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Computer Science (C-S)
College of Science and Allied Health
Department Chair: Steve Senger
221 Wing Technology Center
(608)785-6805; www.uwlax.edu/compsci 
e-mail: senger.stev@uwlax.edu  

Professors: Headington, Periyasamy, Riley, Senger;
Associate Professors: Gendreau, Hunt; 
Assistant Professor: Zheng; Lecturers: Burand, Inglett, Roraff.

Computer Science Major (All colleges, excluding Teacher Certification programs) — 40 credits, including C-S 120, 220, 270, 340, 341, 370, 421, 441, and 442. The 40 credits must include no less than 27 credits of 300-level and 400-level courses. PHY 335, MTH 317 and/or MTH 371 may be used as part of the 40 credit major. In addition to the 40 credits, MTH 207, 208 and 225 must be taken. 

Computer Science Major (Teacher Certification programs) — 37 credits including C-S 120, 220, 270, 340, 341, 370, 421 or 441, 480, C-I 420. The 37 credits must include no less than 24 credits of 300-level and 400-level courses. PHY 335, MTH 317, and MTH 371 may be used as part of the 37 credit major. In addition to the 37 credits, MTH 207, 208, and 225 must be taken. 

Computer Science Minor (All colleges, excluding Teacher Certification programs) —20 credits, including C-S 120, 220, 340, and MTH 225. The 19 credits must include no less than 6 credits of elective 300/400 level computer science courses. PHY 335, MTH 317, and MTH 371 may be used as alternatives to computer science electives.  

Computer Science Minor  (Teacher Certification programs) —20 credits, including C-S 120, 220, 340, C-I 420, and MTH 225. The 19 credits must include 3 credits of elective 300/400 level computer science courses. PHY 335, MTH 317, and MTH 371 may be used as alternatives to computer science electives. 

The computer science department incorporates a significant amount of writing through the required courses instead of identifying particular courses as writing emphasis courses. Students who complete the computer science major will fulfill the university writing emphasis requirement.

Dual Degree Program in Computer Science and Engineering

Students with a computer science major who also are interested in engineering are able to receive both a Bachelor of Science degree (computer science major) from UW-La Crosse and a Bachelor of Science degree (engineering major) from UW-Madison. At UW-La Crosse, students must complete a minimum of 85 credits, including the General Education requirements and specific math and science courses in preparation for the engineering program. Students are recommended to include the following courses in their work at UW-La Crosse: CHM 103; C-S 120, 220, 224, 270, 340, 341, 370, 421, 441, 442; ECO 110, 120, 336; MTH 207, 208, 225, 309, 341, 371; PHY 203, 204, 250. Students should consult with the computer science department chair for specific course and sequence advising for this agreement.

Students who express interest in the dual degree program will be selected for entrance into the UW-Madison portion of the program based on their G.P.A. in all course work; their G.P.A. in the chemistry, computer science, mathematics and physics course work required by the program; and the positive recommendation of the UW-La Crosse computer science department chair (or designee). Qualified UW-La Crosse applicants are assured admission in the College of Engineering at UW-Madison.

In order to receive the B.S. degree from UW-La Crosse, students must also complete credits (to total a minimum of 120 credits) in engineering at UW-Madison and transfer these credits to UW-La Crosse. For the typical student, the remaining credits must include at least 8 credits at the 300-level or above. This transfer of credits and awarding of the B.S. degree by UW-L can take place as soon as the student earns the necessary credits.

Internships

Students majoring in computer science who wish to enroll in CEI 450 or CEI 475, University Internships, must have completed 15 credits of computer science course work, including C-S 220, and must have a minimum GPA of 2.50 in computer science courses to be eligible for departmental approval and supervision. Credits earned in internships do not apply to major or minor requirements. 

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C-S      101  Cr. 4
Introduction to Computing
Computers and computer software are an integral part of modern society. This course explores this relationship. Students will examine the computer as a problem-solving tool through the use of database, spreadsheets and small scale programming. Students will examine the computer as a communication tool through the use of word processing and the Internet. Other topics include the history and future of computer technology, computer hardware basics, man/machine relationships, applications of computers in various disciplines, and social/ethical issues. Credits earned in C-S 101 cannot be applied to the C-S major or minor.  

