Frequently Asked Questions: Undergraduate

General information about WPI is located on our Admissions Web site. This FAQ deals specifically with questions about Computer Science at WPI.

Do I have to buy a computer, and, if so, which one?

We do not require you to buy a particular computer, or even buy one at all. There are many computer labs that are open to all students for general use. In addition, other labs (e.g., the Fossil lab) are available to support particular CS courses that have special needs.

Which computers can I use, are they free, and how do I get an account?

A guide to what computers are appropriate to bring or buy has been provided by the College Computer Center (CCC). Computing and Internet access at WPI is free. You'll be given an account during orientation when you first arrive on the campus. You can use it until you graduate and leave.

How large are the CS classes?

Classes vary in size from about 15 to about 130. Senior level classes in more specialized subjects, and those about less 'popular' topics, tend to be smaller, while introductory courses, that are also taken by students from other majors, are the largest.

We try to provide you with lots of additional assistance. Large classes break out into smaller groups for seminar sessions with graduate teaching assistants (TAs), undergraduate senior assistants (SAs) and sometimes with faculty. Office hours and help sessions, are provided for every course. Both faculty and teaching assistants are available during office hours to provide help to anyone from the course who stops by.

The WPI Plan also requires students to do projects where students interact directly with one or more faculty members. This provides the equivalent of six courses of direct faculty-student contact.

Do you teach a course in C/C++/Java/...?

Yes and no. None of our courses are intended to just teach you a programming language. They use one or more programming languages to teach Computer Science concepts. Once you've learned the first language and the essential concepts you'll find that additional languages can be learned more easily. Different languages have different strengths and can be used for different tasks -- we'll show you which.

In response to changing technology, the needs of industry, and student requests, we change courses and course content every year. Over time, the language we've used in our introductory courses has included Fortran, Pascal, Scheme, C, C++, and, most recently, Java.

I'm interested in Databases/Graphics/AI/... Can I do that at WPI?

We have lots of advanced courses, so the answer is almost certainly "Yes". Take a look at our 3000- and 4000-level CS courses. Also, our graduate courses offer chances for advanced study.

Do you teach a course on Microsoft Excel, Word or other PC software?

It is unusual for us to teach the use of specific software, except when it supports the content of a course. However, the College Computer Center does offer a training program for software tools such as Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, and Excel.

Are all courses taught by faculty?

Courses are never taught by Teaching Assistants: they just "assist". Almost all courses are taught by regular faculty, with some being taught by carefully selected Instructors.

What's the BS/MS program?

The combined Bachelor's & Master's Program allows undergraduates to earn both a bachelor's and a master's degree in less time than would normally be required. This is done by counting some undergraduate credits towards the master's degree, and overlapping the two programs. If you're interested, apply at the beginning of the junior year.

What kinds of Major Qualifying Projects (MQPs) do CS students complete?

WPI students have been doing significant projects as part of their education since 1970. Support for projects is built into WPI's fabric.

Projects include a senior thesis, called a Major Qualifying Project (MQP). MQPs are done in a wide variety of areas. Topics are suggested by students, faculty members, or by industry. The Projects Program Web site allow you to search through WPI's database of project titles and abstracts.

All MQPs are presented in public and students make Web sites that summarize their project.

Here are some sample MQP titles:

Do students have opportunities to work with faculty on their research? On what kinds of problems?

It is possible for students to work with faculty on their research. Most of the opportunities arise due to MQPs. Many faculty take pieces of their research projects and turn them into MQPs. Sometimes these collaborations result in conference or journal publications. The range of research areas can be seen by looking at the list of the CS Department's Research Groups and by looking at the projects described on those Web pages. Although research group meetings are mainly targeted at graduate students and faculty, most welcome undergraduates.

Where do your students go after they graduate?

Most students go to industry. WPI's Career Development Center helps students with all aspects of the job search process. Most major companies come here to interview, or they can access the Web-based resume book.

Some students decide to attend graduate school for a Master's degree or a Ph.D. at schools such as Stanford, CMU, Illinois, Ohio State, etc. Some students stay at WPI to take advantage of the BS/MS program, gaining a Master's degree in less time than it would normally take.

Can I get good advice about my selection of courses?

Every student is assigned an Academic Advisor who is a member of the faculty. They can help with questions about courses, requirements, and schedules. There are days set aside for every freshmen and other students to meet with their advisor to plan their courses.

WPI has an Academic Advising Office that supervises advising on campus, and also helps students with special academic problems. See also First-Year Students' FAQ. WPI also has a Committee on Advising and Student Life, with both faculty and students, that is responsible for continuing development of the student advisory and counseling programs. We take advising very seriously.

Are faculty serious about teaching, or do they just do research?

