The range of problems that can be attacked using the techniques of computer science spans many disciplines, and computer scientists often become proficient in other areas.

Examples of areas that students can study in the department include distributed systems, cloud computing, sustainability, social and economic networks, algorithms for large data and high-performance computing, cognitive science, robotics, swarm intelligence, and artificial intelligence and the arts.

The computer science major can serve as preparation for graduate study in computer science as well as careers in teaching, research, and industry (such as financial services and Internet-related businesses).