Department of Computer and Information Science

Computer Science majors develop an in-depth understanding of both software and hardware, and gain extensive hand-on experience during their studies. This prepares them for employment opportunities in both the computer industry and business fields, as well as provides a solid foundation for advanced study at the graduate level. The department offers comprehensive major and minor programs to meet varying academic interest and career aspirations.

The undergraduate Computer Science program is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org.

Qualified computer science majors can benefit from the Cooperative Education program offered in cooperation with the local computer industry.

The CIS Department also offers a Master of Science Degree in Computer Science with a broad range of required and elective courses in theoretical computer science, computer systems, software engineering, parallel and distributed computing, data visualization, artificial intelligence, computer networks, and cybersecurity. See the Graduate Catalog for information.

Faculty and Fields of Interest

Amir Akhavan Masoumi, BS 2004 Oroumieh Azad University, MS 2009 PhD 2015 University of Science Malaysia, Information Security, Complex Systems Science, Data Visualization, Cognitive Load Analysis

Ramprasad Balasubramanian (Provost / Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs), MS 1991 University of Toledo, MS 1993 University of Kentucky, PhD 2003 University of South Florida, Computer Vision, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence

Yuchou Chang, BS 2003 Northwestern Polytechnical University, MS 2006 Shanghai Jiao Tong University, PhD 2012 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Postdoctoral Fellow 2015 Barrow Neurological Institute, Computational Imaging, Artificial Intelligence, Brain-computer Interface

Adnan El-Nasan, PhD 2003 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Computer Architecture, Operating Systems

Hua Fang, PhD 2006 Ohio University, Computational Statistics, Machine Learning, Pattern Recognition

Long Jiao, BS 2016 Xidian University, MS 2022, PhD 2023 George Mason Univeristy, Wireless Security, Spectrum Sharing, Deep Learning

Firas Khatib, BA 2001 University of California Berkeley, PhD 2008 University of California Santa Cruz, Bioinformatics, Crowd-sourcing

Gokhan Kul, BS TOBB University of Economics and Technology, MS 2012 Middle East Technical University, PhD 2018 University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Cybersecurity, Database Security, Digital Forensics, Computer Systems

Yi Liu, MS 1998 Nanjing University, China, PhD 2005 University of Mississippi, Software Engineering, Secure Software Development, Geospatial Data Science

Yukui Luo, Hardware Security, Cloud-FPGA Virtualization, Deep Learning

Ashokkumar Patel, MS 1989 Gujarat University, MS 2013 Georgia Southwestern State University, PhD 2002 North Gujarat University, Cybersecurity, Machine Learning, Big Data Analytics, Biomatrices-based Trustworthy Secure Cyberspace

Clinton Rogers, BS 2010, MS 2012 University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Game Design, Neural Networks, Artificial Intelligence

Ming Shao, PhD 2016 Northeastern University, Transfer Learning, Social Media Analytics, Deep Feature Learning

Iren Valova, BS 1991, MS 1993, Technical University, Sofia, Bulgaria, PhD 1997 Tokyo Institute of Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Neural Networks, Image Processing

Haiping Xu (Chairperson), BS 1989 Zhejiang University, MS 1998 Wright State University, PhD 2003 University of Illinois at Chicago, Software Engineering, Distributed Computing, Deep Learning, Cloud Computing, Cybersecurity

Jiawei Yuan, BS 2011 University of Electronic Science and Technology, China, PhD 2015 University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Cybersecurity, UAV Security, Network Security

Department Mission

To offer the strongest Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and ABET accredited program in Massachusetts
To offer graduate programs in Computer Science of intellectual rigor
To maintain Computer Science research programs supporting the university’s mission
To meet regional and state needs through education and industrial and community outreach
To build a satisfying and career enhancing environment at UMass Dartmouth
To help build an interdisciplinary intellectual environment at UMass Dartmouth
To maintain curricula to meet the computer fluency needs of all UMass Dartmouth students

Program Educational Objectives

Program Educational Objectives of the Bachelors degree program in Computer Science at UMass Dartmouth.

I. Our graduates will successfully apply their Computer Science knowledge and skills in their careers.

II. Our graduates will work effectively with others.

III. Our graduates will pursue life-long learning and professional development.

Student Outcomes

To meet the program goals, the Computer and Information Science Department, through its major in computer science, seeks to produce graduates who have an ability to:

1. Analyze a complex computing problem and to apply principles of computing and other relevant disciplines to identify solutions

2. Design, implement, and evaluate a computing-based solution to meet a given set of computing requirements in the context of the program’s discipline

3. Communicate effectively in a variety of professional contexts

4. Reorganize professional responsibilities and make informed judgements in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles

5. Function effectively as a member or leader of a team engaged in activities appropriate to the program’s discipline

6. Apply computer science theory and software development fundamentals to produce computing-based solutions

Computer Science Minors

Students interested in a minor should contact the CIS Department for additional information. The department offers five different minors: Artificial Intelligence, Computer Game Design, Computer Science, Computer Science Cybersecurity, and Mobile Application Development, each with the emphasis indicated.

To declare a minor, the student must be a degree candidate and receive permission from the CIS Department as well as the College of Engineering. Prospective minors are encouraged to inquire and plan their minor early because the structure of requirements could necessitate the use of more than six semesters. Courses completed prior to formal declaration will count toward the minor program. Minors consist of at least 18 credits, of which 9 credits must be at the upper division (300-400) level. A department offering a minor may establish other requirements beyond these minimal requirements.

A minor must be completed at the time of the degree and will be so noted on the student’s transcript. A student cannot be readmitted to the University to complete only a minor.