Why Study Computer Science?

This is an exciting time to be working in the field of computer science, not only because of the continued advances in computing technologies, algorithms, and data analyses, but because those advances have such great impact throughout society.

Expertise in computer science drives innovation that connects people to their neighborhood and to the other side of the world. Computer scientists drive scientific discovery leading to improved health care outcomes, to a better understanding of the environment and our weather, to development and use of autonomous vehicles, and the creation of smart homes and smart cities.

Computer scientists build tools that improve people's lives and enable better decisions in contexts such as business, political science, medicine, transportation, and just about any area of life.

Pathways for International Students

Saint Louis University has a strong contingent of international students in our computer science programs and applicants are welcome to apply for direct admission to our undergraduate or graduate programs, or to enroll in various pathway programs that provide additional English language instruction alongside courses toward the academic degree.

Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science Pathway
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science Pathway
Master of Science in Computer Science Pathway
Master of Science in Software Engineering Pathway
Master of Science in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Pathway
Doctoral Program in Computer Science

Learn More at INTO SLU

The professors really engage you inside and outside the classroom, making sure that you are successful, directing you to internship and research opportunities and finding ways for you to enhance your education.”

—Ryan Wilks, Computer Science Major, Class of 2021

Computer Science Programs

Undergraduate Programs

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Computer Science: The B.A. offers a broader "liberal arts" feel with more general college requirements.
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Computer Science: The B.S. offers additional technical depth in CS, math and other sciences. For a helpful comparative view of the B.S. compared to the B.A., please see this checklist of degree requirements.
Bachelor of Science in Data Science: This program combines carefully selected computer science, statistics and mathematics courses for an education that is rooted in the fundamentals, but also provides hands-on experience with cleaning, visualizing, analyzing and reporting on data.
Computer Science Minor: Our department also offers a 20 credit hour minor in computer science, which, when combined with majors in any of SLU's college, can help students better appreciate how computing technologies can be used to further one's goals in just about any area of society.

Computer science students at SLU have pursued double majors that combined computer science with fields as varied as art, biology, communications, engineering, English, French, geology, mathematics, neuroscience, philosophy, physics, political science, psychology, Russian, Spanish, theatre, theology and more.

Graduate Programs

Master's Program

Master of Science degrees offered by the Department of Computer Science rely upon a common set of courses, but with curricular guidelines that balance the combination of required and elective courses.

Artificial Intelligence, M.S: SLU's M.S. in artificial intelligence provides students with depth of knowledge in AI/ML techniques and explores applications in partnership with faculty across the University.
Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, M.S.: This program teaches students to use computational techniques and data analyses to advance core understanding and innovation surrounding biological systems.
Computer Science, M.S.: SLU's M.S. in computer science provides greater breadth of knowledge in the field, enabling students to continue on to a doctoral program or to be well-prepared for a variety of research and development positions in industry.
Software Engineering, M.S.: SLU's M.S. in software engineering curriculum is professionally-oriented, enhancing students' skills and experience in developing high-quality, large-scale software systems.

Applicants who do not yet have all the expected undergraduate coursework in computer science and mathematics for admission to these M.S. programs may apply to one of our Gateway to M.S. graduate preparatory programs, effectively being pre-admitted to their desired M.S. program, so long as they successfully complete the gateway preparatory courses with a grade of "B" or higher.

Doctoral Program

Computer Science, Ph.D.: SLU's computer science Ph.D. program prepares students for rewarding careers in industry or academia that leverage the power of computers, algorithms, and data to impact the world in a positive way.

Accelerated Bachelors/Masters Programs

For existing SLU undergraduate students, the Department of Computer Science offers a variety of accelerated bachelors/master's curricula. These "ABM" combinations typically allow students to graduate with both a bachelors degree and a masters degree with an integrated five-year plan that allows some graduate work to be completed while still an undergraduate student.