Department of Applied Computing
The Department of Applied Computing provides students with opportunities to earn a Bachelor of Science degrees in computer information systems, cybersecurity, and data science. An honors program is offered in the Computer Information Systems discipline. Minors are available in all disciplines including information technology. A degree in engineering is available through Lander University’s dual-degree program with Clemson University. Students who complete this dual-degree program receive a bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Clemson University and a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems from Lander University.
The Department’s webpage contains information about the individual programs of study, scholarships available for students majoring in computer information systems, and a link to an on-line application for these scholarships. Click here to visit the scholarship page.
The following courses will be offered as indicated:
Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems
Computer information systems are prominent in the modern world. The Computer Information Systems (CIS) major allows students to develop the knowledge and skills required to understand these systems and participate in their creation and maintenance.
The computer information systems major at Lander has three components: core courses, a concentration within CIS, and a minor outside CIS. The core requirements form the basis of the program by providing the fundamentals necessary for advanced study. The concentration allows a student to develop a specialization within computer information systems. The minor provides a domain where CIS can be put into practice.
The curriculum and courses are designed and updated to accomplish the following program goals. All students graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems will demonstrate:
• the skills needed to solve CIS problems;
• effective oral and written communications skills;
• the ability to independently research and complete a CIS project; and
• an understanding of the legal and ethical issues they may encounter as CIS professionals.
The CIS core includes courses in problem-solving and programming skills (CIS 130, CIS 230, CIS 231, CIS 234), productivity tools, (CIS 102), information management (CIS 120, CIS 320), data communications (CIS 240), computer organization (CIS 335), analysis and design (CIS 321), and database design (CIS 360). It also includes the senior level capstone experience (CIS 499).
Students can choose a concentration in software development, in networking, or in computer engineering. The software development concentration requires advanced courses in emerging environments and software development. The networking concentration covers data communications and computer networking in depth.
The computer engineering concentration is part of Lander’s dual-degree program with Clemson University. Students in the computer information systems/computer engineering dual-degree program must complete specific mathematics and science courses at Lander in order to meet the program requirements of Clemson University. Students completing this program will be awarded both a BS in computer information systems from Lander University with a minor in mathematics, and a BS in computer engineering from Clemson University.
The computer information systems major requires that each student complete a minor. This minor provides competency in a secondary area where CIS can be applied. Students may choose from a number of minors, as indicated in the following table. Other minors (or a second major) offered across campus are eligible for consideration as well. The mathematics minor is suggested for students interested in pursuing graduate studies and is required for students in the computer engineering concentration.
| Minor |
Software Development |
Networking |
Cybersecurity |
| Mathematics |
X |
X |
X |
| Business Administration |
X |
X |
|
| Healthcare Management |
X |
X |
|
| Sociology |
X |
X |
|
| Psychology |
X |
X |
|
| Political Science |
X |
X |
|
| Music |
X |
X |
|
| Cybersecurity |
X |
X |
|
| Data Science |
X |
X |
|
In order to complete a computer information systems degree program in a timely fashion, students should complete the problem solving and programming skills sequence (CIS 130, CIS 230, CIS 231), along with CIS 102 and CIS 120, by the end of their third or fourth semester.
A grade of “C” or better is required in all computer information systems courses applied to the major, with the following exception: a grade of “D” will be allowed in at most one CIS course at the 300- or 400-level. Courses in oral and/or written communication skills (SPCH 101 and COM 275) are strongly encouraged.
All students pursuing a degree in computer information systems are required to participate in program assessment activities and an exit interview with the computer information systems faculty during their final year at Lander University.
The program requirements for the CIS major and the dual-degree program are articulated on the individual program worksheets. A successful graduate in the computer information systems major will have competency in the following areas:
Information System Principles. This includes systems theory and concepts, information systems in organizations, decision support systems, and evaluation of systems performance.
Programming Principles. This includes problem solving, algorithm development, and application programming using structured and object-oriented approaches that stress abstraction, programming style, two or more high-level languages, and various software development environments.
Data Organization and Management. This includes data and file structures, access methods, algorithm design and analysis, and relational database organization and design.
Computer Organization. This includes logical organization of computers, levels of abstraction, machine and assembly languages, data representation and addressing, and memory management.
Data Communications and Networking. This includes networking and telecommunications concepts and standards, distributed computing, networked information technologies, protocols, and e-commerce.
System Development Methodology. This includes requirements specifications, analysis, design, implementation, and testing. Also, software tools, system prototyping, robustness of systems, documentation, efficiency, ethics, human-computer interaction, and software development in a team environment.
