphics course with emphasis on techniques for rendering and animation. Mathematics and algorithms are studied. Topics include light and illumination models, ray tracing, methods to enhance realism, and standard animation techniques. A professional software package will be used to create a significant animation. Prerequisite: COS 350.
• Offered: Spring Semester (even years)
• Last offered: Spring 2008 by B. Toll

COS 435: Theory of Computation (3 Credit Hours)

• A theoretical treatment of what can be computed and how efficiently computation can be done. Topics include models of computation and automata, deterministic and non-deterministic computations, and formal language theory. Prerequisite: COS 265
• Offered: Fall Semester
• Last offered: Fall 2008 by B. Toll (syllabus)

COS 436: Distributed Processing (3 Credit Hours)

• A study of concepts and models of distributed and parallel computing, including concurrency, synchronization, theoretical design, algorithms, implications of hardware organization, clusters, grid computing, and common programming environments. Prerequisite: COS 265.
• Offered:
• Last offered:

COS 450: Directed Research (1-4 Credit Hours)

• Independent or small group projects. May be taken by any COS major with instructor approval.
• Offered:
• Last offered:

COS 452: Research I (3 Credit Hours)

• Participation in a research project under faculty direction. May be repeated. Permission of the instructor required.
• Offered: as needed
• Last offered: Fall 2008 by B. Toll

COS 453: Research II (3 Credit Hours)

• Participation in a research project under faculty direction. A formal presentation of results is required. Permission of the instructor required.
• Offered: as needed
• Last offered: Spring 2009 by B. Toll

COS 491: Senior Engineering Project I (Design) (2 Credit Hours)

• The course is the first of a three course culminating experience preparing students for engineering practice through a major design and implementation project. Prerequisite: senior status, CEN major.
• Offered: Fall Semester
• Last offered: Fall 2008 by J. Geisler (syllabus)

COS 492: Senior Project (3 Credit Hours)

• Designed to exercise each senior‘s technical analysis design and development of skills and showcase his/her documentation and presentation skills. The student develops a project through multiple phases of the software lifecycle frequently beginning at the design stage. The project is typically chosen to reflect the student‘s area of concentration. Prerequisite: Completion of 105 credit hours.
• Offered: J-Term
• Last offered: January 2009 by J. Geisler (syllabus)

COS 493: Computer Science Senior Capstone (1 Credit Hours)

• This course has two primary objectives: an oral examination and an off-campus study trip. The examination is prefaced by course reviews led by the students. The trip is used to strengthen interpersonal relationship skills and to examine topics critical to leading a balanced life. Prerequisite: Completion of 105 credit hours.
• Offered: J-Term
• Last offered: Fall 2008 by J. Geisler (syllabus) (schedule)

COS 494: Senior Engineering Project II (3 Credit Hours)

• The course is the second in a three course culminating experience preparing students for engineering practice through a major design and implementation project. Prerequisite: COS 491.
• Offered: J-Term
• Last offered: January 2009 by J. Geisler

COS 495: Senior Engineering Project III (3 Credit Hours)

• The course is the third of a three course culminating experience preparing students for engineering practice through a major design and implementation project. Prerequisite: COS 494.
• Offered: Spring semester
• Last offered: Spring 2009 by J. Geisler

Systems Curriculum Courses

SYS 101: Introduction to Systems (3 Credit Hours)

• An introduction to the general concept of systems defined as a combination of components acting together to perform a function. A variety of systems will be studied emphasizing control and feedback. Example systems might include manufacturing and distribution, power production, and satellite systems. Software systems and databases to support and control systems are emphasized. Field trips, guest lectures, and analysis of a major example system are utilized.
• Offered:
• Last offered: Spring 2009 by F. Aguilar (syllabus)

SYS 214: Principals of Human-Computer Interaction (3 Credit Hours)

• This course discusses the analysis, design, development, and evaluation of interfaces allowing humans to interact with computers and the presentation of information in formats designed for human understanding. Topics include handheld, mobile, and ubiquitous device interfaces, as well as traditional desktop system GUIs. Prototyping and information visualization are also discussed.
• Offered: Fall Semesters
• Last offered: Fall 2008 by J. Geisler (syllabus)

SYS 310: E-Commerce (3 Credit Hours)

• Examines the development of and future prospects for electronic commerce. It focuses on the use of electronic transmissions to engage in exchange of products and services. Students will consider the emerging changes in business as well as the new opportunities for entrepreneurship brought on by e-commerce. They will explore the dynamics of technical innovations as well as the organizational and societal consequences of moving commerce electronically. They will also evaluate the operations of a variety of web-based businesses. Guest speakers from industry will lecture regarding the technical, economic, and political/regulatory aspects of e-commerce. Prerequisites: SYS 101, COS 121 or 240.
• Offered: Spring Semester
• Last offered: Spring 2009 by J. Cramer (syllabus)

SYS 352: Knowledge Based Systems (3 Credit Hours)

• Prominent knowledge-based system approaches are introduced including crisp production rule systems and fuzzy logic systems. Principles of knowledge acquisition are taught and applied. Various forms of knowledge representation are experienced, including rules, nets, frames, and predicate logic. Programming is primarily in CLIPS. Prerequisites: COS 121, SYS 101.
• Offered: Fall Semester
• Last offered: Fall 2008 by A. White (syllabus)

