This course builds on the basic programming concepts learned in COMSC-151, shifting the focus to the organization of data in order to improve efficiency and simplicity of programs. Topics include the study of abstract data types and data structures (such as linked lists, stacks, queues, and binary trees). This course is programming-intensive and introduces the Java programming language.

This course looks at the inner workings of a computer and computer systems. It is an introduction to computer architecture. Specific topics include assembly language programming, memory, and parallelism. This course is programming intensive.

Building large software systems introduces new challenges to software development. Appropriate design decisions and programming methodology can make a major difference in developing software that is correct and maintainable. In this course, students will learn techniques and tools that are used to build correct and maintainable software, improving their skills in designing, writing, debugging, and testing software. Topics include object-oriented design, testing, design patterns, and software architecture. This course is programming intensive.

Human-Robot Interaction is an interdisciplinary field that examines a broad set of questions about robots that are designed to interact with humans (e.g., educational, assistive, and service robots). How does the behavior and appearance of a robot change how humans perceive and interact with it? How can we design and program robots that are natural, trustworthy, and effective? In this course, students learn the algorithmic foundations of interactive robots, gain experience building and evaluating interactive robots, and read and present scholarly research papers.