Subscribe to our Newsletter

Helpful articles and useful tips for adults considering a college degree.

Thank you for signing up for our newsletter!

You will soon receive an email
confirming your request.

Computer Science

Franklin University Computer Science program banner Program OverviewProgram DetailsWhy Choose Franklin
Back To Program Details

Subsequent Degree: B.S.

Looking to earn an additional bachelor’s degree? This degree is specifically designed for students who have already completed a bachelor's degree or higher.

Prerequisite Competencies

  • COMP 107 - INTRODUCTION TO WEB AUTHORING (1)

    COMP 107

    INTRODUCTION TO WEB AUTHORING

    Course Description

    This course is an introduction to the use of software in Web authoring. It will provide students with the basic knowledge required to design, build, and maintain an informational website.
  • COMP 108 - INTRODUCTION TO DATABASES (1)

    COMP 108

    INTRODUCTION TO DATABASES

    Course Description

    This course focuses on using databases to solve business applications.
  • MATH 150 - FUNDAMENTAL ALGEBRA (4)

    MATH 150

    FUNDAMENTAL ALGEBRA

    Course Description

    This course will address the outcomes of introductory and intermediate algebra. Topics include: basic algebraic properties, integers, simplifying and factoring polynomials, solving and graphing linear equations and inequalities, solving systems of equations in two and three variables, functions, rational expressions, quadratic and rational equations and inequalities, absolute value, radicals, graphing systems of equations and inequalities, and other selected topics. Applications will be emphasized, and numeric, algebraic, and graphical modes will be used.
  • MATH 160 - COLLEGE ALGEBRA (4)

    MATH 160

    COLLEGE ALGEBRA

    Course Description

    This course is designed to prepare students for Applied Calculus and Discrete Mathematics and to provide the mathematical background needed for the analytic reasoning used in other courses. Topics include functions and their graphs, including exponential and logarithmic functions; complex numbers; systems of equations and inequalities; matrices; basic principles of counting and probability; and other selected topics.
  • MATH 170 - DISCRETE MATHEMATICS (4)

    MATH 170

    DISCRETE MATHEMATICS

    Course Description

    This course introduces students to fundamental algebraic, logical and combinational concepts in mathematics that are needed in upper division computer science courses. Topics include logic; sets, mappings, and relations; elementary counting principles; proof techniques with emphasis on mathematical induction; graphs and directed graphs; Boolean algebras; recursion; and applications to computer science.
  • MATH 180 - APPLIED CALCULUS (4)

    MATH 180

    APPLIED CALCULUS

    Course Description

    This course is designed to meet the needs of the Computer Science Program. Topics include limits, the derivative, rules for differentiation, graphing strategy, optimization problems, differentials, implicit differentiation, related rates, exponential and logarithmic functions, antiderivatives, definite integrals, areas, and methods of integration. Applications are emphasized.
  • MATH 380 - PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS (4)

    MATH 380

    PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS

    Course Description

    This course is designed to introduce probability theory, statistical inference, analysis of variance and regression techniques to students majoring in Computer Science. Topics include sets and probability, random variables, discrete and continuous probability distributions, estimation theory, hypothesis testing, regression and correlation, and analysis of variance.
  • MIS 320 - TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION (4)

    MIS 320

    TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION

    Course Description

    This course will prepare students for the bi-directional technical communication demands specific to computer and information systems. Topics include technical research methods and approaches, critical analysis of technical documents, synthesis of data, information and knowledge gained through research and critical analysis, creation of accurate technical documents, and effective delivery of technical material via oral presentations supported by visual media.
  • PF 321 - LEARNING STRATEGIES (2)

    PF 321

    LEARNING STRATEGIES

    Course Description

    This course prepares students to be successful lifelong learners both academically and in their chosen careers. Franklin courses require a high level of self-directed learning and focus on skills required in the workplace and the classroom that are easily transferable between the two environments. The course includes strategies for advancing communication skills, including the use of electronic tools to participate in virtual environments. The assignments and activities in the course are created to closely simulate teamwork found in the workplace.
  • WRIT 320 - BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL WRITING (4)