Information Systems Applications. Each student will have demonstrated competency in an approved application area through completion of a minor or second major in that area.
Computer Information Systems Honors Program
Students majoring in computer information systems may earn a “BS Degree with Honors” in computer information systems. To qualify, a student must:
1. Complete the following courses: MATH 141, MATH 142, MATH 325, CIS 330, CIS 498, and any two of CIS 340, CIS 341, or CIS 440.
2. Complete six credit hours of a foreign language. This foreign language may not be English or the student’s native language.
3. Submit a research proposal by January 15 of the junior year. The proposal must be approved by a majority of the computer information systems faculty and result in a finished product of sufficient quality to:
a) Receive three hours of credit (CIS 390), and
b) Be accepted for publication or presented at a meeting of a computing society such as the Association for Computing Machinery; or be presented as a seminar to faculty, students, and guests.
4. Graduate with a BS degree in computer information systems with a grade point average of 3.5 in both overall coursework and in computer information systems coursework.
Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems Engineering Dual-Degree
Students who wish to combine a study in computer information systems with a liberal arts program with further study in an engineering discipline may do so under the Lander University-Clemson University Engineering Dual-Degree Program. A student who completes this program of study will benefit from the experience of dividing their academic career between the liberal arts environment of a small university campus and the engineering climate of a large, technically-oriented university. This unique combination of study on two differently oriented campuses provides students with excellent engineering training strongly complemented by study in the humanities and social sciences.
Students apply for admission to Clemson during their third academic year at Lander University. Acceptance into the Clemson engineering program is at the discretion of that university. Clemson recommends that prospective students enroll in a summer school session at Clemson following their sophomore or junior year at Lander.
A grade of “C” or better is required in all courses applied to the dual-degree program and in all courses that must transfer to Clemson University.
Dual-degree engineering majors enter Clemson University at a level competitive with students already at that university. Successful completion of the program will result in the student being awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from Clemson University and a Bachelor of Science degree in their major from Lander University.
Students will have competency in the following areas prior to leaving for Clemson University:
A. COMPUTER INFORMATION SYSTEMS/ENGINEERING DUAL DEGREE
Information System Principles. This includes systems theory and concepts, information systems in organizations, decision support systems, and evaluation of systems performance.
Programming Principles. This includes problem solving, algorithm development, and application programming using structured and object-oriented approaches that stress abstraction, programming style, two or more high-level languages, and various software development environments.
Data Organization and Management. This includes data and file structures, access methods, algorithm design and analysis, and relational database organization and design.
Computer Organization. This includes logical organization of computers, levels of abstraction, machine and assembly languages, data representation and addressing, and memory management.
Data Communications and Networking. Includes networking and telecommunications concepts and standards, distributed computing, networked information technologies, protocols, and electronic commerce.
System Development Methodology. This includes requirements specifications, analysis, design, implementation, and testing. Also, software tools, system prototyping, robustness of systems, documentation, efficiency, ethics, human-computer interaction, and software development in a team environment.
Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity Major
Lander University’s BS in Cybersecurity prepares students for a career in technical and non-technical cybersecurity-related fields. Students completing the core courses of this program will gain deep technical knowledge to develop and maintain cybersecurity solutions along with an understanding of related non-technical areas including administrative, ethical, and legal aspects of cybersecurity.
The Cybersecurity program at Lander University has two components: core courses and a concentration. The core requirements form the basis of the program by providing the fundamentals necessary for advanced study. The concentration allows a student to develop a specialization within cybersecurity. The curriculum and courses are designed and updated to accomplish the following program goals. All students graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Cybersecurity will demonstrate:
• an understanding of the fundamental concepts, principles, and current trends in the cybersecurity discipline;
• an understanding of the federal, state, and local cyber defense laws and partners/structures, and ethics;
• an understanding of the fundamental concepts, technologies, components, and issues associated with components of modern computing environments;
• the knowledge to develop and maintain solutions for preserving confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information systems;
• an ability to assess risk management practices and policies for an organization;
• the ability to communicate orally and in writing; and
• the ability to self-learn.
The Cybersecurity core courses include courses in problem-solving and programming skills (CIS 130, CIS 230), productivity tools (CIS 102), information management (CIS 120), data communications (CIS 240), networks and computer systems administration (CYBR 140, CYBR 260), fundamentals of cybersecurity (CYBR 243), data-at-rest and data-in-motion forensics (CYBR 343, CYBR 344) , cryptography (CYBR 345), cybersecurity planning and management (CYBR 346), database design (CIS 360) and the senior-level capstone (CYBR 449).
