Message from the Dean: More than numbers and codes

The study of computer science at Carnegie Mellon encompasses both the theory and design of computer systems as well as the many ways in which computers extend the reach of human intelligence. Designed around the principles of computational thinking, our curriculum provides students with the tools they will need to solve the complex problems of our time. Although you may not call it this yet, computational thinking is something you already know because it’s something you do every day.

When you fill your backpack in the morning with the things you will need for the rest of the day, that’s what computer scientists call prefetching and caching. Deciding which checkout line to stand in at the supermarket is performance modeling for multi-server systems. When you decide to buy a pair of skis instead of continuing to rent them, that’s using online algorithms. The list goes on and on. Computational thinking is the way humans think, not the way computers function. It is dynamic, clever and imaginative.

There are still many deep, intellectually interesting problems yet to solve. The experience and knowledge you’ll gain at Carnegie Mellon can help you harness the power of computational thinking and the potential of your future

Randy Bryant,
Dean, School of Computer Science