The BA in Computer Science program supports the mission of the University by providing a flexible curriculum focusing on the advanced practices of computer science grounded in a strong liberal arts core curriculum. Students have the flexibility to choose a wide range of elective courses, which can also allow them to pursue a variety of minors or even double majors. Students may obtain a concentration in Computer Engineering or Software Engineering.

The Program Educational Objectives (PEOs) are broad statements that describe what alumni do within a few years following graduation. The BA in Computer Science program is committed to our alumni who, within a few years of their graduation, are expected to:

1. Be employed in a field that makes use of computer science background.
2. Continue the process of life-long learning through formal and informal education.
3. Communicate effectively.
4. Practice professional ethics with social responsibility.

The program emphasizes the complete development of computing-based solutions. Students learn how to gather requirements, design, develop, test, deploy, and maintain software using rigorous computing practices. They are taught how to leverage technology to create flexible and scalable applications and to address the challenges that arise during the development process. Also, the program exposes students to a range of other disciplines, such as the physical sciences, social sciences, languages and literature, and the arts, that emphasizes a whole person learning pedagogy.

Fairfield’s computer science curriculum encompasses a truly unique combination of experiences:

• Experiential Hands-On Learning: A unique curriculum provides opportunities for computer science students to obtain the equivalent of 20 months of real-world experience through a sophomore year service-learning initiative, a junior year entrepreneurial experience, and an industry-based senior capstone project. 
• Cross-Disciplinary Engineering Exposure: As part of the School of Engineering and Computing, computer science students have access to other engineering disciplines and engineering-heavy industries, which expands career opportunities exponentially.
• Student Mentoring: By volunteering as high school mentors, students learn valuable management skills, they become comfortable explaining highly technical concepts simply and clearly, and they experience the satisfaction of sharing their knowledge to help others.
• Liberal Arts Core: A strong foundation in the liberal arts encourages engineers to think critically, design imaginatively, communicate clearly and collaborate productively. 
• Academic/Research Activities and Internship: Companies from a variety of domains, such as The Weather Company (visualization), Federal Aviation Administration (software engineering and data mining), Saugatuck Energy (artificial intelligence) have an on-campus presence and provide computer science students opportunities to interact with industry leaders.