Fall 2026 · Session 1

Welcome to Computational Expression

Let us find out what this field actually is.

What Is Computer Science, Really?

  • Not just "typing code"
  • Problem-solving with precise, step-by-step thinking
  • A language for expressing ideas a machine can act on
  • As creative as it is logical

Where It Shows Up

  • The apps and games you use every day
  • Data that predicts, recommends, diagnoses
  • Robots, sensors, the physical world (hi, Pico!)
  • Every field now touches code: biology, art, journalism, medicine

CIS Department

You Are Not Just Taking a Class

  • Part of Allegheny's Department of Computer & Information Science
  • Four majors & minors: Computer Science, Data Science, Informatics, Software Engineering
  • CMPSC 100 & 101 run every semester: this is where everyone starts

Four Programs, Four Angles

  • Computer Science: computational theory, hardware ↔ software
  • Software Engineering: building & maintaining large-scale systems
  • Data Science: analyzing complex data, modeling & prediction
  • Informatics: technology's cultural & social impact

Beyond the Major

Two more ways to go further. Details coming to the department site soon:

  • Microcredentials: stack focused skills alongside your major
  • 3+3 programs: accelerated paths to a master's degree

This Semester

  • Python, from zero
  • A Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W: LEDs, buttons, sensors
  • 8 labs building toward a project you design
  • You will leave able to build real things

Time to Move

Find Your Corner

Four corners of the room, four ways into this field. Pick the one that sounds most like you right now.

  • Computer Science: building and understanding systems
  • Data Science: exploring and modeling data
  • Informatics: technology and its impact on people
  • Software Engineering: building real software products

Meet Your Group

  • Introduce yourself to two people near you
  • Share why you picked this corner
  • Pick one thing your group wants to report back

What Did We Learn?

  • No corner was empty, and no corner was "right"
  • Most careers in this field blend more than one corner
  • That is exactly why the department has four programs

See You Friday

Syllabus, department values, and Q&A.

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