The field of computer science is pervasive. The availability of relatively inexpensive high performance computing capabilities and ubiquitous high speed and wireless networking have continued the technology-driven restructuring of the way much of society operates. Information, and its associated processing and transport, is the commodity upon which corporations are built and fortunes made. At the center of this revolution, making it happen, are those who study computer science.
Because computer science is a highly diverse and broadly applied field, studies can proceed in many different directions. Accordingly, the undergraduate and graduate programs in the Department of Computer Science at Johns Hopkins are flexible curricula designed to accommodate a wide range of goals. Whether the ultimate goal is a mainstream career in computer science or a desire to combined expertise In computer science with another area, a student at Johns Hopkins can pursue appropriately customized versions of the following computer science programs: minor, bachelor of science, bachelor of arts, masters of science in engineering, and doctor of philosophy. Most of this catalog section is devoted to details regarding these programs.
There are several closely related programs which involve significant coursework and faculty involvement from the Department of Computer Science. A minor in computer integrated surgery is administered by the Engineering Research Center for Computer Integrated Surgical Systems and Technology; details of this program may be found in this catalog section following the minor in computer science. Undergraduates with a strong interest in system design and performance may elect to pursue either a bachelor of science or bachelor of arts in computer engineering. This field of study includes course work in computer science, as well as electrical and computer engineering. Although jointly administered by both departments, specific goals and requirements of the computer engineering degrees may be found in the catalog section pertaining to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering only. Lastly, the master of science in security informatics (MSSI) is a specialized graduate program offered through the Information Security Institute (ISI) in the WSE. The field of security informatics is fundamentally based on information security and assurance technologies (hardware, software, and networks) as related to issues such as policy, management, privacy/trust, health care, and law, from both national and international perspectives. Interested students can obtain detailed information regarding the MSSI online at www.jhuisi.jhu.edu or in the ISI section of this catalog.
Computer science research laboratories are currently active in the following areas at Hopkins: algorithm design and analysis, human-computer interaction, machine learning, computer vision and image processing, computer graphics, geometric modeling, programming languages, natural language and speech processing, information retrieval, cryptography and information security, secure and robust systems, storage systems, fault-tolerant computing, networks and distributed systems, robotics, computer-integrated surgical systems, and wireless and sensor systems.
Additionally, interdisciplinary research centers in the university have heavy involvement by Computer Science faculty: the Information Security Institute (ISI), the Center for Computer-Integrated Surgical Systems and Technology (CISST), the Center for Language and Speech Processing (CLSP), and the Institute for Data Intensive Engineering and Science (IDIES). An important component of the educational process in the Department is the opportunity for student participation in the research programs of the faculty, and all faculty members have research laboratories in which individual projects are available for undergraduate and graduate students. Original research in close association with individual faculty members is emphasized at the graduate level. For additional information regarding the academic programs available, and the facilities provided, please consult the sections which follow, or the departmental Web site www.cs.jhu.edu or the department office, 224 New Engineering Bldg, Baltimore, MD 21218-2694.
The computing facilites include over 70 workstations and servers; a large undergraduate laboratory comprised of 24 Unix workstations, 12 Windows stations, and a separate collaboration room allowing students to work in a team-based environment; a Masters' Students Office consisting of Unix Workstations and a collaboration area; assigned locations and computers for PhD students; multiple high-speed network laser printers, a networked copier, and a color PostScript laser printer; remotely accessible Unix computer servers available to both graduate and undergraduate students.
Focused research laboratories have significant resources that provide greater specialization, including isolated networks of PCs for security studies, sensor and wireless computing testbeds, robots and computer vision systems, and more.
The facilities are tied together by our own LAN, and access to specialized hardware in other departments and institutions is available via the university intranet and the Internet. In addition, the university provides wireless access to the JHU intranet and the Internet, as well as server systems that provide e-mail accounts for all students.