About the Department

The University of Minnesota’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) is a star in the University’s Institute of Technology. It’s one of the nation’s top research departments, with award winning faculty members, students, and successful, accomplished alumni. As the field of computing plays an increasingly major role in practically all disciplines, the department is poised for exciting growth in its educational and research missions.

In 2007, CSE was ranked third in the Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index in a study reported in The Chronicle of Higher Education and ranked ninth for Citation Impact of Published Research Papers by Science Watch. In addition, CSE is one of only five computer science departments in the nation with multiple recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) and 16 CAREER Award winners.

Throughout the past decade, the department has expanded to 42 faculty members who provide leadership and expertise in nearly all major areas of computer science and engineering. The department has 15 staff members, 550 undergraduate students, and 370 graduate students. Annual research expenditures have steadily grown and are currently around $8 million.

CSE faculty members are highly productive educators and researchers. They are international leaders in their respective fields, authors of widely used software and textbooks, winners of national and international awards, frequent keynote speakers, editors of scholarly journals, organizers of major international conferences, and entrepreneurs who have formed successful companies. Research conducted at the department frequently receives coverage in national and international popular media and is highlighted by funding agencies such as the Army, NSF, and NASA. (For a full listing of specialties visit Research Areas).

In addition, faculty members engage in interdisciplinary collaborations with various University departments and colleges, and University-wide research centers, such as the Digital Technology Center (DTC). Faculty have also played a leadership role in the formation of several industrial consortiums located at the DTC and intended to strengthen industrial collaboration, including the Intelligent Storage Consortium (DISC) and the Data Mining Consortium (DDMC).

CSE offers students a broad undergraduate and graduate curriculum, based on the application and theoretical foundations of computer science. Students gain breadth and depth of knowledge in a multitude of computing specialties and are well prepared for industry positions, competitive graduate programs, and academic positions. Each year the University awards approximately 150 bachelor’s, 100 master’s, and 20 doctoral degrees to CSE students. Following graduation, CSE graduates are heavily recruited by prominent technology companies and go on to do stellar work, both locally and nationally. After graduation, the department continues to enjoy strong support from alumni.

The department also receives generous support from members of local industry. The Computer Science Associates (CSA), a department advisory council consisting of the members of local industry, assists in identifying the needs of Minnesota businesses and helps promote awareness of the department and its programs.

The combination of all of these elements makes the CSE department a very exciting place to be. Please visit our Web site to learn more about the department and ways to get involved.