Breadcrumb
Department of Computer Science
Hands-on learning is the core of our programs. Our small class sizes mean you can always get the major courses you need and attention from professors who are eager to help you learn. And our graduates are in high demand in this high tech world.
Choose from Two Majors
Computer Science, B.S.
The primary goal of the major is to produce graduates capable of succeeding as computing professionals, while the minor introduces students to computing. The minor introduces students in other disciplines to key elementary concepts in computing. Though this is not always sufficient for many careers in computing, many computer science minors obtain additional training in order to launch careers in the field.
Prerequisites
Find out what prerequisites you will need.
Software Engineering, B.S.
This bachelor’s of science degree program encompasses the development, operation and maintenance of programs. The curriculum of software engineering programs includes computing fundamentals, software design and construction, requirements analysis, security, verification, and validation; software engineering processes and tools appropriate for the development of complex software systems; and discrete mathematics, probability, and statistics, with applications appropriate to software engineering.
Software Engineering Prerequisites
Find out what prerequisites you will need.
Senior Capstone - CS 458
Everything you’ve learned inside and outside the classroom comes together your senior year with the senior capstone project within CS 458 - Software Engineering.
Software Engineering at Cal Poly Humboldt
Career Options
There’s a wide diversity of applications: computer scientists may be found working alongside businessmen and biologists, lumbermen and oceanographers, artists, and community activists. If you’re eager to learn and solve problems, you’ll be able to use computers to help improve the world.
Here are a few examples of possible career fields:
- Computer Software Engineer
- Database Developer
- Computer Security Specialist
- Network Administrator
- Computer Game Developer
- Web & Mobile Application Developer
In the fast-growing field of software engineering, graduates are qualified to pursue highly paid careers in software development. Graduates may also have opportunities to work on projects related to embedded software, which is used in virtually every industry, including:
Here are a few examples of possible career fields:
- Aeronautics
- Communications
- Medicine
- Transportation
Minor
Featured Alumni
Achievements
Find out what our students, faculty, and staff are being recognized for.
Sherrene Bogle
Computer Science
Prof. Sherrene Bogle received a travel award from the University of Missouri, Kansas City to attend the 2025 Workshop on Large Language Models for CS Undergraduate Education. At the September 2025 workshop, she gave a presentation on “Experience Report of Generative AI for Contrasting Undergrad Courses”. This included how generative AI tools have evolved in the past two years to student prompts and best practices for incorporating the tool in both GE and STEM courses.
Sherrene Bogle, Cheyenne Ty
Computer Science
Prof. Sherrene Bogle, 2024-25 student of the year Cheyenne Ty and their collaborators in the NSF funded ACOSUS (AI Counseling System for Under-represented Transfer Students) research group had their double blind peer review paper entitled School or Student? A Mixed Method Analysis on Reddit Data for Transfer Barrier Identification was accepted for publication and presentation at the 2025 Decision Sciences Institute Annual Conference in November. The paper examines the institutional and student-based barriers faced by computing transfer students.
Lily Yassemi
Computer Science
Award Winner: Lily Yassemi
Co-Curricular: Outstanding Student of the Year
Lily Yassemi was nominated by Michelle Gledhill and Victoria Petrillo for the Outstanding Student of the Year award in the co-curricular category.
Lily is the Founder and President of the Society of Women in STEM Humboldt organization and has been the President of the Computer Science Club at Cal Poly Humboldt. Lily is a trailblazer at Cal Poly Humboldt, demonstrating an exceptional balance between academic excellence, leadership, and extracurricular involvement.
It both clubs she raises funds through grassroots efforts and has produced rapid growth in club membership. In Society of Women in STEM club Lily has built a supportive community with resources and networking. For Computer Science club, Lily has organized industry talks, developed and led technical workshops, and facilitated networking opportunities that have helped students round out their education and build professional connections. She also brings an exciting and engaging mix of activities to the club’s meetings like workshops where students learn how to make their own apps.
She led the club’s participation in the prestigious International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC), a globally recognized competition, where Cal Poly Humboldt achieved a top-10 placement—the first time the university has appeared on the ICPC global leaderboard. Lily also spearheaded the development of Hackathon for Social Good, an ambitious event that will bring students together to solve real-world challenges proposed by local non-profits.
Lily pours an extraordinary amount of time and energy into her work. Between leading two STEM-focused academic organizations, organizing high-impact events, and ensuring meaningful opportunities for students, she has made a lasting impact on both the campus and the broader community.
Congratulations Lily!