The main objective of the undergraduate Computer Science program of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science in Kuwait University is to produce computer scientists to serve Kuwait and the region by advancing and disseminating knowledge in the computer science field, and enhancing the economic development through research and outreach programs. The computer science study must establish students’ readiness for future careers in the computing profession in the local or regional job markets.

 

Computer science is an enormously vibrant field. It has become the defining technology of the new century. Computers - stand alone as well as embedded - are integral part of modern science, technology, and culture. They appear to be the primary engine behind much of the world's economic growth. Throughout the world, information and communication technologies are generating a new industrial revolution already as significant and far-reaching as those of the past. Resources like raw materials and energy, which have been the bases for welfare and prosperity in the past and for few countries only, will become superseded by information technology in the future. Theses facts must be reflected in the style and objectives of the computer science education.

 

Computer Science must be taught as both a theoretical and an applied science. A qualified computer science education must be balanced, integrated and comprehensive in order to produce computer scientists who can successfully pursue their professional careers, and serve their society. Therefore, the computer science curriculum has to provide a sufficiently broad coverage of the computer science discipline as recognized by professional bodies. The undergraduate curriculum should provide a firm theoretical background not only to support the discipline in its current status, but during the whole professional career of the graduate. This demand is really challenging, taking in consideration the dynamics of the area. That is why the students must master the body of fundamental concepts of mathematics, science and computing theory. A sound theoretical foundation of computer science and its applications is the best guarantee for success. On the other hand, the curriculum has to provide a broad-based undergraduate education in computer science, in the use of computers and software applications. The students must gain practical skills in using computers and software for problem solving by sufficient laboratory and project work. These all together will enable them to understand the current computer science practice and allow them to adapt to new situations.

 

The graduates must be qualified to identify and formulate scientific problems and to propose algorithmic solutions to them. They must be able to design and implement software systems by using scientific techniques, skills and modern tools and by collecting, analyzing and interpreting data.

 

The graduates should be prepared for teamwork, in which they cooperate and communicate effectively. The program helps to understand their professional and ethical responsibility, and the impact of their job on the society and environment. The graduates must be committed to the knowledge of contemporary issues and to long-life learning. At the same time, the best graduates must be prepared to pursue postgraduate studies in computing related disciplines.

 

Summarizing, the educational aims of the computer science study may be characterized as follows:

 To learn more about our Computer Science Program click on the links below:

 2007 Students Must Follow the Old Computer Science Major Sheet