SYS 360: Independent Study

• An individualized, directed study involving a specified topic.
• Offered:
• Last offered:

SYS 370: Selected Topics

• A course offered on a subject of interest but not listed as a regular course offering. May count toward the departmental major and general education requirements.
• Offered:
• Last offered:

SYS 390: Information Systems Analysis (3 Credit Hours)

• A study of the knowledge and skills needed to conduct the definition and analysis phases of an information system project. Central concepts are quality management and business process reengineering. Problem definition, information gathering, data and process modeling, and specification of logical system requirements using a business event methodology are emphasized. Learning is by doing: a major project is begun in this course and completed in SYS 394. Prerequisites: Junior standing, COS 121 or 240; SYS 101.
• Offered: Fall Semester
• Last offered: Fall 2008 by T. Nurkkala (syllabus)

SYS 392: Systems Seminar (1 Credit Hours)

• This course provides a survey of systems topics with an emphasis on current development in many disciplines. Guest, faculty, and student presentations, plus occasional panel discussions, provide the format. May be taken twice. Prerequisite: SYS 101.
• Offered: Spring Semester
• Last offered: Spring 2009 by J. Geisler (syllabus) (schedule)

SYS 393: Practicum (1-4 Credit Hours)

• Supervised learning involving a first-hand field experience or a project. Generally, one hour of credit is awarded for a minimum of 40 hours of practicum experience.
• Offered: Primarily During the Summer
• Last offered: Every Summer

SYS 394: Information Systems Design (1-4 Credit Hours)

• A study of the knowledge and skills needed to conduct the design and construction phases of an information system project. Central concepts are: translating a logical design into a physical design, project management, and client-server architectures. Students will learn and use application technologies powering the World Wide Web. Learning is by doing: the major project defined and analyzed in SYS 390 will be designed and built. Prerequisite: SYS 390.
• Offered: Spring Semester
• Last offered: Spring 2009 by T. Nurkalla (syllabus)

SYS 401: Operations Research (4 Credit Hours)

• Examination of mathematical techniques used in systems analysis, including mathematical programming, probability models, optimization, and statistical techniques, with an emphasis on applications using computer assisted instruction. Prerequisites: The following courses (or their approved substitutes) must have been completed with a grade of C- or better: SYS 101, COS 121 or 240, MAT 210 or 352, MAT 146 or 151.
• Offered: Fall and Spring Semesters
• Last offered: Spring 2009 by F. Aguilar (syllabus)

SYS 402: Modeling and Simulation (4 Credit Hours)

• A study of mathematical modeling and simulation methods, focusing on discrete systems. A variety of simulation languages are reviewed, but Extend is used extensively. Many applications are surveyed and group term projects are carried out. Prerequisites: The following courses (or their approved substitutes) must have been completed with a grade of C- or better: COS 121 or 240, MAT 210 and 382 or 352, MAT 146 or 151. (MAT 382 may be taken as a corequisite.)
• Offered: Fall Semester
• Last offered: Fall 2008 by A. McKinney (syllabus)

SYS 403: Operations Management (3 Credit Hours)

• This course presents the design (quality management, process design, and statistical process control) and operations (supply chain management, forecasting, inventory management, and resource planning) of productive systems. Quality, competitiveness in a global economy, and quantitative management are emphasized throughout the course. Prerequisite: MAT 151
• Offered: Spring Semester
• Last offered: Spring 2009 by F. Aguilar (syllabus)

SYS 411: Machine Learning (3 Credit Hours)

• Classification learning systems of various types are explored. These include statistical pattern recognition, neural networks, genetic algorithms, and methods for inducing decision trees and production rules. Existing systems are reviewed. Group term projects allow development of and experimentation with a system of interest. Prerequisite: COS 280.
• Offered: Spring Semester (even years)
• Last offered: Spring 2008 by A. White (syllabus)

SYS 450: Directed Research (1-4 Credit Hours)

• Investigative learning involving closely directed research and the use of such facilities as the library or laboratory.
• Offered:
• Last offered:

Courses in Other Disciplines Taught By CSE Faculty

IAS 330: Human Relations In Organizations (3 Credit Hours)

• The study of human relationships in organizations as they pertain to management theories, processes, and organizational systems and structures. Vertical, lateral, and diagonal relationships and planning techniques and strategies, as well as techniques of systems intervention and problem solving, are studied. Special interest is placed on small-group interactions. Meets general education social science requirement.
• Offered: Spring Semester
• Last offered: Spring 2009 by C. Daudt (syllabus)

MAT 215: Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science (3 Credit Hours)

• Discrete mathematics concepts are studied that are foundational for further study in computer science. Topics include propositional logic and quantifiers, proofs with emphasis on induction, design and optimization of combinatorial circuits, Boolean algebra, solution of certain classes of recurrence and equivalence relations and modulo arithmetic with application to RSA cryptography. Prerequisites: COS 120, MAT 146 or 151 or equivalent.
• Offered: Fall Semester
• Last offered: Fall 2008 by F. Aguilar (syllabus)