Undergraduate Info
Computing Disciplines at Arizona
The ability to use and program computers is essential in every branch of science, engineering, and business. Three disciplines at Arizona have computing-intensive curricula. Each discipline depends upon computers and software -- yet each has a distinct signature in the computing “spectrum” that runs from hardware circuits via hardware system architecture, through software systems to applications software. The differences can be characterized by considering the interfaces -- the boundaries where major software and hardware functions meet. Important interfaces occur
- where applications programs call upon the services of software systems programs (such as operating systems and network protocols)
- where software systems programs call upon the services of specific hardware devices (such as disks, modems and processors)
- where hardware devices implement their functionality with other devices or circuits (such as memory buses or registers)
| Applications |
CS | MIS | |
| Applications/Systems interface | |||
| Software Systems |
CE | ||
| Software/Hardware interface | |||
| Hardware Systems |
EE | ||
| Hardware/Circuits interface | |||
| Circuits |
Computer Science
College of Science
Computer scientists
- focus on the software systems on which applications programs are built
- design and build software to implement algorithms or extend software systems
- design and build software tools to make software production efficient
- take core courses in software, analysis and theory
- design efficient algorithms and data structures
- focus curriculum on design, evaluation, development, maintenance of systems software and applications software
- study both sides of the interface between systems software and applications programs
- extend the limits to computation by more efficient software organization
- Computer Systems
- Computer Architecture
- Programming Languages and Compilers
- Operating Systems
- Computer Networks (Protocols)
- Algorithms and Data Structures
- Database Systems
- Object-Oriented Programming
- Theory of Computation
- Computer Graphics
Computer Engineering
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering/College of Engineering and
Mines
Computer engineers
- focus on the hardware systems on which programs execute
- design and build hardware and software to implement computer systems
- take core courses in both electrical engineering and computer science
- train for professional engineering pursuits
- focus curriculum on design, evaluation, development, maintenance of computer systems
- study both sides of the interface between hardware and software
- extend the limits to computation by designing faster hardware components or systems
- Digital Logic
- Electrical and Electronic Circuits
- Circuit Theory
- Computer Systems Hardware
- Engineering Systems Analysis
- Computer Architecture
- Computer Networks (Communications)
- Program Design and Development
- Algorithms and Data Structures
Management Information Systems
Eller College of Business and Public Administration
MIS majors
- apply computer technology to solve organizational problems
- analyze, design, implement and manage computerized information systems
- take core courses in programming and management decision-making
- construct software for decision-making in information-intensive organizations
- study both sides of the interface between applications programs and using organizations
- Economics
- Organizational Behavior
- Data Communications
- Business Programming
- Algorithms and Data Structures
- Database Management Systems
- Information Systems Analysis and Design
- Simulation
- Accounting Information Systems