Department of Computer Science
A Message from the Interim Department Chair
Shouhuai Xu, PhDComputer Science as a discipline has contributed to new technologies that have revolutionized society, the nation, and the world, as evidenced by the success of the Internet and its resulting economy. This trend will continue, especially in areas such as Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning and Cybersecurity. The Computer Science Department at UCCS strives to provide the best education and training to our students at full spectrum, from undergraduate degrees to PhD.
At the undergraduate level, we offer a wide range of majors: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Bachelor of Innovation in Computer Science, Bachelor of Innovation in Cybersecurity, Bachelor of Innovation in Game Design & Development, and Bachelor of Art in Computer Science, with the former two programs accredited by ABET. We also offer minors in computer science, cybersecurity, and game design & development.
At the master’s level, we offer Master of Science in Computer Science and Master of Engineering in Cybersecurity programs, with the latter designated as a National Security Agency (NSA) National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD). We are also creating a Master of Science in Computer Science Online Degree program. At the PhD level, our department is unique in offering PhD in Computer Science and PhD in Cybersecurity programs; the latter designated as an NSA National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Research (CAE-R), which is the first CAE-R Designation received by institutions in the state of Colorado.
Our faculty’s expertise includes Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Natural Language Processing, Biomedical Informatics, Computer Networks, Software Engineering, Embedded Systems, and Multiagent Systems and Game Theory. Our research has been funded by most federal funding agencies, including four National Science Foundation CAREER Awards and one AFOSR Young Investigator Program Award. Our faculty has received many prestigious research awards, such as 1st Place at the 2024 DoD NSIN/UC2 Cyber Innovators Challenge and 2025 ACM SIGSOFT Distinguished Paper Award.
Our students have earned prestigious research awards, such as the USCYBERCOM Cyber Recon 2023 Analyst Award, the USCYBERCOM Cyber Recon 2024 Hunter Award, and 1st Place at the 2025 VICEROY Cyber Competition. Our alumni have been excelling in their professional careers at companies such as Google, HP, IBM, Lockheed Martin, MITRE, and Northrop Grumman, as well as in academia as professors. With a strong upward trajectory in national recognition for both education and research, our department is rising to new heights of excellence.
We look forward to welcoming you to our department.
Shouhuai Xu, PhD
Interim Department Chair, Gallogly Endowed Engineering Professor in Cybersecurity, and Full Professor
Department of Computer Science
College of Engineering and Applied Science
About the Department of Computer Science
The Computer Science Department offers undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates to help students meet their career and educational goals. Research and teaching faculty are dedicated to including students in research and learning opportunities to increase understanding and experience in their chosen fields.
Research & Labs
Research Areas
The UCCS Department of Computer Science is active many research areas, including:
- Computer Networks
- Cybersecurity
- Information Retrieval
- Artificial Intelligence
- Machine Learning
- Computer Vision
- Wearable Computing Systems
- Natural Language Processing
- Biomedical Informatics
- Medical Applications and Software
- Game Design & Development
- Computer Graphics and Rendering
- Optimized Compilers
- Software Engineering
- Virtual Reality & Cyber-physical systems
Labs & Equipment
The department is supported by external funding from both public and private sources, including the National Science Foundation and the Department of Defense.
Faculty publish in top-tier academic conferences and journals. Our high-quality research program is driven by graduate students pursuing PhD and Masters degrees as well as undergraduate researchers.
Our department is home to 10 different cross-discipline laboratories that allow students to better research and experiment their desired topic, complete with additional hardware, servers, robotics, and other devices. Labs emphasis various subjects including Computational Biology, Cybersecurity, Language Information and Computation, and Game Theory.
Undergraduate Programs
UCCS offers five different programs of study leading to a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or Security. The Computer Science department offers four-year degrees such as Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Innovation, or Bachelor of Arts. The undergraduate curriculum provides students with theoretical foundations and practical experience in both the hardware and software aspects of computers.
Graduate Programs
The department offers graduate degrees at both the Masters and Doctorate levels. Students have multiple opportunities for teaching and research assistantships throughout their graduate studies.
The wide range of research interests in the department facilitate graduate research in many different areas, and the department's numerous aerospace and military partnerships present multiple opportunities for external fellowships and internships.
News
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Additional Resources
Contact Information
Brittani Wagner
Student Success Specialist, ENGR 199
Department of Computer Science
csinfo@uccs.edu | (719) 255-3544