{"id":12227,"date":"2025-08-21T10:57:17","date_gmt":"2025-08-21T15:57:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.winona.edu\/academics\/?page_id=12227"},"modified":"2025-08-21T10:57:18","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T15:57:18","slug":"computer-science-department","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.winona.edu\/academics\/colleges\/science-engineering\/computer-science-department\/","title":{"rendered":"Computer Science Department"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Computer Science Department at WSU is an exciting, challenging program that can prepare you for a variety of engaging careers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our educational approach emphasizes programming and technical expertise, critical thinking abilities, and practical hands-on experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The WSU Computer Science Department operates from both the Winona Campus and the Rochester Campus, which allows students to complete their Computer Science degree on either campus.&nbsp; In addition, RCTC students may consider our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rctc.edu\/academics\/transfer\/articulations\/path-to-purple\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.rctc.edu\/academics\/transfer\/articulations\/path-to-purple\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Path to Purple Programs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n    <div class=\"panel panel--white\">\n        <div class=\"panel__container\">\n            <div class=\"panel__intro\">\n                        <\/div>\n            \n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Computer Science<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the US Government of Labor Statistics, careers in computer science are growing much faster than average in comparison to other occupations. In addition, professionals in this field tend to enjoy a significantly higher average salary than those in other fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The national&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.acm.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ACM<\/a> also provides lots of good reasons to major in Computer Science. Here are just a few:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Computing is part of everything we do<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Computing offers great opportunities for true creativity and innovation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Computing enables you to make a positive difference in the world<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Computing jobs are here to stay, regardless of where you are located<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Computing offers many types of lucrative careers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n    <div class=\"panel panel--white\">\n        <div class=\"panel__container\">\n            <div class=\"panel__intro\">\n                        <\/div>\n            \n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Beyond the Classroom<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WSU\u2019s Computer Science Department is unique, as our curriculum is heavily based on direct experience. This learning format helps students stand out among other applicants and succeed in the workforce.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wsu-block tabs\">\n\n    <div class=\"tabs-nav\">\n        <button class=\"tabs__toggle\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-expanded=\"false\" id=\"tabbed-1\">Practicum<\/button>\n<button class=\"tabs__toggle\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-expanded=\"false\" id=\"tabbed-2\">Research Projects<\/button>\n<button class=\"tabs__toggle\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-expanded=\"false\" id=\"tabbed-3\">Testing Lab<\/button>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"tabs-content\">\n        <button class=\"tabs__mobile__toggle\">Practicum<\/button>\n<div class=\"tabs__content__item\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><div><p>Our Practicum provides CS majors with practical experience in a non-academic setting.<\/p>\n<p>In their final semesters, students are introduced to the work environment where they can apply many of the concepts learned in the classroom.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, the Practicum provides a work experience that is substantially different from any previous or current work experiences.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<button class=\"tabs__mobile__toggle\">Research Projects<\/button>\n<div class=\"tabs__content__item\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><div><p>With the assistance of faculty and staff, students conduct research in various topics. These projects range from mobile applications to hardware analysis.<\/p>\n<p>Students also have opportunities to present their work to fellow students and the public.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<button class=\"tabs__mobile__toggle\">Testing Lab<\/button>\n<div class=\"tabs__content__item\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><div><p>WSU\u2019s\u00a0Software Testing and Development Lab\u00a0provides testing, development, and other computer and networking related technical services to local and regional businesses.<\/p>\n<p>Students are paid a salary to work in the lab under the direction of our faculty and staff.<\/p>\n<p>Any student can apply to work at the Software Testing and Development Lab. However, Computer Science students are given preference.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n    <div class=\"panel panel--white\">\n        <div class=\"panel__container\">\n            <div class=\"panel__intro\">\n                        <\/div>\n            \n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Careers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Working with today\u2019s rapidly changing computer technology requires a significant level of skill and education. In addition to technical knowledge, companies want professionals who have communication and interpersonal skills, and who can adapt their problem-solving skills to different situations.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our curriculum is designed to teach you both the technical and soft skills. Our goal is to set you up for success in the professional world.