    WRIT 320

    BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL WRITING

    Course Description

    This is an advanced composition course for juniors and seniors which focuses on business, technical and professional writing. Skills taught include audience analysis; research methods; questionnaire, interview and survey techniques; letters; data collection, interpretation and documentation; graphic illustration; and composition of reports in special formats. Instruction and practice are provided in writing various types of reports such as résumés, proposals, summaries, research reports and instructions for user manuals, and in presenting committee and oral reports. Students will be encouraged to relate course materials to their major programs and their workplaces.

Major Area (60 hours)

  • COMP 111 - INTRO COMP SCIENCE/OBJECT-ORIENTED PROG (4)

    COMP 111

    INTRO COMP SCIENCE/OBJECT-ORIENTED PROG

    Course Description

    This course provides an introduction to software construction using an object-oriented approach. The student learns and reflects on problem analysis, object-oriented design, implementation, and testing. To support the concepts and principles of software construction, the student will design, code, test, debug, and document programs using the Java programming language. Basic data types, control structures, methods, and classes are used as the building blocks for reusable software components. Automated unit testing, programming style, and industrial practice are emphasized in addition to the object-oriented techniques of abstraction, encapsulation, and composition.
  • COMP 121 - OBJECT ORIENTED DATA STRUC/ALGRTHMS I (4)

    COMP 121

    OBJECT ORIENTED DATA STRUC/ALGRTHMS I

    Course Description

    This course continues the object-oriented approach to software construction. The student learns and reflects on advanced object-oriented techniques, algorithm efficiency, class hierarchies, and data structures. To support the concepts and principles of software construction, the student will design, code, test, debug, and document programs using the Java programming language. Design principles, I/O, exception handling, linear data structures (lists, stacks, and queues), and design patterns are emphasized in addition to the object-oriented techniques of inheritance and polymorphism.
  • COMP 201 - PRINCIPLES OF COMPUTER ORGANIZATION (2)

    COMP 201

    PRINCIPLES OF COMPUTER ORGANIZATION

    Course Description

    This course is one of four courses that holistically explore the structure of computational systems. This course deals with the nature of computer hardware. The course will cover the structure of current computer systems at the level of functional organization, representation of data and programs, the design of the memory hierarchy, and the design of the I/O system. The course will introduce basic assembly language.
  • COMP 202 - PRINCIPLES OF COMPUTER LANGUAGES (2)

    COMP 202

    PRINCIPLES OF COMPUTER LANGUAGES

    Course Description

    This course covers the mapping of a high-level language onto the hardware. An introduction to language theory is provided by the use of regular expression grammars. The Church-Turing thesis is introduced as the foundational definition of computation.
  • COMP 203 - PRINCIPLES OF OPERATING SYSTEMS (2)

    COMP 203

    PRINCIPLES OF OPERATING SYSTEMS

    Course Description

    This course is a continuation of the computing infrastructures sequence. The function and structure of operating systems is studied. In addition, the operating system layer provides the environment buffering the hardware from the software. An important topic in this course is the nature of concurrency and the problems that it poses: description of the functions and parts of an operating system; relationship of the operating system and underlying hardware; virtual memory; and concurrency and synchronization.
  • COMP 204 - PRINCIPLES OF COMPUTER NETWORKS (2)

    COMP 204

    PRINCIPLES OF COMPUTER NETWORKS

    Course Description

    This course serves as an introduction to the function, design, administration, and implementation of computer networks. Topics include network infrastructure, architecture, protocols, applications, and the OSI networking model.
  • COMP 205 - SURVEY OF COMPUTER LANGUAGES (4)

