The Department of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno welcomes your interest in our programs. We are a growing department with an outstanding faculty, keeping pace with the rapid proliferation of, and advances in, computing and information technology. Our commitments to quality undergraduate teaching and strong graduate research programs provide a solid foundation for those seeking to become well-prepared, talented, and indispensable computing professionals.
The department office is located in SEM 242.
The Department of Computer Science & Engineering offers the following degree programs:
Computing - the art of designing and actualizing both hardware and software systems in order to solve problems - is a young, exciting, and fast-growing field. Positioned at the crossroads of disciplines such as Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Engineering, computing has permeated our society. From high performance aircrafts to extemporizing jazz; from medicine to communications and politics; in this new era, practically all areas of human endeavor are intertwined with computing and digital technologies.
The goal of Computer Science & Engineering is to enhance the derivation, storage, manipulation, and exchange of information and knowledge. This is accomplished by designing and implementing computing systems/devices that blend the precepts of theory, abstraction, and design. In our fast-paced technological society, little time elapses between announcements by Computer Scientists and Engineers of new research advances and products. Our faculty is at the forefront of these technologies, having expertise and interest in a number of areas.
The department is part of the College of Engineering. The college and the university present a wonderful institutional environment to pursue higher education. We offer a quality, state-of-the-art degree program. Our low student-to-faculty ratio promotes a very friendly and caring learning atmosphere which provides one of the very best values in undergraduate education.
Our Computer Science & Engineering students come from various backgrounds and geographic locations. Some are international while others are from Nevada, California, and other regions of the United States. As a Computer Science & Engineering major, you will be advised by faculty with regard to your academic and professional interests. The accessibility of faculty for advisement and the open-door policy we follow with regard to consultation is valued by students as a major asset of the department. Your education will be augmented by an active student chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). This will provide you with a professional, technical, and social forum to interact with peers, mentors, and professors.
The Department of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno offers a unique educational experience, arising from its research mission, excellent state-of-the-art facilities, strong internship program, and an active student chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). The department's mission supports a strong research component - the discovery of knowledge. This research mission allows us to offer a distinctive undergraduate education in which students can become involved in advanced subjects, even before textbooks are published. In a rapidly-evolving field such as computing, this is particularly important.
At the University of Nevada, Reno, Computer Science & Engineering students can gain research experience in the following fields, among others:
- Computer architecture
- Cryptography
- Machine vision
- Machine learning
- Robotics
- Embedded systems
- Parallel & distributed computing
- Software engineering
- Computer graphics
Our excellent educational and research facilities allow students the opportunity to work with new hardware and software, providing them with the chance to design the next-generation applications that will run on such systems. Close interaction with faculty, as well as the flexibility to pursue advanced topics in a student's area of interest, promotes a rewarding atmosphere and provides one of the very best values in undergraduate education in this country.
The department recognizes that there is no substitute for industrial experience and offers an internship program (a 3-credit technical elective) during the school year and the summer with local and regional industry. In addition, our required Software Engineering and Senior Projects course sequence results in industrial application development, with excellent exposure to the corporate environment and practices. Projects in these courses are usually sponsored by local industry.
The student chapter of the ACM augments learning by holding a number of short classes and workshops. It provides students with professional, technical, and social forums to interact with peers, mentors, and professors. For more information, please visit the ACM website.
Situated in the foothills on the north side of the Truckee Meadows, the University of Nevada, Reno campus commands a panoramic view of the Virginia Range to the east, the Carson Range to the west, and Reno to the south. The university is a land-grant institution and the oldest of the eight institutions in the University and Community College System of Nevada. Approximately 14,000 students are enrolled. The university is comprised of the following colleges:
- Agriculture, Biotechnology, and Natural Resources
- Liberal Arts
- Science
- Business Administration
- Education
- Engineering
- Extended Studies
- Human and Community Service
- The schools of Journalism, Medicine, and the Graduate School
The 255-acre main campus features both historic and contemporary architecture. The central campus includes scenic Manzanita Lake and the beautiful elm-lined Quadrangle, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. On the campus are five art galleries and museums, the Church Fine Arts Complex with several theaters, and the Lawlor Events Center, a regular site for concerts, athletic events, and other local activities. At the north end of campus are the university-affiliated Fleischmann Planetarium and the E.L. Cord Public Telecommunications Center, which provide educational programs and public television broadcasting. Student parking on campus is available and affordable; however, a wide variety of housing is available within convenient walking or cycling distance. There is an extensive public transportation system providing campus access from points throughout the Truckee Meadows.
The university is the cultural focus of northern Nevada, sponsoring a special performing artist series, a plethora of musical concerts, an active drama program with several plays on campus each year, and frequent exhibitions that feature local artists. In addition, it supports major college athletics such as football, basketball, track, baseball, swimming, and volleyball as a member of the Western Athletic Conference.