WPI is very serious about teaching. We always have been. Faculty promotion, tenure and salaries really do depend on good teaching, as well as on research. That isn't true everywhere. Students evaluate every course, and that course evaluation information. In addition to student reviews, CS faculty are also peer reviewed: i.e., we sit in on each other's classes and provide comments about the teaching. WPI's Center for Educational Development, Technology, and Assessment runs courses and events to help keep the level of teaching high. The CS department also has its own discussions and presentations about teaching methods.

Should I take CS Advanced Placement classes? Will I get credit for them?

If you are taking or have taken advanced placement or accelerated courses in high school then you are probably qualified to begin your WPI courses with CS 1102 (our first course for experienced programmers) instead of CS 1101 (our introductory course for novice programmers). If you take the Advanced Placement Examination and score a "4" or "5" you will receive elective credit at WPI (does not count towards the CS major). An additional credit for CS 1000 is granted for a score of "4" or "5" on the AB exam.

You don't have to take the Advanced Placement Examination in order to select a more advanced-level course. However, you shouldn't select an advanced course unless you have mastery of the material that's recommended to come before it.

Do you have to be good in math to do CS?

You don't have to be good in math to do CS, but it certainly helps a lot. Mathematics promotes the sort of clear, logical thinking that is needed to analyze problems and to design and write computer programs. In addition, mathematics is used in many CS courses, for example to analyze or predict the performance of computer programs and computer systems. There's also a formal, theoretical branch of CS that uses mathematics. So, if you do badly in our Math courses, you'll probably do badly in our CS courses.

What is WPI's policy with regard to 'intellectual property', and who owns the students' projects?

WPI projects are an important educational experience, and the MQP is a graduation requirement. WPI owns the rights to the results of an MQP, unless it chooses to relinquish or share those rights.

Royalties resulting from a patent are shared between WPI and the inventor, according to the degree of ownership. A sponsor of a project (external to WPI) will own the rights to a project if the project was based on proprietary or confidential information supplied by the sponsor. WPI is not currently in the business of providing venture capital for start-up companies.

The full, legal details are described in WPI's Intellectual Property Policy.

What's the difference between Computer Science and Computer Engineering?

There are some overlaps between the topics in the two disciplines. However, the crude way to distinguish between them is that CS is concerned with Software, and CE is concerned with Hardware. By "software" we mean computer programs, and by "hardware" we mean electrical and electronic devices.

In CS we are concerned with how to make computers do what we want using software, while in Computer Engineering they are concerned with designing and building the computers themselves. However, some topics, such as designing, building, and evaluating networks of interconnected computers, cross the boundary. Of course, to find out the details of both disciplines you ought to attend presentations from both departments, visit the Web pages, and talk to faculty representatives.

Is Computer Science the major for me?

Different people have different abilities and talents. Until you try Computer Science it's hard to tell whether you have the right blend to succeed in this field. However, if you are only interested in developing Web pages, playing computer games, using existing software, or using computers in support of some other area, then this might be a signal that you need to reconsider whether Computer Science is the right major for you.

After high school some of my friends went directly to work as programmers and they are making big money -- why should I bother with college?

Computer technology changes very rapidly. It's estimated that the details of what you learn in a B.S. degree may last you about 5 years. However, we try to prepare you for change by emphasizing CS concepts that will support you as you continue to learn throughout your career. If you don't know the full range of concepts, then keeping up-to-date will be very difficult. With those concepts you will be able to learn about computers and languages that will only be invented after you graduate. Computer Science concepts change relatively slowly.

In addition, the wide range of courses, teaching techniques, and projects help you learn 'how to learn'. A four year degree from an accredited program -- we are currently accredited by CSAB -- is the best way to obtain those essential CS concepts, and to learn how to learn.

Your friends who choose immediate money over an investment in education are likely to lose in the long run. You'll be able to continue to learn and adapt to change, allowing your salary to grow for much longer. Of course, money isn't the only or even the 'main' reason for going to college!

My father says that soon computers will program themselves and nobody will hire CS people. Is this true?

Everyone agrees that there is and will continue to be a high demand for computer scientists. The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the Computer Programmers section of the 2002-03 Occupational Outlook Handbook, says:

"Systems analysts, computers scientists, and database administrators are expected to be the among the fastest growing occupations through 2010. Employment of these computer specialists is expected to increase much faster than the average for all occupations as organizations continue to adopt and integrate increasingly sophisticated technologies. Growth will be driven by very rapid growth in computer and data processing services, which is projected to be the fastest growing industry in the U.S. economy. In addition, many job openings will arise annually from the need to replace workers who move into managerial positions or other occupations or who leave the labor force."

The Commerce Department's Office of Technology Policy reports that the whole IT field was responsible for more than a third of the growth in the U.S. economy between 1995 and 1997, and that it accounts for almost half of the nation's long-term growth since World War II.

However, in general, fathers (and mothers!) are usually right.

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Last modified: December 03, 2007 14:33:40