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some potential jobs you can pursue with the Computer Science degree include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Computer Programmer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>IT Support Specialist<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Software Application Developer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Database Administrator<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Web Developer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Software Quality Assurance Tester&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n    <div class=\"panel panel--white\">\n        <div class=\"panel__container\">\n            <div class=\"panel__intro\">\n                        <\/div>\n            \n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Computer Science News<\/h2>\n\n\n    <div class=\"feature mb-1 wsu-block\">\n        <div class=\"feature__media\">\n   <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.winona.edu\/academics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/05\/WSU-Michael-Desch-feature-2021-04-16-600x400.jpg\" alt=\"Michael Desch '21\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"feature__content\">\n   <a class=\"wsu-link\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.winona.edu\/academics\/crossing-the-finish-line-toward-a-bright-future\/\"><div class=\"feature__title\">Crossing the Finish Line<\/div><\/a>\n   <div class=\"feature__description\">Michael Desch &#8217;21 overcame mental health challenges to earn his Applied Computer Science degree in Bioinformatics from Winona State. His determination and support from WSU&#8217;s resources led him to become a Commencement speaker.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n    <div class=\"panel panel--white\">\n        <div class=\"panel__container\">\n            <div class=\"panel__intro\">\n                        <\/div>\n            \n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mission<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The primary mission of the Computer Science program at Winona State is to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>ensure quality and up-to-date curriculum for a diverse group of students on both the Winona and Rochester campuses.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>provide an inclusive and supportive learning environment for our students, faculty, and staff.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>contribute to our community\u2019s technological needs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Program Educational Objectives<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To support this mission, the department has established the following Program Educational Objectives (PEOs). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Graduates will:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>apply foundational knowledge and skills in computing to solve real-world problems in diverse professional settings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>engage in self-directed learning and adapt to evolving technologies, methodologies, and societal needs in computing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>possess strong communication and teamwork skills, which enable them to effectively collaborate with diverse stakeholders and articulate technical concepts to non-technical audiences.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n    <div class=\"panel panel--white\">\n        <div class=\"panel__container\">\n            <div class=\"panel__intro\">\n                            <div class=\"h3\">Contact the Computer Science Department<\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n            \n\n<div class=\"wsu-block grid grid--50\">\n    <div class=\"wsu-block contact-card mb-1\">\n   <div class=\"contact-card__content\">\n       <div class=\"contact-card__title h4\">\n           Nadia Miranda\n       <\/div>\n       <div class=\"contact-card__subtitle h4\">\n           Office Manager\n       <\/div>\n       <div class=\"contact-card__description\">\n           <p>Watkins 103<\/p>\n<p>507.457.5385<\/p>\n\n       <\/div>\n       <a class=\"wsu-link contact-card__link\" href=\"mailto:nmiranda@winona.edu\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"\">Email Nadia Miranda <\/a>\n   <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wsu-block contact-card mb-1\">\n   <div class=\"contact-card__content\">\n       <div class=\"contact-card__title h4\">\n           Dr. Mingrui Zhang\n       <\/div>\n       <div class=\"contact-card__subtitle h4\">\n           Department Chair, Professor\n       <\/div>\n       <div class=\"contact-card__description\">\n           <p>Watkins 103C<\/p>\n<p>507.457.2980<\/p>\n\n       <\/div>\n       <a class=\"wsu-link contact-card__link\" href=\"mailto:mzhang@winona.edu\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"\">Email Mingrui Zhang <\/a>\n   <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wsu-block contact-card mb-1\">\n   <div class=\"contact-card__content\">\n       <div class=\"contact-card__title h4\">\n           Dr. Gerald Cichanowski\n       <\/div>\n       <div class=\"contact-card__subtitle h4\">\n           Director of Software Testing &amp; Development Lab, Professor\n       <\/div>\n       <div class=\"contact-card__description\">\n           <p>Watkins 108C<\/p>\n<p>507.457.5384<\/p>\n\n       <\/div>\n       <a class=\"wsu-link contact-card__link\" href=\"mailto:gcichanowski@winona.edu\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"\">Email Gerald Cichanowski <\/a>\n   <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wsu-block contact-card mb-1\">\n   <div class=\"contact-card__content\">\n       <div class=\"contact-card__title h4\">\n           Chi-Cheng Lin\n       <\/div>\n       <div class=\"contact-card__subtitle h4\">\n           WSU-Rochester Program Coordinator\n       <\/div>\n       <div class=\"contact-card__description\">\n           <p>Rochester Center ST132<\/p>\n<p>507.285.7145<\/p>\n\n       <\/div>\n       <a class=\"wsu-link contact-card__link\" href=\"mailto:clin@winona.edu\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"\">Email Chi-Cheng Lin<\/a>\n   <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Through our challenging and exciting curriculum, WSU&#8217;s Computer Science Department can prepare you for a number of in-demand careers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"parent":11922,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_tec_requires_first_save":true,"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[476],"tags":[352],"class_list":["post-12227","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","category-computer-science","tag-legacy"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winona.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12227","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winona.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winona.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winona.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winona.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12227"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.winona.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12227\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17936,"href":"https:\/\/www.winona.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12227\/revisions\/17936"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winona.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winona.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12227"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winona.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12227"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winona.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12227"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}