Steven Bieber

A new Computer Science major will be an option for Lourdes students when the fall semester begins on Aug. 22. The major will require 36 credit hours and the minor will be 18 credit hours.

Dean of the College of Arts and Science Katherine P. Beutel, Ph.D., who oversees all the majors and programs in the college, has been working to add this new field for a few years.

Beutel explained that the 12 classes for the Computer Science major will be online. The courses will be spread over a student’s four years and will be mixed in with other core classes such as business or professional writing.

She also explained that the classes will be small and interactive. The instructor will give students feedback on projects throughout the semester.

“Students will definitely learn some programming, web and app development. They will learn about the hardware, how a computer actually works, algorithms and data structures. Students eventually will work towards a capstone project where they develop something, maybe it’s a new app or website or some other kind of technology,” Beutel said.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Lower Cost Models for Independent Colleges Consortium, some of the jobs a Computer Science major could be qualified for include software developer, computer programmer, and systems analyst with a median annual salary of $131,490.