This course is an introduction to computer science and programming. The programming language Java is used to illustrate concepts in computer science. The course emphasizes the use of the computer as a problem-solving tool and the development of good programming style. CSCI 161 is the introductory course for students planning to major or minor in computer science. A weekly laboratory is required.

This course is an introduction to computer science and programming intended for students in the natural sciences. The emphasis is on problems that might come up in a modern research laboratory. Assignments and exercises are done in Python programming language, which is favored by many natural scientists. The course teaches how to maintain an electronic notebook of calculations, to complement the traditional lab notebook. There is also a focus on standard data structures and good programming techniques, giving the student a solid grounding in modern programming techniques.

Computer scientists design and study algorithms to solve difficult real-world problems, learn software engineering patterns to break down large projects, and study the design of programming languages.