Florida State University Department of Computer Science Advisory Board Presentation April 10, 2008

Florida State University Department of Computer Science makes three of its degree options available online, two undergradute and one graduate level. These options are:

• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with major: Computer Science [BS/CS/CS]
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with major: Software Engineering [BS/CS/SE]
• Master of Science in Computer Science with major: Software Engineering [MS/CS/SE]

In addition, we offer a combined fast-track program for students meeting certain qualifications:

• A Combined fast-track resulting in both the BS and MS degrees: [BS+MS]

All required upper division and graduate classes are available completely on-line, and most are available in the alternate mixed mode of delivery wherein classes meet on campus as well as on-line. Some of the core undergraduate classes are available as pure on-campus delivery as well.

Bachelors Degree - Update

The following timeline was presented to the BOA last year:

Academic Year:      04       05       06       07       08       09     CS Major:      x   x   x+1   x+1   x+2   x+2 SE Major:      x   x   x   x+2   x+2   x+2

The department has adhered to this schedule, so that both majors are now in the upgraded state. One interesting point is that the department, with the encouragement of BOA, has made the 2-semester Software Engineering sequence required for both majors.

BS / CS / Computer Science

The Bachelors of Science with major Computer Science [BS/CS/CS] is the degree that is offered on site at the main campus in Tallahassee. This degree is also available online and at the branch campuses. The requirements are exactly the same, and a student may transfer freely among campuses (including the "online" campus) with this major. The course offering schedule for online and branch campuses is more constrained, but the courses offered are the same. There is no distinction on a student's transcript or diploma indicating which campus a particular course has been taken.

BS / CS / Software Engineering

The Bachelors of Science with major Software Engineering [BS/CS/SE] is offered only online and at the branch campuses. It is worth considering the implications of this asymmetry in some detail, organized below as three "FAQs":

1. What distinguishes Software Engineering from Computer Science?

   Different universities may answer this question in different ways. At FSU, we have taken the position that software engineering is a superset of computer science. The principal innovation for this major is a 2-semester sequence (called Software Engineering I and II) that covers requirements, analysis, design, and implementation and has an accompanying 2-semester software project.

2. What will the diploma and transcript say?

   Again, there is no distinction on a student's transcript or diploma indicating which campus a particular course has been taken. All of the courses offered on any campus (including online) are listed in the FSU Bulletin as regular courses sanctioned and offered by the University. It would be quite possible that, at some future time, the BS/CS/SE is offered on main campus as well.

   For either major, the diploma will say Bachelors of Science in Computer Science. The official transcript will state the major, either Computer Science or Software Engineering.

3. What about transfering from one campus to another?

   The courses that are required for the BS/CS/SE and not for BS/CS/CS would all be taken in the senior year and count as electives for the BS/CS/CS major. As the requirements are now, the worst case scenario is for a BS/CS/SE student transfering to the main campus. Such a student would have to change majors to BS/CS/CS and take COP 4020 Programming Languages (either on campus or online).

Masters Degree

The Master of Science with Software Engineering major [MS/CS/SE] is available only as at the branch campus in Panama City, Florida. The MS/CS/SE courses may also be taken via online delivery. Like the undergraduate BS/CS/SE degree, this is a major, not a separate degree program, so the diploma will say Master of Science in Computer Science while the transcript will list the major as Software Engineering. All three options: Thesis, Project, and Course, are available.

In particular, our online course-based MS/CS/SE offers the following curriculum:

Online Masters Courses
Course			Credits	Delivery Options	Comments
CIS	5935	Introduction to Research	(2)	OL and MM	required
CEN	5035	Software Engineering	(3)	OL and MM	required
CDA	5155	Computer Architecture	(3)	OL and OC	required
COT	5405	Advanced Algorithms	(3)	OL and MM	required
CEN	5000	Knowledge Engineering	(3)	OL and MM	elective
CEN	5exp	Expert System Design	(3)	OL and MM	elective
CEN	5064	Software Design	(3)	OL and MM	elective
COP	5gpr	Generic Programming	(3)	OL and MM	elective
COP	5385	HSM and Reactive Systems	(3)	OL and MM	elective
COT	5fom	Formal Methods in Software	(3)	OL and MM	elective
CIS	5dbm	Advanced Database Management	(3)	OL only	elective
ISM	5315	Project Management	(3)	OL only	elective
CIS	5915r	Graduate Software Project	(1-9)	individual	6 rqd for Project
CIS	5970r	Graduate Thesis	(1-9)	individual	9 rqd for Thesis

These courses may be taken in any order, and the total credit hours is 35. The offering rotation is given in the following table:

Course Offering Rotation  Course   Fa08   Sp09   Su09   Fa09   Sp10   Su10   Fa10   Sp11   Su11   Fa11   Sp12   Su12   CIS5935   Lac         Sto         Lac         Sto         CEN5exp         Lea         Lea         Lea         Lea   CEN5064   Sto                  Sto                  CDA5155   Bro         Bro         Bro         Bro         COP5gpr            Lac                  Lac         ISM5315   COB         COB         COB         COB         CEN5000      Sto                  Sto               COT5405      Lac                  Lac               COP5385               Lac                  Lac      CIS5dbm      Pay         Pay         Pay         Pay      CEN5035      Sto                  Sto               COT5fom                     Sto                  CIS 5915r (Project) and CIS 5970r (Thesis) are offered every semester.

Online Development Schedule   Course       Dev Semester      IPO Semester       Developer       CEN 5064      Summer 08      Fall 08      Stoecklin      COT 5405      Summer 08      Spring 09      Lacher      CEN 5000      Fall 08      Spring 09      Stoecklin      CEN 5exp      Spring 09      Summer 09      Leach      COP 5gpr      Summer 09      Fall 09      Lacher      CEN 5035      Summer 09      Spring 09      Stoecklin      COP 5385      Fall 09      Spring 10      Lacher      COT 5fom      Summer 10      Fall 10      Stoecklin

Combo Fast-Track Dual-Credit Bachelors and Masters Degrees

The fast track option is available for undergraduate students in either major and at any campus (including online). The idea is that the student may take as many as three graduate courses (up to nine credit hours) as an undergraduate. These graduate courses may then be applied directly to satisfy the same number of undergraduate degree requirements.

The payoff is that, once in the graduate program, these same courses will count again toward the masters degree. To put it another way, the masters degree requirements are reduced from 35 hours to 26 hours, assuming nine credits have been taken in the dual credit program.

Undergraduates who have completed about half of their courses and who may contemplate the possibility of continuing toward a masters degree are encouraged to apply for this program. Note that the student must have a record that is acceptable for graduate work in order to be accepted.

One final note: traditional undergraduates may enter this program while on campus and switch to online delivery for the masters work.

Participating Faculty

• Chris Lacher. Dr Lacher has his PhD in Mathematics from the University of Georgia. He has extensive experience in academic teaching, research, and administration, including 35 years teaching mathematics and computer science, seven years serving as chair of the Computer Science Department, and three years as the director online of learning at FSU. Chris is currently based at the Panama City campus. Reach him at lacher@cs.fsu.edu.
• Sara Stoecklin. Dr Stoecklin has BS and MS from East Tennessee State University and PhD from FSU. Sara has extensive experience in industry and academia, including 22 years on the faculty of Florida A&M University. Sara is currently based at the FSU Panama City Campus. Reach her at stoeckli@cs.fsu.edu.
• Geoffrey Brooks. Dr Brooks joined the faculty at Panama City in Electrical/Computer Engineering in 2001 and has worked to establish the Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering programs at the PC campus. He received his PhD in Electrical Engineering from the FAMU/FSU College of Engineering 1996 and his MS from the University of Florida in 1992. He has significant experience in computer engineering and architecture. Geoffrey teaches our Computer Organization and Architecture courses CDA 3101, CDA 4150 and CDA 5155. Reach him at jbrooks@pc.fsu.edu.
• Mark Jowett. Dr Jowett is a new faculty member in Panama City who has an extensive background in programming (both doing and teaching). Mark teaches COP3014 (Intro to Programming), COP3344 (Unix), and COP3252 (Java). Reach him at mjowett@pc.fsu.edu.
• Steve Leach. Dr Leach is the Assistant Dean at the Panama City campus and a former Associate Chair of the Computer Science department. He has been the Distinguished Teacher at FSU. Steve teaches our Computer Organization sequence CDA 3100-3101 as well as the Expert Systems courses (undergraduate and graduate) in summer term. Reach him at sleach@pc.fsu.edu.
• Hilbert Levitz. Dr Levitz is a logician of considerable reknown and the original developer of our Theory of Computation course, which he now teaches. Reach Hilly at levitz@cs.fsu.edu.
• Raymond Lockwood. Mr Lockwood has his MS in Systems from University of West Florida and extensive experience in building, maintaining, and administering large real-world databases. Ray teaches our Database course COP 4710. Reach him at rwl06@fsu.edu.
• W Stephen Payne. Dr Payne has his PhD in Statistics and Research Design from FSU. He has extensive experience teaching at both Florida A&M University (in the CIS department) and at FSU (in the MIS department in the College of Business). He also brings long and significant practical industrial experience to his teaching. Steve teaches our graduate database course. Reach him at wpayne@cob.fsu.edu.