C-S      102  Cr. 3
Web Development and the Internet
An introduction to the Internet and the fundamentals of Web page design including history and technical structure of the Internet, markup languages and Web page programming. Technical issues include client/server interfaces and network protocols. Other topics include societal issues such as privacy, security, accessibility, intellectual property, and censorship. Credits earned in C-S 102 not applicable to the C-S major or minor. Prerequisite: C-S 101 or C-S 120.  Offered occasionally.  

C-S      103  Cr. 1
Elementary Database Principles and Design
An introduction to the design and implementation of relational databases. Design concepts will include entity-relationship modeling, relational table structure, keys, foreign keys, referential integrity, and data quality. Implementation concepts will emphasize extracting information through queries, reports, and forms. Prerequisite: Course not open to those who have completed  C-S 101. Seven-week course. Offered Sem II. 

C-S      104  Cr. 1
Elementary Spreadsheet Principles and Design
An introduction to the design and implementation of spreadsheets. Design principles will include cell content, use of functions and formulas, relative and absolute addressing, and formatting. Modern spreadsheet software will be used to implement the spreadsheets, with an emphasis on  presenting numeric data in an organized manner. Prerequisite: Course not open to those who have completed C-S 101. Seven-week course. Offered Sem II. 

+
C-S      120  Cr. 4
Software Design I
An introduction to the fundamentals of software development; including software classes, objects, inheritance, polymorphism, logic, selection control, repetition control, subprograms, parameter passage, and rudimentary software engineering techniques. Students complete numerous programming projects using a modern programming language. Prerequisite: MTH 151 or 175, or math placement test scores at or above MTH 151. 

C-S      220  Cr. 3
Software Design II
This is a second course in the design of programs. Emphasis is placed on data abstraction and its application in design. Definitions of abstract data types are examined. The following structures are examined as methods for implementing data abstractions: recursion, sets, stacks, queues, strings, and various linked lists. Students will be expected to write several programs using these techniques in a modern programming language. Prerequisite: C-S 120. 

C-S      224 Cr. 1-3
Introduction to the ____________ Programming Language
This course presents the syntax and semantics of a particular programming language. Different offerings of the course will present different languages. Students are expected to be fluent in another programming language prior to enrollment. Prerequisite: a prior computer science course appropriate to the language being offered. Repeatable for credit — maximum 6. (Each repeat must be for a different language.) 

C-S      270  Cr. 3
Assembler Programming and Introduction to Computer Organization
Programming in machine and assembler language is integrated with an introduction to the organization of computer hardware. An examination of the instruction set merges with descriptions of the related hardware devices. Laboratory assignments include the construction of software, as well as hardware, units. Topics include basic instruction types, data representation, addressing modes, combinational circuit design, flip-flops, registers, the ALU, computer memory, and interrupt handling. Prerequisite:  C-S 120, MTH 225 or concurrent enrollment. 

C-S      301/501             Cr. 2
Using the Internet
An introduction to the Internet and computer networking. A survey of Internet resources and methods used to retrieve and create Internet resources. Topics include: connecting to the Internet, electronic mail, file transfer, remote login, Mosaic, World Wide Web, Gopher, TCP/IP, networking hardware. Not applicable to a computer science major or minor. 

C-S      340  Cr. 3
Software Design III: Abstract Data Types
An extensive survey of data structures and associated algorithms. An introduction to algorithm efficiency measures is included as a tool for deciding among alternate algorithms. Topics include: searching and sorting in arrays, hash tables, tree traversal and search algorithms, expression evaluation and graphs. Prerequisite: C-S 220 and MTH 225. 

C-S      341  Cr. 3
Software Design IV:  Software Engineering
A study of methodologies for the development of reliable software systems. Several specification, design, and testing techniques are surveyed with an emphasis on one particular formal specification and formal design technique. Students work in teams, applying these techniques to the development of a medium scale (2000-5000 lines) software product. Prerequisite: C-S 340.  

C-S      342  Cr. 3
Software Testing Techniques
As the size and complexity of software projects have grown, so has the importance of ensuring program correctness. This course examines the issues of program testing, validation, and verification. Course projects require students to construct test data and to analyze the correctness of several software systems. Prerequisite:        C-S 340. Offered Sem. II, odd numbered years. 