    COMP 205

    SURVEY OF COMPUTER LANGUAGES

    Course Description

    This course provides an overview of programming language concepts and practice with several languages. Programming languages are compared using language paradigms, parameter passage techniques, scoping, block structure, and other language features. Functional programming languages, scripting languages, and .Net are used as practical examples.
  • COMP 281 - DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (4)

    COMP 281

    DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

    Course Description

    This course covers fundamental concepts necessary for the design, use, implementation and administration of database systems. The course will stress the fundamentals of database modeling and design, the languages and facilities provided by database management systems, and some techniques for implementing and administering database systems.
  • COMP 294 - COMPUTER SCIENCE PRACTICUM I (2)

    COMP 294

    COMPUTER SCIENCE PRACTICUM I

    Course Description

    This is the first practicum course in the Computer Science program. It provides experience in an on-going software development project. A student at this level will be given an assignment in a team similar to that of a new hire in industry. The software development project will require the student to apply industry best practices in completing an assignment for the project.
  • COMP 311 - OBJECT ORIENTED DATA STRUC/ALGRTHMS II (4)

    COMP 311

    OBJECT ORIENTED DATA STRUC/ALGRTHMS II

    Course Description

    This course is the third of four courses using the object-oriented approach to software construction. The student learns and reflects on non-linear data structures, recursive algorithms, algorithm efficiency, and design patterns. To support the concepts and principles of software construction, the student will design, code, test, debug, and document programs using the Java programming language. Implementation and analysis of sets, maps, balanced binary search trees, heaps, hashing and hash tables, graphs and graph algorithms, and efficient sorting algorithms are addressed.
  • COMP 321 - APPLICATION SERVER PROGRAMMING (4)

    COMP 321

    APPLICATION SERVER PROGRAMMING

    Course Description

    This course provides an introduction to server-based programming using an object-oriented approach. The student learns and reflects on two- and three-tier software architectures, separation of responsibility, design patterns, and web frameworks. To support the concepts and principles of server-based software construction, the student will design, code, test, debug, and document programs using the Java programming language. Swing-based GUI clients, XHTML clients, XML, JDBC, Java Server Pages and Java Servlets, are used as the implementation mechanisms for Model 1 and Model 2 Web architectures.
  • COMP 325 - HUMAN COMPUTER INTERACTION (4)

    COMP 325

    HUMAN COMPUTER INTERACTION

    Course Description

    This course covers a broad range of important topics within human computer interaction (HCI) and its implications for the design of interactive systems. By understanding the user?s viewpoint and technology?s effect on people, we can better plan for the selection, design, implementation, and use of technology so that the effects are positive rather than negative. The focus is on the design of interactive systems and human-computer interfaces. The course will cover the current literature and the knowns and unknowns about HCI and design. The design process is centered on the user and is based on a multidisciplinary approach through a synthesis of computer science, cognitive science, and psychology. HCI designers also use analytical and empirical techniques to assess, predict, and evaluate whether a design meets user requirements.
  • COMP 394 - COMPUTER SCIENCE PRACTICUM II (2)

    COMP 394

    COMPUTER SCIENCE PRACTICUM II

    Course Description

    This is the second practicum course in the Computer Science program. It provides experience in an on-going software development project. A student at this level will be given an assignment in a team similar to that of an experienced team member or as a team leader in industry. The software development project will require the student to apply industry best practices in completing an assignment for the project.
  • COMP 461 - ENTERPRISE SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE (4)

    COMP 461

    ENTERPRISE SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE

    Course Description

    This course reinforces and extends client-server programming concepts to enterprise applications. It introduces Enterprise Java Bean technologies such as JNDI, EJBs and EJB Containers. It explores the current use of XML and XSLT for data representation and communication. The course studies the application of patterns in the design of enterprise architectures. Finally, the course introduces emerging topics related to Web enterprise applications.
  • COMP 486 - OBJECT-ORIENTED ANALYSIS AND DESIGN (4)