Students can choose a concentration in Computer Information Systems or Political Science. The Computer Information Systems concentration focuses on deeper technical skills needed for the professional development and maintenance of cybersecurity solutions. The Political Science concentration focuses on policy development and compliance, and the legal aspects related to the field of cybersecurity.
A grade of “C” or better is required in all Cybersecurity courses applied to the major, with the following exception: a grade of “D” will be allowed in at most one Cybersecurity major course at the 300- or 400-level.
All students pursuing a degree in cybersecurity are required to participate in program assessment activities and an exit interview with the department faculty during their final year at Lander University.
The program requirements for both cybersecurity emphases are articulated on the individual program worksheets. A successful graduate in the cybersecurity major will have competency in the following areas:
Fundamentals of Cybersecurity. This includes security principles and policies, laws and regulations, basic cryptography, authentication, ethics, malware, computer and network forensics, threat and vulnerability detection, and protection.
Programming Principles. This includes problem-solving, algorithm development, and application programming using structured and object-oriented programming styles.
Forensics of Data-at-rest and Data-in-motion: This includes network and computer vulnerabilities and exploitation, protection against common threats, digital forensic analysis principles, and best practices for digital evidence collection and maintaining the chain of custody.
Cryptography: This includes the inner workings of cryptographic systems and their usage in real-world applications.
Cybersecurity Planning and Management: This includes procedures and processes for planning and management of cybersecurity operations in an organization.
Data Communications and Networking. This includes networking and telecommunications concepts and standards, distributed computing, networked information technologies, protocols, and e-commerce.
The following courses will be offered as indicated.
Bachelor of Science in Data Science
Data Science is an interdisciplinary field of study that deals with capturing, maintaining, processing, and analyzing data as well as effectively communicating the data analysis results. Effective data scientists are able to identify relevant questions, collect data from a multitude of data sources, clean and organize the information, analyze the information, translate results into solutions, and communicate the findings in a way that informs business decisions. Lander University's Data Science program educates and trains students in these skills. After completing our Data Science program, students will be equipped with both the underlying theory and the skills to apply that theory in the real world. All students graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Data Science will demonstrate:
1. an ability to apply computing concepts to use, manipulate, and analyze data;
2. the mathematical and statistical understanding of the central algorithms used in the field of data science;
3. the ability to communicate results of data analyses including data visualization;
4. an ability to apply data analyses in real-world scenarios in order to facilitate decision-making;
5. the ability to develop a high-performance machine learning and deep learning system using a large data set;
6. an understanding of ethical principles related to data science.
Lander University’s Data Science program offers concentrations in three areas: Business Analytics, Computer Information Systems, and Mathematics. Each concentration is designed to provide courses to deepen the understanding in each area. If a student is more interested in discovering and applying business intelligence for organizations, Business Analytics concentration provides a curriculum with business contexts. For students interested in careers as data science developers, Computer Information Systems concentration should be an excellent choice. The Mathematics
concentration offers an opportunity to study theoretical aspects in depth and provides the mathematical skills required by many graduate programs.
The Data Science core courses include courses in problem-solving and programming skills (CIS 130, CIS 230, CIS 234, DSCI 130, DSCI 230 ), information management (CIS 120), data visualization (DSCI 231), big data analysis (DSCI 330), applied machine and deep learning (DSCI 340, DSCI 440), discrete mathematics (MATH 125), applied linear algebra (MATH 208), supervised and unsupervised machine learning (MATH 213, MATH 214), database design (CIS 360) and the senior-level capstone (DSCI 499).
A grade of “C” or better is required in all Data Science courses applied to the major, with the following exception: a grade of “D” will be allowed in at most one Data Science major course at the 300- or 400-level
All students pursuing a degree in data science are required to participate in program assessment activities and an exit interview with the department faculty during their final year at Lander University.
The program requirements for data science emphases are articulated on the individual program worksheets. A successful graduate in the data science major will have competency in the following areas:
Fundamentals of Data Science. This includes data science history, fundamental data concepts, principles, problem definitions, algorithms, processes for extracting patterns, and legal and privacy issues.
Data Science Programming. This includes fundamental programming techniques for data science such as loading, cleaning, transforming, merging, and reshaping data.
Data Visualization and Analysis. This includes methods and software tools for the visual representation of data and advanced tools for big data analysis including unstructured databases and data management platforms.
Applied Machine Learning. This includes data preparation, pipeline construction, machine learning models and their hyperparameters, overfitting and underfitting, regularization, performance measurement, and application development in the cloud.
Applied Deep Learning. This includes artificial neural networks, deep neural networks, deep learning models and training algorithms, optimizers, preparation of training data, measuring performance, and developing applications over the cloud.
The following courses will be offered as indicated.