Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 20:05:48 GMT Server: NCSA/1.5.2 Last-modified: Wed, 07 Feb 1996 19:26:07 GMT Content-type: text/html Content-length: 3783 The Department


UMass/Amherst

The Department

The Department of Computer Science offers a comprehensive curriculum from introductory-level courses to graduate seminars focusing on critical research areas. The Department offers students a unique set of opportunities to study for the bachelor's degree, the master's degree or the doctoral degree. The M.S. program thoroughly prepares and qualifies students for advanced careers within the computer industry, and the Ph.D. program directly involves students in some of the most exciting and significant research being conducted anywhere in the world.

The Department has created an outstanding research program. Research efforts are strongly supported by government at all levels and by private industry. The program has grown dramatically as the University continues to gain recognition for dynamic, high-quality research. Our research program works closely with other top university computer science departments and major companies in the computer industry to advance computer science research.

We have developed a highly respected program of teaching and research loosely grouped into three areas: artificial intelligence, computer systems and theory of computation. Department faculty represent some of the most distinguished individuals active in computing research and education. The curriculum is designed to take advantage of the breadth and quality of the research program, providing a rich basis for the development of new perspectives and research directions.

The Department's artificial intelligence (AI) research includes: vision, robotics, expert systems, planning, machine learning, real-time AI, artificial neural networks, knowledge representation, natural language and computational neuroscience. Systems research focuses on software development environments, software testing, distributed computation, distributed and real-time databases, real-time systems, computer networks, performance evaluation, operating systems, parallel computation, computer architecture, programming languages and database and information systems. Primary interests in the theory of computation are combinatorial and graph-theoretic models of computation, complexity of algebraic computations, descriptive and computational complexity, and applications of theoretical studies to "real" computation situations.

Our research program benefits from close ties with other University departments, many of which are also nationally recognized. A close and cooperative relationship with the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department is maintained for both teaching and research in the areas of distributed computation, VLSI, graphics, architecture, theory of computation, and robotics. Ongoing study and research in the area of theory of computation benefits from ties with the Mathematics Department. Our faculty also participate in both the University's Neuroscience and Behavior Program and the Cognitive Science Program. Other cooperative ventures have involved such diverse schools and departments as Art, Education, Management, and Engineering.

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