    COMP 486

    OBJECT-ORIENTED ANALYSIS AND DESIGN

    Course Description

    This course studies the process of designing software systems both from the view of process and from the view of requirements, analysis and the synthesis of a viable software design. It builds on the concepts from the programming sequence to examine the aspects of good design practice.
  • COMP 495 - COMP SCIENCE PRACTICUM III/CAPSTONE (4)

    COMP 495

    COMP SCIENCE PRACTICUM III/CAPSTONE

    Course Description

    This is the third practicum course in the Computer Science program. It, like the first two practicum experiences, is an on-going software development project. A student at this level will be given an assignment at the most senior level, requiring planning and overall coordination tasks. Design tasks of extreme complication are also candidates for these students. In addition to the project work, the student will be given introspective assignments to help crystallize his or her overall experience of the program.
  • MATH 170 - DISCRETE MATHEMATICS (4)

    MATH 170

    DISCRETE MATHEMATICS

    Course Description

    This course introduces students to fundamental algebraic, logical and combinational concepts in mathematics that are needed in upper division computer science courses. Topics include logic; sets, mappings, and relations; elementary counting principles; proof techniques with emphasis on mathematical induction; graphs and directed graphs; Boolean algebras; recursion; and applications to computer science.
  • MIS 310 - INFO SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE & TECHNOLOGY (4)

    MIS 310

    INFO SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE & TECHNOLOGY

    Course Description

    This course provides a conceptual survey of general systems theory followed by a conceptual and technological survey of the structure of distributed information systems architectures, operating systems, network operating systems, peripheral technology and user interfaces. Interoperability between these architectural components will be explored and current technology and trends in each architectural element will be reviewed. This course will de-emphasize, although not ignore, mainframe architectures in favor of information architectures more applicable to client/server computing. The various interacting categories of client/server computing as well as the benefits and implications of such a system will be fully explored.
  • MIS 320 - TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION (4)

    MIS 320

    TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION

    Course Description

    This course will prepare students for the bi-directional technical communication demands specific to computer and information systems. Topics include technical research methods and approaches, critical analysis of technical documents, synthesis of data, information and knowledge gained through research and critical analysis, creation of accurate technical documents, and effective delivery of technical material via oral presentations supported by visual media.
  • MIS 484 - INFORMATION SYSTEMS SECURITY (4)

    MIS 484

    INFORMATION SYSTEMS SECURITY

    Course Description

    Students will review and analyze the control and security concerns in the information systems environment. The security challenges created from the emergence of new technology and the changing internal and external environments will be analyzed. The effect of legal, regulatory, and current security technology on policy development will also be reviewed.

Major Electives (4 hours)

Students can complete the required 4 credit hours for the major area elective requirement by selecting one of the following options:

Additional Requirements

  • All students are required to pass College Writing (WRIT 120), either Basic Learning Strategies (PF 121) or Learning Strategies (PF 321) and either Speech Communication (SPCH 100) or Interpersonal Communication (COMM 150) prior to enrolling in any other course at the 200 level or above. Either PF 121 or PF 321 must be taken prior to the first BLF course, or it may be taken concurrently with the first 15-week BLF course. Students who enroll at Franklin with 30 or fewer hours of transfer credit are required to pass Basic Learning Strategies (PF 121) in place of Learning Strategies (PF 321). Students must also meet the University algebra competency requirement.

Please see the Academic Bulletin for the complete list of degree and residency requirements.

Additional Curriculum

Bachelor of Science

View Curriculum

Build well-rounded skills and learn the industry specific knowledge you will need to be successful in your career.

Associate of Science

View Curriculum

Begin building your educational foundation with a curriculum that has a broad base in general education while touching upon a specific area of study.

Similar Majors

Not the program you were looking for?

Check out these other popular, related majors and find your best degree program fit at Franklin.

View All Majors

Franklin is for you. Find out why.

Learn about our flexible class
scheduling, affordable tuition, and
history educating adult learners.

Learn More About Franklin