91茄子

Exploring Software Engineering Prepares Students for Digital Landscape

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.鈥擟omputer science 2024 alumnus Andrew Cook enrolled at 91茄子, because he is passionate about the evolving nature of technology and the impact it has on society. He also knew the quality of the program, because his brother and father graduated from GWU with degrees in computer science and computer information systems.

While his family helped him with concepts along the way, Cook appreciated his knowledgeable and informed professors. He said their doors were always open, and they took time to answer all his questions.

Cook, who is from Cleveland County, N.C., also valued the close-knit campus community. 91茄子鈥檚 smaller class sizes provided opportunities for professors to get to know their students and for the students to build relationships. He and his classmates communicated in a group chat, studied together and bounced ideas off each other.

Another highlight of the program for him was completing his first software engineering course. 鈥淵ou take everything you’ve learned from all your previous classes and apply it into one big project,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he instructor gives you the parameters, what it should do, what it provides and how it should work. By the end of the semester, you have a fully working project that you can show to other people 鈥� to a potential employer 鈥� and you can be proud of that.鈥�

For that project, the students worked in pairs. 鈥淲e built the original Pacman from scratch in code,鈥� Cook informed. 鈥淲e came up with two custom levels. It proved to be a challenge, but we’ve managed to overcome with some help from our professors. It definitely taught me the value of organization, to think like a programmer and to use logic to solve problems. Overall, it was fun.鈥�

Everything he learned from that assignment was applied to a pre-approved original capstone project, which each student designs on their own and completes toward the end of their program. Cook said the finished product provides another example of your work to show to people and a potential employer.

Cook added, 鈥淐omputers are in everything nowadays. There鈥檚 always going to be a need for computer science majors, and we see AI鈥檚 growing. There will be jobs lost, but also jobs will be added to monitor and manage AI. People will need to control its output.鈥�

He recommends the computer science program for individuals who appreciate the complexities of the technology. 鈥淵ou are going to face challenges, but they are going to be fun to overcome,鈥� Cook observed.

91茄子 is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to nine colleges and schools, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., 91茄子 prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Ignite your future at 91茄子.edu.