2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog
School of Computing and Analytics
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Location: Griffin Hall 400
Telephone: 859-572-6959
Fax: 859-572-5398
Email Address: SCA@nku.edu
Web Address: https://www.nku.edu/academics/informatics/programs/sca.html
School Director: Marius Truta
Associate School Director: Teuta Cata
Program Head, Computer Science & Software Engineering: Rasib Khan
Program Head, Cybersecurity & Information Technology: Tony Tsetse
Program Head, Information Systems & Analytics: Crystal Summers
Other Key Personnel:
Senior Operations Coordinator: Tina Peebles
Academic Coordinator: Grant Beccacccio
Academic Specialist: Summer Smith
Full-Time Faculty: Seth Adjei, Rupesh Agrawal, Kalyani Ankem, Ali Balapour, Andrea Brooks, Susan Brudvig, Tony Burk, Alina Campan, Nicholas Caporusso, Teuta Cata, Ankur Chattopadhyay, Samuel Cho, Maureen Doyle, Hailley Fargo, Richard Fox, Wei Hao, Kevin Jiang, Rasib Kahn, Peiwei Li, Jill Liebisch, Sarah Mann, Bradley Metzger, Awad Moussa, Gary Newell, Shahid Al Noor, Vijay Raghavan, Kenneth Roth, Joseph Rubleske, Crystal Summers, Yangyang Tao, Emily Taylor, Bradford Thomas, Cynthia Thomas, Traian Marius Truta, Anthony Tsetse, Hongmei Wang, Andy Xing, Rob Zai, Junxiu Zhou.
Thinking about the discipline: Computation and analytics have come to underlie nearly every aspect of our personal and professional lives. Software is pervasive, and the development of sophisticated, efficient, reliable and secure code depends on a balance of scientific and creative skills. The deployment of information systems requires skills that tie together the organizational and managerial aspects of enterprise operations together with knowledge of the fast-changing information technologies and a savviness with data in its many forms. Our interdependent networked world is evolving fast and creates new threats along with new opportunities, so strength in cybersecurity is especially important for companies and governments. All of this has led to a very strong demand for talented graduates with skills and passion for computing and analytics.
By majoring in one of the computing fields, a student gets a behind-the-scenes look at the digital world, moving from being a user to becoming a creator and/or administrator of information technology. Students with degrees in applied software engineering are prepared to become software engineers with a focus on state-of-the-art software design, development, and life-cycle management practices utilized in the industry; students with degrees in computer information technology often run large networks, serve as system administrators, or implement and maintain complex websites; students with degrees in computer science are prepared to apply theoretical knowledge and computationally efficient solutions in software, algorithms, and system development, and/or pursue graduate degrees in computer science; students with degrees in cybersecurity are prepared to preform security risk assessments and protect computers, networks, and software programs from cyber-attacks; students with degrees in data science often use software to model and visualize information.
The majors in the information sciences offer three complementary contexts for the study and application of information in organizations: business, healthcare, and library science. These programs focus on the broad information systems aspect of business theory and practice. Students will develop skills in:
- Automating business processes such as project management and workflow analysis.
- Managing information functions such as information systems analysis and design.
- Quantitative analysis and decision making such as developing management dashboards and business data analytics.
On the edge of a digital revolution, the world of business and healthcare is relying more and more on technology for business process management, data analysis, and project management. These programs prepare students to enter the marketplace and start their careers in business, government institutions, educational organizations, healthcare facilities, and other knowledge-based organizations.
Special opportunities for our students: Students in the computing majors have many opportunities to engage with projects and activities outside the classroom. Each fall, the School of Computing and Analytics sends teams of computer science students to the regional International Collegiate Programming Contest. Each spring it sends a team of majors to the regional Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition. Students interested in research work can work on projects with faculty members in a variety of areas, from web security to data mining. These student researchers often travel to conferences to present their work.
Many students defray college costs through co-ops and internships, and they can receive credit for this work in their major. Placement testing information for mathematics courses can be obtained from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics (Mathematics-Education-Psychology Center 401). Credit for prior learning is also available for a selected set of introductory courses via an equivalency exam.
Special admissions requirements: The Business Information Systems (BIS) degree is AACSB-accredited and therefore prospective majors must meet selective admission requirements co-established with the Haile College of Business. Students enter the program as a Pre-BIS major. Students are officially admitted to the program as a BIS major after meeting the following requirements:
- Completion of the six courses in the selective admission group (ACC 200, ACC 201, BUS 230, ECO 200, ECO 201, and MKT 205) with a grade of C- or better in each.
- An overall NKU GPA of 2.5 or better or a minimum GPA of 2.5 in the six selective admissions courses.
All transfer students intending to major in BIS enter as pre-majors and must complete a minimum of 12 credit hours at NKU in order to establish the NKU GPA for selective admission into the major, regardless of individual course completion status.
Special graduation requirements: All students successfully completing the Bachelor of Science in Business Information Systems automatically earn an interdisciplinary Minor in Business as part of their required course of study for the major degree. The Minor in Business satisfies the university’s minor/focus/second major requirement for graduation.
Students must earn a grade of C- or better in each course that counts as part of major or minor in Applied Software Engineering, Computer Information Technology, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or Data Science. Placement testing is available for some computer information technology, computer science and informatics courses.
You should also know: More information is available from the Informatics Student Success and Advising Center, located in Griffin Hall 404.
ProgramsBachelor of ScienceUndergraduate CertificateMinor
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