Welcome, from Your Advisor

Welcome to Old Dominion University!

We are located in two buildings on campus; the new, LEEDS certified, Engineering and Computational Sciences building, and Hughes Hall. In addition to being environmentally friendly, the new building was designed to support and foster research efforts within our department and across disciplines. Stop by for a tour and to watch presentations shown in the lobby via floor-to-ceiling displays. This building houses our faculty offices, research laboratories, and student labs.

Our teaching labs and open student labs are located in Hughes Hall just off Hampton Blvd. Hughes also has meeting rooms for students working on group projects and an undergraduate student lounge. The classrooms are networked and equipped with projectors for multimedia instruction. In the student labs, you will find over 100 networked Windows XP computers with access to Unix servers! Our computing facilities are run and maintained by undergraduate students in the program creating an interesting and beneficial job opportunity for CS majors.

The computer science program is mathematically and scientifically oriented, providing students with a comprehensive background that prepares them for a wide range of job opportunities ranging from systems oversight and software engineering to database development and network administration. Our program emphasizes problem-solving skills so that students can quickly become productive in any domain area of employment. The freshman introductory course provides you with career and academic information critical for new students. Industry professionals and university researchers will help you explore the kinds of work available after graduation. You will also hear from university staff concerning learning strategies, academic tools, and employment opportunities.

The senior year capstone course sequence focuses on broad context within which computer scientists typically work. You will gain experience in many skills not ordinarily taught in computer science curricula: technical research, market research, presentation skills, group collaboration, interviews, budgeting, proposal writing, presentation tools, scheduling, hardware availability research, system architectural design, requirements specification, simulation, prototyping, and cost estimation. Feedback from our students, potential employers, and an external board of advisors confirms that our students are more successful upon employment as a result of this unique experience.

All of our students are able to participate in industry supported internships and department sponsored research projects. These opportunities provide a competitive benefit in job searches and potential graduate study. Computer Science jobs still rank in top 10 for job growth and salary potential nationally.

Please contact me if I can answer any questions, or if you are interested in a tour of our facilities. And again, welcome to ODU, and we hope you choose Computer Science as your major

Sincerely,
Janet Brunelle