Learning Opportunities | B.S. in Computer Science
Research Assistantship
Advanced students in the computer science program have the opportunities to participate in the research projects of the faculty. Under the supervision of the faculty, these students serve as research assistants and study important recent developments in computer science, including topics in areas such as information security, computer vision, natural language processing, knowledge representation and automatic reasoning, machine learning and combinatorial optimization.
NSF Research Experiences
Each summer, the National Science Foundation (NSF) provides a variety of student research opportunities through its Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. Typically a small group of 10 or so undergraduates work on a specific research project supervised by researchers at the host institution. Students are granted stipends and assistance with housing and travel. Many computer science majors benefit greatly from the REU programs. Learn more about NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates programs.
Internship Opportunities
Many computer science majors learn and benefit greatly from internship opportunities on campus and in the industry. See more information from Biola's Center for Career Development and companies such as:
National Cyber League Competition
Each semester, Biola University competes virtually in the National Cyber League (NCL), which is the largest collegiate ethical hacking tournament in the country. The NCL allows students to hone offensive and defensive skills for cybersecurity. Students learn to break cryptographic algorithms, crack passwords, enumeration and exploit computers, and perform network and packet analysis. Each season consists of two live exercises from Biola's very own student cyber-leaders before the NCL preseason singles, single-person regular season, and team games. From the start of this program in Spring 2019, Biola University has climbed to a top 60 spot out of 920+ teams, which represent over 300 universities across the nation.
MCS Connects
MCS Connects is a student-led committee to plan social events every semester to encourage fellowship and community within the Computer Science department.
Quantitative Consulting Center (QCC)
Students have the opportunity to partner with faculty, graduate students and clients outside the university, and assess real data and uncover trends with a variety of projects. Explore past projects and learn more at biola.edu/quantitative-consulting-center.
Analytics @ Biola
Analytics @ Biola is a collection of programs where students are taught to analyze and interpret complex sets of data, and equipped to offer strategic insights for businesses and industries. Learn more at biola.edu/analytics-at-biola.