Honors Program in Computer Science
The Computer Science Honors Program offers a distinctive opportunity tailored for ambitious students who aspire to accrue additional experience and graduate with honors distinction. If the prospect of engaging in research endeavors and cultivating in-depth knowledge on a topic in Computer Science resonates with you, you are highly encouraged to consider participating in this esteemed program.
Requirements for Admission to the Honors Program in Computer Science:
- 19 or more units of completed work.
- A cumulative GPA of at least 3.3.
- 3.5 or more units of computer science courses at the level of 221 or higher. (Some may be in-progress, but all should be completed by the end of the semester in which application to the program is made. Acceptance is contingent upon successful completion of the courses and meeting the GPA requirements in 2, 4.)
- An average of at least 3.3 in the computer science courses at the level of 221 or higher.
- A letter of recommendation from a member of the tenured or tenure-track computer science faculty.
A student who does not meet one of the qualifications 1-4 may be admitted to the program with the special recommendation of the department.
In order to be admitted to the Honors program in Computer Science, a student must submit an Honors Application form, which includes a copy of their transcript, a letter from the applicant explaining why they seek admission to the Honors program, and a letter of recommendation from a faculty member who has committed to be their Honors Program Advisor.
Achievement of honors in computer science requires significant work beyond that necessary for a major in computer science. The program is intended for strong, self-motivated students seeking additional challenges. Faculty are pleased to discuss the program with interested students.
Requirements for Honors in Computer Science
A year (2 semesters) of directed independent study (2 units). The student will work with one or more faculty members on a special project. This project will be evaluated by the faculty advisor and the Computer Science Honors Coordinator after the first semester. If the supervisor is the Computer Science Honors Coordinator, another member of the Computer Science faculty will be designated for this evaluation. This independent study will result in an Honors Paper presentation to the Computer Science Program and open to the public. Even when the work results in a significant software component, a formal paper and presentation is required. The final requirement for honors in computer science is that this paper be accepted by the supervisor and a designated second reader. If the paper is not accepted, then credit may still be given for the independent study even though the student has not earned the Honors designation.
The honors project can be semi-expository in nature or purely research-oriented. For projects involving software implementation, the project should be “proof-of-concept." Such projects examine ideas that have not been tried (except perhaps at sophisticated research labs or in a restricted manner) and show, through pilot implementation, that the ideas work and/or are efficiently implementable. The honors project should not be simply a rehash of textbook material nor simply the writing of a large program.
Questions?
Contact the Computer Science Honors Coordinator, Dr. Doug Szajda at dszajda@richmond.edu