C-S      351  Cr. 3
Simulation
Programming computers to play games and imitate activities of systems such as drive-in facilities, checkout lanes, and computer operations. Topics include tests of goodness of fit, random number generators, simulated sampling, queuing theory, analysis of systems to be simulated, construction and validation of simulation programs, and interpretation of results. Prerequisite: C-S 220 and MTH 207. Offered occasionally. 

C-S      352  Cr. 3
Computer Graphics and Scientific Visualization
An introduction to the fundamentals of computer graphics and its application to Scientific Visualization. Topics include basic imaging algorithms, geometric transformations, hidden surface algorithms, polygonal rendering, solid modeling, lighting models, and specialized graphics hardware. Prerequisite: C-S 340 and MTH 207. Offered Sem. II, even numbered years. 

C-S      353  Cr. 3
Analysis of Algorithm Complexity
An in-depth analysis of the computational complexity of a wide range of algorithms for problems of fundamental importance to computer science. Algorithms to be examined include: sorting, pattern matching and various graph algorithms. Prerequisite: C-S 340 and MTH 207. Offered Sem. I, even numbered years. 

C-S      364  Cr. 3
Introduction to Database Management Systems
Introduction to the design and organization of database management systems. Topics include the relational data model, relational algebra, SQL query language, database software development, data security, normalization, client/server environments. Prerequisite: C-S 220. Offered Sem. I. 

C-S      370  Cr. 3
Computer Architecture
A presentation of the logical organization of modern digital computers. Topics include performance evaluation, instruction set design, computer arithmetic, processor control, pipe-lining, cache memory, memory hierarchy, memory and system buses, and I/O organization. Prerequisite: C-S 270 and MTH 225. 

C-S      395 Cr. 1-3
Independent Study
Individualized study of topics in computer science not covered by courses regularly taught in the department. Prerequisite: written consent of the instructor and the department chair. Repeatable for credit — maximum 6. 

C-S      419/519             Cr. 1-3
Topics in Computer Science
A special topics course in Computer Science which will function as a forum for new ideas and testing ground for new courses. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Repeatable for credit — maximum 6. 

C-S      421/521             Cr. 3
Programming Language Concepts
A comparative study of the concepts underlying the design of contemporary high-level programming languages, including imperative, functional, logic and object-oriented paradigms; formal representation of syntax and semantics; control structures; data and procedural abstraction; scope and extent; parallelism and exception handling. This course cannot be taken both at the undergraduate level and at the graduate level. Prerequisite: C-S 340. 

C-S      431  Cr. 3
Introduction to Robotics
This course is a hands-on introduction to the algorithms and techniques required to write robot control software. Topics include the components of mobile robots and robot manipulators, manipulator kinematics, robot task planning, sensing, sensor fusion, visual servoing and robot control concepts. Prerequisite: C-S 340. Offered Sem. II, odd numbered years. 

C-S      441/541             Cr. 3
Operating System Concepts
The study of the structures and algorithms of operating systems. Operating systems are viewed as managers and controllers of resources such as processors, memory, input and output devices and data. Topics include multiprogramming systems, CPU scheduling, memory management and device management. Prerequisite: C-S 340 and 370. 

C-S      442/542             Cr. 3
Structure of Compilers
An extensive study of all phases of the compilation of high level programming languages. Topics include: scanning, parsing (LL and LR), semantics analysis, symbol table organization and manipulation, internal code generation, storage allocation, optimization and object code generation. Students are required to complete a compiler for a small high-level language. Prerequisite: C-S 270 and 340. Offered     Sem. II. 

C-S      443/543             Cr. 3
Topics in Operating Systems
An intermediate course in operating systems extending topics introduced in C-S 441. Operating systems concepts are studied in depth. Typically students will study and modify an existing system. Prerequisite: C-S 441. Offered Sem. I, even numbered years. 

C-S      446/546             Cr. 3
Object-Oriented Software Development
Introduction to the concepts and principles of object-orientation (OO). Topics include detailed discussion on analysis and design of OO software systems, notations for OO analysis and design, and comparison of OO programming languages. Advanced topics on object-orientation such as OO testing and software reuse will be briefly discussed. Prerequisite: C-S 340. This course cannot be taken for credit both at the undergraduate level and at the graduate level. Offered. Sem. II. 

C-S      449/549             Cr. 3
Advances in Software Engineering
Introduces advanced topics in software engineering. Topics include prototyping models, risk analysis, component-oriented software development, software architectures, software reuse, software metrics and quality analysis. Prerequisite: C-S 341. This course cannot be taken for credit both at the undergraduate level and at the graduate level. Offered Sem. I, even numbered years. 

