Undergraduate Program Computer Science

Computer Science Bachelor's Degree and Minor Overview

PSU's Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science

Computer science majors gain skills in problem-solving with a creative lens. Portland, Oregon, provides a vibrant, urban community giving students access to local tech companies through internships, mentoring, networking, and long-term careers. Students gain industry experience while working on projects directly with local software companies during our two-term senior capstone course.

PSU's computer science degree will prepare you for careers in a wide range of areas, including:

machine-learning
software engineering and development
cyber and data security
graphic design
gaming and data
systems analysis

The computer science program at Portland State University is competitive. Students must apply for admission to the program in their sophomore year. Once admitted, students gain access to upper-division courses. Transfer students must apply to both Portland State and the computer science program.

About the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science

The Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science includes five departments, 84 full-time faculty and more than 3,000 students. We offer academic programs that provide transformative opportunities within the classroom and beyond. If you join our college, you'll be connected to Portland’s growing, innovative industries and prepared to gain competitive jobs in engineering and computer science. Our close ties to leading tech companies give you the opportunity to build your professional skills through internship programs while you complete your degree. You can participate in undergraduate research, community-based learning projects and opportunities to develop your own ideas from proposal to prototype through our innovation programs. Our students are in demand in the Portland job market and beyond, and they report the highest annual earnings of all PSU graduates one year after graduation.

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Degree Details

BS
Bachelor of Science

Delivery Method

On campus

Total Credits

180

Start Term

Any

Degree Planner
m
Minor

Delivery Method

On campus

Total Credits

24

Start Term

Any

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Computer Science Bachelor's Degree or Minor: Why PSU?

Computer science is one of PSU’s most popular programs. We offer specializations in emerging fields of computing such as:

machine learning and artificial intelligence
cybersecurity
data management and cloud computing

Students work with the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science's very own Director of Career Success to connect with tech companies for internship and job opportunities. Our program offers two, unique internship programs, MECOP and PCEP. Both programs offer paid work experience to students while they earn their degree.

Portland, known as the “Silicon Forest,” has a community of computing and leading tech companies. This community is growing in the region and ready to hire our students. Being in Portland is a major advantage for PSU students, as they have access to internships at companies like Intel, Daimler, and many others in our region. During these internships, students are able to get real, practical, industry experience, and many go on to work for these companies after graduation.

The computer science department is a diverse community of students. Our students can engage in their academic and extracurricular life through computer science clubs such as:

We in Computer Science (WiCS), a PSU student-led organization dedicated to celebrating diversity and providing support to communities historically underrepresented in computer science.
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Student Chapter gathers students to bond over a common passion for computing. Members learn from peers and mentor others to pursue academic and professional interests.

What can I do with a Bachelor's degree or minor in Computer Science?

Our graduates get jobs in a variety of computing areas, including:

Software: operations, applications, website, and full-stack developers
Database and systems administration
Machine learning
Computer security
Graphics and visualization
Game development
Business computer systems
Data analysis
Security

Graduates from the computer science program at PSU typically pursue careers in areas such as software or web development, software and systems engineering, automation and quality assurance, database and system administration, etc. Our alumni work at companies like Adidas, Amazon, Apple, Boeing, Daimler Trucks, eBay, Intel, Interface Engineering, Mentor Graphics, Nike, Tektronix, and many other companies both locally and nationally. Many of our students go on to graduate programs, researching topics such as:

artificial intelligence
biomedical signal processing
computer architecture
database systems
design verification and validation
embedded systems
graphics and visualization
integrated circuit design
intelligent robotics
machine learning
networking
programming languages
security
systems development
wireless communications

There is a high demand for qualified computing professionals in the industry; Our graduates are getting jobs with entry-level annual salaries of more than $60,000.