C-S      451/551             Cr. 3
User Interface Design
This course focuses on the design and implementation of user interfaces. The topics include characteristics of user interfaces, user profiles, user interface design principles, methods and tools for user interface development, evolution of user interfaces, evaluation of user interfaces, and case studies. Prerequisite: C-S 340. This course cannot be taken for credit both at the undergraduate level and at the graduate level. Offered Sem. I, odd numbered years. 

C-S      452/552             Cr. 3
Artificial Intelligence and Pattern Recognition
An introduction to the fundamental principles of artificial intelligence. Topics include the biological basis for intelligence, classification of object descriptions and pattern recognition, search strategies and game trees, natural language processing, automatic theorem proving, programming for artificial intelligence and knowledge-based systems.  Projects include writing a substantial artificial intelligence application program. Prerequisite: C-S 340.  Offered Sem. I, odd numbered years. 

C-S      453/553             Cr. 3
Introduction to the Theory of Computation
An introduction to the theoretical aspects of computation. The capabilities and limits of several computation models are considered including: partial recursive functions, Turing machines, finite state automata and formal languages. The implications of Church’s thesis and unsolvable problems such as the halting problem are discussed. Prerequisite: C-S 340. Offered Sem. II, even numbered years. 

C-S      454/554             Cr. 3
Digital Image Processing
This course introduces the fundamentals of digital image processing techniques with an emphasis on the design and implementation of image processing algorithms. Topics include color models, point-processing techniques, convolution, Fourier domain processing, the discrete cosine transform, image compression methodologies, image restoration and enhancement, sampling and image display. This course cannot be taken for credit both at the undergraduate level and at the graduate level. Prerequisite: C-S 340. Offered  Sem. I, even numbered years. 

C-S      455/555             Cr. 3
Fundamentals of Information Security
This course presents the fundamental concepts of information security. Basic policies, techniques and tools for maintaining the security of host computers, information networks and computer software are presented. Elementary cryptography is explored with special attention to applications in data encryption, hashing and digital signatures. Fundamental security management procedures also are introduced, as are the legal and ethical issues associated with computer security. Students will be expected to apply the knowledge gained to construct security policies and practice security in the form of access privileges, firewalls, vulnerability scanners and intrusion detection tools. Prerequisite: C-S 220. This course cannot be taken both at the undergraduate level and at the graduate level. Offered Sem. I, odd numbered years. 

C-S      464/564             Cr. 3
Advanced Database Management Systems
Advanced topics in database management systems. Topics include the relational data model, relational calculus, embedded SQL programming, database application programming, indexing, systems software and storage structures for databases, concurrency control, crash recovery, database administration, parallel and distributed databases, object oriented databases. This course cannot be taken for credit both at the undergraduate level and at the graduate level. Prerequisite: C-S 364. Offered Sem. II, odd numbered years. 

C-S      470/570             Cr. 3
Parallel and Distributed Computing
A study of architectures, control software, and applications for parallel and distributed systems. A survey of parallel and distributed architectures including data flow machines, vector processors, shared memory multiprocessors, and message based multiprocessors. Software topics include process communication and synchronization, global state maintenance, negotiation, scheduling, data parallelism, control parallelism, and languages for parallel and distributed computing. Prerequisite: C-S 370. Offered occasionally. 

C-S      471/571             Cr. 3
Data Communications
An introduction to data communications, including the electrical properties and software protocols. In addition to presentations of the concepts and techniques used for data communications, several currently used standards and communications networks will be examined. Prerequisite: C-S 270 and 340. Offered Sem. II, even numbered years. 

C-S    480/680      Cr. 3
Survey of Computer Assisted Instructional Systems 
A survey of current trends in Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI). Development of instructional and curriculum materials suitable for computer applications. Use of a current authoring software package. Prerequisite: C-S 224 or C-I 420/620. Offered occasionally. 

C-S      499 Cr. 1-3
Research in Computer Science
An opportunity to become acquainted with literature in the field and to work on a professional level research project within an area of interest of the computer science faculty. A seminar reviewing the results of the study will be a requirement for completion of the course. Prerequisite: consent of computer science staff. Repeatable for credit — maximum 6.

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